Truck fuel mileage?

[sdef]

I am in a quandary for selecting a tow vehicle rated at 11k # or greater. My heavy towing needs are only occasional and most of the time the truck will be inside with the tractor once our new place is built and all of the outside landscaping, etc. is completed, will not be a daily driver and would be my last HD vehicle purchase. Ideally I would get a good used 4WD, 6.5' bed, extended cab, 3/4 ton, gas engined with 4.x gears, ~ a 2008 model. But in my area these are still pretty expensive. The 3/4 ton pricing led me to seriously consider new 2015 1/2 ton Ford Ecoboost or GM with the 5.3L engine, as unloaded fuel mileage would be a lot better, it seems. And at this point I am waiting for the 2016 Toyota and Nissan diesels to see the light of day for price, fuel mileage and towing capacities.

This post actually concerns the unloaded fuel mileage of modern diesel 3/4 ton trucks. Yes I am aware a HD diesel truck is overkill for my uses. But if I can get a good one for a "reasonable" price relative to a new HD 1/2 ton truck, that gets good enough unloaded fuel mileage, this might actually be a viable option. I do have my eye on a low mileage, certified 2008 LT Duramax for a decent price. But it will probably be gone by the time my mind is made up.

I initially was very interested in a Ford 3/4 ton, 6.0L PS as the truck and pricing fell into line with my needs. However, further investigation really scared me away from the post 7.3L Ford diesels due to all of their designed-in issues. But there are now some 6.0s on the market at used truck dealers that have ARP head studs, which indicate they had blown head gaskets, but should not have this issue again. However, I am still very leery of these as overall this engine has been trouble prone. The GM Duramax seems like a good, reliable option, as does the Dodge Cummins. And I do not want to initially buy into the high mileage diesel maintenance costs.

What kind of unloaded fuel mileage do you get with your diesels? Although I imagine in this class of truck, they may seldom be used unloaded.

 

[terryknight]

do you have a year cut off? as in i don't want to go any older than xxxx? i don't like new cars/trucks , gas or diesel since "i" can't work on them. this may not help you since the newest diesel truck either of us has owner is an 2004. i have a 94.5 PSD (reg cab, 4x4, 5 speed, 4.10s modified) is gets an honest 22 on the highway in the summer unloaded (17 in town). i just took it to MA and back grossing 22K up and 12K back and got just under 15 round trip. my father has a 96 (excab, 2wd, auto, 3.55, stock) gets an honest 24 (17 in town) on the highway unloaded in the summer.

other trucks 91 dodge reg cab 4x4 5 speed 4.10s ve pump turned slightly up 17mpg
98 dodge ex cab 2wd dually auto 4.10s stock 19 mpg
01 dodge ex cab 4x4 auto 4.10s stock 18mpg
04 dodge cew cab 2wd auto 3.73s stock 21 mpg
97 ford excab 4x4 5 speed 3.55s slightly modded 19 mpg
97 ford reg cab 4x4 auto 3.55s stock 19 mpg
95 ford reg cab 2wd rollback 5 speed 4.30s 15 (always loaded)
00 ford reg cab 2wd dump 6 speed 3.73s 14 (always loaded)

 

[sdef]

do you have a year cut off? as in i don't want to go any older than xxxx? i don't like new cars/trucks , gas or diesel since "i" can't work on them. this may not help you since the newest diesel truck either of us has owner is an 2004. i have a 94.5 PSD (reg cab, 4x4, 5 speed, 4.10s modified) is gets an honest 22 on the highway in the summer unloaded (17 in town). i just took it to MA and back grossing 22K up and 12K back and got just under 15 round trip. my father has a 96 (excab, 2wd, auto, 3.55, stock) gets an honest 24 (17 in town) on the highway unloaded in the summer.

other trucks 91 dodge reg cab 4x4 5 speed 4.10s ve pump turned slightly up 17mpg
98 dodge ex cab 2wd dually auto 4.10s stock 19 mpg
01 dodge ex cab 4x4 auto 4.10s stock 18mpg
04 dodge cew cab 2wd auto 3.73s stock 21 mpg
97 ford excab 4x4 5 speed 3.55s slightly modded 19 mpg
97 ford reg cab 4x4 auto 3.55s stock 19 mpg
95 ford reg cab 2wd rollback 5 speed 4.30s 15 (always loaded)
00 ford reg cab 2wd dump 6 speed 3.73s 14 (always loaded)

I do want a "newer" one, say 2004 - 2008. At this stage in my life, I no longer want to work on vehicles other than to add a winch, etc. My days of rebuilding engines and transmissions, building race cars, etc., are over. I would rather pay more money for a newer vehicle that I can expect no major problems with over the long-term, versus paying less money and having to invest a lot of aggravation and sweat equity.

