Lets talk Gas mileage and trucks...

[Broken Arrow]

My Tundra is a 2010 with the 5.7. You really need to nurse it to get the 18 and stay right at 70 or a tad under, I have gotten close to 20 several times, but that was in Oregon driving 60-65. Combined I get around 14. Pulling my trailer I get 10.

[brokenvet]

I down sized to a Ford Ranger 4x4V6, yes I get 20-22 mpg on the hwy, about 16 in city, but I hate loosing the space and comfort of a full size truck. 

[turkeyfeather]

Oh Ernie.......Just get a bicycle.

I'm in the same boat '02 F150 supercrew. Filled up this morning and checked the mileage (10.5) 
10% Ethanol here in Spokane during the winter months.
I'm only doing about 10K miles/yr. And will just drive it till it tanks.

PS: joking about the bike kinda. But I had mine tuned up recently and will try riding a couple days/week to work.

That's what I am doing. Just bought me a nice new bike. Saving money and losing pounds. Double bonus. 

[Special T]

These are not manufactured yet
http://www.eliomotors.com/

IF they make it into production they will likely be the go to commuter car. at about $7k the milage of a motorcycle and 2 enclosed seats, i'm betting they make many 2 driver homes 3 car owners. Its an interesting idea that utilizes many exisiting parts manufactures, and the best of motorcycle/trike excemptions and auto manufacturing.

[Rick]

Are you running some taller fatter tires than stock? Did you lift your rig? If so consider having 2 sets of tires on wheels. A "Commuter Set" and an offroad set. Tread design, width, airpressure OD have a large effect on MPG of a vehicle

In the name of looking cool,most guys run way more tire than they need. I used to run mudders year round because I had myself talked into "needing" them. I still manage to go all the places I used to with a much less aggressive tire on my truck these days.

For the vast majority of guys,a highway or mild A/T tire and a set of chains will take you all the places you have business being in a full sized truck.

[PlateauNDN]

I gave up worrying about gas mileage years ago. You can either afford to drive a truck or you can't.

Lots of other things to worry about.

 

I average around 14 with my 2002 Chev Silverado extended cab, 4x4, w/canopy.   (5.3 V8)

Strictly highway driving I might get 16 if I'm lucky. More dirt and gravel roads during hunting season and it'll be closer to 12 or 13.

i've got a 2000 doing about the same. it's about 85-100 bucks a week for me, daily and mt driving.

[Skillet]

Ernie,

I did an analysis like this myself a few years ago and ran the numbers every which way.  Without getting into the whole spreadsheet, if you are considering getting a "beater with a heater" to drive at times instead of your truck, you should only be looking at the improvement you could get when having the second car could be used in place of the truck.  That usually means that you'll be using the car instead of the truck when the truck was likely getting its best mileage.
A quick look at your situation, and making assumptions that you could drive a car in place of your truck for 12K miles a year out of your 20K, and you bought a car that could get 28mpg (older toyota tercel with a stick, for example), this is what it would look like.

You'd save 460 gallons of fuel, and at an average of $3.50 a gal that means you saved $1610 over the year.  If fuel goes up, you save more - down, you save less.  If you got a car that got 35mpg, savings goes up, 20mpg, it goes down.  Etc.

Those are the hard fuel numbers based on my assumptions, but if you really wanted to get into it you'd also need to look at insurance and maintenance, licensing, savings on truck depreciation (if applicable), cost of money used to buy the second car, etc., etc. 

In the end, I bought a small car for daily transport and figure I'm just a little ahead of even money, but not much.

[Bean Counter]

I have a 1st generation Access cab Tundra (V8, 4WD). at a quarter million miles its getting 17 miles per gallon with about 50-75% freeway miles.

[et1702]

2001 Dodge 3/4ton 4x4 extracab diesel - 18 to 21 mpg with combination of city and hwy driving for my daily commute.  Towing 29' 5th wheel, I get about 13 to 14mpg.  She has 275K miles on her and still running strong. 

