New Truck Time - Testing and Sorting

[rwc101]

It's amazing how similar cartridge threads are to truck threads. Everything is simultaneously awful and the best thing ever.

 

[zpooch]

And, it was an investment of about 20 man hours of productivity in one day.

Counting beans....

 

[rjthehunter]

You will be disappointed in the Chevy when it comes to pulling power and fuel mileage. I have a 2018 f150 with the 3.5 Ecoboost. It gets good fuel mileage pulling a trailer loaded down with 4 guys it has tons of room in the cab. I had a Titan and traded it for a Silverado because of the fuel mileage I got with the Titan. Traded the Silverado for the Ford because the Silverado was always screaming when pulling a trailer. The cab of the Ford is way bigger than the Silverado. The twin turbo v6 has no problem pulling trailers up and down the mountains. No other truck has an engine that will out do the 3.5 and still gets decent mileage when pulling a trailer. I averaged 12.4 mpg 4 guys with all our gear and 2 4 wheelers. With the Chevy I was lucky to get 6.

Somethings cracked here. Chevy is known for having the best gas mileage in the game.. My 2007 gets 16 to 18mpg. And it has a 3 inch lift and 33" tires. I pull an 18 foot boat around all summer and have had 0 issues pulling anything in a chevy. Maybe change your air filter lol. I did that for a guy who had terrible gas mileage and little power. People don't realize that's how the engine breathes...

 

[LukeDuke]

Test drove this Raptor last month. Loved it. I thought the inside space was pretty comparable to my Tundra Crewmax. Both have the 5.5 box. The Raptor really is in a class of its own. I have a 2014 Tundra with 130k on it and never had an issue. They were going to give me $29k on the trade. It has a few upgrades(leveling kit, tires, topper) and I felt the offer was pretty decent. I’m leaning towards making the switch.

 

[Art Vandeley]

Everyone gets 16-18 in their rigs. How is this possible? I've had 2 fords, 2 chevys and a GMC in the last 8 years. The average has always been 15 MPG over time. Probably has something to do with that pesky wind that blows in Montana, and 80 MPH speed limits. I would not consider mileage a factor in a new pickup purchase. They are all the same.

 

[mtmuley]

Why?

Mostly I don't care for how the transmission works. Too slow to downshift. Always hunting gears. Power is ok. Seems cheaply built. Ford tough, not so much. Stupid stuff failing already like the tailgate bumpers. The cab flexes when the doors are opened hard. 5000 miles on it. mtmuley

 

[Addicting]

That was a surprise to learn what they placed highest priority on.

What did they place the highest priority on? Either that post was just a tease or you enjoy us being on a cliff hanger, hitting refresh like we have to do on @Bambistew sheep hunt posts.

 

[rjthehunter]

Everyone gets 16-18 in their rigs. How is this possible? I've had 2 fords, 2 chevys and a GMC in the last 8 years. The average has always been 15 MPG over time. Probably has something to do with that pesky wind that blows in Montana, and 80 MPH speed limits. I would not consider mileage a factor in a new pickup purchase. They are all the same.

Most of my driving is done around the 55mph mark. I can get closer to 18 to 20 then. But bucking a 20 mph wind cuts that. Between my highway/in town driving I probably average 16. With my boat it goes to about 13 to 14 though. I drive it like I want to save gas. I'm not hammering it at stoplights and going over 70 on the interstate for the most part.

 

[clint6760]

I owned a 14 gmc all terrain with 35’s and a small lift. Great truck but 5.3 didn’t pull camper very well. Averaged about 13 mpg.
Totaled it and bought a 2019 F150 3.5 ecoboost with ten speed tranny. Wicked fast truck that tows great. It has 10 ply 33”s and a level. It gets 16mpg. I have never owned a ford before but it’s been a great truck so far with an awesome spacious interior.

 

[LousyResident]

I owned a 14 gmc all terrain with 35’s and a small lift. Great truck but 5.3 didn’t pull camper very well. Averaged about 13 mpg.
Totaled it and bought a 2019 F150 3.5 ecoboost with ten speed tranny. Wicked fast truck that tows great. It has 10 ply 33”s and a level. It gets 16mpg. I have never owned a ford before but it’s been a great truck so far with an awesome spacious interior.

