Hello all- I'm really interested in the CTD diesel, BUT, would this be a mistake if I don't plan on beating the sh*^ out of it? I'll be towing a trailer probably a little more than 12 times a year. The weekends will probably have a bike or two in the back, but other than that, it'll pretty much be my daily driver....to the office! I hear it's bad for diesels to sit in stop and go traffic, which I do A LOT of. Will I also get sick of hearing the engine in stop and go traffic? What about the smell? Should I just go for the gas engine and bite the gas bill?

Thanks!

 

welcome to DF!... I dont tow and drive normal 99% of the time... works for me and wouldnt trade it for anything...

 

I drove my 98 gasser for 5 year's and for 5 year's I wished I had a CTD.
Just recently traded for an 02 cummin's and I can say this .
I love the extra power .
Point is make sure your not under estimating what you'll be doing w/ this truck .
I plow snow, haul car trailer's, and every so often I compete in truck pulls.
Now that I have a CTD I plan on doing some traveling because of the good fuel mileage and dependablity of the motor.
Think your choice over a while I'm sure you'll make the right one.

 

That's a good point. My buddy in AZ just bought a new duramax thinking the same thing I am now - he wasn't sure if he needed that much truck. Now he says he's using his trailer more than ever now. He says it's just so easy now to drag it places since the truck tows it better and does it cheaper too!

Any difference engine-wise between a 2005 and 2006?

 

While sitting in traffic the diesel wont over heat, and if you get thehighilde then you can justbump it up and you ac will continue to blow. Mytruck gets mainly highway,. well alot of highway, and i towsome butnot often. Make the plunge andjoin the darkside.

 

The most that mine hauls is me and my duaghter (shes only 8mts old and shes claimed the back seat ). I wouldn't trade it for anything, I love this truck.

 

Cant go wrong with a cummins.

 

With regards to the diesel exhaust smell. It's not like it used to be in the old days. My regular fuel stop has ULSD and I gotta say you can hardly smell the stuff at all. Doesn't really smell like diesel exhaust at all. As a matter of fact it has a sweet smell to it or something. It's hard to describe. Honestly though I miss how the old diesels used to smell MMmmmmmmmm

 

Reminds me of a gas grill smell

 

My $0.02 I think for those who don't tow very often or not at all is to load a one ton of weight in the bed and take your truck for a 3-4 hr drive to help heat up the cylenders and clean out any carbon that me be in their. I know when I do so to mine ( being its winter time and its very cold outside) is seem to run much better and get I get a small boost in my mpg's.