Goofy Footer 539 Posted January 12, 2014 I've been debating a new vehicle for a while now... I'm interested in hearing what you guys are realistically getting with your full size trucks! (I'd probably get a commuter for running around town and use the truck for all things moto and camping). I've thought about vans too. Please state engine size, auto/manual transmission and 4x4 or 2wd. I'm flirting with the idea of a regular cab or extended cab fullsize truck. I found nice 1997 4.6L triton v8 ford automatic F150 heavy duty regular cab with longbed A camper like this would be sweet but hurt my MPG and I doubt I really need it (the regular shell should work fine for lightweight camping) For reference my V6 3.4L Tacoma with manual and 4x4 gets me 18 mpg... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PastaPilot 17 Posted January 12, 2014 1995 E150 hi-top conversion van, 5.8l auto, 2wd.. i dont compute my mileage as often as I should but on most trips it's around 15. I'd agree with your statement about campers. for most anything you'll do a camper shell will be plenty and that long bed will be huge for you. I used to camp in a Ranger and that was adequate for me. Good luck and keep searching. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Leoffensive 0 Posted January 12, 2014 cant go wrong with these chevys real comfy and pretty dang reliable. i had a '99 1500 suburban with the 350 great truck and uber comfy. http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/4281654036.html Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Desertrunner 0 Posted January 12, 2014 2000 F-150 5.4L Automatic w/ 223k on the clock. Extended cab 4x4. Still runs great, although I recently had to replace the plastic intake manifold. 12.5 MPG mixed hwy/city. 14-15 MPG easy highway. Goes down as speeds increase over 70mph. 11 MPG city I need my truck, but can't afford to drive it work/school on a daily basis and pay $400 a month in gas for commuting alone. Hence I recently picked a GS500F for commuting. Just topped off earlier today and got 61 MPG this week. Insurance was $200 for the year for full coverage combined with my DRZ. The bike should pay for itself in roughly 9 months. I have a touring windshield and bar risers on order. It's like riding a sewing machine down the road compared to the dirt bike. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wintyfresh 46 Posted January 12, 2014 2006 F150 4x4 5.4 supercrew, I can pull 17 on the highway but stop and go traffic gets it down into the 13s. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
danrider 5 Posted January 12, 2014 I bit the bullet two years ago and traded my 6.0 ford diesle on a new ford ecoboost 6 cylinder. In town driving I am getting a solid 16 mpg. My best gas mpg that I have recieved from that truck so far is 21.9mpg on a trip to phoenix. When I drive it on the 8 to Yuma and back I get 18 because of the hills. I would also tell you that I pull a 21 foot toy box with this truck and I have plenty of power. I just pulled my toy box to Mojave with three bikes in it , 100 gal of water, 25 gal of gas in the fuel station, gear, and three in the truck. It pulled us up the grade to Victorville with no-problem, my average speed was 62mph for that trip (the truck keeps a tow log in its computer that you can see and a record of how many miles you have towed). My mpg I get when I tow is right around 10 mpg. I have been hesitent in recomending Ford to anyone because of the problems I had with my 6.0 diesel, I have owned this truck now for two years and I am very happy with it, and would recommend the ecoboost.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bikeslut 1 Posted January 12, 2014 Wow! My 2007 crew cab 150 with auto trans and 5.4 gets 18 or better always! (I only drive highway, but it's in Alpine (hills) so I don't really know city figures) I can get 26 or better "hyper-miling" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tntmo 887 Posted January 12, 2014 My 1997 Chevy 1500 2WD turd gets 17-18 average. 5.7L V8 with auto trans. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ADV Bum 205 Posted January 12, 2014 2004 Dodge 4x4 Diesel manual gets 16 avg. It does have bigger tires and very low gearing. Trucks are awesome! Everyone should own one. I am not a big fan of the shell. They do keep your stuff out of the weather but limit your from putting bikes, quads and other stuff in the back. The best thing to maximize the usefullness of a truck is the ladder rack(my opinion). I have installed a ladder rack that will install over a shell and now will be buying a softtopper canvas shell to install inside of it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dstss 27 Posted January 12, 2014 We've got a 2005 Dodge 3500 2WD with the 5.9 turbo diesel. We bought it new and it has 130,000 miles on it. My wife uses it for a daily driver and usually gets 22-23 mpg. We haul our 33' fifth wheel trailer and get down to 13-15 (a little less if the wind is blowing at you.). Diesel is a bit more expensive per gallon ( for no good reason) but I would definitely buy another one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bagstr 287 Posted January 12, 2014 Honda Ridgeline 2010 V-6 AWD 17mpg in town, 22 on freeway trips. Not a Toy Hauler but small trailers and bikes are fine. Drives like a car. