Fields_mj
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2021
- Messages
- 59
- Location
- Central Indiana
- Tractor
- Ford 1710, Kubota F2880, White FB16
Actually, my '93 7.3L F250 ext cab long bed got 18 mpg driving up and down the road. My 2000 F350 crew cab (7.3PSD) does better at passing on the interstate, but even though it was NA, the '93 would haul a load better. My 7.3 PSD also gets slightly worse fuel economy (16 mpg), but both got/get 10 to 12 when I'm towing (8K camper or equipment trailer with 8K to 10K on it). The '93 also had much better suspension for towing. That made for a rougher ride going back and forth to work though. I haven't kept tabs on what trucks are getting in regards to fuel mileage for several years now, but as of around 2015 I still had never personally seen a 3/4 or 1 ton truck that got over 19mpg, and most were in the 15 to 17 range.It sure is nice in 2023 to sit in a comfortable seat, with A/C blowing on my face on a hot day, with several tons of weight behind me, cruising in top overdrive gear effortlessly and sipping fuel. Truck isn't even working hard, it's a lot safer on the road, and it saves time and money. I mean, 13 MPG with a massive load behind me? 30 years ago a truck wouldn't get 13 MPG totally unloaded on a trip to the grocery store.
I have a special place in my heart for the trucks I had in the 1980s and 90s. But I would never go back. Never.
As far as diesels go, the EPA killed them in 2007. Absolutely no one has built one that requires DEF that is worth owning. When my truck finally rusts to the point that I need to upgrade, it will be a question of now new of an F350 can I drop a 6BT into.