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| First Timer Here.
I fish walleyes here in Nebraska since I was a little kid and I travel across the mid-west from KS to SD mostly fishing walleyes. Everytime, I’m pulling a boa t with a full load in the back of the truck, not including my fat farting buddies. My job may force me further from these plain ole’ mud/sand bottom lakes that I grew up fishing and love.
From your experience fellas, What truck (engine) gets the best gas mileage with decent power for someone like us. Right now I’m using a 2003 Dodge 5.7, with my boat and a full load I average right at 13 mph at 55mph. Sometimes less sometimes more depending on the wind and size of the sandhills. If I switch to a diesel I’ve been looking at a 6.6L V-8 chevy because I want to switch to soy biodiesel. Several farmers around my place are now using it in there new tractors/combines to basically tell the arabs goodbye. So far nobody has really seen a significant difference with the operation of there machines.
I want to do the same. Does anyone have knowledge with this rig (6.6L V-8) or any other diesels. Are you happy with the gas or happy with the diesel?
Any comments or experience would be appreciated- Thank you in advance-
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Member
Posts: 340
Location: McFarland, WI | I love my Duramax after 45000 miles. Get near 20mpg w/o trailer and 15mpg pulling a flatbed trailer with a 10 ton load, all rural road driviing.
Larry Strelow
McFarland, WI |
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Member
Posts: 54
Location: Shabbona | I drive the Ford Power Stroke this is my 3rd one and I've loved everyone of them... Although on the o2' I had to put a chip in to get better mileage...Empty truck 18 - 19 mpg. With a 20 foot boat hooked up just pushing 16mpg an crusing at 70mph.. Don't toss out the Durmax this engine an tranny seem to be the new ticket in town.. Both strong motors just a matter of if your a Chevy guy or Ford.. |
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Member
Posts: 49
Location: Timmins, Ontraio, Canada | The duramax 6.6L is an awsome truck but with the price of diesel I would go with the 6L gas engine that chevy has. If you don't do a lot of towing I would stay with your dodge with the 5.7L. That would be the best all around truck. If you are just going fishing every weekend and not putting on 20 000 miles and up a year I woudn't buy a diesel. And remember that a 4x2 truck has more of a towing capacity than the same truck in a 4x4. hope this helps. |
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Member
Posts: 129
| CN,
My last truck was a 1/2 ton Dodge xtra-cab with the 318 gasser and it got typically 16-17 MPG empty and 13 MPG loaded pulling a 20' glass boat. I now have a Dodge Quad-cab w/Cummins and get 18-19 MPG empty and 15MPG pulling the boat. It will do 20+ MPG on the highway if you keep it in the 1700-1800 RPM range (+/- 60 MPH). Not sure about compatability with bio-deisel.
Tim |
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| After much deliberation I decided to try a 2 wheel drive truck for towing my boat. I own a 2003 F150 supercab with the 5.4 and 3.31 axle. This truck consistently gets 21 mpg empty and 17.5mpg towing a 1900 Pro V. The truck has decent power and costs a whole lot less than a 4 wheel drive. The Dodge 1500 with a 5.9 gas, that I previosly owned got 14mpg empty and 11mpg towing the same boat, not to mention all the time it spent at the dealer with transmission problems. A 2 wheel drive may not work for everyone, but it is something to consider. |
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Member
Posts: 14
| coldnebrasken,
i own a '03 GMC 2500HD with the duramax\allison. this truck is nothing short of a pullin'-haulin' machine. When i'm not towing it is a great comuter vehicle and gets great mileage BUT it's like any vehicle mentioned in this thread its how you drive it. If i punch it and drive it like its stolen I get 12-14 city if i'm lucky. When i'm towing to mille-lacs or redwing i have gotten 17 with the boat on using the cruise 65 or below.
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Member
Posts: 859
Location: Appleton wi | I'll second the GMC 2500 6liter this truck can pull a tank and mileage is decent and the tranny is one of the smoothes you will feel.You have 2 choices buy a truck with big engine and get relativly consitent lower mileage and not overwork the tranny and engine or buy a truck with smaller engine and have it over work when pulling heavier loads and your gas mileage goes way down. Anyone who lives by alot of steep hills knows exactly what i am talking about
Edited by eye Lunker 12/8/2005 5:33 PM
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| I also am suffering from this freeze we are in here in the midwest. After owning 2 powerstrokes, I just bought a GMC with the new H.O. 360 h.p. duramax. I only have 290 miles on it but about 150 of them have been pulling a skidloader around with all this snow. Obviously my mileage isn't very good pulling 10.000 lbs. around town in 4wd. I will say, I have never seen a diesal start as nicely in sub-zero temperatures. The new 6 speed allison transmission has a manual mode, that you can shift gears manually by pushing the + - button on the shifter, very handy for pulling a heavy load. The overall ride and handling is much better the than F-250's I have had in the past. If you decide to go with the duramax, make sure it was built after 9/05, therefore you will get the H.O. with 50 extra h.p. than the earlier motor.