The size of the interior of the SuperCrew cab cannot be overstated. I am 6ft 2in can comfortably sit in the backseat of mine with plenty of room for my knees, even behind the driver seat when it is set up for me.

 

[Jasher]

I get 22 mpg with the standard tires and lift of my Ford. The Chevy did ok when not pulling a trailer. I'm not a this brand is better than that brand because I'm a fan of whatever. I'm just giving my experience with what I have owned. I tried everything with the Chevy to get it to do better pulling a trailer. Predator tuner with custom tune, k&n air box, headers... The 5.3 isn't impressive at all. Stop before 200 miles to fill up again. I haven't had to do anything to the Ford. The 5.3 doesn't have the power. Check the specs for horsepower and torque between the 5.3 and the 3.5 it's not even close.

 

[TheJason]

A buddy of mine traded his Ram 3/4 ton which was his DD for a half ton GM. I asked him if he'd gotten tired of having his kidneys beat out of him on the way to work every day.

He said "yup."

Having driven a Ram 2500 for 20 years, I can vouch that they are rougher than shit. Riding in a Tundra was Heaven.

 

[turbobrick]

Having just driven another Power Wagon, I am trying to recall the last time I drove something I felt was that powerful. No problem chaining up all four on this rig. Going over a few snow banks and across some fields was a pretty stiff bounce. Given it is a 3/4 Ton, I guess that is to be expected, but I also try to think about how the ride will be on a New Mexico road that is mostly lava rock. Since the camera guys get the bench seat in the back of the cab, I guess that is more their worry than mine. The interior was a bit less industrial than when I test drove them in 2016.

The price on the one I drove was a "cough, cough, you sure that price is accurate" moment. And the dealer says they sell them as fast as they get allocated to them. Which I take as code word for "We don't haggle on the price of these things. What part of $66,000 do you not understand, Mr. Newberg?"

I understand all of that. Question being, what can I find a low mileage 2019 for?

Impressive rig.

The Power Wagons ride very well for what they are. Longer wheelbase really helps to smooth out bumps at speed, that is one of my favorite features of my Power Wagon. Keep in mind that it is a solid front axle truck, so it won't ever be quite as smooth as your independent front Titan. The Power Wagon has softer, better riding suspension compared to the regular Ram 2500, this is why the tow rating is a little lower on the Power Wagon. Once you wear out the 33 inch tires, step up to 35s, and that thing will ride like its on clouds. There is also a huge aftermarket to tune the suspension to your taste if you feel the need, shocks are an easy upgrade.

Keep in mind too, that the Power Wagon used to be a top trim level, but now it is just an equipment group. So you can order a Tradesman truck (stripped down work truck with vinyl floors) and add the Power Wagon package. That makes the truck much mess expensive. There are often used Tradesman trucks that have the Power Wagon package but are not listed as such, you just have to dig a little deeper while searching to find them.

 

[HSi-ESi]

I have an '06 Dodge 2500 (gas). Nothing fancy, with 194K on it.

Yeah, it's very stiff as a daily driver. But when I load it, it is a big Cadillac.

If I am not pulling or have loaded the bed, I keep the tires around 45 psi. Doesn't help the gas mileage, but it is good on gravel roads.

I don't plan on a new rig till this one dies, and I will probably find something similar. I've thrown chains on all fours and it has taken me anywhere I wanted to go in MT.

I am not a gear head, so consider this some kind of review. When the bed rusts out I will throw a flat bed on it and use it as a ranch truck.

I don't really like heavy trucks for mountain stuff, but with a family and other duties it works OK. If it was just mountains, well I've taken old Ford Rangers past lots of full size trucks that were buried. The power to weight ratio is just so different.

It's a balance I don't envy. If I get stuck there are no camera's around me.

 

[TheJason]

Somethings cracked here. Chevy is known for having the best gas mileage in the game.. My 2007 gets 16 to 18mpg. And it has a 3 inch lift and 33" tires. I pull an 18 foot boat around all summer and have had 0 issues pulling anything in a chevy. Maybe change your air filter lol. I did that for a guy who had terrible gas mileage and little power. People don't realize that's how the engine breathes...

Air filters need changed?

My 2018 gets an average of 15.6 mpg when I factor in town, gravel and freeway. Not bad, but not a whole lot better than any other V8 half ton. All maintenance is done right on schedule.

