New Member Advice July 11, 2019, 12:05:16 am Hello, I am searching for a used LD. I joined this helpful forum to hopefully ask a few question and gain some knowledge along the way. I was wondering if there was a certain year to "stay away from"? Also, is the 2006 Diesel any good? Would you prefer gas over Diesel? I heard the gas mileage is only 8-10 MPG. Not sure what the Diesel is. If any one knows of a thread with this information already posted, please pass if my way. Thanks as I start my journey looking. 3 Likes
Re: New Member Advice Reply #1 – July 11, 2019, 05:49:13 pm Hi and welcome to LDO! Noticed no one had answered you yet so thought I would give your post a bump up. Very few LD’s were ever made with diesels so that is really not an option.I’ll let others respond to your other questions.
Re: New Member Advice Reply #2 – July 11, 2019, 06:08:11 pm "...is the 2006 Diesel any good? Would you prefer gas over Diesel? I heard the gas mileage is only 8-10 MPG."----2005 was the last year for a Lazy Daze on the Ford chassis with the 6.0L diesel; far more gassers than diesels were produced, so finding a diesel LD in well-maintained condition will be a challenge!MPG on almost every large, heavy vehicle with a big engine is poor in comparison to smaller, lighter vehicles, so, yes, "8-10 mpg" for the Ford V-10 is in the ballpark. I have no idea what one might expect with the 460, or the V-8 (23.5' only and LD offered that engine only for a few years), or the earlier Chevy chassis/engines, but the V-10 is not a "sipper"! Some may get a little more, some less, depending on the size and weight of the rig, whether towing or not, what types of roads one drives, how well the engine is maintained, and a lot of other variables. I suggest that if routinely getting higher double-digit MPG is a concern, one might want to re-think one's choice of engines and platforms. You might want to check the links of the home page of the message board to help narrow your LD search parameters; see "Changes by Year", "Suggested Asking Prices", etc. 2 Likes
Re: New Member Advice Reply #3 – July 11, 2019, 06:21:54 pm Welcome. Our ‘15 gets about 9.2 mpg on average. Got as high as 11 mpg coming home from Yosemite about two years ago. I stopped concerning myself with mpg and focus on enjoying the trip. Gas mileage isn’t a big problem until you forget to check the fuel gauge. I never travel below 1/2 a tank. Miles go by quickly and often my station of choice isn’t where I want it when I need it. You’d do well to check the LDO search function under “fuel injection”. The information shared there can point to better model year choices.LD floor plans haven’t changed much over the years. Fabric and faucets tend to follow the times. Older LDs can have roof leaks if the owners aren’t proactive about sealing the seams every 7 to 10 years. Be cautious where this is concerned. Again, the search function here can answer most of your concerns in that regard.Where the LDO Forum itself is concerned, be aware that posts and inquiries fade to the back of the list after about ten days. Unless I’m curious to see what friends have been posting about, I may miss a few very interesting threads altogether. Thanks Greg, for Bumping this post. With that in mind, if you don’t get a response soon it’s a good idea to bump it yourself or repost the question (if that’s appropriate).Be aware also that older LDs may have the appliances that came as OEM when manufactured. Check them out carefully. There is a check list here that can help you check out a potential LD. This is a vital tool when purchasing used. Good luck with your hunt. You’re in good company.Kent 2 Likes
Re: New Member Advice Reply #4 – July 11, 2019, 06:44:39 pm "I stopped concerning myself with mph and focus on enjoying the trip."Got a name we can call you Horse? Like Sam or Ed or even Horace. There's an old saying, which may be applied to gas mileage that says: "If you're going to dance, you have to pay the fiddler!"Like the others said, drive on the top half of the tank and keep one eye out for an easy gas stop. If you follow the same route very often you'll soon learn where they are.If you join the Lazy Daze club you are in for a wild ride! 2 Likes
Re: New Member Advice Reply #5 – July 11, 2019, 07:50:28 pm I personally would not buy a new diesel engine vehicle.The emissions restrictions have made them not a very good option anymore.2007 was about the last year a diesel without all the crap was available.Hopefully, Fords new V-8 gas engine ill be a good choice for trucks and RV's going forward.Both the previous gas engines, the V-10 and the older 460 V-8 were around a long time.