I've thought about getting a small commuter car instead.  But, cost of car, extra insurance and potential fuel savings don't pencil out. 

So, my truck is my daily commuter.

ET

[C-Money]

I run a 2004 F350 V-10, 6 speed manual 4x4, regular cab. 12.5 to 13.5 mpg empty, 10-11 mpg with the 5th wheel or ATV trailer. I commute in a Sentra. 

[bhawley76]

97 power stroke 13 to 15 depending on how I drive. 97 escort station wagon 31.

[MacAttack]

I average around 14 with my 2002 Chev Silverado extended cab, 4x4, w/canopy.   (5.3 V8)

Strictly highway driving I might get 16 if I'm lucky. More dirt and gravel roads during hunting season and it'll be closer to 12 or 13.

I have this exact truck, mines a z71 w/canopy, and I get 15 to 15.6 combined, and 17 straight hwy. 137k and still running strong.

[bobcat]

I average around 14 with my 2002 Chev Silverado extended cab, 4x4, w/canopy.   (5.3 V8)

Strictly highway driving I might get 16 if I'm lucky. More dirt and gravel roads during hunting season and it'll be closer to 12 or 13.

I have this exact truck, mines a z71 w/canopy, and I get 15 to 15.6 combined, and 17 straight hwy. 137k and still running strong.

Exact same mileage that mine has too! You probably do a little better on average because I drive very few miles on the highway. Might also need a tune up, last tune up was 70,000 miles ago.

[JackOfAllTrades]

2004 Ford Super Duty PSD. 6.0L ZF6spd.  295-70-17 Toyo MT's. 3.73:1 gear ratio.
 
I have a log book of all fuel used. Mileage and dates, even when I've rotated the tires, changed the oil, fuel and air filters.
 
I average 16mpg (winter), 17mpg (summer), for my daily rural commute. Best I've gotten on I-5 from Bellingham to Tacoma is 21mpg, but on the highway she'll average 19mpg easily as long as I'm not the one in the fast lane going 75mph. The truck loves 65mph.  Towing the camp trailer, it'll get 15mpg from the west side to the east side over North Cascades Highway. (Lynden to Colville)
 
If you want fuel economy better than that from a truck, look for a well maintained 7.3psd of 1999 to 2003 vintage. The Cummins 5.9's get good fuel economy too. No chips, or tuners. Just a good flowing straight pipe exhaust will help a diesel a lot. And learn where the powerband is. Keep the engine rpm right in the lower third of the powerband where there's enough power to maintain speed, but not so much that you're building peak torque and HP with your foot on the throttle like a mad man.
 
Also, don't expect the best fuel economy from any vehicle with an automatic transmission. Learn to drive a stick correctly and you'll get better fuel economy.
 
 
-Steve

[Elkaholic daWg]

I average around 14 with my 2002 Chev Silverado extended cab, 4x4, w/canopy.   (5.3 V8)

Strictly highway driving I might get 16 if I'm lucky. More dirt and gravel roads during hunting season and it'll be closer to 12 or 13.

I have this exact truck, mines a z71 w/canopy, and I get 15 to 15.6 combined, and 17 straight hwy. 137k and still running strong.

Exact same mileage that mine has too! You probably do a little better on average because I drive very few miles on the highway. Might also need a tune up, last tune up was 70,000 miles ago.

"05 2500 HD Duramax....averages 19.4 in the last 2 years All driving, highway, trailering over the pass, in the woods hunting. I do pay about 12% more for my fuel unless I use all my Safeway points and fuel up at Chevron  (Take cans to make sure I get all 25 gallons) which I do about once a month  at about 2.89 a gallon lately. Why waste a buck a gallon on a car with a 10 gallon tank ?

97 power stroke 13 to 15 depending on how I drive. 97 escort station wagon 31.

And my wagon is a 93

"
If you want fuel economy better than that from a truck, look for a well maintained 7.3psd of 1999 to 2003 vintage." True story!