A few questions about pickup trucks

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

Here in the US since I think it was 2007 they came up with a DEF requirement for Diesel engines. Diesel i about 18-20 % more expensive than gasoline.

I have an older 2008 Chevy silverado, runs good but doesn't tow my boat/trailer as fast as I want to go. Consistently gets 15 mpg and 7 towing. My 17 f150 gets 24 mpg or 12-13 towing.

I usually put about 25-35K miles a year on one or the other.

Both trucks have the V6 non turbo engines automatic transmissions. I use the bed some but rarely. It's the towing I need/want it for.

Also 4x4 seems to be the standard here for trucks. The option is about $1500 I think different. Our weather rarely has enough snow to warrant it, its the muddy fields and slippery boat ramps that make it a requirement.

I could probably do just as well use an SUV to pull a trailer for the little needs I have for an actual pickup bed. That's giving me food for thought... SUV Vs truck... hmmmm

 

[ning]

I could probably do just as well use an SUV to pull a trailer for the little needs I have for an actual pickup bed. That's giving me food for thought... SUV Vs truck... hmmmm

My hauling definitely can be done with an SUV at this point, as I don't have anything remotely heavy to haul for the most part (occasionally something big-ish from the rental yard which won't let anyone without a 1-ton tow themselves, barely counts).

For me even when the load being put in the bed of the truck isn't huge, it's often dirty, or like straw bit would permanently embed themselves in the interior of an SUV. Or, during snow season, I can get most of the snow off the skis and chuck them in the back of the truck and not care if they drip (plus, 210cm skis don't fit nicely in SUVs without intruding on the passengers).

 

[RobertN]

We live far into a canyon and access to home is via private roads or more descriptive is what they are: old logging roads. The road is a one width two track and VERY steep in several places and its base is large stone and boulders made from heavy equipment many, many years ago. It is 4WD all year around. It is VERY rough at 10mph and takes 20 minutes in the best of weather to get to the highway two miles away. In the winter we don't chance it and chain all 4 wheels especially on the way home because that's the climbing part.

Once in town is not fun to get in and out of parking spots but it's worth the inconvenience. So we LOVE that old logging trail. It really cuts down on people cruising around, snooping, thieving, poaching or road hunting. There are easier places for them to go. Woo-hoo!

Thread drift here, but as an old FF/EMT, what do you do in case of emergency? Medical Aid etc?

Have been on some calls down questionable backroads; just wondering how access affects you.

 

[Hay Dude]

I live in rural Wyoming, in a town of around 180 people. There is a pickup in every driveway, used daily. My pickups, I have 3, all are diesels, and 3/4 ton. Most of the miles on the odometer are pulling trailers. One of them has over 400,000 miles, and honestly 350,000 miles had a trailer hooked up. I've even had 30,000 lbs. on a trailer behind that pickup more than once. These pickups were bought for work, and that is what they are expected to do, even if it is a little abusive for what they were designed for. When they are not needed, they sit, and I have two other vehicles, one is an SUV, the other is a Mazda pickup (1/2 ton maybe?) that are the get around vehicles. All this being said is not for my ego, just a glimpse of my reality. The closest city to me is 60,000 people, 170 miles away. It is almost 400 miles to the closest city that has more than 100,000 people in their population count. My business and ranch are almost big enough to need a semi, but too small to justify one.

What brands of trucks are they and which ones you like?

 

[Hay Dude]

Here in the US since I think it was 2007 they came up with a DEF requirement for Diesel engines. Diesel i about 18-20 % more expensive than gasoline.

DPF requirement came out in 2008. DEF was 2012.

I have an older 2008 Chevy silverado, runs good but doesn't tow my boat/trailer as fast as I want to go. Consistently gets 15 mpg and 7 towing. My 17 f150 gets 24 mpg or 12-13 towing.

I usually put about 25-35K miles a year on one or the other.

Both trucks have the V6 non turbo engines automatic transmissions. I use the bed some but rarely. It's the towing I need/want it for.

Also 4x4 seems to be the standard here for trucks. The option is about $1500 I think different. Our weather rarely has enough snow to warrant it, its the muddy fields and slippery boat ramps that make it a requirement.

I could probably do just as well use an SUV to pull a trailer for the little needs I have for an actual pickup bed. That's giving me food for thought... SUV Vs truck... hmmmm

 

[deserteagle71]

Thread drift here, but as an old FF/EMT, what do you do in case of emergency? Medical Aid etc?

