Wondering if the rising gas prices are effecting anyone’s choice on work vehicles? It has got me thinking more on my two trucks.
I have been working out of a ’89 Toyota Van. Gets decent gas mileage ( 17.5 mpg on longer drives, 14.5 mpg for shorter distance), but it is a little small for all the stuff I hual around. Been thinking about getting a full size van ( 3/4 – 1 ton), but am getting more hesitant about it due to the loss in gas mileage. Not sure what to do.
My other truck is a ’78 GMC 1 ton crew cab, 4×4. Ugly and beat as can be. This only got used for hauling and really heavy stuff ( and cruisin’ with the dogs). Thing is so ugly body wise that I’m almost embarrassed to show up at a clients job with it. I had finally decided too spend the money and get the body all fixed up and whatever mechanical that needed done. But it only gets 9 mpg at the best. Now with the price of gas, not sure if its worth it ( cost me $10 just to drive to and from the lumber yard).
Just wondering what other people have done or are thinking about.
Replies
It hasn't affected my choice, since I can't really afford to choose. However, it has made me glad to be the proud owner of an '03 Astro. A full tank generally lasts me at least a week or longer.
Would it be worth while to have your toyota extended? It would cost less than replacing it, and the small amount of added weight wouldn't affect your milege too much. Except, of course, when you have all that extra space loaded down with more stuff.
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Didnt know you could extend the vans. How is that done? Dont think I would do that any ways. Poor van is way over loaded as it is.
Live by the sword, die by the sword....choose your sword wisely.
Body shops do it all the time. I don't know the process, not a car guy other than a few essentials. I think there are kits available for most vehicles, but it's not practical to do it outside a proper working environment, and I'm sure it's not a DIY project. I think the kit includes panels for the sides, floor and top, maybe some extensions for the frame. At the body shop they cut all the way around about 10" from the back, splice in the kit pieces, then put the back back on. All with welding, of course. I think the cost would be about $1800 to $2500 with paint, but that could be way off, just guessing.--------------------------------------------------------
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I can snag the wife's Saturn Wagon ( 38 mpg Hiway) for days I need fewer tools than the one ton van full. She has no FT job so it helps me save a little, but either way they both have really high miles and sooner than I'd like, one of them is gonna go TU.
I dunno what I'll do at that time about replacing. I still have the Safari AWD, but it gets the same MPG as the one ton, but holds less.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
New book alert; Eckhart Tolle "A new earth"
A must read.
You still have the Safari? What kind of mileage are you getting with it? What do you get with your 1 ton van? You where supposed to drop that off at my place on your way home from picking it up ( my darn mental telepathy/ persuasion works for ####!!).
Live by the sword, die by the sword....choose your sword wisely.
With tools ( full) the Safari gets around 14-15 tops, the AWD does wonders for poor MPG.
The 3500 GMC full -er than the Safari, w/ a 350, gets 13 tops.
Pros and cons are the Safari was a conversion type van..plush, AC that works, good tunes, nice seats and carpet, quiet ride. NEVER gets stuck.
The 3500 is a tank, crank windows, less glass but power out the wazoo. AC dead, heater barely warms up, doors all sag and whistle ( hinge pins worn out), gets stuck if a dog pees on the tire in the grass.
I could let the wife have the safari ( again) and take her car, but I dropped the INS and Tags on it when I put it up for sale, and it will need some $$$ really, soon if I want it to go back into daily drive availabilty..like fuel rails at 600.00$
I love the 3500 tho' people get out of my way..'fraid the rust is conatageious I think..LOLSpheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
New book alert; Eckhart Tolle "A new earth"
A must read.
it's got me to thinking alright. i drive a 1 ton dodge van short wb,loaded to the gills with tools/and junk. makes about 12. if i could snag a small wagon for cheap money i might switch to it every day with the van to pull trailers etc.
it's really hard to justify another vehicle when you figure the purchase,ins,taxes and upkeep.that will all buy alot of gas. now if the van pukes i think i'm going to look at a pt cruiser or one of these hrr chevys. neither would haul all that i do now,but i would just have to get organized better.
used to be lots of talk here about the sprinter vans,fuel at 4.75 has slowed that talk way down.
i'd find it hard to throw much money into a truck making 9.i think this 4. a gal is here to stay and if you fix it up your stuck for the long haul. larry
if a man speaks in the forest,and there's not a woman to hear him,is he still wrong?
