Hmmmmm, navichevy?

[Builder]

I couldn't imagine getting 24 MPG on the highway with one of todays 300+ HP diesel pickups unless I was traveling downhill with a tailwind and the engine was shut off. 17 city is unimaginable, too in my 20 years experience with diesel pickups. I'd have to go back to a N/A 6.9L or 7.3L from the 80's unladen for that kind of fuel economy.

I get 17MPG on the highway unladen with a light foot. I've got dozens of friends & aquiantances with diesel pickups we take to the mountains, hunting and to work sites. NONE of them get more than 14-16 with a light foot.

Best I ever saw was an unloaded 12V Cummins reg cab getting about 18-19MPG on a long highway trip we took.

If you read the forums on the diesel pickup websites, most claim the Fords get the lowest MPG of the big 3.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Diamondpilot.... I think that in different threads you have called both GM and Dodge diesels junk (correct me if I'm wrong on the Dodge - obviously one of your GM comments is right above this). Now you report towing 25,000 lbs with a F350 - and a single rear wheel model at that! - which is at least 7000lbs over its max tow rating. Wonder if you towed that much over the rating on the GM and Dodge products and that's why you had problems with them. I'm not saying Ford makes a bad truck, just saying that judging from extreme abuse (misuse) is not a good basis for commenting on the quality or durability when used as intended. I'm not a professional trucker but I think it's nuts to tow 25k with a 8k truck rated to tow maybe 18k tops.

Not Dodge. I would love to have a Cummins in a Ford body. I have never owned a Dodge Diesel but I did have a 2500 4x4 Hemi that left a lot to be desired. It lacked power and was in the shop non stop. It had 2 trannys operations, 8 radiator cooling fans, power steering pump, and ac compressor plus numerous other things in the less than 2 years I had it. I never towed more than 10,000# with this truck. It replace a 2001 F-150 that towed the same load and never gave me a day of trouble even though it was over its limit.


I have had 2 Gm trucks, one a S-10 Blazer that needed a engine and transfer case before 36,000 miles, and a 2005 3500 Dura max 4x4. The 2005 was in the shop in the first month for a faulty sensor then again about 6 months later. During this time it also had the hood hinge break while I was changing one of the 25 plus fuses I had to constantly replace in it. When the hinge broke the hood came back on the drivers side and cracked the windshield. This truck never got good mileage compared to my Fords. I towed a 7,000# trailer to Key West and averaged less than 10 mpg. I have done this trip with my F-150 and did 8.5 mpg. This truck never towed more than 15,600# and it was a struggle. It seemed to search for gears way to much.

Yes, I work my trucks, but they are tools for me. They are super clean and look like new 3 years down the road. They get washed weekly, waxed all the time, vacuumed, ect. They all get the oil changed every 5,000 miles period. I do it early if I know they will miss a scheduled change. They also get all other service that is called out in the book. It may seem as I am bashing GM but I had bad luck with them and even worse luck getting the dealers to make it right. I had trouble with my Dodge but they were great as a company and would buy another product from them if Ford ever does me wrong.


As for towing the heavy loads I leave that to my F-350. It can handle the 25,000# trailer like it nothing. I would not do this with any other truck I have owned. Yes its way over the limit but that is a risk that I take. I will do so with no complaints and gets 13 mpg at 60 mph which is my max speed with this load. I am a Ford fan. I have had 10 F series trucks since 1996 along with a Expedition, Mountaineer, and a Milan. I have had 3 recalls on these vehicles combined and only had one in the shop for a bad dash cluster and the Mountaineer for a bad power window. Will I change? My be if Toyota or Nissian keep doing what they are doing but I will never own another GM and would Consider a Dodge if they can convince me.



Chris

 

[Diamondpilot]

Why is 24 mpg hard to believe? Many of the D-max owners are getting 21 with no modifications and 3.73 gears. I modify all my trucks with chips, exhaust, and intakes. I have tried quite a few but I have gotten the best results with Quadzilla products. I do drive in relative flat land, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee most of the time. I drive a total of 25-30K a year in my vehicles. I have learned over time driving diesel vehicles to drive by the tach. Keep it where it makes the most torque and you will get good results. On my F-350 with the 6L and 3.73 gears this is 1900 rpm and 79 mph on the highway. I have tried below and above this rpm and the millage goes down either way.

Chris

 

[Builder]

Why is 24 mpg hard to believe? Many of the D-max owners are getting 21 with no modifications and 3.73 gears. I modify all my trucks with chips, exhaust, and intakes. I have tried quite a few but I have gotten the best results with Quadzilla products. I do drive in relative flat land, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee most of the time. I drive a total of 25-30K a year in my vehicles. I have learned over time driving diesel vehicles to drive by the tach. Keep it where it makes the most torque and you will get good results. On my F-350 with the 6L and 3.73 gears this is 1900 rpm and 79 mph on the highway. I have tried below and above this rpm and the millage goes down either way.

Chris

I'd believe someone if I were allowed to look in their truck and read their average fuel economy read-out on their computer display. Otherwise, this old guy long time diesel truck owner believes what he sees, not what he reads or hears. Show me a readout that averages between 17 & 24 mpg over the life of the truck and I might believe it.

We're gettin way off topic, so maybe this is better for another thread.

 

[JESSE1]

I guess International wants to buy the GM Medium truck business mainly so no one else gets it. International has a great line of medium duty trucks, why bother with GM? Either let them die off or take the chance someone else will buy them. So International buys the GM Medium division and integrates them into their production. Then if they won't sell they can kill them off.

 

[Z-Michigan]

I guess International wants to buy the GM Medium truck business mainly so no one else gets it

Very, very common approach in business these days.

Does International also get access to GM's dealer network? It's probably bigger than International's.

 

[herringchoker]

Does International also get access to GM's dealer network?

Yes, according to Navistar's press release, that's part of the deal.

 

[Builder]

Very, very common approach in business these days.

Does International also get access to GM's dealer network? It's probably bigger than International's.

Not in the scope of bigger trucks. IH has the biggest medium heavy sales/service network in the US.

 

[KICK]

I'd believe someone if I were allowed to look in their truck and read their average fuel economy read-out on their computer display. Otherwise, this old guy long time diesel truck owner believes what he sees, not what he reads or hears. Show me a readout that averages between 17 & 24 mpg over the life of the truck and I might believe it.

I agree with you Builder, most of the mileage claims are so inflated as to be humorously dubious. Of course there are children on this board and they are known to exagerate.

although sometimes my 5.4 V* equipped Eddie Bauer 4x4 Expedition sees 39 mpg, usually when I back off the gas coasting down a incline. see, it does get 39 mpg....LOL.

the worst person in the world to lie to is yourself, hopefully they don't believe their own claims and plan all their fuel stops based on those..

 

[Diamondpilot]

Come to my home and pay to fill up my truck. Take it out on the Freeway and drive it the way I have stated, by the tach and see if you don't get my claims. I can make the truck get 10 mpg if I drive like everyone else out there but it you drive them the way I was shown you will get the same results. My next door neighbor was getting 12 mpg city and 16 mpg freeway with his D-max until I did some research and he took my advise. Now he is getting 15 and 20 with no modifications. Don't doubt it until you see it. There are literary hundreds of if not thousands of Diesel trucks in my county due to it being next to most of the major camper manufactures and they need delivery drivers. These guys and gals drive more in a month than most of us will in a year so they know the way around these trucks. I simply listen to what they had to say.

Chris