the ideal multi-use truck?

[Texasdiver]

Originally Posted by switz

Some folks are unaware they are overloaded until things are checked at the accident scene.

I've driven by a lot of accident scenes in my life and I've never once seen any police out there weighing things at an accident scene.

[m.hony]

I have only seen about 2 RV crashes in my life- probably due to lack of weight distributing/anti-sway hitch combined with driving too fast for conditions. Insurance rates for RV's sure are low, indicating to me that there are not that many RV crashes. The only time I have ever even been in a close call/near miss is due to some idiot pulling right out in front and then parking on the highway in combination with other drivers going too fast and unnecessary lane changes in combination with other drivers following too closely- just bad driving habits in general by 99 out of 100 people behind the wheel.

[crisen]

[/QUOTE]"If I'm not using the truck for daily short haul use, why do you recommend gas? Just for the cost savings? I'm not exactly sure why I'm enamored with diesel but I'm guessing that a diesel truck would be happier if it is only gets weekend highway miles when not towing. My idea is that at some point we'll be doing long cross country hauls and maybe a run up to Alaska at some point so I want to get the right truck for towing and make do with it as necessary for around town provided that it doesn't actually harm the truck."

It sounds like even if you don't use the truck for the short commute you will still have a lot of city driving between trips. If you read up on the diesel forums you'll see that it is not unusual to have the oil change monitors going off in only couple thousand miles when they are used for city driving. This adds a lot of cost to operation, also this use is just asking for trouble with the particulate filter. There are a lot of technical reasons why this happens and if you are interested you can do some more research.

We use our diesel for about 40% towing and the balance rural driving. For us it is normal for the oil change monitor to go 5000 miles at least in local driving and the full 7500 miles when we are on a trip. I don't see you having an issue with a gas in 3/4 ton as far as enough power or life of the engine either if you take care of it and run it 200k or so. The 3/4 ton just gets you out of concerns with overloading your tow vehicle. As to the max payload F150 or whatever Ford calls it,when I looked at them a year or so ago, the heaviest package also had a larger rear axle not just suspension pieces. This buys you larger bearings etc sized to take the heavier load, when you start making changes to springs etc you are only dealing with part of the issues involved in carrying more weight. Generally the 3/4 ton trucks are a completely different chassis than the 1/2 ton versions, different frames etc.

Sure people exceed the tow and load rating of their tow vehicles all of the time. Just remember that if you decide to do this it should be your decision and you should make that decision with your eyes open to what you are doing. Also remember you are the one paying for the vehicle not any of us so you need to be comfortable with your decision.

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by switz

I did a "build on line" for the Ford ½ ton Eco-Boost with the King Ranch trim line. That trim line ate up 470 pounds of the useful load and brought it down to around 1,300 pounds when configured for towing. My existing 25FB had a 1,200 pound tongue weight and when I considered what else I wanted to carry, it lacked the necessary payload.

Lariat is the highest F150 trim on which Ford offers HD Payload, you were shopping the wrong model for the purpose.

For the OP:
I think at least for 2013, HD Payload includes Max Tow by default (HD Payload is only available with a 3.73 limited-slip diff, the other 2 major components of Max Tow are relatively cheap, the integrated trailer-brake control and the extendable mirrors.)

As has been mentioned previously, you'll likely have to order HD Payload if you go the F150 route. Most people buy pickups to use as cars so dealers stock lots of short box, 3.13 or 3.31 diff trucks with cosmetic options.

[jasperkins]

I also had the same questions back in summer prior to buying our 2012 27FB Eddie Bauer. We wanted something with good gas mileage, roomy for the family, rides nice, has power, carry 2 large dogs, babies, and we wont grow out of. After looking at many SUV's that were at the limit of what we could tow, none of them really met our needs.

We purchased the new 2013 Dodge Ram 3500 Mega Cab. Its an entire new frame for 2013, rides soft compared to other 1 ton trucks, has ALOT of rear space (the rear seats can recline), gets 22 mpg not towing (18-20 mpg in town), 15 mpg towing, and has a big bed for the dogs (truck capper), and has crazy amount of power. Also its a non-dually.

Overkill- yes. However we have an everyday driver that is super comfortable on long hauls, has the space we need to "pack up and go", and the opportunity to grow. The problem I now have is that my 5' wife always wants to take my truck instead of her PT Cruiser :-) The other day she got clocked at 83 in a 65- her first ticket 20 years- in our truck. Don't get hung up in the whole 2500 vs 3500 leaf spring, hard ride anymore. With the new technology and frame, the 3500 just made sense to us.