Whenever I'm in Europe I see the construction guys all driving these little pick up truck type vehicles. The bed is about twice the size of a standard wheelbarrow.
I guess when gas is about $7/gallon you find ways to still get the job done.
Runnerguy
they sell them things around here. they have a 1500cc three clyinder motor, get 35 mpg, top speed is 45
I've owned a 2WD four cyclinder Toyota pickup with an aluminum cap/shell for many years. It gets over 25mpg when driven at legal highway speeds.
I also have an eight foot long, folding utility trailer. It's resting folded up, on it's casters in the garage. It's out of the way against the wall, in front of the truck.
Costs me nothing to insure the trailer, nearly nothing for registration. Maintenance is limited to adding air to the tires, from time to time. It's stays inside so there's no corrosion problems.
The trailer rides low so it's easy to load things on it. I've carried a large motorcycle on vacation for example. The trailer's plywood floor makes it simple to screw down some blocking to hold specific things in place, using bungees and rope hooked/tied to the frame.
The trailer and truck will carry over a ton, combined weight, and accomodate anything that I've ever conceived of carrying.
The trailer is particularly handy when I need to move something big and heavy, like a refrigerator. The low bed is an easy step up for two people.
I used to work with a Honda Civic Hatchback and a trailer. It was more fun to drive than the pickup and held a lot of tools with the back seat down. When I needed to carry more, the trailer was hooked up, ready to go in less than five minutes.
The only problem with that set-up was that it didn't look professional to some clients. Considering the current price of gas, I wouldn't think twice about going back to that type of vehicle/trailer combination. I suspect that most people are beginning to admire ingenuity in regard to fuel economy.
Edited 5/29/2008 8:08 pm by Hudson Valley Carpenter
the F350 diesel has been parked for the better part of the last 2 years... i use it to haul the bobcat or the big big trailers if needed... but it sits for months at times...
everyday... i have a 1998 subaru forester... it was my beater bought it cheap and figured for haul'n the dogs to the lake and launch'n the jetskis and fishing boat it'd be handy...
but use'n it everyday it had a roof rack... that if needed i can haul a few 12ft 2x's or a door or lots of trim ect... the rear seats fold down an there is a ton of room... sunday i took a 3ton condensing unit to the lakehouse in it... no prob... had it and all the tools required for the install... i keep a tool bag and a tool box in it... my wife jumps in it leave'n her LX470 in the drive for trips to the store... it's fun to drive has great air... and it's $50week vs $150 a week in fuel for my F350 in fuel savings alone it has paid for itself 5x over
i do have a 1987 toyota LWB with a ladder rack at a friends house i use to pull behind the RV that i have thought of switch'n to but i really like this subaru...
p
Pt, what kind of mileage do you get in the Subaru. We rented one on our honeymoon in the rockies in '85 and thought it was a great car.
My wife is a GM kid but I seriously wouldn't mind a used one.
MikeInsert initially amusing but ultimately annoying catch phrase here.
being full time AWD it's not great... city i'm getting 22-24 and that very loaded... highway if i keep it at 60 i can get maybe 26-27... not great but alot better than the 10 or less the F350 gets...
weird my RV with a 5.9 cummins and world auto trans gets 11 going 80mph... never understood that...
i see those "smart cars" around here and see the news about $2500 cars... but i think it's smarter to be in a 10yo toyota for the same money that you can go anywhere in for less.... jmho
i really like the subaru... i don't know if i'd pay what it'd cost to get a new one... or even pay fair market value... but i paid less than 2k for this one 2 yrs ago... doesn't take alot to make me happy... a good cheap car that will go anywhere... need those traits in alot of things
p
I have a set of weatherguard commercial racks on a Plymouth voyager that we downsized to from a step van before closing up shop 19 months ago. you can haul an incredible amount of lumber on them. Still got 21 mpg in mixed driving. With planning I rarely didn't have what I needed.
Mike
Well I got you beat on the racks......... got three on my toyota van. They really do work great, like you said. My setup with the van actually is pretty good. Would just like a little more room. Its packed to the gills every day, then I go and load a bunch of lumber on the racks and the poor thing is just way overloaded.
Part of the problem is me. I should just quite trying to have everything with me all the time. I could probably have a 16' box truck and that would be jamb packed.Live by the sword, die by the sword....choose your sword wisely.
Live by the vehicle, drive by the vehicle....choose your vehicle wisely.
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