Beat me to it. Lots of diesels used in the oil patch up here. They are just left running in the cold. When buying a used diesel up here, you almost have to pay more attention to the hour meter that the odometer...
That has not been my experience. I find gas motors start up much better in cold climates.
My counterpoint to that is that the gasoline engines are left running up there as well. The gasoline fuel may not gel up the same way that diesel does, but it does in fact get more difficult to start up gasoline-fed engines the colder it gets. I've done more than a few cold starts (no heater cord plugged in) on gasoline engines in -30F mornings; trust me when I say the gasoline engine didn't enjoy that start up anymore than did the diesel.
With the advent of modern heating systems for the diesel, there is less of a discrepancy nowadays between it and gasoline in terms of cold starts....almost to the point of being an non-issue.
It’s a fact gasoline engines are better in cold weather ..
Only marginally so...that so-called "advantage" is overplayed and often brought up by people had bad experiences with older engines. FYI the 7.3l Powerstroke was notorious for having a finicky cold-start, even in mild temperatures....bad design on Ford's part.
and these days gas engines, naturally aspirated or air injected (turbo or supercharged) with modern transmissions effectively produce as much useful power or more as the 7.3/5.9 Legendary engines , but if you need diesel because of loads, then you need it, if you just prefer diesels because you want to, then you will live with the limitations and costs and benefits and manage... there is also no doubt a diesel will cost you more in purchase, maintenance and on the scale... in overlanding, weight is a real and present enemy
The newer gasoline engines are more powerful, but then again so are the newer diesel engines...so I don't see what your point is there.
Diesel does cost more to fuel, maintain and buy...but they also retain greater values on the used market, last longer (on average), and get better mpg's. I think you'd be hard pressed to say that you would actually be saving substantial amounts of money by going with a gasoline 3/4 ton versus a diesel one, or vice versa. Bigger, more powerful trucks cost more to maintain and operate than do smaller trucks, which cost more than sedans. If you're truly concerned about cutting costs, get the smallest, most efficient midsized pickup you can find or, better yet, get a CUV or sedan.
Weight is a big deal...but I've yet to find an area where a 3/4 ton gasoline truck can make it through but a 3/4 ton diesel can't because of its added weight. Most overlanding in North America takes place on active or historical logging roads. Nor do I think you can categorically say that the heavier weight of diesels in general inhibits their offroad capabilities...it's all relative. The 2.8l duramax Colorado and 3.0l diesel F-150 should have no problems going the same places that all other midsized and 1/2 ton trucks can go.
Bottom line is that there is no right or wrong answer. There are some considerations for owning a diesel, but people tend to overexaggerate and embellish the "hardships" of diesel ownership, especially so on this forum. The OP, or any potential buyer, should approach any vehicle purchase with both eyes open, but there certainly isn't anything that should deter him/her from buying a diesel.
