Any of you guys use your 6.4 Super Cabs as daily drivers?

I've done some reading and I know its 'not good' to use these trucks for 3 mile runs to the grocery store, but I drive about 13 miles each way to work mixed local/highway and a few times a week I drive across town on the highway about 15 miles each way. So it won't be all short stop and go trips - is this acceptable usage? Will I run into problems down the road?

My second question is I am married with no kids and my wife and I usually drive separate to work etc. - should I opt for the Super Cab or Crew Cab? I don't anticipate driving anyone around except maybe a few buddies occasionally. Any of you guys buy a Super Cab and regret it spacewise?

Thanks,

CT

 

You have no kids, and you're wife drives seperately, and you're asking if you need a crew cab?????
LOL hahaha.
Get what you want.

As far as the truck running during short trips, does it have a tuner?

I say that with a tuner, it will be hard on it, because it will never really run like it was meant to.

Without a tuner, I'd say you might as well not bother, the DPF will always be plugged, you'll burn a ton of fuel, and bottom line is it's a bad idea.

The driving you speak of, is what I consider "short trips", the truck will never really warm up.
Bad idea.

But if you can afford it, and can't be talked out of it, all power to you, they are really nice trucks, but they are for highways and towing and stuff; not minivan routes.

 

I am thinking 13 miles maybe enough to get it warmed up ok. Especially if they are hwy miles mostly.

I think this is acceptable. You do want to drive it more than that on occasion. You will you will go out of your way to tow something..just to try it!

Get what you want but myself I will never get another truck unless it is a crewcab. you cannot beat them for the space.

 

I drive 16 miles one way every day. 12 miles is on interstate 35 so it does reach NOT for a period of time. Average about 15 mpg as it seems the cold starts eats more fuel than anything. If I had to drive much less in mileage one way, I would really have to take another look. I think you are ok. As far as a Crewcab, I would never have anything else. Whenever we go somewhere at work, they always want to take my truck. They all like the room.

 

Mines a daily driver short trip to work I tuned it like the diesel mechanic at my ford dealer told me to. Got rid of the cat/dpf and run a mild tune so far oil samples look good. I do pull a 5th wheel and try to get out on highway once in a while. The crew cab YES youll find all kinds of things to take along you never knew you needed

 

Mine is a daily driver, only warm it up when the windshield is frozen over. I drive 13 miles one way to work, put a grill cover on to help with warm up. I watch the regen cycle like a hawk, if it happens on the freeway I drive the extra few miles to let it finish. I don't make oil or if I do it is very minimal.
Mine is only a 2 wd truck and I get almost 16 MPG during the week going to work and back and close to 18 on trips. I will be deleted next year when my warranty is up.
Haven't towed with it yet, will next year but not anything to challenge it>>well the wife says we'll be towing a horse trailer next year but we'll see about that.
Crew cab all the way IMPO, had a supercab for 8 years, bigger is better.

 

I drive my 2010 XL power stroke super cab standard (long) bed about 45 miles (40 highway 5 suburban) each way to work. Had to make a decision, crew cab/short bed or super cab/long bed because of parking space. Long bed won. only regret it came with a bench, could not fit grand babies seats in the back. Solved the problem by buying separate (power/heated) seats. Doing 17.1 MPG (on the computer) 16.5 MPG real mileage, drive a bit like an old lady, to conserve fuel (used to do 9.7 MPG), only sometimes I release that awesome beautiful power, when in a tight spot, but with $4.00 gallon diesel not too often,

 

Thanks for the replies fellas. I feel like I see a lot of PSDs around town idling for work and what not so it can't be that everyone is only using their trucks to tow 5th wheels across the country non stop?

It seems that the CCSBs around here are all pretty beat up from being work trucks and the nicer lower mileage ones are the supercabs. Decisions decisions...it has to be a short bed since I just don't like the way the long bed looks especially on a supercab and it would be a PITA to park around town.

Would the 6.0 be better suited for stop and go/city driving? just worried about the reliability of a 6.0 especially with the high mileage used ones.

 

You might want to open up the area your looking for a truck in, I picked up my truck from North Carolina this fall, was a drive down, do paperwork, drive back to Michigan, a 26 hour ordeal but the underneath of my truck is as clean as the top side. Well worth the trip, too bad I have to put it through the crap now, guess I'll be spending a lot of time at the car wash hosing it down if we get a lot of snow.

 

I daily drive mine as well. before the DPF delete, i was spending $100/week on fuel, barely getting 300 miles out of a tank. now with the DPF delete, I get about 16MPG, waiting to see how many miles I'll get out of a tank...

 

13 mi with highway is probably enough to not kill the truck, but be sure to pay attention to regens and drive around the block if necessary to allow them to complete. Interrupting regens will cause high fuel dilution (2%, 3% or more), while allowing them to complete normally and prefferably at highway speed will produce little fuel dilution (0.5%)

As for crew cab - hell yea! Why cramp yourself, it's a pickup, not an SUV so if it's raining you want to flip up that back seat and put the groceries or whatever in there. Also get the DRW, once you go DRW you'll never buy SRW again.

 

This is what I would worry about.


13 miles might just get it warmed up, and if it wants to regen, in starts the regen after it's warmed up, so you won't complete it.

Then when you go to drive home, it will warm up, start a regen, then not finish again.

It's life will be spend either warming up, or in regen.

A tuner would be a must for you, I wouldn't consider the truck an option without one.

 

Sort of a DD, it is my work truck and gets used anywhere from less then 20 miles all offroad a day to several hundred highway a day. DPF delete was the best thing for it, especially when it wouldn't regen until I would be done with a long drive. Had the same thing over $100/week and couldn't do much more than 300 per tank, didn't dare go on a moderate drive with half a tank or less. Just refills have increased from 6-7 days to more like 10, mileage hitting 20 on the LOM at some highway speeds (real world more like 16), never gets much under 12 anymore--used to hit 9 while towing.

6.0L would only be better for a boat anchor. If I stop for more than a minute or two I shut it off, idling not as big a problem since the DPF is off.

 

Crew Cab FOR SURE. They are just simply better looking. When I see a super can, I cringe that they ruined a what could be gorgeous truck.

As a DD, 13 miles shouldn't kill it, but a DPF delete would definitely be a major plus.

 

I'm self employed - my truck is a daily driver - some days I only drive less than 6 miles other days 65 - go ahead - buy one -but make it a super cab - if you need more room buy a school bus (the crew cab likes like on anyway) - if you have anxiety over whether or not to buy one because you don't drive it enough- then go buy a Toyota hybrid. Quit worrying about low mileage trips - tune and delete - then drive it wherever you desire. I also pull a 34 ft 5er when I can get away. I just made a 421 mile run with a job1 with 80,000 miles on it - after tune & delete and I got just over 20 mpg (calculated) wasn't puling the 5er - LOM showed 23.0. These truck aren't cheap or cheap to operate, they are a want - not a need. Take a look at mine in the photo don't get jealous - just go get one.