I think even the new ones are pretty loud, but only on the outside. Inside the cabin, they are reasonably quiet, as D-Ford depicted.
That's why Kevbo requests that the vents be closed, I think?
Any more gasser converts out there?
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__________________ Travel is in my blood, adventure is my passport, aluminum is my favorite construction medium, and therefore, an Airstream was my destiny.
I have had the Dodge gasser for 3 months, and as we all know, our fuel prices have been climbing during that time.
SO...as the cost of fuel, both gas and diesel, continue to escalate due to a barrel of oil going for $106, I am wondering if this is an advantage for the gas or diesel owners in terms of the least impact? Yes, diesel is selling for more than premium gas, but has the margin between the two actual gone down percentage wise?
Although I may not be in the right boat, it seems to me that the diesel owner may be in a better position (if there is one with the robber-barron oil companies) than the gas owners to absorb the raising fuel costs?
As for making the switch, I am still happy with my decision. The Dodge with its Hemi as a daily driver is a blast, and being lighter than the diesel, is easy for the boss to drive (all 5' of her) with quick and agile mobility. I will be stopping at the pump more often and I won't be in overdrive going up hills, but the balance works for us. Towing we are getting a respectable 9 to 12 mpg, depending on speed, terrain and conditions.
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__________________ Travel is in my blood, adventure is my passport, aluminum is my favorite construction medium, and therefore, an Airstream was my destiny.
I bought my F150 in 2005, because the price was a lot less and diesel fuel has been costing more than gas here. My F-150 tows great. The suspension is perfect for our Safari 25 - soft enough to give a nice ride for both the people and the trailer.
So all is good... except long mountain passes, where the Nordskog digital transmission temperature gauge that I installed can creep up to 230 F. I added an Derale electric fan to the tranny cooler, but I don't have it working yet... the push-in radiator fin probe in the tranny cooler fins is not turning on the fan, even when running hot. I may have incorrectly installed it into the "cool" side of the cooler. My next step is to install an switch to turn on the fan manually to see what the fan is capable of. If it does the job, then I can work on the thermostat problem.
If I didn't have the tranny temp gauge, then I could be driving along in ignorant bliss... right up until the transmission dies.
I imagine that the 3/4 folks don't have to deal with this problem at all.
I had overheating problems with my past gm tow vehicle. This 08 150 has the tow and snow plow package. The cooler is up front and HUGE and right in the airflow.. They tell me it is the same trans as a 250 series. The temp needle has never moved in both cross country trips. They must have made big changes since 05 in this area. You really need to visit the Ford dealer and see the video on the 08 and the changes made in suspension, brakes. frame and the like. They feel the pressure from the Japanese big time.
Diesel just hit $3.94 per in our area, probably higher elsewhere.
Always thought my next tv would be a Duramax, but an 06 8.1 Burb will
join the Family this week. FWIW.
Great choice per all of the forums. What were your decision factors?
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__________________ Travel is in my blood, adventure is my passport, aluminum is my favorite construction medium, and therefore, an Airstream was my destiny.
__________________ Travel is in my blood, adventure is my passport, aluminum is my favorite construction medium, and therefore, an Airstream was my destiny.
My 73 25' tradewind tows just fine at 55-60mph at 2000 rpm and I get10-12 mpg. Towing is one thing--how is your tow vehicle when not towing? I just love the autoride--smooth as a caddy--16 mpg and I have 175k on it. Not being able to afford a TV and a everyday rig ,this works great for me. I will buy a 3/4 ton next year and keep the 01 1/2 ton because it is a great truck and the resale is a joke with the gas prices.
How many miles do you tow vs. live with your truck?
It is always a key success factor in any vehicle acquisition to have the copilot's approval.
Hopefully your weather will clear up before the trip to get it. How far a trek is it? Are you leaving your current vehicle there or bringing it back home as well?
Barry
__________________ The best things in life are health, family, friends and enjoying your Airstream in a campground. Wally on Bro
Barry & Donna Life is short - so's the door on an Flying Cloud (ouch)
It is always a key success factor in any vehicle acquisition to have the copilot's approval.
Hopefully your weather will clear up before the trip to get it. How far a trek is it? Are you leaving your current vehicle there or bringing it back home as well?
Barry
Statesville N.C., about 625mi from Bflo. Be leave'n the Burb home and using
Sandy's Rendezvous. Hey this is Bflo, could be 75 degrees by wednesday.
OK, with fuel prices climbing at an alarming rate, and here, it looks as though the margin between regular gasoline and diesel is growing, are there any more diesel TV to gas TV converts?
After reviewing most of the truck comparison tests, the Ford F250/350 with the gas V10 seems to be gaining favor as one of the more popular choices due to the new diesel emission systems on all new diesel trucks. It also looks as though the V10 is very close to the performance of the diesel choices and since it runs on regular gas the fuel economy vs the new diesels is also close due to the margin in price (I have seen as much as $.95 spread between regular gas and diesel) and the decreasing MPG of new diesel TVs.
My comments are geared toward AS owners, where towing does not involve 16,000 lb trailers, where diesels are a more likely choice. I am guessing the average AS weighs between 6,000 and 7000 lbs, with some as low a 2500 lbs and some as high as 11,500 lbs
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__________________ Travel is in my blood, adventure is my passport, aluminum is my favorite construction medium, and therefore, an Airstream was my destiny.
When we last shopped truck, it was early 2005 and gas was a buck eighty, diesel was 10% less or so.
I looked at both gas and diesel, figuring that over time the average prices of the two tend to be about the same.
I ran through a set of numbers, using $4/gallon as an average cost for fuel and concluded that my break-even point based on the expected number of miles and including the "lost" interest on the extra $3k even a used diesel would command (in truth it was more like 4k-6k around here) came out to around 10 years. I intended to keep the truck for 7. This was a no brainer.
I pitched the formulae I used, but recall that I'd have had to forecast 3x the miles and/or used $6 fuel to favor the diesel.
The simple fact is, that running uphill at 70mph is a luxury - a luxury that one pays for. A 6 or 7000 pound trailer can be towed safely with less vehicle than is commonly used, provided expectations are kept in check.
As far as Ford, GM, Dodge, I don't think it matters. Have owned examples of each, and aside from not caring for how the Fords drove, they seemed to work OK and stayed glued together, in contrast to brand "T" which did not.
All that said, if I were to gaze into my crystal ball today, I'd probably be anticipating the wave of 1/2 ton diesels and hunting up a trailer that weighed no more than our mid 80's 31'. It seems probable to me that the gas/diesel pendulum will swing back the other way before I'd be done with it.
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ouch..
Diesel just hit $3.94 per in our area, probably higher elsewhere.
LOST IN THE SIXTIES
2006 3/4 Burb 8.1
28.5
One minor draw-back, if you can call it that with the weather we've
NC trip
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