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Riggerdan 147 Posted January 12, 2014 Sadly enough the new tundras getting 13 at best throw in a bigger tire and some head wind and it could be a little worse primarily as an adventure vehicle not a commuter Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Goofy Footer 539 Posted January 12, 2014 Thanks for the info guys - keep it coming! I like hearing numbers/experiences regardless of make and model. Fullsize work trucks (typically single cab) are pretty inexpensive on CL. I need to be able to drive across the county regularly so I don't particularly want to take a huge MPG hit by having a fullsize truck as my primary vehicle but I totally see their benefit as moto haulers, campers and surf vehicles. For my purposes a basic camper shell and joe hauler would serve me well. I have a 2 rail trailer if I'm commuting with a friend. I posted this thread because I'm actively shopping. The white F250 posted above was bought at auction by a reseller, it looks very clean and has low miles for my purposes. He is asking $4k for it. A few other trucks of interest are: -2005-2006 Tundra with 4.0L V6 - the V6 in the current Tacoma has serious power yet gives decent MPG. The old generation Tundra was a 7/8ths size truck IMO - not a true fullsize truck. I think the 4.0 would work great in that Tundra. (plus the new Tacomas are almost the same size as the original Tundra). The extended cab Tundras has swingout rear doors like the Tacomas which is a big upgrade compared to my older Tacoma with no rear doors. -Early 2000s Chevy Silverados are pretty inexpensive now and the smaller Vortec motors get good MPGs. 2wd Chevys also seem to ride lower than the other trucks making them easier to load/unload. One issue is replacing the head gasket so coolant doesn't leak into the motor. -2004+ F150 with 4.6L Triton. I really like that the regular cab F150 has enough room to recline the bucket seat some - that would make it far more comfy on road trips! Even the regular cab had rear swing doors. The truck bed seems very deep - lots of room for me to camp and build a sleeping platform. -1997-2000? F250 Light Duty - these are unique trucks, they are overbuilt F150s with semi floating rear axle, beefed up frame, heavy duty suspension, rear disc brakes and possibly towing package with transmission cooler Another vehicle, while not a truck is a police interceptor Crown Victoria. They are inexpensive on craigslist and often purchased by cab companies. They have built up frames, bigger radiators & transmission coolers, upgraded suspension, stronger transmission with different shift points and an upgraded rear axle. Big sedans are definitely comfort wagons and the 4.6L triton V8 can easily tow anything I own. I think the brownish grey ones look good. I've heard different accounts on their MPGs - anybody have experiences driving one? I appreciate your input and advice! I crunch numbers for work and have ran a bunch of different spreadsheets but your real world info is more valuable to me! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Goofy Footer 539 Posted January 12, 2014 Your pic is spot on Bagstr! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BSon2or4 28 Posted January 12, 2014 The last two trucks I had were the 97 ram 2500 extended cab, long bed, diesel 4x4.They had the last year offered 12 valve mechanically injected engine so I added the banks power pack to both of them. The first one had the 3.73 gearing and averaged 19 mpg running like a scalded cat, while the second one had the 4.10 gearing and averaged 23 mpg with tree stump pulling power and a limit of 80 mph. The 3.73 was zippy and the 4.10 would tow like there was nothing behind it when moving my brothers loader/grader to do some work in Julian. Now I've got the 4x4 5.7L Jeep and miss the torque of the diesel but the Jeep seats 7 and tows the toy hauler with ease, just not at the mpg I preferred from the diesel. 12mpg city, 15+ mpg on the highway, and 7-11 mpg towing based on load and terrain. Hope this helps. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AATA 0 Posted January 14, 2014 I have a 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 5.3 and it always seems to average around 17-18. I have a heavy foot, so it's probably capable of more, but that's real world for me. I'm surprised at some of the mileage posted. I had a 1999 GMC 1500 with the old 5.3 and averaged 13-14 mpg. Maybe 15, but with any hills that number dropped fast. If I had to get another newer truck right now it would probably be the Ford Eco Boost like Dan has. Great power for the MPG and drives great. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
