Actually, none of the bigger trucks get good mileage, except for Amigoaz's truck. Smart man! Most people use them for work or park them until they travel or do other short trips. They are generally not for run-around unless it's smaller than a 1 ton. Trade-offs...
So why did we get it?
1. Road trips and camping are our thing. We've done some significant air traveling and may do more, but since we live in CA... We can spend the rest of our lives just exploring places we still haven't seen in our state and we get out a lot.
2. The cost of fuel, while high, would be offset from the cost of flying, renting a car, and staying at hotels. We did that for instance traveling from Boston to Main a couple of times.
3. The sheer power of a diesel. It doesn't feel like you're pulling anything. The dually prevents a lot of sway which is a big concern. We've even talked about doing some trips with a truck camper and pulling our small car behind it. Just a lot of travel options with this setup.
I will get rid of it in ten years if I'm still around. Don't want to be one of those couples that drive off a cliff.
We have semi-retired friends who haul a trailer and camp just a few minutes away or an hour or several hours away. They will do that during the week in off-season when they don't have to worry about people or the weather. They go places where you cant set up a tent, nor want to, like in a harbor.
We're not into a glamp trailer of sorts. We want to be outside. Our retired neighbors across the street are even worse than us. They just bought a brand new F350, ordered a custom bed, off road wheels and tires, and put an expensive pop-up camper on it. The camper is not self-contained. No shower or bathroom. That's just their style. They off-road camp with a bed and a camp kitchen that cost about $140k. Sounds crazy, but they have been doing the same thing all their lives using just a camper shell on their older pickup. They want to keep it up but make it easier as they get older. Like me, he will only keep it till he's 80.
We love to camp (and me fish), and have road tripped across the country staying in a tent in KOAs. So this is our style. As we retire we don't want to change that style or sit around home. We also want safety and easier traveling. Who knows, I might hook up a trailer and move to AR! 
When everything is paid for but fuel, options are endless and I'm all about options. |
