Just can't get a good basic truck, like the old days!

[Hay Dude]

My father had a '78 Power Wagon with full time 4WD which he used to plow around the property as well as a few parking lots to cover his insurance. It had 12k miles on it when he replaced both front axles... just after the warranty ran put.
He traded it that summer.

This one had a floor shifter 2wd, 4wd, 4wd lo range.

 

[WinterDeere]

I have seen plenty of stuff with the newer 6.6L gas, 6.4L hemi, and 7.3L godzilla suggesting 16ish mpg empty/8 towing 10,000 lbs, mixed driving, with the 7.3L getting like 17.1 mpg empty.

Highway miles, maybe? Probably not around town or rural roads.

I'll admit my driving is a little more aggressive than average, but I'm not exactly a teenager romping all over town, either. I average 12 MPG from my 6.4L SRT Charger, and 13 - 14 MPG from my 5.7L Hemi Ram 1500. My driving is probably 90% or more rural roads, 10% or less "in town".