I've converted another gasser!!!

Well it's official .... I've converted another gasser to diesel!

One of the young soldiers I work with was talking about buying an Excursion.  He has a growing family, and I couldn't see him and his wife (both Army and under E-5) having to feed the gas tank on this thing.  He's got an '04 Explorer, but once he puts the kids and wife in, along with clothes, diapers, formula, etc., for the long weekend trip, the room gets eaten up very quickly.

So we started to talk, and I hate to admit it but I baited him.  I asked him things like, "Why do you want something this big?  Are you towing with it?  What do you want it to do for you?", because I want him to decide based on his own answers.  Come to find out he wanted leg room in a family vacation vehicle so that every month or so him and his wife could visit his folks that were just far enough away to be beyond the travel limits for a weekend visit but were well within the travel distance for a 4 day pass.  He also wants to be able to move stuff, like his household goods, if and when he moves, and get better fuel mileage than he does now.

Of course he throws in he has always wanted a pickup truck, but doesn't know of one that would give him what he wants.  We talk specifically about fuel mileage, and come to find out he says he's filling it up at least once a week, getting around 10 or 12 MPG and spending about $85 every fill up.  We talk about just using the Excursion for weekend trips only and what kind of mileage he'll expect with it.  He flat out says he knows it will be worse than the Explorer, which is why he wants to use it solely on weekends.  Then we discuss depreciation of the vehicle versus the loan, how he will never truly get to use it except four times a month at most (this one really opened his eyes), and what his money is really buying.  Now he doesn't know what to do because he realized all that money will be wasted and he doesn't want to spend a dime.

He asks me about my trucks, so I tell him about my '06 QCSB .... more horsepower, way more torque, will out tow his Explorer, and gets 18 MPG.  This is where his eyeballs popped.  I grab a copy of Diesel Power and show him some built up Dodge QC's with the Cummins.  Of course I show him the comparison of the Chevy Silverado versus the new Camaro in the October issue.  He's amazed that a diesel pickup truck will hold its own against a Camaro.  I think this is what really got him.  He asks if there is a bigger QC than what I showed him, so I show him some pictures online of the Mega Cab.  The next thing he says is, "Damn, that's like riding in a limo.".

The next question he asks leads to even more questions, which ends up becoming an hour plus long conversation about diesel, how they work, the better mileage, the lifespan of the engine, how to take care of it, add-on parts, step bars, fender flares, etc..

Now I've got him looking hard at a new Mega Cab diesel.



Kris



Hey Chrysler, I want 10% of this sale!!!  
2006 Dodge Ram 2500 QC 5.9L - No Mods Yet
2008 Dodge Ram 3500 QC 6.7L - Titan Fuel Tank Owner

Nice job, Kris! Yeah, I think one of the reasons diesels aren't more popular in the U.S. is because people simply don't know about them. They either assume they're slow and noisy, or just haven't even thought of them. I think the tide is turning, but it's still got a long ways to go, specifically in regard to passenger cars. Let us know what he ends up buying!  

Oh I'll definately have a follow up post to this one if I can.  This group here is due to go home in the next 90 days, so I'll see what I can do to keep in touch with him and see what he ends up buying.

He's still talking about it (3 days in a row now) so we'll see what happens long term, but I have a feeling he's hooked.

Ed, please tell the crew I said thanks for the Silverado versus Camaro comparison.  This article is what really turned the tide.



Kris  
2006 Dodge Ram 2500 QC 5.9L - No Mods Yet
2008 Dodge Ram 3500 QC 6.7L - Titan Fuel Tank Owner