Re: New Member Advice Reply #6 – July 11, 2019, 07:52:30 pm Quote from: tnwalkinghorse - July 11, 2019, 12:05:16 amWould you prefer gas over Diesel? I heard the gas mileage is only 8-10 MPG. Not sure what the Diesel is.Use the search function. Seems mileage improvement maybe 1 mpg. Balance that against extra cost, maintenance, loss of carrying capacity, etc.Steve
Re: New Member Advice Reply #7 – July 11, 2019, 09:20:31 pm It was understanding that the Diesel engine was heavier than the gasoline engine by quite a bit. I also understood that getting the Diesel engine serviced in middle America would be more difficult than the gasoline counterpart. Kent
Re: New Member Advice Reply #8 – July 11, 2019, 10:11:23 pm The diesel weights more, get only a couple more MPG and uses a propane fueled generator. The generator only has a few hours of run time before the onboard propane supply is exhausted.The issue with the diesel is its lack of an intercooler, which reduces its output, it is not the same engine installed in the pickups.Avoid the diesel.LDs built between 2009 and 2011 should be closely inspected, LD cut their staff during the recession and it took a couple years to retrain the remaining crew. Larry
Re: New Member Advice Reply #9 – July 11, 2019, 10:47:49 pm The diesel question has come up several times. Having been a boater, diesel engines always appealed to me. I often asked Ed Newton about building an LD with a diesel. His answer, as always, "You don't need it" and "The extra money you spend to buy the diesel engine will buy a lot of gas." As always, Ed was right... mostly. We put our order in for a 2000 MB and after a few months we received a letter stating that Ford had a fire at their V10 plant and our chassis would be delayed unless we'd like one with a diesel which could be ordered (Think... Airport Shuttle). The engine was a PowerStroke Turbo 7.3 built by Navistar. Great engine! Sounded like a diesel and smelled like a diesel and ran like a clock. Yes it was heavier and No it didn't have an Intercooler (Not enough room under the hood of the E450). I loved the 7.3. Lots or torque and mileage 10-12 mph. Unfortunately Ford switched to the 6.0 PowerStroke also made by Navistar. and LD offered it for a while. Lots of problems. Then Ford started manufacturing their own PowerStroke, a much better engine but not available in the E series. As of 2010? the EPA started requiring diesel emission fluid DEF be injected into the emission system. Not a big deal but inconvenient. Diesel is not difficult to find. Truck stops and most auto stations have diesel.Ronterrasailor2000 1 Likes
Re: New Member Advice Reply #10 – July 12, 2019, 12:17:20 am I believe it was 2008 (?) that Ford updated the E450 so if you want the most "modern" version of the cab and chassis that would be something to consider. If you're thinking of older ones, one new enough for a 4 speed transmission would help.My free advice - buy the newest one you can afford. Frank
Re: New Member Advice Reply #11 – July 12, 2019, 12:24:20 am Tnwalkinghorse, first thing to know is YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary) - that comes up a lot around here on different subjects.One way to get an extra 1mpg is to avoid buying gas in California.My 2013 31 Island Bed gets 6-9 mpg depending on hills (of which CA has a number), whether or not I'm suffering from 'getthereitis', and sometimes which way the wind is blowing (I once got 11 mpg southbound on US395 with a 40 mph tailwind.The 31 is the heaviest rig, and mine weighed 12,800 in socks with fuel, propane and no water. I normally run a little over 14,000 (with a GVWR of 14500), and of the 38K miles on it, 35k+ has been towing. I have never ran thru a whole tank not towing so that affects overall mileage (the tow'd usually weighs in around 3800 - the bumper is rated for 4,000).How you plan to use the rig also plays into gas mileage considerations. A 12K 5 week cross country trip is different than 2 months touring 3 states and staying in one place for weeks at a time.Aside from Larry Wades comment about quality during the recession, I'd say the largest consideration is how a rig was maintained. Fluid changes, checking and stopping leaks, and repairing 'ouches' are important and some rigs will come with a pile of papers documenting the maintenance history.The website search function can be helpful for looking for topics. You can also browse the forums and follow some of the threads there. There are a lot of rabbit holes down which you can drop for an entertaining opportunity to get 'sucked into the net'. On 'rabbit holes', I'd like to direct you to this thread: Hooray for Rot Repair by cor2man. It will give you an idea of why it's a good idea to take a skeptical look at any used rig LD or not, and also the kind of support and interaction common on the board.Welcome aboard.Joel 1 Likes
Re: New Member Advice Reply #12 – July 12, 2019, 08:44:52 am ......... I heard the gas mileage is only 8-10 MPG. ......As a born again numbers person enclosed is a screen shot of my gas numbers. Keep in mind the generator also uses fuel from the main gas tank. I'm guessing that subtracts maybe a 1/2 to 1 mile per overall MPG -just a guess.glen
Re: New Member Advice Reply #13 – July 12, 2019, 11:38:58 pm tnwalkinghorse, hooray for thinking about Lazy Daze Travels. Welcome to a great group. I have almost a year of Lazy Daze ownership, so Hooray for me too! When I first started thinking about a RV adventure gas mileage seemed one of the top three considerations and I was not going to look at rigs that didn't get impressive gas mileage. I discovered that reliability, floor plan, reliability of product name, size, brand safety factor, drivability-my LD charges up hills and holds its weight on the downward journey, and did I mention how safe I feel in such a proven, reliable rig. YMMVMy experience in driving diesel also had me looking in that direction but I have all the power I need.Good luck with your search, I was lucky to stumble upon a very well maintained unit with only 25k miles. I was also lucky to stumble upon a great group at the gathering in Quartzsite so try and get your shopping finished by January:) 1 Likes
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