nwoodworth1390
Member
My current travel vehicle is starting to get tired so im looking at new options. Im not in a huge rush, but i am looking. Hoping to snag a good deal on an outgoing model F150 or Tundra perhaps.
My current ride is a 2012 F150 Ecoboost crewcab with 115,000 miles;
-Bilstein 6112/5160 and an Add a leaf (which has been absolutely fantastic)
-General Grabber ATX 275/70r18 on factory wheels
-Decked Drawer system (Meh, not sure ill buy another one)
-ARE topper (Meh, hasnt held up great)
The truck has been pretty good for what we do; which is alot of running around with our 2 kids and 100lb dog, and 6 weeks or so traveling per year. Of the 115,000 miles on our truck, approx 20,000 are towing and offroad. We arent rock crawlers or super technical trail inclined (though i did use my factory f150 side step as a pivot point once), but we definitely enjoy blasting down forest roads and moderate trails to get us away from the crowds.
The current options im considering are the Tundra, Ram Rebel, and F150. The things that matter to me are reliability, fuel range, and payload. I like to work on my own vehicle, and so far have been able to do all of the repairs and maintenance on my current truck (thanks Youtube). Because i like to work on my truck i think i want my next truck to be a simple v8 (meaning a 5.0L if i get a Ford). Im definitely not saying we havent enjoyed our first gen Ecoboost because its has done everything we have asked it to. It has been great unloaded, and i actually used to get 19.5mpg when the truck was unmodified. However adding all the weight of overland we now average 13...on a good day... going down hill... with a tail wind. Im hoping a good ole simple V8 will return comparable mileage loaded, be a little easier to work on, and perhaps have a little longer longevity?
Payload capacity has been a tricky for us in our current F150. With our current setup we use 84% of our trucks payload when we travel. We discussed going up to a 3/4 ton, but man are those trucks big and cumbersome. I dont think im ready to take that plunge yet, especially since our vehicle will simply be a passenger vehicle much of the time. Our build process for this upcoming truck will be thoughtful of weight and our actual needs (not my fantasy Expedition Overland needs haha). I plan to do suspension similar to what i have, go with an RLD or RSI topper/cap (or similar?), some sort of rooftop tent, a fridge of some kind, and perhaps some skid plates or winch if there is room in the budget.
Pros and cons list ive thought of so far:
Tundra Pros: Reliable, crazy aftermarket support, pretty easy to work on and service im told, 38 gallon fuel tank
Tundra Cons: Pricey for the basic options you get, thirsty, old...
Rebel Pros: alot of bang for the buck (leather etc), interior is super nice, rear locker, 5.7Hemi seems to be a decent motor
Rebel Cons: its tough for me to trust FCA after test driving a super sketchy brand new Gladiator last year, thirsty, 26 gallon tank, unproven?
F150 5.0L Pros: Aluminum!, 5.0L v8 seems decent, Im familiar with the platform, rear locker, 36 gallon tank
F150 5.0L Cons: thirsty, blows my mind that the XLT has heated seats but some of the worst halogen headlights ever,
I know i need to test drive all three, just wondering if anyone had any insights or fact based preferences i should consider?
Thanks for reading.
My current ride is a 2012 F150 Ecoboost crewcab with 115,000 miles;
-Bilstein 6112/5160 and an Add a leaf (which has been absolutely fantastic)
-General Grabber ATX 275/70r18 on factory wheels
-Decked Drawer system (Meh, not sure ill buy another one)
-ARE topper (Meh, hasnt held up great)
The truck has been pretty good for what we do; which is alot of running around with our 2 kids and 100lb dog, and 6 weeks or so traveling per year. Of the 115,000 miles on our truck, approx 20,000 are towing and offroad. We arent rock crawlers or super technical trail inclined (though i did use my factory f150 side step as a pivot point once), but we definitely enjoy blasting down forest roads and moderate trails to get us away from the crowds.
The current options im considering are the Tundra, Ram Rebel, and F150. The things that matter to me are reliability, fuel range, and payload. I like to work on my own vehicle, and so far have been able to do all of the repairs and maintenance on my current truck (thanks Youtube). Because i like to work on my truck i think i want my next truck to be a simple v8 (meaning a 5.0L if i get a Ford). Im definitely not saying we havent enjoyed our first gen Ecoboost because its has done everything we have asked it to. It has been great unloaded, and i actually used to get 19.5mpg when the truck was unmodified. However adding all the weight of overland we now average 13...on a good day... going down hill... with a tail wind. Im hoping a good ole simple V8 will return comparable mileage loaded, be a little easier to work on, and perhaps have a little longer longevity?
Payload capacity has been a tricky for us in our current F150. With our current setup we use 84% of our trucks payload when we travel. We discussed going up to a 3/4 ton, but man are those trucks big and cumbersome. I dont think im ready to take that plunge yet, especially since our vehicle will simply be a passenger vehicle much of the time. Our build process for this upcoming truck will be thoughtful of weight and our actual needs (not my fantasy Expedition Overland needs haha). I plan to do suspension similar to what i have, go with an RLD or RSI topper/cap (or similar?), some sort of rooftop tent, a fridge of some kind, and perhaps some skid plates or winch if there is room in the budget.
Pros and cons list ive thought of so far:
Tundra Pros: Reliable, crazy aftermarket support, pretty easy to work on and service im told, 38 gallon fuel tank
Tundra Cons: Pricey for the basic options you get, thirsty, old...
Rebel Pros: alot of bang for the buck (leather etc), interior is super nice, rear locker, 5.7Hemi seems to be a decent motor
Rebel Cons: its tough for me to trust FCA after test driving a super sketchy brand new Gladiator last year, thirsty, 26 gallon tank, unproven?
F150 5.0L Pros: Aluminum!, 5.0L v8 seems decent, Im familiar with the platform, rear locker, 36 gallon tank
F150 5.0L Cons: thirsty, blows my mind that the XLT has heated seats but some of the worst halogen headlights ever,
I know i need to test drive all three, just wondering if anyone had any insights or fact based preferences i should consider?
Thanks for reading.