Jason Tomich |
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| Thanks fellas, this gives me alot to consider. I usally run around 20,000 miles a year. Bought that dodge in August of 03 and have 50,000 miles on it. Love the room especially the leg room-{the reason I bought it, nobody has ever call me short} but I don't use the cruise pulling in the big hills.
I need to stick with a 4x4 because I use it to hunt also and pull the boat out... I setup my boat to do what I like which includes a 19'+ tilt trailer with a 16.5 foot boat and an oversized engine. It been the cream of the crop with the lakes being low because I can put in on most banks. All I need now is an electric winch 
I'm gonna be doing some serious looking and when I make the decision I'll post it. Need to wait alittle bit on a new truck. Any comments on the older diesels 98-02 engines. I seriously considering a roomy older truck for pulling the boat. But like I said, as with several of the farmers.... Going to switch over and start mixing fuel with soy-biodiesel
Eitherway just alot of coffee shop talk....its cold here and were snowed in pretty good. If there is any other input from people its greatly appreciated.
Gutt'em out......Fry'em up |
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Member
Posts: 43
| Not to start a fight but!! I have had both the Chevys and Fords at work The city I work for orders all of the p/u trucks with the H/D packages with diesels and snow plow packages.Both are good trucks so I will tell you what I think of them.I just took delivery of a Ford and gave it to my assistant ,Thats what I think of the Ford(I'm the Boss) The Chevy is lower to get into, much and maybe I should say that again Much Quieter both in and out of the cab.The is no question that Chevy has a better tranny.The older Ford (about a year 2000) has been back to the shop more times than I can remember for a computer/fuel problem and is still not right.And I think the new one has the same problem (I talked to the shop on friday and they told me" to take it out and run it like you stole it")It must be full of carbon they said.It has less than 300 miles on it.However all of the truck's will pull anything that you can put on a hitch. Last Tuesday it was -10 and all of them were outside all night and started like it was mid summer.If I was to buy one it would be the Chevy hands down,but then I was told this is the last year with the engine that Ford has, it gets a new one next year so maybe ask your dealer.Paul |
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Posts: 194
| Come on who wants a quiet diesel engine?! The sound is the best part! |
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Member
Posts: 238
| I live in West Central MN and went all the way to the Van Hook Arm on Lake Sakakawea almost 500 miles and average 14.7 miles to the gallon with a 2004 Chevy 1500 Four Door with a 5.3 V8. The other pickups on that trip were a 2002 Chevy with the 6.0 gas and a brand new right off the lot 2005 Ford Powerstroke F350. Of all the trucks my mileage was the best. The Chevy got just over 13mpg and the Ford got just over 11. Granted, I was probably driving the nicest, and that diesel wasnt broke in yet. Its a toss up I think. Personal Preference. |
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| I've got a 99 F 250 with a power stroke and I pull my tournament boat all over the country. I get about 18 mpg empty and between 13-15 pulling my boat depending on how hard I drive it. I've got 198,000 miles on the truck and it's only been in the shop for brakes and tires. I plan on running the circuit with this truck again in 2006. The newer models are a lot quieter and I will probably go with a ford again since I've had such good luck with this truck. I've got several friends who have had the same good luck with their power strokes as well. I also have friends who drive the Duramax and they love them as well. Both are great tow vehicles and seem to last well.
Good luck and great fishing.
Terry Wilson |
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| A lot of good info on haulers here, but lets toss out what tires you like running? I'm about to replace some Firestone Wilderness LTs on my Yukon and not sure I want the same tire again - don't need Micky Thompson mudders either, but would like a nice aggressive road tire that performs well.. Anyone have an opinion?
Rick |
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| Iam running p265 Cooper Discover S/T's(10 ply). This is my second set of these. I am very happy with them, I got 63,000 miles oout of my last set towing heavy machinary about 70% of the time and my 202 the rest. You can pick these up for about $160.00 each. I think you would be very pleased with these tires.
Jason Tomich |
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