I know the area well!! I used to work in Turlock as the manager at Grasmere Dairy Service. They were a Beco/Houle dealer then. I don't even know if they are still in business.

I am the local Beco dealer here in East Texas.

We are also ready for this industry to turn around as the last couple of years have been horrible. I lost enough money last year due to dairies filing bankruptcy to have paid for 2 new trucks!!

Perry

 

Perry- Are you originally from this area, or kinda "passed thru"? Anyway, always good to hear from another dairy guy! Ain't this a great forum? SOOOO much to learn around here...
Hey, catch ya later!

 

Hey Mike-
I know the Majority of talk here is in refrence to ''towing'' with the new 5.0L But I would like your thoughts on the F-150 5.0L as a commute truck? I myself am planning on buying a 5.0L FX4 extended cab this summer. I have infact gotten to drive a 2011 F-150 5.0L but the test drive was much shorter than I would like it to have been.

As you currently have a 5.0L in your garage I was just wondering what are your thoughts on this engine just for just driving to work or going out with friends or whatever, never really towing anything worth mention though.

I know I really don't need the 5.0L as I will never ever use it to its fullest of capability. The 3.7L is the ''commuter'' engine, but honestly I just have my heart set on the 5.0L I love a good V8 engine. And from what I have heard ''and experienced to a ever so slight degree'' the 5.0L is a true powerhouse and is actually rather efficent when driven lightly. I have heard claims of over 20mpg mixed driving with the 5.0L. I assume the particular truck I want to order ''FX4 Extended Cab'' will be probably be a little bit lower than that, But not much.

But yeah, If you could fill me in this trucks unloaded attributes, such as driving around town and on the highway. Also what kind of mileage are you getting?

Either way I look forward to that new F-150 sitting in my driveway soon!

Thanks for the input - Nathan.

 

Hi Nathan
I think the 5.0L makes a fantastic commuter. In fact i use my 5.0 as a daily driver running my kids to school and to their activities. When i baby and drive normal i can knock down 21-22 mpg on the hwy and drafting behind a semi on I95 i can get 23.5 at 70 mph.. . In town stop light to stop light i am seeing 15-17 mpg.. Not bad in my opinion. Hope this helps some.
Mike

 

Just my 2c here.

For commuting, my preference is to use the cheapest, lightest vehicle I can get my hands on. Having commuted with my prized car for over 10 years (a 5.0L Mustang GT with a lot of customizations), I found that I was really wearing it out. It really takes away from from what I want to do with it; open track "racing". With gas prices creeping toward $4/gallon again, I would look for something like a Focus or even Fiesta as a commuter, if I were to get a new commuter car.

Taking it a little further, I've been commuting by bicycle for the last 10 years, to save the wear and tear on my Mustang. Even so, I stopped riding the race bike because, again, I was wearing it out, so I've been riding a clunker.

Every once in a while I head for Willow Springs with the Mustang, and drive my @ss off, just for yucks. It makes the experience feel that much more special.

I really like the new 5.0L engine; it's a real gem. I'm not crazy about the new Mustang that it comes in though; it weighs 600 pounds more than my old one, so it really needs all that additional power that the new engine produces.

 

just gotta say this.. hmm... 600 pounds more... but 200 HP more... hmm.... not a tough decision.... and better braking ability, and steering, and more confortable, and more technology... i think i'll go with the 2011 and not the Foxbody....

 

I understand were your comming from. The last time gas hit 4$ a gallon I was driving a 1990 Ford F-150 (Ironically with the 5.0). And in that truck I was lucky to get 11 or 12mpg around town. Those 130$ fillups did hurt. But in all honesty my required commute to work and back is very very short and mostly on the interstate so seeing close to 20mpg with the new 5.0L shouldn't be to hard to achive. While fuel milage is a concern for me...Its not really the first thing I consider. Hell my current truck a (2003 Ford Ranger) is only avaragaing around 16-18mpg around town. That's right there with the 5.0L F-150. And seeing as the 5.0L F-150 will have a much larger tank the my current Ranger I should be able to squeeze a much greater distance between fillups. And if gas skyrockets to 5.00 or 10.00$ a gallon I can still manage to hold on to this truck with my 3.2 mile commute to work and back. With a 35gallon tank and 17-20mpg avarage I could make a tank of gas last a really long time.

 

Hey Mike.
Thanks! I'm glad to hear this. As of now its just a matter of saving up another grand or so for a down payment and I'll be good to go! Thanks again!

 

Nah, put a 93 octane tune and CAI on it and it would give a Lightning a good run, put a small s/c at 9 pounds on it and it will be running with full bolt-on, full exhaust, ported blower 16-lb Lightnings IMO.

The new 5.0L 4V is just a different animal...a nasty one.

 

But in such a GOOD way.....

 

Somehow I missed this thread..interesting.
JL

 

It's in this thread. My computer shows this page to be #10, and what you seek is on #7. Catch ya later!

 

I am imagining that additional 200 hp in my car that weighs 600 pounds less...

 

times change, the cars are safer now, more equipment causes more weight, while not much but some...

 

They were not light at least by car standards, we rolled my daughters and son inlaws across the cat scales, weighed 4400 pounds.