Truck Gas to Diesel Retrofit Conversions?

Will this become the truck accessory of the near future? What is the possibility of truck retrofit kits to convert your standard gasoline powered truck to a totally different drivetrain? As you stand there filling your Chevy, Ford or Dodge pickup with three dollar gas, has the thought ever crossed your mind?

Gasoline prices are going to fluctuate for a long time to come, but vary as they will, the chances of a return to long term gas prices in the one dollar region are pretty much zero, even two dollar gas is less likely than three so what is the threshold before someone decides it’s time to pull the old gas engine and drop in a diesel? Diesel prices aren’t exactly a bargain, either, but with biodiesel, the potential to make your own fuel is always there if you’re in the right situation and diesels can get considerably better mileage than their gasoline counterparts.

If your truck is relatively new, you’ve got a problem if you decide to trade or even sell outright. The current trade in and resale values are pretty low with manufacturers offering huge rebates and low interest financing on brand new trucks, so your two or three year old, low mileage creampuff has the trade in value of a high mileage beater from not too long ago. Not good. Instead of taking a beating, why not swap out the gas engine?

There are far too many pickups in great shape and far too many of their owners for everyone to just lose thousands of dollars in value and investment without some enterprising company to step in with a solution that turns a nice profit while saving huge dollars in operating costs for the truck owners. An engine and computer replacement, wiring harness, fuel tank conversion or replacement, diesel exhaust and you’re good to go. It wouldn’t be cheap but if the kit was well done the truck would have a long service life and probably retain a high trade in value enabling the owner to recover some of the conversion cost.

Who could do something like this? Gale Banks comes to mind right away but there are probably many companies that have the capability of stepping in with a kit. They wouldn’t have to supply the engine either, just the kit, and you could pull a diesel from a low mileage donor. They could supply rebuilt engines as well to give you that comfort level to know your truck would run great after all the the time and effort, not to mention money, was expended.

What are the chances? Watch pump prices. If those go up, these will appear, just wait.