Why buy a pickup when you can get...

[Scooby074]

About the only things that truck is missing is 4wd and dump.

4wd may not be needed, i dont know what your uses are and the dump can be added later for ~$1000 and some fab work if needed

 

[some zilch]

the 5.4l in that truck will get much better than 8mpg. i put over 100kmi on an f350/2wd/5spd pickup as an escort truck. cruising on the highway, it had no problem getting 18+mpg. on two occasions, the same trip, i got 600+ miles out of a full, stock, fuel tank, not everyone needs a diesel to run to home depot, pull a landscape trailer, or a two horse trailer.

 

[Scooby074]

the 5.4l in that truck will get much better than 8mpg. i put over 100kmi on an f350/2wd/5spd pickup as an escort truck. cruising on the highway, it had no problem getting 18+mpg. on two occasions, the same trip, i got 600+ miles out of a full, stock, fuel tank, not everyone needs a diesel to run to home depot, pull a landscape trailer, or a two horse trailer.

I get 17mpg in a f150 with the 5.4 4wd. Being a heavier framed but 2wd truck, id imagine he'd see 15-17 mpg

 

[jimmyj]

Scooby, good points, if it had 4wd and dump it'd be perfect. Probably a lot more to buy though.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

the 5.4l in that truck will get much better than 8mpg. i put over 100kmi on an f350/2wd/5spd pickup as an escort truck. cruising on the highway, it had no problem getting 18+mpg. on two occasions, the same trip, i got 600+ miles out of a full, stock, fuel tank, not everyone needs a diesel to run to home depot, pull a landscape trailer, or a two horse trailer.

The 5.4 in one of our 250's gets around 14 mpg with regular driving. Its a decent motor for a daily driver but I feel it is better suited for a half ton. Pulling trailers on hills, trying to accelerate off the ramp onto the I90 or to jump into traffic on a busy street and you feel how gutless that motor really is

I had the 4.6 in my F-150 and it did well but it was suited to that truck and its intended use. I've never had the 10 cylinder but I have friends who did and they all loved that motor in the 3/4 and 1 ton trucks and mileage was the same as the 5.4. The 10 only cost around $600 more then the stock 5.4 new so it was a real bargin.

I have the 6.0 in my other 250 and as a result that truck pulls almost all the trailers now. Going up a hill I can go faster then 30 mph without needing to bury the pedal to the floor. I can merge into traffic without hesitation and my mileage is about the same as the 5.4. The mileage is the only disappointment but overall it works well for my use. We have around 130k on the 5.4 and around 55k on the 6.0. The 4.6 had over 130k before we sold it off. Of the three trucks/motor combos I have been most disappointed with the 5.4 for performance. Yeah, it gets you there but its nothing spectacular. So if its performace is acceptable to the use of the owner then great but its not in my opinion a great motor for the 3/4 and 1 ton Ford trucks whos main purpose is to carry and pull weight from place to place.

 

[20 20]

Or you can go whole hog and step up to a medium duty stakebed, like my 2004 Isuzu NPR/EFI with 8'x14' stakebed (by Superior), 6.0L LQ4 GMC 8-cyl gas engine, 4L80 4-speed automatic, 4.777 to 1 rear axle, 12,000 lb GVWR, 18,000 lb GCWR. Got this one last Dec for $11,000 off eBay with 49,500 miles showing. Use it for normal pickup truck stuff and to carry my small parade tractors on the bed (~3500 lb max load). BTW: it's actually about the same overall length as my 2001 F150 short cab/long bed PU. Hits 75 mph (empty) no problem on the freeway, gets about 12 mpg (empty).

View attachment 234708View attachment 234709View attachment 234710View attachment 234711

Tilt cab trucks are an acquired taste, not for everyone's likes. But I think the NPR is a classic example of that species of truck.

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

I have a 99 4 cylinder diesel have hauled 5 ton on it{not recommended} without much problem. My normal load is 3-3.5 ton handles it great. Might not be the fastest thing going but IMO it's the best truck I've ever owned{owned many}. I get 21+mpg without a load and around 11mpg with full load. It has the falt dump bed, awesome machine

 

[Reg]

It's a cab and chassis, single wheel F-350 with an aluminum drop side flatbed on it. Looks just like the Home Depot rental trucks. Not a bad idea, if it fits your application. Basically a pickup truck that you can load with a forklift. I imagine you would have a hard time strapping anything down that was shorter than the sides, because the straps would have to run over the side, unless it has tie down points on the inside.

Personally, I would take a regular flatbed and build some side boards that slide down in the stake pockets. That way you can remove them if you need to haul something short, but heavy enough to be strapped down like a bush hog or similar type of tractor attachment, or small riding mower, etc.

I am reasonably sure that the sides can be slid off their hinges quickly/easily.
I have a flat bed and went the build it myself side panel route.
It isn't simple to make anything that slides down into the stake pockets, or to make adjustable height side panels that stack, e.g. with 1, 2 or 3 one by sixes.
Medium and low panels for gooseneck trailer, high for a lot of bulk, etc.
The stakes need to be SHORT when a goose or 5th wheel trailer is on.

These are simple, cheap, already a 95% solution for many people and most of their likely uses.
Home Despot probably made a good best compromise choice with these, they get Yer stuff home (-:

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I am reasonably sure that the sides can be slid off their hinges quickly/easily.
I have a flat bed and went the build it myself side panel route.
It isn't simple to make anything that slides down into the stake pockets, or to make adjustable height side panels that stack, e.g. with 1, 2 or 3 one by sixes.
Medium and low panels for gooseneck trailer, high for a lot of bulk, etc.
The stakes need to be SHORT when a goose or 5th wheel trailer is on.

These are simple, cheap, already a 95% solution for many people and most of their likely uses.
Home Despot probably made a good best compromise choice with these, they get Yer stuff home (-:

For Home Depot, not only do they get your stuff home but they also take abuse a lot better then a factory bed. Banging things off the side easily dent and scratch a factory bed while the aluminum bed won't even notice the stuff that easily damages the factory beds.

 

[Renze]

True, but if you're lifting things in and out of one of these, the extra bed height over a pickup is noticeable.

...The side of a pickup is higher than a stakebed... once lifted on the tailgate, the heavy object has a long way to be shoved above the rear axle...

 

[tessiers]

A lot of people buy trucks based on what they want, not what they need. That is a nice basic work truck. I have a 77 F350 rackbody, 2wd, no dump. It has been and continues to be an excellent farm truck, no frills. I did put dual wheels on it mostly to help with soft hay fields, didn't make much difference. We have a commercial farm policy so insurance is a moot point. I will replace it with a similar truck when the repair bills outweigh the payments (probablly a long time, I can put a replacement engine in for less than 1 payment on a 4x4 diesel superduty, maybe the tranny to)