How many owners use their truck as a daily driver with very infrequent towing? I'm in the market for a diesel truck and would use it as a daily driver and occasionally to tow my car. I plan on keeping the truck for at least 10 years or even longer considering I only put about 12-14k miles on my current daily driver per year.

Thanks.

 

Go for it. But you will have more cost per mile. Because of oil changes at 14 qts. for example. Plus many other costs in maintance area. BUT you will smile when you pass everything on the road while towing.

One other thing... It is a truck and will ride like a truck.

 

That's me... same avg mileage per year.

4 kids and we go on vacation 2x/yr and just for that I love it.

What other 8000lb vehicle can you get 15-18 mpg and great looks too!


Plan on keeping it as long as I can.

2005 EXcursion btw

 

I also use mine as a daily driver, 50 miles round trip to work and back 19 mpg ave. i don't tow yet, that is in the future.
i average 25,000-26,000/year. Right now I am remodeling my mother-in-laws house, a trip 2 weekends a month, hauling drywall, paint doors, etc. about 75 miles one way. i love it we hit the altmont with the tools and stuff in the back and never slow down. only take it out of 6th when we get off the freeway.

smokeploe
2006 xl 4x4 6 sp mt

 

Cool. Keep the comments coming.

 

Got my 05 a year ago and I only put about 9k a year on thanks to a company truck. Truck had 49k on it when I got it and the only issue I have had was turbo fart last summer. I listened to the advice on here and drove it hard and no more problems. I don't think you will regret it AT ALL. Good luck.

 

I've driven trucks my entire life, all as daily drivers. My F350 PSD 6.0 is by far the best one of the bunch. I drive an average of 305 miles a week in this truck. That's less than a tank of fuel each week. My driving is a 50/50 mix of city/highway. At 14.9 MPG calculated after 5 tanks full of fuel, I'm liking the idea of driving this truck for MANY years to come. It looks great; passes almost everything (mustangs don't count) I want it to--including the fuel station; has MASSIVE ROOM for my MASSIVE TEEN AGE BOYS, and just plain old makes me feel safe, and happy to be driving. My wife still thinks it's a bit beastly, but that's OK by me! I'm a beastly kinda' guy. The total cost of ownership is a touch higher for me than when I had my F150 rocket-ship, but that truck was too scary! It liked to break important stuff without ANY notice. It wanted me dead, financially and physically.
Anyway, to you, I say DRIVE IT! SMILE! You know you want too! Just Drive!
I almost forgot to add this part. The truck tows like a tractor. My 20' Carson Fun Runner loaded down with bikes, water, ya da, ya da... It ain't nuthin' behind this truck, and I tow it through SoCal mountain passes on the way to the desert and will do so 4 or 5 times a season. The alternative vacation trips include a trip to the Grand Canyon the first week of April. I hope, no, EXPECT to see better fuel economy on the longer haul.

 

ozx3+1, I hope you didn't ya da ya da past the best part? Or did you mention the 20' Carson Fun Runner? Just a reference to Seinfeld, hope everyone remembers the episode. BTW, NO FUN FOR YOU!!

 

2006 Lariat F250 crew cab, 10 k miles - daily driver and will tow 6-7000lb toyhauler to the motorcycle races about 13-15 weekends this year. Got it at the end of last season and towed about 6 times with it.

It gets 16.5+mpg in the daily mode (part highway/part town). My past tow vehicle (and only used for tow vehicle) was a 454 Suburban which got 10 mpg (on premium fuel) normally and 6 with the trailer (central PA and the Pocono mtns). It towed well but the F250 just makes it effortless and gets 11 mpg w/ the trailer.

Sold my daily driver (Supercharged Toyota 4-runner) and the 'burb to buy the f250. The truck is bigger to drive everyday but so far it's been a great decision.

 

Daily driver for me. Keep in mind that they don't like extended low rpm idling or prolonged time not being driven. I switched to synthetic to help with all of the cold starting. I bought a diesel to tow a boat and carry a truck camper. The gasoline engines can barely do it, and the diesel didn't even gear down driving over the Cascades, and Montana passes to Missoula from Seattle.

If you go gas, you really need to go to a high number rear end which absolutely sucks down the gas all of the time. Otherwise, you're going to be downshifting a lot!

 

Mine is a daily driver - 30-35 miles round trip to work every day. Have towed with it twice in the year I have had it and like others have said, don't even know the trailer is there. I had a F250 gasser before this and it was driving me bankrupt in just the gas mileage. Love this PSD and plan on it for many years, as yourself. A couple things to keep in mind, change oil often (5K miles) even though Ford says to go 7500. The little extra in oil will pay for itself in long reliable life. The other thing that has been brought up on FTE many times, these trucks like to be run and run hard. I am pretty easy on it and driving empty you don't need to push it, it just moves. But everyonce in a while you need to get on it good, drive it like you stole it. I try to do this one a week or so. I have not had any issues, but others have reported Turbo problems if it is not run up into it high boost once in a while. Good luck, hope you are as happy with yours as I am. It's fun to blow the doors off of a small sports car with a 7000+ truck... Not that I would do such a thing,, me oh no not me..

 

Daily Driver as well.

70 miles round trip and I love it, especially the mileage. Beats the snot out of my co workers 4runners... They complain about 15 and I get about 18+

It also is great for weekend work such as picking up landscaping mulch for the wife, helping the neighbor get a washer or dryer, etc...

Fish

 

I work from the house and drive mine just about everyday anywhere from 20 miles to 90 miles (one way) for a total of about 30K a year. Since my commute is mostly highway, I average about 17.5 mpg. I do tow a small travel trailer (5k #'s) around in the summer for a total of about 3k miles.

I use to have a gasser pick-up and had the wife drive that (and I drove the car) however after a couple of years (and a couple of new front fenders) I realized that she was not comfortable driving a truck. Plus that fact that it is a pain to park a full size truck in most store parking lots so we decided for her to go back to the car and I would drive the truck. The problem then ended up being the poor mileage my gasser got so I upgraded to the diesel.....needless to say, diesel is the way to go!

Anyway, probably more info than you wanted however, that is how I ended up driving the truck daily.

 

Daily driver here as well. I will never forget the first time my old boss asked me "What the hell are you gonna do with a duallie?".

My response: Drive it!

Drives about 100 - 150 miles a week. Traded in my gas Excursion for it. Got a bigger and MUCH better riding truck, and gained mpg and power. Like winning a mini lotto for me! It will tow my Pontiac a few times a year and a boat about 20 times a year. The wife hates it. I don't care! LOL

 

i have a 2006 with 41,000 miles on it, it is very much a daily driver............every 3 months i hook a 10,000lb trailer to it, sometimes i forget its back there, in the past i have owned two 7.3's and a dodge diesel, this is by far the toughest most powerful truck i have ever owned, i plan on keeping it as long as i am here to drive it, also its straiged piped and is a head turner.