Bov .. Which would be better.. Gas or diesel

[ElevenBravo]

Fixr did a good writeup of many of the basics.

True, that diesel does cost more per gallon, given the right setup a diesel engine will yield better to much better MPG than an equal displacement gas engine, and in addition will yield much greater MPG while pulling a load.

A little vehicle like a CJ is a cool idea, but the short wheel base keeps it from being a steady vehicle when pulling a decent load.

(I am bouncing around ideas, so bear with the disconnects...)

An older diesel like mine is very simple, the only thing I do is twice a year toss in a qt. of transmission fluid with a FULL fill up to clear out the injectors some.

A diesel engine will yield greater reliability and over all life span (given proper maintenance). For example, my truck has a mechanical (DB2) fuel injector pump that not only generates the HP squirt, but also does the timing... NO COMPUTER. The transmission is a 700R4, shift points are adjusted via a TV cable to the valve body, NO COMPUTER. There is no I.C. or computer or wire to come loose to prevent operation. I *could* start the engine, and disconnect the batteries and CONTINUE to run without depending on the generator's output OR batteries. This CANNOT be done on ANY gasoline engine, since even with an older engine a high voltage spark is needed to ignite the gas, so electricity MUST be present...

Ive gone over the pro's and con's for a decade before I made the switch to diesel, and I DO NOT REGRET IT ONE BIT! It would be nice to have a sweet 4 door Dodge with a Cummins and stick shift, sitting on a 6" lift and a camper cap... BUT, I dont have the money for one, and theres a LOT more to go wrong with current day (read: complicated) diesel engines.

Im old skool, for a reason. :-) (And you thought it was just because I was poor! Well, that does play into it just a little! HA HA).

Good thread, good discussion.
EB

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Also, when *I* bug out (If/when/Etc) its going to be with a trailer crammed full of crap, and the truck crammed full of crap, plus the three of us and whatever I can strap on the hood and the roof... so IMHO, Im going to have a heavy load... I cannot in my mind imagine someone bugging out with a Chevy Luv and have enough to sustain them selves on.

The only exception is BOL or a retreat, where everything you need for the long term is ALREADY in place... then I can see the logic.

EB

[Possom]

From reading the original post the only thing he was going to be pulling was a boat once in a while. A CJ7 shouldn't have trouble doing that.


With a hardtop and roof rack he should be able to carry his tent etc.

If more space is needed a CJ can be coupled with an M416 trailer and still go just about anywhere.

The diesel powered Chevy luv was more or less just my personal want. Lol

[Metrocruiser]

Hi all,

Thanks for the great info regarding diesels and gas engines. I have learned a lot from your info posted here.
Id like to find a good size vehicle so that I can comfortably fit all of us in + our gear that may be fishing, gold panning, boating, camping equipment. It would be hard in a jeep. Our DD is a full size SUV (Nissan Armada) and sometimes we are challenged to fit our groceries when all of us go to Costco. As well we have the stuff that always stays in the suv. Bob is an action pack about 24x16x12" that sits inside of a collapsible crate that stacks with another one beside it if necessary. A case of water, portable toilet, dog gear, tie straps, tow rope etc.

Diesels sound sexy.

[ElevenBravo]

Poss, I hope you didnt take my reply wrongly... On the CJ thing, it has its good and bad, I didnt point out the good but only the bad...

On the Luv, they are great trucks... but small.

This is one reason why its a good thing there are SO MANY DIFFERENT vehicles! :-)

I just wanted to make sure we were cool, I sensed I may have come off curt, which I tend to do sometimes... but not with intention.


EB

[Possom]

Oh not at all. I was operating under the assumption it was just the original poster and their spouse. With kids it changes the equation. With kids involved I think I would go with a pre-1985 Toyota 4runner. Solid front axle rig. 22re engine. Strong little rigs that have lots of aftermarket upgrades available.

My wife and I have 4 children so I know how that goes. We have a full size 4 door Nissan Titan 4x4 to haul us and everything we require around.

For a BOV I have always thought smaller is better. I can go places in my jeep that a full sized rig couldn't get into. I guess that would have a lot to do with location though. I live on the edge of a national forest with lots of old logging roads that are narrow and tight.

[ElevenBravo]

Im kinda the other side of the fence... With my K5, I obviously want ROOM and a BIG vehicle... There are many camps to the BOV... and honestly, none are wrong... it boils down to individual needs & mission... Local terrain, etc.. There are too many variables to give definitive advice.

However, I will still bet my balls that diesel is best. :-)

EB

[Dropy]

I own an F250 with a 7.3 liter turbo diesel. I will still own gas vehicles, but for power, pulling and just plain being a workhorse I will never ask a gas to do what my diesel can do.

[Gunfixr]

I honestly wasn't trying to push a decision in either direction, only to give some of the differences. Around here, diesel has been quite a bit higher than gas for some time now, as in several years. While diesel mpg may be higher, so costs may or may not balance out, one thing that needs to be considered is driving distance post-shtf. If you're scavenging fuel, price is irrelevant. That was my point in that most vehicles go about the same distance per tank of fuel. The primary exception would be dual tank pickups, and maybe some SUVs. Newer diesels have computers, and are not emp proof.
A diesel is a natural multi-fuel engine, unlike gas. Diesels do generate more torque, but are usually slower, off the line and having less pickup, even though their overall top speeds are similar.
It still comes down to mission, and availability.
Do you want fast, or powerful? Is there more gas around, or lots of diesel?

I had an '84 F250 with a 6.9L diesel, C6 auto. The axles had been swapped out for M715 1 1/4 ton militarys, and the chain drive transfer case swapped for a NP 205. The rear had a Detroit Locker. It was sitting on 44" tires. That truck would pull a house down, but topped out at about 64 MPH. In the end, it was just no longer affordable, and sat in the yard.

For all the pulling/pushing power of diesel, they are noisy. You will not sneak anywhere with one, unless you have one of the small cars or trucks, and then you don't have the pulling/pushing power, just the mpg. If you got something to tow, great. But if not, how hidden are you after you push a big trail through the wilderness right to your door? Better off slipping through. How many think they are going to ram roadblocks? Driving skill beats vehicle power every time for getting somewhere, except maybe for some off-roading scenarios. But you don't want to be looking at big mudholes and seeing if you can get through them for the hell of it when bugging out.

Personally though, I think that if you're planning on scavenging fuel, there will be more gas than diesel to be had. Post-shtf, there will be major governmental attempt to keep the infrastructure up and running, to maintain control. Most of that at the local and state level is fueled by gasoline. The military is not going to give away any diesel, and, if trucks are running supplies, they will be protected by the military.
Other than emp, and towing heavy stuff, I don't see much of a big advantage to diesels. It's like .45 vs 9mm. Each is good, each has pros and cons. They're each different from the other.
In gas or diesel, 9mm or .45, AR or AK, if it had been established that one was absolutely superior to the other in every way, the inferior one would have disappeared.
But that's just my opinion.

[Brownwater Riverrat 13]

ON the EMP note...........everyone seems to forget the older vehicles. Uh, Emp won't hurt them either. Just a thought.

[helomech]

ON the EMP note...........everyone seems to forget the older vehicles. Uh, Emp won't hurt them either. Just a thought.

Sure it will, they still have an electrical system. All gasoline vehicles would be effected. Look at the solar flare in the late 1800's, it fried most of the telegraph lines on the planet. Only diesel engines that are already running, or capable of being started by hydraulics or hand crank will be running. If your vehicle relies on a electrical starter you are screwed.