50mpg truck

[Sven7]

Originally Posted by TheEnemy

Me.

<---- The picture to the left needed more ground clearance than an Outback has, well maybe not, I have gone down roads that left a significant impression on the undercariage. If you look closely at the tailgate you will notice its missing quite a bit of paint. The rest of the bed is pretty beat up too.

Edit to add: I guess if you consider the fact that I like to go offroading (two tracking) hiking and camping away from other people and that being one of the primary reasons I got the truck and the Jeep then yeah it still falls under a lifestyle choice.

Can't see your photo. I understand the whole outdoorsy thing because I go camping, hiking, biking too, but most people who drive trucks (around here) rarely use them off the pavement. I can't think of a single campsite I've been to that I couldn't drive to in my lowered VW.

It doesn't seem to matter anyway, because the OP's listed location, Azle, TX, seems from Google Street View to be flat as a cracker. No mountain trails for him.

[TheEnemy]

This should help with the photos




Here the forest service is trying to get people to only camp in the maintained campgrounds which you can drive any typical sedan or full sized expando sided RV too without any serious problems, and are trying to discourage camping in other places. The undeveloped campgrouds vary as far as what is needed to get to them.

[bazman]

Running under powered vehicles on the road is one of the most annoying things other motorists have to put up with when they get stuck behind them.

A diesel makes far more sense because you could lug a tall gear at very low rpms to cruise at 65mph and achieve far better BFSC at that load than a small asthmatic gas engine spinning its heart out trying to achieve 65mph into a head wind. Unlike diesels , gas engines do not get great mpg when they have to run under load all the time. Diesels love wide open throttle, but if you look at mpg for 4 cylinder SUV's you will find their mpg is worse than most gas V8's - simply because those little engines are always working hard.

My 2 cents

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by bazman

Running under powered vehicles on the road is one of the most annoying things other motorists have to put up with when they get stuck behind them.

Gas engines do not get great mpg when they have to run under load all the time. Diesels love wide open throttle, but if you look at mpg for 4 cylinder SUV's you will find their mpg is worse than most gas V8's - simply because those little engines are always working hard.

My 2 cents

?? My 25hp subaru 360 run to the floor gets 50mpg at roughly 70mph!

But then again it is designed to be run to the floor and is tuned for that, anything under 80% throttle and efficiency falls pretty quickly.

[serialk11r]

Originally Posted by bazman

A diesel makes far more sense because you could lug a tall gear at very low rpms to cruise at 65mph and achieve far better BFSC at that load than a small asthmatic gas engine spinning its heart out trying to achieve 65mph into a head wind. Unlike diesels , gas engines do not get great mpg when they have to run under load all the time. Diesels love wide open throttle, but if you look at mpg for 4 cylinder SUV's you will find their mpg is worse than most gas V8's - simply because those little engines are always working hard.

My 2 cents

Naw, gas engines have better BSFC under load, unless you're talking about a turbo engine or supercharged engine running under boost.

[TheEnemy]

A 50mpg truck with current parts might be possible with current parts.

Take something like a 1970's or 1980's toyota or datsun/Nissan pickup. Nice small frontal area and there was even a 1 ton version of the Toyota. then put a modern diesel (like the Cummings 4bt or similar) which would actually improve performance over the old engine. A good matched overdrive transmission.

Then an aeroshell, belly pan as much as practical etc and it should at least come close.

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by TheEnemy

A 50mpg truck with current parts might be possible with current parts.

Take something like a 1970's or 1980's toyota or datsun/Nissan pickup. Nice small frontal area and there was even a 1 ton version of the Toyota. then put a modern diesel (like the Cummings 4bt or similar) which would actually improve performance over the old engine. A good matched overdrive transmission.

Then an aeroshell, belly pan as much as practical etc and it should at least come close.

The 1970 Subaru 360 sambar pickup tuck was a 50mpg truck with antique technology so long as speed was kept relatively low (45-50mph). I would estimate a 4' wide 1050lb truck could do well with a more modern drivetrain.

[TheEnemy]

Originally Posted by rmay635703

The 1970 Subaru 360 sambar pickup tuck was a 50mpg truck with antique technology so long as speed was kept relatively low (45-50mph). I would estimate a 4' wide 1050lb truck could do well with a more modern drivetrain.

Looks like that truck has some interesting utility features.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by Sven7

I can't think of a single campsite I've been to that I couldn't drive to in my lowered VW.

Well, that's in Minnesota, no? (And how about mud season?)

Here's a shot of a road I drive quite often - Ash Canyon Road west of Carson City. It climbs about 2000 ft in a couple of miles, and has 18-inch waterbars every few hundred feet. The shot is from one of the better parts, cresting a ridge where it levels off and has a wide place where you can park. ("Second landing", for those who know it.) I've seen a jeep get high-centered on this road before.

And sometimes you need to haul your friends around, too :-)

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

Well, that's in Minnesota, no? (And how about mud season?)

Here's a shot of a road I drive quite often - Ash Canyon Road west of Carson City. It climbs about 2000 ft in a couple of miles, and has 18-inch waterbars every few hundred feet.

And sometimes you need to haul your friends around, too :-)

The sambar also came in 4wd, add a lift kit and wide 10" tires from fleet farm and voila.