If you are gonna be pulling, you can not go wrong with the diesel. As for the short trips, just take the long way home sometimes so that the diesel can do the regeneration and you should be fine...

 

What is considered "not" a short trip? When mine gets driven to work it's only about 15mi each way, school is 5mi... usually I'm in the hotrod or on the scooter so these trips are the exception, but I don't wanna cause any damage...

Thanks!

 

I wouldnt go under 10mi for a "short trip"

The gasser seems like a better choice for what you want but for towing hands down its the DIESEL! Also do you have a lot of diesel pumps in your area or do you have to drive to BFE to find one... take that into consideration.

The emissions stuff is a simple fix a DPF delete will take care of the crappy milage and regeneration issues BUT depending on your service manager at the dealer will he allow the bomb or not? If not then maybe try another local dealer.

I woudlnt buy a truck without the flip-up mirrors! they arnt bad when down but worth their weight in gold when hauling something that you need to see around. You can tell them you want the flip up mirrors as part of the sale.

.02
Ian

 

If the truck does have the tow package, the tow mirrors should be part of that package. Try grabbing the mirror and rotating it counter-clockwise; it should flip up, giving you about 8 inches of extension.
I would get the diesel. For towing, it's definitely the best choice. I wouldn't worry about the short trips. Short trips will simply cause the truck to do more "active" regenerations instead of "passive" which will mean less mpg's because of the fuel it will dump into the exhaust to perform the "active" regen. It's really not a problem though.

 

Do you have to worry about short trips with the 5.9L engine? I let the engine warm up and reach operating temp before shutting off. Only have around 5 miles to work, on a day to day basis.

 

Diesel won't make sense economically. You aren't pulling enough weight to need the diesel, a gasser will do just fine. The gasser will burn roughly twice as much fuel while towing and close to the same while not. However you're not towing enough miles to justify the much higher purchase price of a diesel, the increased maintenance cost and the higher cost of diesel fuel. And those short trips in the cold going to work will be hell on your diesel. It'll never warm up.

I pulled 8,000 lbs for ten years with an F-150. I traded up to a 14,000 lb camper so my only decision was WHICH diesel to get. I got the Cummins and it just happened to have a Ram 2500 wrapped around it.

 

My 06 2500 reg cab 4x4 5.7 6sp and 373 ltd slip pulls up to 12,000 ppounds with out much effort, a CTD pulling the same load will never let you know its thier and if used every day is the better chioce.

Thier are some minor things you can do to the hemi to bump up the h/p amd mpg, MDS is not one of them for a 3/4 truck. a 5.7 in a mega cab is a bad idea, for a quad cab with a 410 ltd slip, it will be more than fine for towing.

 

With all due respect of those who have posted, I am going to disagree with "short commutes being bad on a diesel". This is only based on my personal experience however. I had a 2006 5.9L for over two years, traded it off with about 33k miles. Never had an ounce of trouble with it. Drove it to and from work every day, 1.5 miles to work, 1.5 miles home, 3 miles round trip. Never had a problem. Now I am in a 2008 6.7L, at 6500 miles, same short commute, no problems yet, no codes, nothing. I own an old military trailer that I haul my ATV in, that is the only towing I do. The trailer fully loaded for hunting might go 3000 lbs. If anyone didn't need a diesel, it would be me. But I will never go back to gas again. Form my limited experience, these trucks do just fine over a short commute.

Brent

 

Forgot, if you do decide against the diesel, give some thought to the Powerwagon. That would be my only choice in a gasser. Sure looks like a fun and useful truck. Talk about sucking down the fuel however!!!!

Brent

 

All due respect, if you trade every two years you're never going to see a problem even if you abuse it and perform zero maintenance on it. Why bother even changing your oil?

Some of us can't afford to do that and choose a diesel for economical reasons or need and have to make them last as long as we can.