OK, all you truck wonks...

[MargaretB]

... answer me this.

Why are diesel engines only available in F250s, 2500, etc.? Why can't they be put into the smaller F150s and 1500s? (I know about the payload deficiencies of the 1500, so that's not an issue in this question.)

This is a real question. I know diddly about engines or motors or trucks or anything about what happens under the hood when I turn the key, except what I hear on Car Talk. But we were frustrated because we couldn't get a diesel in the smaller versions of the trucks we looked at, and we didn't want or need the larger ones.

[Slownsy]

What I said Robert, and why in USA som pickups ar rated for les than 10000lbs so they don't have to pay as mutch registration and insurance.
Frank

[RobertRyan]

Slownsy wrote:
I was talking about Australia, anything over 10000lbs and you must have light truck licens. My F250 with 10000lbs GVWR Light truck licens is a must.I come from Australia but currently live in FL.
Frank.

Basic Truck Licence. That is why MH builders , quote 9,900lbs to get a car licence. Then a whole range of licenses after that right up. To the 200 tonne monsters

[Slownsy]

I was talking about Australia, anything over 10000lbs and you must have light truck licens. My F250 with 10000lbs GVWR Light truck licens is a must.I come from Australia but currently live in FL.
Frank.

[Bedlam]

RobertRyan wrote:

Fordlover wrote:
believe he was speaking historically. Up till the early 90's, diesels were very unpopular in "less than dumptruck" size vehicles in the states. Because of the reasons listed, slow, stinky, pricy, loud, etc.

In Australia the same. Could not imagine driving a Perkins powered Pickup, slower than a snail, the engine would last a 1000yrs though

Don't be making fun of my 59 hp Perkins S2 that got me into camping. This was up at Squaw Valley in the 80's:

[Bedlam]

DaveF-250SD wrote:
4x4ord,

Iagree that the helper leaf should be standard on all 3/4 ton trucks. Both of my trucks are 3/4 ton, and both have a payload greater than 2,700 lbs. I am planning on installing the factory overload leaf on my Ford. I do not believe the 3/4 ton truck should be eliminated,( I have two, and that would leave me truckless ) but do think the diesel option should only be offered on the one ton trucks. The engines are much heavier than the large displacement gas engines, and that directly reduces payload by 5-600 lbs. in most trucks.

What's funny is that you can order the camper package on the F250 and get the upper overload spring, stabilizer bar and heavier front springs, yet your GVWR remains the same. FWIW: My 2005 F250 4wd had a GVWR of 9800 lbs and weighed 7250 lbs with the 6.0 PSD and 5R110 transmission. I had no issue running my "stealth F350" with F250 badges and door tags - You just have to know how to option them.

[RobertRyan]

Fordlover wrote:
believe he was speaking historically. Up till the early 90's, diesels were very unpopular in "less than dumptruck" size vehicles in the states. Because of the reasons listed, slow, stinky, pricy, loud, etc.

In Australia the same. Could not imagine driving a Perkins powered Pickup, slower than a snail, the engine would last a 1000yrs though

Tramanz9 wrote:
The Ram 5500 is good for a 19,500# GVWR which puts the payload at around 11,450# with a GCVWR of 37,500# and drives just as good as any pick-up on the road

I was referring to a 3litre diesel There are plenty of chassis, than can steer and drive better than a Pickup based in your case ,Bus and carry more
The IVECO is the basis for a cab chassis variant of the van and also an Off Road version with a 4,000 to 5,000lb payload and tow 8000lb Off Road performance like a Unimog


This is a Class C based a light Isuzu Truck Chassis. GCVWR is 27,000lb. Towing 7,700lb

[ib516]

I wouldn't want chuck wagon technology suspension on my truck.... :B

[DaveF-250SD]

4x4ord,

Iagree that the helper leaf should be standard on all 3/4 ton trucks. Both of my trucks are 3/4 ton, and both have a payload greater than 2,700 lbs. I am planning on installing the factory overload leaf on my Ford. I do not believe the 3/4 ton truck should be eliminated,( I have two, and that would leave me truckless ) but do think the diesel option should only be offered on the one ton trucks. The engines are much heavier than the large displacement gas engines, and that directly reduces payload by 5-600 lbs. in most trucks.

[Targa]

Federal Motor Carrier laws only apply to interstate vehicles in commerce, states adopt those federal regulations for intrastate commerce and can have their own state requirements for licensing for recreational use. For example, here in Colorado you can drive a Class 8 big rig around all day long with a 53' Semi Trailer attached on a regular license as long as you are not being compensated for it in anyway, the minute money changes hands or compensation of any kind is recieved you need to have a Class A cdl for the combination I just mentioned. So unless your state has their own licensing requirements for recreational/personal use vehicles, you can drive as heavy of a truck as you want.

[Community Alumni]

Slownsy wrote:
Yes Robert and that requires a truck licens not the same ballgame, bye a Freight Liner Volvo or Mack and have more payload.
Frank.

That's not necessarily true. At just 15k GVWR or 23k GCWR, you can still drive it with a regular Class C license down here. You have to get to 26,001 on the vehicle or combination before the requirements change.

[4x4ord]

Lynnmor wrote:

4x4ord wrote:
What is the advantage of building a capable truck and then reducing its carrying capacity by robbing the overload springs off the rear axle? I can see a person say I don't want a long box dually because it won't fit in my garage or I need better traction in the snow or i don't like the looks or what ever else they might say but why would anyone say I would rather have a 3/4 ton than a 1 ton SRW when the two trucks are virtually identical, only one has had the sticker on the door changed so it can not haul nearly as much as the other.

Keep in mind that many states will whack you much harder each year for taxes or tags. You can beef up an F250 to carry as much as the F350 and the state doesn't need to know.

Actually Ford has 3 different 1 ton srw trucks. 1 has the overload spring and a gvwr of 11500 lbs; one they change only the gvwr sticker to read 10,000 lbs (it is a no charge option they call their 10,000 lb gvwr package); and one they remove the sticker and the overload springs and call it an F250.

[Lynnmor]

4x4ord wrote:
What is the advantage of building a capable truck and then reducing its carrying capacity by robbing the overload springs off the rear axle? I can see a person say I don't want a long box dually because it won't fit in my garage or I need better traction in the snow or i don't like the looks or what ever else they might say but why would anyone say I would rather have a 3/4 ton than a 1 ton SRW when the two trucks are virtually identical, only one has had the sticker on the door changed so it can not haul nearly as much as the other.

Keep in mind that many states will whack you much harder each year for taxes or tags. You can beef up an F250 to carry as much as the F350 and the state doesn't need to know.

[transamz9]

RobertRyan wrote:

MM49 wrote:
The foreign market vehicles are nothing more than pumped up versions of vehicles from other successful markets. I admit that the US vehicles aren’t specified for nine passengers in the bed with a 50 cal machine gun and 10,000 rounds of ammo. There isn’t much of market for these vehicles

The new version of the Daily 70c will ride quieter and handle better than the Sprinter and have considerably more towing and payload capacity. This is the Jayco MH built on it, 15,000lb GVWR, 23,000lb GCVWR

The Ram 5500 is good for a 19,500# GVWR which puts the payload at around 11,450# with a GCVWR of 37,500# and drives just as good as any pick-up on the road.

[Slownsy]

Yes Robert and that requires a truck licens not the same ballgame, bye a Freight Liner Volvo or Mack and have more payload.
Frank.

[Fordlover]

RobertRyan wrote:

romore wrote:
The sales numbers for diesel cars and light duty trucks are too low in North America. For years gas was cheap and readily available, we wanted the lower cost and high performance the engines offered. Diesel was seen as expensive, dirty, noisy, and slow.
It has always been popular in other countries because gasoline was very expensive and in many cases the quality was sketchy at best. They also didn't have the big heavy vehicles we were accustomed to.

No you have a little bit the wrong way around. Diesel fuel generally is more expensive, than Gas(Petrol) , but has better mileage and torque characteristics
Actually they have a lot of of even heavier vehicles,but cars are the same size or smaller. The mix of vehicles is very different and RV's are smaller

I believe he was speaking historically. Up till the early 90's, diesels were very unpopular in "less than dumptruck" size vehicles in the states. Because of the reasons listed, slow, stinky, pricy, loud, etc. Did I mention slow? The pre-turbo diesels were so slow you could get outrun by a pedestrian in house slippers. There were diesels offered in the states during the 80's, everything from Mercedes Benz to Rangers, but they were extremely unpopular, so they were discontinued. Gasoline was so cheap that nobody was willing deal with the tradeoffs of the diesel.