Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
2015 F150 is made with Aluminum (and still some steel for the frame)... Supposedly it is 700# lighter. I agree it is a LOT of weight to lose... Which is why I wonder how they will handle.
I'll check and see if I can get a weight on old vs. new.
On edit: I can't find anything official on weights... Yet...
Weight and resisting rust? I wonder why there isnt a pickup without a frame,much lighter but has the look that everyone is after. The ElCamino,but taller and more truck like.I saw a commercial for a new dodge diesel,i wonder how much that would run? My dad told me story's of new dodge trucks in 1968,going for 1600.00 bucks.Slant six with no air.They never seemed to break.
Unibody vehicles don't pull weight really well. Most is about 5k #. No way you are pulling 11,000# without a frame using today's existing technology. They have to have a frame and right now that frame is still high strength steel. ALTHOUGH Ford has a lighter duty F-150 that weighs even less, but isn't rated to pull the full 11,000#.
New Dodges are pricey - probably in the 40's to 50's. Especially the new 1500 series eco-diesel 3.0. For that kind of money you might as well go to a single wheel 3500 or 2500.
Want a El Camino type vehicle, get a Honda Ridgeline. That is a true consumer light duty pickup. Unibody and can still pull a small trailer. But you are going to get lousy mileage.... I do like Honda's corporate V6 - the one in the Pilot, Ridgeline, Odyssey to name a few. But MPG efficient it isn't.
I dunno...I own a '92 GMC 1500 pick-up that has a big V8 and gets lousy mileage, but it effectively plows my 1/4 mile downhill driveway and came in really handy when I had to drive 50 miles to the next big city to purchase a large quantity of 4 x 8 sheets of drywall and plywood. It also came in handy as an extra vehicle when I had to take my '99 Toyota 4WD 4Runner in for maintenance.
For those of us who live in snow country in the middle of BF Nowhere, owning a truck is more of a necessity than a 'lifestyle choice'. But for those who disagree, there are plenty of small, economical vehicles to choose from. I just choose utilitarian vehicles for my purposes...guess it's pretty obvious that I'm not a soccer mom...
Unibody vehicles don't pull weight really well. Most is about 5k #. No way you are pulling 11,000# without a frame using today's existing technology. They have to have a frame and right now that frame is still high strength steel. ALTHOUGH Ford has a lighter duty F-150 that weighs even less, but isn't rated to pull the full 11,000#.
New Dodges are pricey - probably in the 40's to 50's. Especially the new 1500 series eco-diesel 3.0. For that kind of money you might as well go to a single wheel 3500 or 2500.
Want a El Camino type vehicle, get a Honda Ridgeline. That is a true consumer light duty pickup. Unibody and can still pull a small trailer. But you are going to get lousy mileage.... I do like Honda's corporate V6 - the one in the Pilot, Ridgeline, Odyssey to name a few. But MPG efficient it isn't.
Most people driving trucks like they are cars,don't need to pull anything.So i was talking about a really lite,pretend truck,for the majority of people who really dont need a truck or would never use a truck for what its meant. As a work vehicle.The majority of trucks i see,don't even have a hitch. The ridgeline isnt very good on gas and can hardly haul anything. I like how it looks.
Else than occasionally pulling a fishing boat,most people dont really need a pickup. Yes i know many here may actually haul something or have a good use for one. But the majority of people dont do that.
I can put sheet rock or quads or about anything i can think of on a small utility trailer.Pull that with almost anything.Its what i do now.
My trade off would be the truck parked most of the time.(older paid for truck) and a small car used to go to work. Im thinking about money and how much crap im putting out the tail pipe for each gallon.
I can put sheet rock or quads or about anything i can think of on a small utility trailer.Pull that with almost anything.Its what i do now.
I agree that many people could do this now and come out way ahead on gas, expense and ecological impact, if it were not for the various cultural factors driving pickup sales.
Your pretend truck is a ridgeline... I believe I said it got lousy mileage and couldn't pull much.
I have a truck and a EREV. We drive the EREV more than the truck. When I need to move or get something big we use the truck. Also use it on vacations too. In the odd times that I need to go somewhere by myself, I just use it, but it isn't all that often.
I've gone through the iterations of having a third vehicle. The most COST efficient for me is to just have a nice truck and the wife have a more efficient vehicle - since she drives a lot more than I do. The thing that kills me is the insurance and registration for a third vehicle. And then of course you have maintenance on it...
I don't need to justify it - I have found what works for me. Every time I got rid of the truck I hated it, missed it, and ended up getting back into one a whole lot sooner... I just can't see owning a house and NOT having a truck. And I don't even have to plow the sunshine out of driveway. (unlike the northerners that deal with snow). Granted I hope to go to the North - but that is another topic.
There was engineer I saw on TV discussing corrosion on cars and there was excellent quote from him that basically went "We can make a car last for 100's years but that doesn't help if you can't afford the car".
The concern I would have with lower weight vehicle is you need weight when pulling trailers for example. The less weight the vehicle is the more the trailer will push you around, doesn't matter how good the brakes or the suspension is.
I like motorcycles. Why isn't everyone forced to drive a motorcycle. How many times do you see people driving big luxury cars and they are the only one in the vehicle. Waste Waste Waste. Moderator cut: Instigating
Last edited by MissingAll4Seasons; 05-22-2014 at 11:44 AM..
Reason: rude, inappropriate
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
