Hello!

[UltArc]

I have not drilled any holes in my Mustang or Insight. Mostly cable ties and polycarbonate. Great foam is also pretty great.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by EcoSuperDuty??

Guys I don't think you are really getting the picture, I am buying a house I don't have extra money to buy another vehicle or the time to wade through all the cheapies finding the ones that have been taken care of instead of the lemons lol

And you possibly didn't get the idea about a smaller car and a trailer: if you don't use your truck at its full capabilities, you could eventually get rid of it, and eventually use the cost difference between the Corolla and the F-250 for improvements at the house.

But since you would still rather keep the truck, a tonneau is a good start to improve the fuel-savings, and an electric radiator fan to replace the engine-driven one if you can get a mechanically-inclined friend to help you with it.

[EcoSuperDuty??]

No I am fully capable of understanding the idea behind a car and trailer but right now I have my truck and have asked for advice on helping it, not what to sell it for. If that was the case I would get a cbr250 that gets 80mpg and learn how to vetter style it.

Am thinking of just attaching 3 pieces of plywood hinged together on the bed then if I ever have to haul anything I can just fold it up and lay it in the bed. All the DIY ones I have seen thus far though have 2x4 supports. Am wondering if this can be overcome by using 3 pieces so the weight of the plywood doesn't push down on itself or if using thicker sheets would work?

[elhigh]

Hey,

I totally get not wanting to sell the truck. I could do way better than what my little truck achieves, if I just sold it and got a Corolla and an ultra-lightweight trailer from Northern Supply. But that Ain't. Gonna. Happen.

The truck is a known quantity. I am the only owner it's ever had, and every quirk is like an old friend. Some other hoopy with someone else's quirks is like starting a new job only to discover your new office mate can't stop whistling. There would be bloodshed inside a week.

The heavier plywood should hold up without bowing but you might get better results using lighter wood, and backing the panels with 1x stock, not 2x. If you don't plan on standing on your tonneau, that should be sturdy enough and still light enough for easy removal - which heavier ply might not be.

[EcoSuperDuty??]

Yes, exactly. Thank you

I'm trying to find an option where it doesn't need any backing at all and can just lay it on the edges of the bed. Won't need to stand up to anything but the wind passing over the truck lol

[user removed]

$650 and close to 80 MPG. Insurance is $100 a year. It had 3300 miles when I bought it with some scuffs and scrapes.

How much did you spend on gas in the last 12months?

Lets say 15k miles at 15 MPG or 1000 gallons of gas, around $3500 (just guesses).

regards
Mech

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Have you never considered a soft tonneau? When my grandpa had a truck he only used soft tonneaus, easily removeable when had to haul bulky items.

[EcoSuperDuty??]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

Lets say 15k miles at 15 MPG or 1000 gallons of gas, around $3500 (just guesses)

Getting 20mpg now with a 6 mile in town one way commute. I wish diesel was only 3.50 a gallon, cheapest around here is 4 or can do 30 mile drive for 3.75 a gallon lol

Looking at a DR350SE I spotted last night actually lol Problem is need to keep the truck insured for when I need to use it, wondering if I can have an auto policy open and just put the truck on when I need to use it then take it back off after....

As for the soft tonneau, I have considered that but saw some post about them flapping in the wind and negating any eco gains? Factory ones or DIY?

[elhigh]

Folks,

Banging on the guy to change to a different ride feels unwelcoming. He's not here touting his miracle 85mpg bolt-on doodad, he's looking for advice and suggestions, and has already politely denied changing to a different vehicle. I totally get giving a Unicorn salesman a hard time, but EcoSuperDuty is just another pilgrim on the road.

Besides, the name at the top of the page is EcoMODDER - which is to say, making the best out of what you have, not changing up to something else.

EcoSD: I know you're not willing to make big visual changes to the truck, but I also know there's a lot of room underneath your rig for extra/new plumbing. I see you lamenting the price of fuel in your previous post, how do you feel about adding a WVO system? Then you could fuel up with free or nearly-free oil from local restaurants, and your main fuel cost would be in petrodiesel burned to warm the engine and WVO tank, and time spent collecting the WVO.

[EcoSuperDuty??]

I wouldn't mind adding visually obvious mods like air dam, side skirts wheel covers etc, but to me they need to look like they belong on the truck and I have not got the ability to produce that currently.

Although that would be nice, I envision using my truck as a long distance cruiser one day so need to stick to a fuel that's readily available everywhere at any hour. I appreciate the suggestion though