They sort of do. In the county I live they do unless it is a gvwr over 10k. Luckily mine is 11400 but it was deleted a long time ago when it was easy to buy an H&S tuner. Curious about the newer trucks mostly if I ever get a new one, I drove my Tacoma this morning and I just can't get used to a gasoline truck anymore.
which newer full size 1/2 ton is the best overland platform
- Thread starter dado5
- Start date
bigskypylot
Explorer
Redline61
Observer
Weight is the biggest factor by far when it comes to off-roading. Diesels are amazing at everything but that huge weight penalty ruins their off-road abilities. There is a reason Dodge won't put the Cummins in the Power Wagon and why Ford won't make a HD Raptor.
That said if you are going for lockers be careful because half ton drivetrain is a lot weaker and know your limits. Personally I sold my one ton diesel and went to a half ton gasser and couldn't be happier with my choice. I wasn't towing anymore and just got tired of listening to the rattle everyday. The newest diesels are amazing but they still are pigs and 9,000lbs sinks like a rock always.
Redline61
Observer
Both true
"Cummins 6BT
The big Cummins is powerful but terminally heavy. The Power Wagon already weighs over 7000 lbs with its 6.4-liter gasoline V8, and shoving a cast-iron inline-six in the nose wasn't going to help the truck's off-road prowess. Throw in the fact that the 6.7 is a long engine, and there wasn't room for the 12,000-lb Warn winch behind the bumper." Mike Cairns, head of engineering with Ram Trucks
Comanche Scott
Expedition Leader
If I remember correctly (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong here), You'll need 10 posts before being able to post pictures.
So hurry up, only 8 more posts to go, and I'm very interested in the pictures of the F150...
Would be cool to see a build thread, as you get going on it. There are a couple of pretty cool F150 builds here.
ExplorerTom
Explorer
Buy the one that gets you out there.
Comanche Scott
Expedition Leader
that's saying something. Looking at your build, the gearing matches the tire size well, and the tires are fairly light for their size. So I would have expected good fuel mileage. The pedal commander is going to drop your mileage a bit, but there has to be something else going on.
What do you think is attributing to your poor fuel economy. Other's seem to be getting pretty decent mileage (16+ combined), so I'm interested to hear your thoughts.
Do you have a catch can installed for your PCV system? If so, how often do you need to drain it?
nitro_rat
Lunchbox Lockers
I currently have an 09 Ram 2500 hemi, and have also contemplated downsizing. Here's what I would do:
1. Find an early 3rd gen 1/2 ton QCSB with the hemi and manual shift t-case
2. decked cargo system and low pro camper shell
3. Power wagon skids (there is an article on this online somewhere, need an extra trans cross member)
4. Swap to a Durango t-case that allows full time 4x4 (NP242 IIRC?)
5. Rear traction aid (true track maybe, selectable maybe), and gears maybe if necessary
6. maybe a level kit
7. Cooper Discoverer AT3's
8. front reciever/portable winch (wired front/rear)
I think this rig would be awesome in any on-road type weather and also handle many off-road stuff where a newer full size truck is going to go. Plus storage for recovery gear and enclosed storage above the decked system for other gear/sleeping. It would also blend in, look stock, and not raise any eyebrows anywhere in the Americas.
The Durango full time case will go 2hi only if wanted for MPG's, and while it may have a slight strength disadvantage, I think that the true geared differential full time 4x4 would be a fair trade off for use in inclement weather. I have also found the discoverer AT3's to give great performance in snow, ice, rain, sand, and for an AT tire decent performance in the mud. Also quiet and comfy on the road.
I never have written this down, just been working on it in the back of my head. Now I kinda want to build it!
1. Find an early 3rd gen 1/2 ton QCSB with the hemi and manual shift t-case
2. decked cargo system and low pro camper shell
3. Power wagon skids (there is an article on this online somewhere, need an extra trans cross member)
4. Swap to a Durango t-case that allows full time 4x4 (NP242 IIRC?)
5. Rear traction aid (true track maybe, selectable maybe), and gears maybe if necessary
6. maybe a level kit
7. Cooper Discoverer AT3's
8. front reciever/portable winch (wired front/rear)
I think this rig would be awesome in any on-road type weather and also handle many off-road stuff where a newer full size truck is going to go. Plus storage for recovery gear and enclosed storage above the decked system for other gear/sleeping. It would also blend in, look stock, and not raise any eyebrows anywhere in the Americas.
The Durango full time case will go 2hi only if wanted for MPG's, and while it may have a slight strength disadvantage, I think that the true geared differential full time 4x4 would be a fair trade off for use in inclement weather. I have also found the discoverer AT3's to give great performance in snow, ice, rain, sand, and for an AT tire decent performance in the mud. Also quiet and comfy on the road.
I never have written this down, just been working on it in the back of my head. Now I kinda want to build it!
Yes, you're right. But you're also getting less than y$ back for the gasoline truck that cost y$ upon initial sale. My point wasn't that you get all your extra money back upon reselling a diesel; my point was that diesel trucks, for the most part, maintain more of their value on the used market compared to gasoline-variant truck. You only have to do a brief amount of searching on autotrader to see that for yourself.
I think those are valid points; diesel engines do weigh more than comparable gasoline engines. That doesn't necessarily mean that you can't offroad with them, but you just need to be aware of the extra weight. Also, in fairness the diesel engines used in the HD pickup's (Cummins, Duramax v8, Powerstroke), those engines were never really intended for offroad use....they were meant for towing. I'm sure if the engineers had been focused on greater offroad utility, they would've looked for ways to cut weight. That said, there seem to be more than a few on here who have had no issues taking those engine/vehicle combo's to many different places. And the Full size market is starting to incorporate more diesel options (Ram's ecodiesel, Ford's rumored diesel option for the F-150) which are comparable in weight to the gasoline V8's that are currently used in that segment.
I'm not a fan of the current emissions technology, nor the extra weight that accompanies some diesels, but I'm also not a fan of getting 14-16mpg city with my gasoline 4.0L v6. It's all about figuring out which compromises you're willing to tolerate.
Comanche Scott
Expedition Leader
That would be a fun and capable build. :beer: