Yeah Diesel is out for me no matter how many miles, not dealing with the diesel repairs and loss of payload. 50K would be a pretty busy travel year, 20K is more normal, I mean a trip to Alaska and back and you are over halfway there, couple of trips to the Keys and a couple of trips up the eastern seaboard and your are over 20K, so thats where I kinda ballpark the 20-50K. I currently put about 20K a year on my current truck and I don't have a daily commute so most of that is travel and trips around town etc.
Who's building the best 3/4 Ton/ 1 Ton Gas Truck these days!
- Thread starter jaxyaks
- Start date
Yeah Diesel is out for me no matter how many miles, not dealing with the diesel repairs and loss of payload. 50K would be a pretty busy travel year, 20K is more normal, I mean a trip to Alaska and back and you are over halfway there, couple of trips to the Keys and a couple of trips up the eastern seaboard and your are over 20K, so thats where I kinda ballpark the 20-50K. I currently put about 20K a year on my current truck and I don't have a daily commute so most of that is travel and trips around town etc.
Macfly
Active member
I initially ordered an F350 with the Godzilla, but then I started reading all the horror stories, especially on the coach & RV sites where it's been a crate motor option, so I downgraded to the 6.2. I still don't have my camper and bed on, so it's really too early to give you an educated answer, but I added Carli suspension to mine as I intend to be off-road a lot. So far I'm happy with the truck, but with 37's the milage is appalling, I'm seeing around 12mpg on average, so guessing it'll be 10 at best once the camper is on board.
Kevin108
Explorer
Ford isn't on the table for me, simply because of their ergonomics. I'm 5'10", not abnormally short or tall, but their seats are curved in such a way that I feel like I'm balled up in the fetal position sitting in them. I sit very straight when driving and literally can't move my head far enough back to reach my natural seated position. I recently had a Ford pickup at work and wound up removing the headrest entirely just to get comfortable. Not ideal in a crash.
Last edited:
AbleGuy
Officious Intermeddler
We’re loving the F350 with 6.2 gasser and getting 13+ to 15 mpg. highway on a Tiger platform (more aerodynamic than truck and slide on due to no gap above cab). Admittedly, we do drive a bit slower on the intestates than some of y’all but we’re in a heavy rig (almost 12k lbs?) and stopping distance issues are a real thing and enjoying the scenery is also.
Speaking of hwy mpgs, the gas vs. diesel debate is never ending here but we’ll happily continue to take the simplicity (and thirst) of the big gasser and pay whatever the premium is at the pumps, especially since in recent years, the ppg vs mpg differential seems pretty minimal.
(And also, those of y’all lead footin it and driving 85 on the highways…y’all really don’t get to whine too loud about ppg and mpgs issues IMHO)
Currently it sounds like all the HD trucks have some sort of issue. GM has some sort of lifter thing going on, sounds like the 7.3L godzilla has an issue, and RAMs with the 68RFE transmission have a dipstick recall out. My 2022 RAM 2500 with the Cummins has the recall and will hopefully get it fixed next week at the dealer. Apparently the "fix" is a locking dipstick that has an elbow joint and some zip ties, it looks kinda janky.
I have zero allegiance to the brands since I came from owning Toyota's but alas they don't make HD platforms here in the US. I went with what I thought looked best, was comfortable, nice interior, and had good aftermarket support. That lead me to RAM. Ford was my #2 but I don't like their interiors and their door chime noise drives me insane. I thought they had the best powertrain options though. GM wasn't in the game for me. Best thing to do is put your butt in the seats, test drive, and pick the one that suits you the best. Especially if you're brand agnostic. I also bought an extended warranty 8yr/100k mile just for some extra reassurance.
Thats kinda where I am at, I currently only buy Toyotas, I probably lean a little towards the Ram since I have owned one before and the interiors are comfy even on the lower trims but I wanted to see if I was missing something on the reliability front. I may have to just discard the truck camper all together and just do with a travel trailer, so I can pick up a pre 22 Tundra or start looking in the older used market, which of course leads to another question..lol
.
tacollie
Glamper
They are all pretty good for the most part. Drive them all and get the one you like. I've owned 14 Toyota's and I have zero regrets moving to a Ford. It is a well used ranch truck from Texas with over 100k miles on it and has been just as reliable as any of my Toyota's. The cruise set to 80mph on 35s it gets 11mpg which is what our Tundra got on 32s. No cruise and driving 65 I get 13-15 depending on hills and wind.
AbleGuy
Officious Intermeddler
One of these Reg Cab Tigers was just up for sale a few weeks back in Portland.
Currently in 3/4 ton, I believe the Chevy/GMC has the largest payload which is important with a truck camper. I'm open to correction on that. I recently purchased a 2022 Chevy 2500HD LT Z-71 gasser and really like it for the most part. Highway ride is good for a 3/4 ton. It did pretty well rough roading it during hunting season. Mileage has been decent for what it is. Getting around 12.5 to 13 around town and have hit over 15 mpg on the highway. Towing our camper dropped things to the 8 - 9 range, but that is terrain dependent. The engine has a lot of power and develops torque at a much lower rpm than the 6.0L it replaced. Huge difference from the 2013 Silverado 2500 I traded in.
It is my daily driver, solo camping (still waiting on topper), hunting and tow vehicle. It's ideal as the last one of those, but a compromise for the rest. I have a double cab, "short" bed and it is still a lot of vehicle to park around town. I was trying to keep mine with as few frills as possible, but wish it had the all over camera package because visibility over that hood is not good and makes a difference off road. Build quality is good so far, very solid other than the mirrors which shake like they're going to fall off when you shut the doors.
I haven't owned a Ford 3/4 ton to compare it to, and haven't owned a Dodge 2500 since my 2011 Diesel which was great for towing, but much rougher riding and not awesome off road due to the diesel weight up front.
It is my daily driver, solo camping (still waiting on topper), hunting and tow vehicle. It's ideal as the last one of those, but a compromise for the rest. I have a double cab, "short" bed and it is still a lot of vehicle to park around town. I was trying to keep mine with as few frills as possible, but wish it had the all over camera package because visibility over that hood is not good and makes a difference off road. Build quality is good so far, very solid other than the mirrors which shake like they're going to fall off when you shut the doors.
I haven't owned a Ford 3/4 ton to compare it to, and haven't owned a Dodge 2500 since my 2011 Diesel which was great for towing, but much rougher riding and not awesome off road due to the diesel weight up front.
The 7.3 L gas engine (Godzilla) was designed for use in trucks, and is the standard engine even in the current F-750s (with the 6.7 L diesel engine being an option).
I've read that Ford has developed a 6.8 L gas engine to replace the aging 6.2 L. I've been told it should be available on trucks this year. However, it is still not showing on the "Build It" function on Ford's website.