97xr400r 122 Posted January 15, 2014 highest mpg truck i could find outside of the 50hp rabbit truck , not a full size but just wanted to get your gears turning. "tent" 24mpg hwy. reg cab 2wd 2.4L 2000 tacoma. Just wish it was a 45mpg 2L TDI engine, haha. Camping near sandstone canyon in fishcreek wash. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SDlineman 0 Posted January 15, 2014 Probably not exactly what your looking for if MPG is a factor, but my 2010 2wd 6.4L diesel F-450 gets about 6.5 MPG around town ( good thing I only live about a mile from work, I still only have to fill up about once a month if I don't leave town), and about 11 on the highway. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bikeslut 1 Posted January 15, 2014 Probably not exactly what your looking for if MPG is a factor, but my 2010 2wd 6.4L diesel F-450 gets about 6.5 MPG around town ( good thing I only live about a mile from work, I still only have to fill up about once a month if I don't leave town), and about 11 on the highway. Well yeah, but it'll do the same towing... My 150 In gear Without tires Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bagstr 287 Posted January 15, 2014 New Sprinter Van http://www.freightlinersprinterusa.com/sprinter/passenger-van Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PastaPilot 17 Posted January 15, 2014 Probably not exactly what your looking for if MPG is a factor, but my 2010 2wd 6.4L diesel F-450 gets about 6.5 MPG around town ( good thing I only live about a mile from work, I still only have to fill up about once a month if I don't leave town), and about 11 on the highway. Well yeah, but it'll do the same towing... My 150 In gear Without tires LOL you can add my van, laying on it's side, to the list. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Goofy Footer 539 Posted January 15, 2014 Thank you guys for continuing to post up real world numbers - that is awesome! I know I'm not the only person on this board that is interested in what mileage people are actually getting. I like the variety of trucks, big diesels, an F450, moto van and even a tent edition Taco! Keep the info coming! Heck, while we're at it - anybody else want to post up pics of their rigs? Previous rig: 1992 Toyota LandCruiser - 10 city & 12 hwy mpg Current rig (I have a color matched Leer shell on it at the moment): 3.4L Tacoma 5speed 4x4 - consistent 18mpg mixed driving Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Goofy Footer 539 Posted January 15, 2014 I should mention that I had Colin at Top Value Tire (he's a mechanic who sponsors the Desert Dash) check out the white F250 I posted about in the first post of this thread. The truck is pretty solid, super clean for the year and low miles for what I'll use it for. I have some reservations about it being a single cab (the bench seat doesn't recline and may be an issue on long road trips) and it's 2wd. I thought I could get over the 2wd thing but the two pictures above have me jonesing for a trip - I'd rather ride bikes than truck though! I'd love to hear your thoughts on that F250 as a moto rig - it has a 8ft bed with camper and full carpet kit to sleep in and I could put a double joe hauler on a big hitch and haul bikes for myself and a buddy on trips. The long bed would be nice to throw surfboards in and to slap some stand up paddleboards on a top rack. I'd like to take a truck trip to Gonzaga Bay for some stand up paddling this year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PastaPilot 17 Posted January 15, 2014 Well. Looking at the two pictures you posted above shows me your don't need 4WD. At least from what I see there's nothing a 2wd vehicle couldn't access. If you're concerned about it, after buying the truck, invest in a good locking rear differential and that will get you thru or out of most anything. I took my 2WD Ranger pretty deep into In-Ko-Pah without hesitation. The only reason I didn't go down one road was the open diff. My van has been all over the Piute Mts. One side of Piute Mt. Rd is very steep and at the time was recently graded. Probably 6" deep silt in areas and the old beast never struggled. Ya know, Robbie Gordon has been pretty competitive in the Dakar with 2WD. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bagstr 287 Posted January 15, 2014 Well, If we are doing Bedroom shots,,, Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