Here is another example. I purchased a new tractor and implements instead of highly used directly because of a friend who owns a small farm. He has two old Ford tractors (1960ish) he has to work on most times he uses them. Sometimes he can't do the work he needs to do because of this unreliability. I can't work like this. When I need my equipment to work, it needs to work. Unreliable equipment does not belong on my property. So to me, newer is better due to this fact, assuming the equipment has been well taken care of.

And thanks for your post. The examples tell me a lot.

 

[dusty3030]

If an occasional towing rig I'd skip 3/4 tons all together and look at 1 ton trucks. What I see is more truck for the $ in a used 1 ton. Or at least consider them.

 

[mjcountrybumpkin]

Mileage is going to change wildly from 06 to 08 models due to emissions. I have a 2006 dodge 3500 4x4 four door dually. I get 18-21 mpg depending on spunky I feel. My brother in law has a 2012 that is otherwise identical ( both 6 speed manuals). He gets 12.5 on a good day, 8-9 pulling his 33' camper. I get 16-17 pulling similar camp.
Good luck, mileage only matters if you want it to.

 

[sdef]

If an occasional towing rig I'd skip 3/4 tons all together and look at 1 ton trucks. What I see is more truck for the $ in a used 1 ton. Or at least consider them.

I have briefly considered the same, but have not driven a lightly loaded 1 ton pickup (SRW only consideration), which it would be used for more often than not. Actually 1 tons may be a better price in my area than 3/4 tons. With no practical experience, I consider a 1 ton to have a lot harsher ride with a light load than the 3/4 ton. Can you comment on this?

 

[sdef]

Mileage is going to change wildly from 06 to 08 models due to emissions. I have a 2006 dodge 3500 4x4 four door dually. I get 18-21 mpg depending on spunky I feel. My brother in law has a 2012 that is otherwise identical ( both 6 speed manuals). He gets 12.5 on a good day, 8-9 pulling his 33' camper. I get 16-17 pulling similar camp.
Good luck, mileage only matters if you want it to.

Thanks. I am looking for the emissions cutoff point and you have pointed me in that direction. I would like to stay away from a DEF truck also, I think. And concerning the fuel mileage, it is a discriminator that could drive me to diesel and the higher diesel prices vs. gas engines. Your BIL's mileage is unacceptable to me for my uses and the extra cost of a diesel engine. I would only purchase a diesel if better fuel mileage justified the cost over a gas engined truck, that is considerably less expensive to purchase (and maintain). Fully realizing a diesels capabilities are overkill for my uses. However, I do overkill a lot on my life.

 

[terryknight]

most 1 tons and 3/4 ton are the same truck (excluding duallies), they just have different badging and GVWRs. another way of saying the same thing is you can order a 3/4 and a 1 ton with the same springs, motors, transmissions, rears etc. for fords (what i'm most familiar with) the only differences are GVWRs, badges and on 4x4 models the rear blocks.

for your described uses i would go with a gasser.

i also don't consider my old 94.5 with 300K to be unreliable. especially compared to a newer diesel

 

[dusty3030]

Ride is subjective and you have to consider the tire's role. ALL trucks (1/2 3/4 1ton) ride rougher with LT rated tires at 50psi versus the stock tire junk most of them come with.

The difference between the ride of a 3/4 ton and 1 ton of the same make and generation with the same tires ain't night and day, but it's your rear in the seat not mine so again it's subjective.

I would caution you when you are test driving to keep the tire pressure and type of tire that's on the truck into consideration because if you hop in a 3/4 ton with P rated tires at 35psi and think it rides cush when in reality set up for towing it doesn't.

 

[sdef]

Ride is subjective and you have to consider the tire's role. ALL trucks (1/2 3/4 1ton) ride rougher with LT rated tires at 50psi versus the stock tire junk most of them come with.

The difference between the ride of a 3/4 ton and 1 ton of the same make and generation with the same tires ain't night and day, but it's your rear in the seat not mine so again it's subjective.

I would caution you when you are test driving to keep the tire pressure and type of tire that's on the truck into consideration because if you hop in a 3/4 ton with P rated tires at 35psi and think it rides cush when in reality set up for towing it doesn't.

Good point. All of the truck type tires I purchase are LTs. I had not even considered a P type tire on a HD truck. Geez.