[Antique Pedaler]

Our pickup is the DMAX crew cab long box model (to carry our tandem)....longest outfit out there. We're on the road 5 months a year. When unhitched, it's our daily driver. The only, only problem with it is it's size. So we avoid conjested downtowns and tight parking lots. We always park at the far end of big parking lots and take two spots.

[SeeMore]

You may want to investigate the soon-to-be-available Ram 1500 with 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6.

[dkottum]

We are away from home half the year with our Airstream. We traded a 140" wheelbase Tundra pickup for a 120" wheelbase reg cab Ram because it is comparatively inexpensive to buy and operate, but mostly because allows us to easily maneuver our Airstream in tight locations and use as a daily driver with ease and few restrictions. A ProPride hitch keeps it absolutely stable in all driving conditions.

Our next vehicle will probably be an SUV unless they continue to become outrageously expensive. If they do we'll look to the Ram 1500 with small diesel and compare. But it won't be a long wheelbase truck because we don't need it or want it.

Everyone has different needs.

[kscherzi]

Surprisingly, some 3/4 ton trucks may not have payload figures much higher than a properly equipped half ton. These trucks are much heavier than a half ton to start. Add in the super crew cab and diesel and much of the added payload is sucked up by the truck itself. If you want a heavy truck and diesel, then consider getting a one ton truck to have it all.

[Aviator]

I love our setup with a 2009 F150. My only change would be to the Ecoboost engine which wasn't available in 2009. Yes, I have made multiple trips across the scales and I am not overloaded in any parameter. With my wife, two children (13&15), plus dog. Our camping style sounds much like what Texasdiver is doing.

[Texasdiver]

Well I tried to play around with the "build a ford" feature on the Ford F150 web site and wow...what a confusing mess. I tried to build up a F150 Lariat crew cab 4x4 with max payload and max towing. The max payload option never popped up, just the max towing option, but I did get to one screen that showed trailer weight of 11,000 lbs and cargo capacity of 2,000 lbs but then was never able to get back to that screen again.

I did find this towing brochure on the ford web site

http://www.ford.com/resources/ford/g...rv&tt_f150.pdf

which suggests that the max payload package on any truck of any model simply raises the GVWR to 8,200 lbs but I can't work backwards to figure out what the empty truck weighs to determine cargo capacity. on the slide-in camper table it suggests that it would be 1440 lbs for a 4x4 crew cab which isn't all that much.

In any event, generally speaking are the payload capacities of all the major 1/2 ton truck brands roughly equal when ordered with all the maximum payload options? Or does one brand stand out with higher payload capacities than the others?

[DKB_SATX]

I'm away from the house so this is from memory. I think if you select the Ecoboost Supercrew, Lariat, 6.5' bed, 3.73 limited-slip diff you'll get HD Payload, around 2300 lb. I'm not sure if 4x4 changes any of the details except the payload #. You're right, it's confusing on the site.

That's a high payload for the crew-cab half tons.

[DKB_SATX]

If you don't want fancy you can build an XLT that way too, but not the FX2/FX4.

[barts]

I've had a 1996 F250 4x4 Crew Cab diesel since it was new.... love it. Used to carpool w/ another family; every seat taken.... and it's pulled our Airstream a lot of fun places.

However, a short haul vehicle it is not. I avoid driving less than 7 miles or so if I can; It's much happier with the engine and transmission warmed up properly. If you warm it up properly on the weekend - no harm done.... but months of nothing but short trips is not good.

If I were you I'd buy the kids bikes, and ride with them to school... and then to work. Save the truck (and the fuel) for when the weather is poor; the kids and you will be better for the exercise and you can take those bikes with you when you go camping. A diesel truck is a great tow vehicle - but leaves something to be desired as a grocery-getter.

- Bart

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by barts

If I were you I'd buy the kids bikes, and ride with them to school... and then to work. Save the truck (and the fuel) for when the weather is poor; the kids and you will be better for the exercise and you can take those bikes with you when you go camping. A diesel truck is a great tow vehicle - but leaves something to be desired as a grocery-getter.

- Bart

Bart, central TX is not northern California. Double-digit runs of consecutive 100+ days are common in August and September (and schools usually start in August here) and highs well into the 90s are the norm from late May to late October. And we have humidity.

