Need advice on pickup trucks; your experience

[Kern Dog]

Hmm write me a check . I have the truck of your dreams! 2003 ram 2500 8ft. Bed single cab. It has the 5.7 hemi v8 and the auto dana rear out back 96,*** miles the dana is completely rebuilt the motor is basically new two (in 03 they had a huge issue with valve Springs braking) I had both heads completely rebuilt as I did this job I replaced a bunch of other parts too. Did I mention it has cold a/c too! Oh I also up graded the brakes with heavy duty brakes sloted rotors bigger calipers ect. She's not perfect but shes a worker I tow with it and get 22 mpg with a loaded trailer (72 charger on trailer) if I obay the signs I can squeeze 25 mpg out of it .I seriously go down the highway at 70 mph at 2000-2100 rpm. I love this truck! But I would consider sellin

You must tow downhill everywhere.
Mine is shorter, lighter and has never crossed 20 mpg even driving 65 mph unloaded.

 

[Bb70charger500]

You must town downhill everywhere.
Mine is shorter, lighter and has never crossed 20 mpg even driving 65 mph unloaded.

There's really no hills in FL.

 

[Qbrozen]

I have a 2017 F150 2.7 ecoboost. I LOVE this drivetrain. Silly quick as far as trucks are concerned (feels quicker even than the EX35 I traded for it). I never keep my foot out of it, and I use Sport mode A LOT, so I can't say the mileage is great on my normal commute, but I have seen 23 on long trips at 80 mph.

 

[snakeyes]

junk

 

[snakeyes]

https://jalopnik.com/the-ford-f-150-ecoboost-engine-actually-kinda-sucks-sa-1678282081

 

[Don selleck]

i got over 23 mpg in the up in Michigan with the 5.7 hemi, i get an overall with my foot in it quite a bit around 18 and passes most everything on the highway, v-6 is silly in my opinion unless its turboed, like the ecoboost, to me a ram 5.7 is the answer, best truck I've owned. you can get an 8 ft bed but you have to jump up to the next package which is more $$$$

 

[Qbrozen]

Its junk because some testers came up 5% short on combined fuel mileage? Ok then.

 

[snakeyes]

I said they were and thats my story and I`m sticking to it

 

[DeltaV]

I like this one found this on craigslist in Avon Lake Ohio $4500.00 View attachment 545751View attachment 545752View attachment 545753View attachment 545754View attachment 545755View attachment 545756View attachment 545757View attachment 545758View attachment 545759View attachment 545760View attachment 545761https://cleveland.craigslist.org/cto/d/1959-dodge-9-bed-duallys/6371004029.html

I like the way you think, but I cannot afford any time away from work for a labor of love like this truck will require over the next 12 years before I retire. Any spare time that I have needs to be applied to my '70 Charger.

 

[snakeyes]

come on they have show on tv that do majors jobs in 4 days

 

[Kern Dog]

There's really no hills in FL.

You missed the point.
Your truck is easily 500 lbs heavier than mine, is surely geared lower but somehow gets 22 mpg when towing? You cannot trust the overhead console to determine mileage. You have to do the math with gallons of gas used VS miles driven. My console readout will shoot to 29 mpg on a closed throttle downhill 55 mph slope but that does not mean that it will get that in flat ground Florida.

 

[Bb70charger500]

No over head in mine ! My truck may not be heavier no power windows locks or seats no extra frills . No big goofy tires my truck also has under 100000 miles and has been completely gone threw it runs like a top. I do the math it's constant unless I get a huge load or I'm heavy on the gas ! Don't forget 2003 5.7 were different from the rest .and my dana is the big *** merc rear witch is also very uncommon there's alot of factors my truck is an oddity the parts for it are much more then a reg truck to . This might be the difference?

 

[moparedtn]

You must town downhill everywhere.
Mine is shorter, lighter and has never crossed 20 mpg even driving 65 mph unloaded.

I liked my '96 Dakota just fine with the V6, but I agree - it was hard on gas.
All the "Magnum" engines were, V6 or V8.

 

[demonram]

My 03 quad cab w/8' bed 2wheel drive has the 4.7. I sold it last year before we moved, to a friend of mine. It had 128,000 on it when he bought it. I consistently got 16-17 around town, 19-20 on the highway, I saw 23 sometimes. Never an issue and Jeff still loves it. He actually drives it much more than I did. I loved that truck. I wish I could have kept it but here in Az a 3 car garage is not big. It wouldn't fit in this garage. I know most new garages aren't deep. I always garage it, not a speck of rust on that truck.

 

[DeltaV]

You must town downhill everywhere.
Mine is shorter, lighter and has never crossed 20 mpg even driving 65 mph unloaded.

"town downhill"?

 

[Kern Dog]

Ooops.. I blame the computer on that one...
I meant TOW....The "N" key is next to the space bar.

 

[mopar 3 B]

Commuter, cheap some how just does not calculate out to truck unless someone else is buying the gas or you a hauling something bigger than a lunch box or briefcase to and from work every day.
Its a bad thing reality.
Snakeyes had the right idea. The old beater will do everything needed to be done on those weekend projects without supporting an oil refinery during the work week.

 

[HT413]

If it were me, I’d get a car and a small trailer. Best of both worlds.

Edit — not my kinda thing, but a buddy had one of those cheater TDI’s - got near 50mpg and yanked a little 5x10 trailer around when he needed to hit the lumber yard.

 

[DeltaV]

My daily commute, in the surrounding areas of Savannah Georgia, is mostly with tractor trailers, logging trucks, large work trucks/vans, large pickup trucks, SUVs, and a handful of sedans. My daily commuter car is a small roadster. I have to be on ultra-high alert all of the time because these other vehicles seem to have a hard time seeing me in their mirrors. Yes, I am always vigilant to stay out of people's blind spots. The truckers here are pretty good and some are exceptionally good. The general public here are not; and most have a lot of dumb luck.

I have driven many hours/miles in California, Oregon, Washington State, Utah, Ohio, Texas, Alabama, and all along the eastern seaboard from Florida and into New Hampshire. IMO, drivers in Georgia are down near the bottom of the skill level and they are much worse than Boston and Long Island which were quite good.

 

[mopar 3 B]

Have never seen a roadster yet disigned for every day use. You might as well be on a gocart in big truck traffic. You got flags on that roadster so you can be seem in their mirrors?