todinlaw

Is that 6spd std or an option? I have not gone to a dealer yet just web shopping and mileage is an issue.

Bull

Seems there is a lot of comparison of apples and oranges here, as in the "old" diesel designs and the currently required, emission choked designs. It is a given that old ('06 and earlier) get a lot better fuel mileage than the current product.

Ed Newman

I chipped my 7.3l excursion and it has done well. I did have to change the tranny at 110k, but not a suprise with all the towing I do.

As for why I bought a new truck..., my Excursion has 125k mi on it and with no viable replacement, I want to reduce the wear and tear so I can keep it for a while as my daily driver.

As for why you need the tow capacity... my boat is about 15k on the trailer and it spun my Excursion clean around one day doing only 20 mph! I'd rather tow at 50% of the rating an be way safe.

As for consumer reports... I lost all faith in them many years ago when they tested bicycles by riding over broom handles to determine how comfortable the ride was and coasting down a hill to determine how efficient it was. They wouldn't know a truck from a toyota if it hit them in the @$$.

pole position

The Allison 6 speed comes with the Diesel/Duramax option. Cannot get the Duramax without. All together about a $8500 option.

If you decide gas all GMC/Chevy 3/4 or 1 ton trucks have the 6.0 Vortec with a heavy duty 6 speed auto standard. Same goes for the Denali/Caddy 6.2.

spare tire

Well Dr., no I don't for towing because it defeets the fuel cut due to high exhaust temps. You must watch the gauge like a hawk and not screw up. Without the chip you could just floor it and tow mindlessly. I t is nice to have when empty of load and you want to pull out and pass someone. I think if was devised by truck pull and drag race kind of people. (not like us track *****) The horsepower and torque that you get is real but everything overtheats if stay on the throttle.

todinlaw

I have been a ford man my entire life. I really like the looks of the F 150, why can't they put something more than a 4spd auto?

FlyingDog

I could see losing power, but losing mileage doesn't make sense. Why are all the complaints of horrible mileage Fords? Why did the complaints start around the same time as the Duramax displacement change well before the mew emissions requirements?

I'd buy a Dodge.

DrJupeman

Thanks.

f1rocks

'07 Chevy 3500 Dually

18 MPG (hand calculated, not the computer) empty and taking it easy on the right pedal. 11 MPG (calculated) when pulling 12,000 pounds.

Love the Duramax and Allison, wish the Dodge/Cummins could get the Allison Tranny though. I love the Cummins motor.

TRAKCAR

Putting my 0.02c in as we probably run more miles than most rennlisters.

I have an '06 F 350. will be 2 years old in 2 months and just passed 100K miles. Stock no chip. Only mod is 100 gallon tank in the bed.

I bought this particular one because it was the only F350 in Florida with 3:73 gearing. Yes, it goes up the hill slower, altough as long as you keep it over 75MPH, it will not downshift at full throttle. Usually we cruise 80-90Mph and get 9.5-11mph conststantly depending on the wind and weight towing a 44ft gooseneck Aluminum trailer (2 Mustangs in it) with tapered nose and air bubble up front.
The scales say 24K pounts total, truck and trailer.

I think people make the mistake of gearing a truck to short, just to get to higher max towing weights. The truck ends up running higher RPM all the time and even sometimes they will not run 90MPH, or won't get 10MPG, not acceptable for us.

The oilpump went bad and the engine had to come out once for an internal oil line problem, replaced alternator, batteries and a couple of small stuff that I forgot, sofar all the big stuff was under warranty.

Before this I had an Diesel LLY 04 1/2 Chevy Dually but had to sell after 60K miles as it was parket off the side of the road more often than anything. Most problems were injectors and electrical glitches, but we just could not count on it to get us where we are going...It was chipped by Edge tuning, but the problems were un related.

if you chip a truck go with EDGE, very impressive service, actually broke down in Salt Lake one time with the Chevy and went to Edge, they updated everything for free on the spot after the local chevy dealer fixed it.


Chevy pro's: Better seats, better radio, On Star (You really need this in a Chevy!!) much nicer to drive and all around better, just a bit smaller.
con's: 8MPG with same trailer, wont run for more than 3K miles before something goes wrong.

Ford pro's: looks better, bigger, keeps running.
con's: Drives like ****: Wonders all over the road and we even updated the links, bushing etc. will not run on cruise control with trailer, AC will blow warm once in a while for no apparrant reason, and Ford tell us this is all normal factory spec.

We will be looking for a new onesoon:
Chevy is making big improvements in quality and the interior is by far the nicest right now.
Maybe the Dodge is the one to try? Seems more basic, but I read good things about the new engine and transmission. The new one is available the end of 08
Ford, F350 or if we get the F450 lower, after market gearing.
Besides a nicer look, I see no reason to get the F450.

A no brainer for me would be if Toyota would bring out a dually diesel. Had lotsa Toyota's and I think they are impossible to break.

Larry Herman

I love my Dodge 2500 HD Turbo Diesel. It has rack and pinion steering and goes straight down the road. It has huge brakes and stops very well. Those were 2 of the reasons that I bought it. The Mega-cab is limo-like, and the Cummins motor (5.9) gets great mileage; 16 around town & 19~20 on the highway. It gets 11 towing my 24' enclosed at 75 mph, and it hasn't had any problems on hills at all.

DrJupeman

I sometimes wonder if the U.S. makers are paying-off Toyota NOT to release a big diesel pickup otherwise they might not sell a lot of trucks! I'd pay for a Toyota diesel, too, though does Toyota have much experience with diesels? They don't make any do they?

TRAKCAR

They make a crap load of diesels for Europe I have beat on a lot of them, never been able to break any of them.
They have the Toyota trucks to get an engine from I suppose, if they can not get to the required 350HP and 650lbs of torque.

Toyoto for a work truck / tow vehicle is an easy choice for me. if they make one, I will have one of the first ones.

FlyingDog

The Hilux (Tacoma for us?) Top Gear took to the north pole was diesel. I've heard their diesels are bulletproof but underpowered.

TRAKCAR

Anything they sell in Europ now is underpowered to compete here, they will need a 6+ liter turbo.. I think that is what is holding them up.