Have been on some calls down questionable backroads; just wondering how access affects you.

For 22 years I was an EMT/firefighter in a tiny town in Nevada that was also this remote so perhaps I can answer some of your questions. 80 miles from the firehall to the nearest emergency room - also in a small town. Nearest trauma center was 140 miles. No such thing as the "Golden Hour". Too far out for the CareFlight helicopter out of Reno to reach us - although depending on the case we would have the chopper fly as far as it could and still have enough fuel for the return trip, and we'd transfer the patient at that location. Depending on where we picked up the patient - we also served an Indian Reservation a couple mountain ranges to the east - getting the patient to an ER could take from half a day to the whole day.

So, you do what you can. We were trained to EMT-I level and beyond, but because we were so remote (the State EMS system considered us as practicing "Frontier" medicine) we were allowed to do whatever procedures our Medical Director trained and certified us to do. And we were blessed with great Medical Directors - and most times we had great communications due to repeaters on top of 10,000+ foot mountains. We had to be good at patient assessment, and at communicating what we observed to the doctor or nurse and they would direct us as far as treatment. We had two well-equipped ambulances; both ambulances had the capability of transmitting cardiac strips from the monitor over the airwaves to the ER. One of the ambulances, seen in the middle in this photo, was a 4x4 conversion that could navigate some pretty gnarly roads.

It was usually at least a 50 mile drive to meet up with the helicopter:

More than once, again because of the time/distances involved, the patient would be delivered to us from some remote location in a private vehicle - most often in the back of a pickup truck simply because there was no phone service to call for help from. The tailgate off a pickup works pretty well as a backboard!

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

Wow, never thought of that level of care before. Thanks for the post.

 

[RobertN]

For 22 years I was an EMT/firefighter in a tiny town in Nevada that was also this remote so perhaps I can answer some of your questions. 80 miles from the firehall to the nearest emergency room - also in a small town. Nearest trauma center was 140 miles. No such thing as the "Golden Hour". Too far out for the CareFlight helicopter out of Reno to reach us -

More than once, again because of the time/distances involved, the patient would be delivered to us from some remote location in a private vehicle - most often in the back of a pickup truck simply because there was no phone service to call for help from. The tailgate off a pickup works pretty well as a backboard!

Our district covered most of the rural El Dorado County. Plenty of remote areas, but not hours away. They've upgraded since I was involved, but we had all wheel drive engines, type-1 and type-3, as well as AWD medics partly for working in snow and partly for getting to remote areas.

Friends and I were in to dirt bikes. I was not there on particular ride, but did have a friend that dumped a bike. Tailgate, duct tape and dirt bike straps worked as a backboard!

 

[drssg]

I have noticed that some of the new cell phones offer 911 service via satellite, if cellular service is not available. That's a nice function for remote areas.

 

[JRH02]

Thread drift here, but as an old FF/EMT, what do you do in case of emergency? Medical Aid etc?

Have been on some calls down questionable backroads; just wondering how access affects you.

And @deserteagle71 , thanks for the work you did for those 20 years!

To answer @RobertN , we are in rough terrain but there are two RFDs within 7 miles as the raven flies. The volunteers that are staff to these places are our 'neighbors' and well familiar with the challenges of terrain and access. And the terrain eliminates cell phone service from ALL carriers unless you happen to be at a high point that is unblocked from the direction of any tower. There are no USPS addresses here and there are no utilities or services. There is only one way in and out. Needless to say there aren't too many people around either.

The County has an on-line service where we can register ourselves by name / number complete with a topographical map where we can place a marker of our exact location including written directions from a known reference point. There aren't too many maps that show our trails. Without cell or landline service we were at risk until StarLink became available so we can place and receive perfectly clear phone calls as long as we are within WiFi range. When out of that range we utilize handhelds on the MURS band that work pretty good with the terrain and trees. One of us could then either come to help or make the call for assistance. Fortunately that has never happened. We are exceedingly careful as that one saw accident or whatever could make the radio call a problem. There is no place for a helicopter to land for quite a range. Three small hospitals within 1.25 hour (by road) in different directions. Our personal biggest risk is wildfire and we are equally indebted to EMS and for firefighting capabilities of the RFD.

To align this with the OP I am sure that China has plenty of places where there are similar conditions and terrain. So choosing the right vehicle goes a long way.