Fish Chris

first off, I kind of got hammered on the Toyota forum for even asking > If your worried about mileage, why are you buying a big gas guzzling monster ? <
Uhhhh..... because I have a boat to tow..... and because my research, and experience have shown me, that a small, overworked truck, gets only slightly better mileage than a big truck, and it will wear out quicker as well.

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So here's what I'm thinking;
A 4.6 liter V8....
A cat-back exhaust, and CAI right from the start.
Better plugs.
Synthetic oil.
Proper tuning, and / or an after-market computer chip.
Fiberglass bedcover (might reduce a little drag)

And of course, cruise control, which will be pegged at 59mph. Sounds rediculously slow doesn't it ? But it's already 4 miles over the CA. towing speed limit.

Oh, and even 95+% highway driving (1 mile to the freeway.... 90 miles to the lake.... hit the brakes once, launch the boat, and park it)

Really, the only thing I can see that might give me less than "record setting mileage" for an F150, is that I will always be towing a little boat. I mean really little. Just a 14 1/2 ft aluminum... probably about 1300 lbs for boat, motor, and trailer.

So, with all of the above, taken into account, would 18 mpg be too much to hope for ? {In reality, that's about all I get with my tired, worn out, over worked little Toyota Tacoma, and all it has is a 2.4L 4 cyl !}

Anyone ?

Thank you,
Fish

PS, Toyota claims (on paper) 18 mpg freeway, with their big 5.7L 32 valve V8, which also puts out 385 hp's ! ......not that I believe everything I read on paper...... or that I really need 385 hp's for my purposes..... but that does "sound" pretty impressive, huh ?

L.Jimmy

yea so does a 5.4 triton v8 that will get you better performance in the long run for what you will be doing.

i say you should go with the ford. Best selling truck for many years for a reason.

besides how many good tundra's do you see on the road over 5 years old.

HarmsWay

Well my '04 5.4 is getting 19 on the highway without towing anything and that's with the CAI, SIDO & RP oil...if I keep it to 67mph.

poncho

one more reason not to go to California.

Fish Chris

L.Jimmy, you said I'd get better "performance" from the big V8. Of course I know I'd get more HP's.... but as I have said, my boat is really light. I'm actually more concerned about mileage.
So from that standpoint, would you still recomend the big Ford V8 over the small one ?

Hey Harms way, I'm glad you said > 19mpg freeway, at 67 mph... As like I say, I won't be running 1 mph faster than 60. This I figure might give me 20mpg.... The smaller V8 might bump that up to 22mpg ? Then the light, little aluminum boat might only drag it back down to 18mpg ?
But again, I hope this isn't just wishful thinking....

Hey Poncho, I've spent 40 of my 43 years in Cali. Those other 3 were the worst 3 years of my life ;-) Won't ever live anywhere but right here. Mountains a couple hours to the East. Ocean an hour to the West. Best trophy bass fishing anywhere on the planet. And Sturgeon which can go over 300 lbs, right here in my back yard :-) Love my home.

Peace,
Fish

Ty

It sounds like your logic is about right.

How about going out and rent your self a f150 for a week and see how you like it. that way you are only out a couple hundred over the thousands you would be out if you bought it and it doesn't work out for ya.

dewman

I can get 18mpg(highway) with my 1996 5.8, with 134,000+ miles on it, by keeping my foot out of it. I have not cai, intake or chip/programmer. Just stock Ford engine parts.

gnardo73

Do you like the ford sport trac? They are not a big truck but they have a 5200lb towing capacity. You can get an 08 with a 292hp 4.6L and a 5 or 6speed automatic tranny. I looked at one a little while ago and I was impressed with it. If you are pulling a light boat, and you did everything to one of these that you plan on doing with a f-150, you could probably get some good mpg.

poncho

hey fish.I hope they keep biting for you.peace to you too.

nashtruck

Fish, a larger engine wont work as hard to maintain speed which may in theory get the same or better mpg's. I have the 5.4L and get 13 around town and my highway mpg has varied between 17 and 20. Keep your tires full and your bed covered and it helps.