[barts]

Originally Posted by DKB_SATX

Bart, central TX is not northern California. Double-digit runs of consecutive 100+ days are common in August and September (and schools usually start in August here) and highs well into the 90s are the norm from late May to late October. And we have humidity.

Ok, humidity sucks. I grew up in Modesto, CA riding my bicycle everywhere, 100F or not... but at least it was a dry heat . At least the truck will warm up faster in hot weather, but that humidity will lead to condensation products building up in the oil if the truck doesn't get warmed up regularly.

- Bart

[Lance M]

Originally Posted by DKB_SATX

Bart, central TX is not northern California. Double-digit runs of consecutive 100+ days are common in August and September (and schools usually start in August here) and highs well into the 90s are the norm from late May to late October. And we have humidity.

And we have all those big HD dually diesel trucks on the road with very few bike paths.

To the OP:
Welcome to the forums! If you would like some first hand advice and knowledge about trucks, towing and Airstreams, I would like to invite you to come check out our club. We will be having some campouts very close to Waco in the next couple of months. Hope to see you at a campout soon!

[kscherzi]

Originally Posted by Texasdiver

Well I tried to play around with the "build a ford" feature on the Ford F150 web site and wow...what a confusing mess. I tried to build up a F150 Lariat crew cab 4x4 with max payload and max towing. The max payload option never popped up, just the max towing option, but I did get to one screen that showed trailer weight of 11,000 lbs and cargo capacity of 2,000 lbs but then was never able to get back to that screen again.

I did find this towing brochure on the ford web site

http://www.ford.com/resources/ford/g...rv&tt_f150.pdf

which suggests that the max payload package on any truck of any model simply raises the GVWR to 8,200 lbs but I can't work backwards to figure out what the empty truck weighs to determine cargo capacity. on the slide-in camper table it suggests that it would be 1440 lbs for a 4x4 crew cab which isn't all that much.

In any event, generally speaking are the payload capacities of all major 1/2 ton truck brands roughly equal when ordered with all the maximum payload options? Or does one brand stand out with higher payload capacities than the others?

The Ford website isn't too accurate with payload. The max payload option adds about 500lbs to normal payload. For the Lariat you spec'd the payload would be close to 2,000 lbs.

Regarding the camper slide in number, that same brochure also says that payload number allows for 150 lbs per seatbelt in the truck.

[switz]

The fully dressed up Ford looses nearly 500 pounds of payload for the fancy do dads in that package as compared to the base plain Jane model.

With the ever enlarging girths on Americans, the 150 pound passenger weight number sadly applies to the kids and not the adults.

Use the real weights of the passengers because that is what the springs are carrying.

[Texasdiver]

Originally Posted by barts

I've had a 1996 F250 4x4 Crew Cab diesel since it was new.... love it. Used to carpool w/ another family; every seat taken.... and it's pulled our Airstream a lot of fun places.

However, a short haul vehicle it is not. I avoid driving less than 7 miles or so if I can; It's much happier with the engine and transmission warmed up properly. If you warm it up properly on the weekend - no harm done.... but months of nothing but short trips is not good.

If I were you I'd buy the kids bikes, and ride with them to school... and then to work. Save the truck (and the fuel) for when the weather is poor; the kids and you will be better for the exercise and you can take those bikes with you when you go camping. A diesel truck is a great tow vehicle - but leaves something to be desired as a grocery-getter.

- Bart

The kid's school is 3/4 mile away as the crow flies and I would LOVE to put them on bikes and send them to school like I used to do as a kid in Oregon in the 70s. However they would have to cross a 6-lane highway across a busy 6-lane overpass bridge that only has a very narrow sidewalk and no crosswalks or push button walk signals with all kinds of merge and turning lanes on each side. I do it on my road bike when I go out sometimes on rides but I just aggressively take the lane and ride with the traffic to get through that mess. The kids would be road kill, especially in the a.m. when it is still darkish and cars are zipping around with fogged up windows with people on phones and putting on makeup.

Unfortunately with the suburban mess that is this part of Central Texas (most of suburban Texas for that matter) I have to drive them about to soccer and swim practices for them to get exercise. We do weekend family rides but I usually put the bikes on the van and haul them out to country roads or bike paths.

Once my oldest daughter starts driving herself to school I plan to go back to bike commuting but then I do it hard core with my bike all lit up and with reflective clothing and my commute is in another safer direction. I can't really ride with my kids anyway in the morning because I start 1/2 hour before they do and they would end up sitting in front of the school in the dark waiting for the doors to open.