When will trucks get better mileage?

[ridered50230]

any time soon?

[z4me]

No. It is a matter of weight and wind resistance, it won't be solved soon.

[Tubo]

No. It is a matter of weight and wind resistance, it won't be solved soon.

No it's not. Remember the Tucker? 589ci helicopter engine in a 5,000lb car that got 28+ mpg.

I don't have the answer but I do know that my 4,000lb ranger with a 4.0l v-6 at 18mpg makes me scratch my head.

I'm thinking it has more to do with emissions and fuel availability.

[KAS]

Don't hold your breath.

[87XR250R]

It has been. I guarentee that a 2005 F150 gets better mileage, than a 1975 F150, and makes more power to boot. But the 1975 is so much better looking than the 05.

[MuddDawg]

Its all of the above and gearing. Trucks are geared to haul/tow. My F350 has 4:10 gearing made for hauling. and not Hauling A$$ or gas 15 MPG. 1992 Toyota EX cab V-6 3.0, auto, 4:10 gears 16 MPG .My old 76' Cordoba got 25 MPG. 360c.i. 2 barrel. 2:21 gears. ?

[Chevy_Cowboy]

Trucks will never get as good of mileage as cars due to the reasons mentioned above (gearing, wind resistance, weight ect) but they are improving, especially the ones with the bowtie on the grille.

My dads new silverado gets 24mpg (2wd 1500 4.8V8 auto) thats a hell of alot better than what chevy's were getting even 10 years ago (and its still WAY better than ford or dodge) It wont be long before base model v8 chevy trucks top 30mpg and the HD's arent far from 20mpg now. Improvements are happening, just slowly ?

[250Thumpher]

It's already here. It's called diesel.

[Rip Wheeler]

any time soon?

Toyota will be building a hybrid truck soon

[ridered50230]

thats where i came up with the idea, because I saw a commercial (Toyota I think) with the first Hybrid SUV with 285 Horses... I think that is about as much as a small 150/1500

[Chevy_Cowboy]

Toyota will be building a hybrid truck soon

its about time, GM's been building a hybrid silverado for 15 months ??

[Chevy_Cowboy]

It's already here. It's called diesel.

Diesel isnt really that much better milage, its just better power for the same amount of fuel.

[Rip Wheeler]

its about time, GM's been building a hybrid silverado for 15 months ??

Do you have any idea where GM, Ford and the others got their Hybrid technology? They are all buying it from Toyota! LOL, you act as if Chevy was the pioneer. They cheated. Fords, same exact deal. In fact, they are not even just buying and making it, they are just buying it, Toyota is making it all!

[250Thumpher]

Diesel isnt really that much better milage, its just better power for the same amount of fuel.

You can get 20-22 mpg easily with a few small minor upgrades. And you can tow balls off the wall.

[kelstr]

the hybird stuff is kinda cool,

but when it comes to doing real towing work, i think that the d-max pulling my 27,000 lbs at 75 all day long and getting 12.5 on the flat and 11 in the hills is not bad at all,

the diesel is the way to go,---but its going to be awhile before the hybird stuff even gets close to towing 1/4 that weight.

thats the problem i see is there is to many guys that tow fairly heavy ,

and i had my one d-max go over 150,000 miles and i sold it with the original brakes still in good condition.

the little jap stuff comming up in the real towing world is neat stuff but it will be a ways off before it can really do towing like most of us do. and not have a bunch of stuff die doing it !

so i guess you can get some stuff to get into the 40's , i see it all the time at the grounds, hell some of the stuff gets into the 50's

but it just wont do heavy work ,

i am sure that will begin to change , but like was said here earlier, it will be very slow in coming !

[Chevy_Cowboy]

? Do you have any idea where GM, Ford and the others got their Hybrid technology? They are all buying it from Toyota! LOL, you act as if Chevy was the pioneer. They cheated. Fords, same exact deal. In fact, they are not even just buying and making it, they are just buying it, Toyota is making it all!

You're gonna have to provide a link to prove that, I've never heard anything of the sort and have actually seen alot of evidence to the contrary. Everything I've seen says GM is developing their own system, not buying it from toyota. ?

GM and Toyota have both had little flame wars over eachothers differing opinions on hybrid technology... if they were both using the same technology wouldnt they agree about who's system is better? There was briefly a joint venture between GM and Chrysler developing a 2 stage hybrid system but I think that deal may already be off, I havent heard anymore about it since last fall.

[250Thumpher]

Either way we're scrweed. Everything we have is made off oil...

[Ebs]

If mileage is a big concern, then a pickup probably isn't for you.

I'll looking to find a diesel and run WVO, it will be nice driving for free.

[rush66]

Diesel isnt really that much better milage, its just better power for the same amount of fuel.

Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't that make them more efficient?

Diesels make more power at lower rpms. I know my friends duramax does better on the drink than my dads 99 silverado does.

I think I saw something on a trucks episode with Gale Banks and he talked about a Dodge diesel truck that they built and raced at Baja. I think they said they averaged 12-14 mpg the entire race. Thats pretty good racing. There's more that can be done to the diesel to make it more efficient. Wouldn't it be lots more cost effective if everyone could run Bio in them. I don't know how much Bio diesel runs a gallon but my brother has a silverado with the CNG on it and he fills up for lots cheaper than I do.

Anyone else think it would be cool if Someone could produce a lightweight diesel pickup? Sorta like the little engines in the VW cars but something like that in a truck. I think it would be awesome.

But since I can't afford a Duramax with all the goodies yet I drive the next best thing for me. An 01' Tacoma with the 2.7, it's a little down on power but does decent on mileage and is really my ideal truck right now.

[Tubo]

? Do you have any idea where GM, Ford and the others got their Hybrid technology? They are all buying it from Toyota! LOL, you act as if Chevy was the pioneer. They cheated. Fords, same exact deal. In fact, they are not even just buying and making it, they are just buying it, Toyota is making it all!

http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0505/09/1auto-175811.htm

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=105594

I found this statement regarding the Ford Escape Hybrid

Ford did not "Buy" the Toyota Hybrid system or any of their technology. What Ford did do is to pay a licensing fee for 20 patents of the over 300 that Toyota has filed on Hybrid technology. This is for areas where the Ford's technology may overlap Toyota's patents. There are no Toyota parts in the Escape Hybrid and it was developed with no input from Toyota.

http://www.detnews.com/2004/autosinsider/0403/11/autos-87820.htm