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Thanks for the input everyone! Based on what I see available on the lots at the moment, it doesn't look like my "ideal" truck is out there in the wild right now. Not terribly surprising, can't imagine too many people wanting a cloth bench seat also springing for such niceties as the 360 degree camera system. That being the case, I'll probably end up ordering a truck. Obviously there is no rush to do so as nobody is building anything at the moment, so that gives me more time to (over)think about my options.
I will admit, I am a little biased towards Ford. I've only had two trucks, and they were both Fords. As such, the Ford F250/350 is my "baseline" truck:
Pros:
-7.3 gas engine is a beast
-Popular with fleets, which indicates a lower Total Cost of Ownership
-Rear Crew Cab floor is flat
-Front-middle seat has a headrest and shoulder belt
-360 camera is available on all trim levels (I'd go with the XLT)
-Made in 'Merica (by robots)
Cons:
-I've read that Chevy and Ram have a better turning radius
-Increased propensity for Death Wobble?
-Probably the least incentivized
Ram (haven't driven one):
Pros:
-Better equipped for a given MSRP
-Adaptive Cruise is available on the lower trim levels
-LED headlamps available on lower trims
-Nicest interior (or so I've heard)
-Often more generous incentives
Neutral:
-6.4 is proven, but not as powerful as the Ford 7.3
Cons:
-Rear floor not flat
-rear bench has a "knotch" for the middle seat, so less thigh support
-Hecho en Mexico
-Still have concerns about FCA reliability
Chevy I think is not a contender for me. Can't get the 360 degree camera until you spring for the LTZ, and has a face that even their mother would have trouble loving. Am I off base on my Ram reliability concerns?
And honestly, you're going to have pros and cons for all of them. It's not up to us, pick what works for YOU.
That's really what it comes down to...
I was always a Ford guy, but prefer the Cummins to the current Ford diesels, so I have a RAM. All three dealers in my area SUCK, so that wasn't really a factor.
Some unfortunate changes in circumstances mean I no longer had a need to carry 6 people at once, which meant my current Mazda6 remained sufficient for daily driving duties. Still, I wanted something nicer than my beater Excursion to tow with so I decided to look for a pickup to replace it. Ended up with a 2003 Silverado 2500HD with the 8.1 and 5-speed Allison transmission. Other than the paint being crap, the truck was in pretty great shape. Loaded from the factory, has leather, heated seats, rear seat DVD player. PO added air bags with an on-board pump, and kept a pile of receipts for maintenance and such.
The one thing I'll need to think about is range: the 8.1 likes gas. A lot. And because the truck is a crew cab short bed, the fuel tank is only 26 gallons. That means lots of gas stops if I'm going any sort of distance, and may not always have the choice to select a station that could easily accommodate a pickup towing a 30-foot trailer (which I also have now). The easy solution to that is to keep fuel jugs in the trailer: if I can't pull in to the station I fill up from the jugs and get them refilled before putting them back. Also toying with the idea of getting an auxiliary tank for the bed of the truck, but that is significantly more expensive.
There are also companies who make extended range tanks that replace the stock tank and so don't take up any bed space. At least there are for diesels, I don't know that I've ever seen one for a gas truck.
There are also companies who make extended range tanks that replace the stock tank and so don't take up any bed space. At least there are for diesels, I don't know that I've ever seen one for a gas truck.
--Ian
That was the problem I was running in to. Guess there are additional regulations for gasoline vs. diesel tanks since gas is more volatile. One nice thing about some of the in-bed tanks is they come with hoses and a pump so I can fill with premium and fill up the Miata at the track from the same tank and not mess with jugs at all. In all likelihood I'm probably going to go the jug route, the transfer tanks I was seeing online were $1,500+, and that buys an awful lot of fuel jugs.
There are also companies who make extended range tanks that replace the stock tank and so don't take up any bed space. At least there are for diesels, I don't know that I've ever seen one for a gas truck.
--Ian
Mine was made by Titan... not sure if they make tanks for gas trucks, but it's been one of the best mods I've done for our truck. 55 gal vs. the stock tank at 32...
Mine was made by Titan... not sure if they make tanks for gas trucks, but it's been one of the best mods I've done for our truck. 55 gal vs. the stock tank at 32...
Yeah, I have been eyeing the Titan 50+ gallon tank for my LBZ for a while -- a 24 gallon tank doesn't go very far even with a diesel when you're dragging an enclosed trailer through the air at 65 mph.
Yeah, I have been eyeing the Titan 50+ gallon tank for my LBZ for a while -- a 24 gallon tank doesn't go very far even with a diesel when you're dragging an enclosed trailer through the air at 65 mph.
--Ian
We get 8-10mpg with the camper loaded and pulling the trailer, depending on wind and grade, so the Titan nearly doubled my effective range. And it's really not the range, 'cause the wife usually has to pee every couple hundred miles anyway, but the flexibility in deciding where/when to stop, and every stop doesn't have to be a fuel stop.
We get 8-10mpg with the camper loaded and pulling the trailer, depending on wind and grade, so the Titan nearly doubled my effective range. And it's really not the range, 'cause the wife usually has to pee every couple hundred miles anyway, but the flexibility in deciding where/when to stop, and every stop doesn't have to be a fuel stop.
My trailer is tall, about a foot taller than your typical TPD, and my average fuel economy when doing 65 mph is about 8.5-9 even with the diesel. I didn't realize how big a difference that height made -- next time I buy a trailer I'll take it into consideration.
One trip to Thunderhill (~ 180 miles) the truck wasn't quite topped up when I left because I'd had to go pick up the car beforehand. That was the day of the big Paradise fire in California and there were some wicked headwinds blowing down the 5. I got something like 7.5 mpg, and had to stop 3 miles short of Willows to fill the truck because I wasn't sure it was going to make it. Put over 24 gallons into a tank that's nominally 24.5...
04-10-2020, 11:39 AM
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