 

[TheJason]

Take for instance an E 10 ply tire.
Most will have an 80 + psi MAX pressure at MAX load(usually 3400+pounds)
That is not what it was meant to be run at under all conditions. It is only the max it should ever be at
So on my little truck has E rated toyos with 3457lb rating if I put the tires at maximum pressure I could support the weight of the truck with full payload on two tires. Search how to chalk test tires to get best results. Also most manufacturers have charts of what psi a tire should be at for each weight.
Most 3/4 ton trucks are set up to have max payload on the tires at 65+psi for liability reasons. The dealership doesn't know what you will be doing with your truck. If you drive around without max payload then you are driving on the center section of the tire and wearing out the middle of the tire. You are also loosing traction and increasing
braking distance with over inflated tires.

I would set my Dodge at 55 psi front and 45 psi rear for most situations and air up or down depending on the situation. My work pickup is set at about 38 psi with E rated Duratracs to lessen the odds of a rock going through the face.

 

[Big Fin]

What did they place the highest priority on? Either that post was just a tease or you enjoy us being on a cliff hanger, hitting refresh like we have to do on @Bambistew sheep hunt posts.

1. Comfort of ride in the back seat. They spend days back there, over the course of a season.

2. Size of the cab, including legroom and headroom. Dan and Dale are both about an inch taller than me.

3. Cargo space in the bed, so I am not always ragging on them for bringing too much stuff.

4. How many power outlets for charging their gear and editing/capturing footage while we are traveling. This is actually huge, as they spends hours and hours capturing footage from cards to hard drives. If they can have it running while we are traversing the country, it saves them a lot of time when we get home.

Then it was a mix of things I couldn't care about; stereo system, heated seats, carpet floors, leather.......

Not any comment from them about budgets. Kind of like when they order camera gear. It's the boss' money.

I was surprised with Marcus, being he is the most frugal of the entire crew. He has friends with Raptors or has some experience with Raptors. He thinks the Raptor is beyond any of the others, by a large margin. Given his frugality, I was expecting him to suggest we soup up some 200K mile Tacoma and beat the hell out of it until it finally dies, making it work regardless of the discomforts and lack of space.

 

[HONEYBADGER]

1. Comfort of ride in the back seat. They spend days back there, over the course of a season.

2. Size of the cab, including legroom and headroom. Dan and Dale are both about an inch taller than me.

3. Cargo space in the bed, so I am not always ragging on them for bringing too much stuff.

4. How many power outlets for charging their gear and editing/capturing footage while we are traveling. This is actually huge, as they spends hours and hours capturing footage from cards to hard drives. If they can have it running while we are traversing the country, it saves them a lot of time when we get home.

Then it was a mix of things I couldn't care about; stereo system, heated seats, carpet floors, leather.......

Not any comment from them about budgets. Kind of like when they order camera gear. It's the boss' money.

I was surprised with Marcus, being he is the most frugal of the entire crew. He has friends with Raptors or has some experience with Raptors. He thinks the Raptor is beyond any of the others, by a large margin. Given his frugality, I was expecting him to suggest we soup up some 200K mile Tacoma and beat the hell out of it until it finally dies, making it work regardless of the discomforts and lack of space.

Raptor would be hard to beat, although a standard F150 would fill much of what you want without the price tag of a raptor...

 

[Addicting]

All of that is in my F150, that’s why we chose Ford over Chevy. The built in inverter is nice and will do everything you need it to for what your asking. There is two 110v plugs in the truck and 3 or 4 USB ports plus a 12v cigarette style plug.

I ordered mine from the Factory and got the 6’ bed, sport& FX4, and heavy tow package. From the dealer a Leer topper with the extra 6” headroom. The thought process in buying this truck was road trips and hunting. Literally the only thing I would change would be ditching it he V8 and getting the 3.5 Eco Boost. To get the cloth seats you need to order the XLT and that price point is significantly cheaper than the Raptor. Leaving you money ahead to swap tires and put have the 2” leveling kit on it.

I will also fore warn you, the extra length of the cab, 6’ box, and tow mirrors makes it a challenge to park in some places in town. You have to think ahead when you pull into small parking lots.

I would definitely encourage you to take one for the day and put it thru it’s paces.

 

[devon deer]

What was the make of the truck the warden used to drag your truck out of the snow that time in a film?
Maybe THAT is the make you should be looking at purchasing, or was that down to the driver?
Cheers
Richard