2011 or 2012 F-250 ??

[Diamondpilot]

Yes i did get the integrated brake controller.

For my needs I don't see needing the extra capacity of the F-350 SRW.

Needs change quickly. I was just like you buying a brand new 2004 FX4 F-250 with the heavy 10,000# GVWR. 12 months later we got a bigger boat and it just was not enough. I have had duallys and hated them so I had to trade up to a 2006 F-350 SRW with 11,500# GVWR. No difference in ride but man, a totally different machine.

The boat would squat the F-250 about 8" and only squat the F-350 2". Thing is I was told to skip the F-250 and get a SRW F-350. I should have listened.

For the money I would change my order asap. I have made the 3/4 ton truck mistake twice with that Ford and a Dodge and kicked myself on both.

Funny thing is 3/4 ton trucks with diesels are hard to find here anymore. All the locals caught on and so did the dealer at what a bargain the SRW F-350 and other SRW 1 tons are. You can find 3/4 ton gas trucks but just not diesels.

On my road there are 12 houses. There are currently 6 1 ton SRW trucks. 4 Fords, 1 Dodge, and 1 GM. There is not 1 3/4 tons. There is 1 dually GM and the rest of the folks have 1/2 tons.

Think about it. I just don't want you to make the mistake I made twice. I buy lots of trucks, 13 new ones since 1997 alone. I have found out what works and what does not.

Chris

 

[sparc]

I'll think about it. I'll call tomorrow and see
what the difference is and if its too late to change.

 

[sparc]

Put in request to change the order to a F-350.
I'll know soon if it went through but they said
they didn't expect it to be a problem this early.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I think you made a wise choice. There have been others on here I suggested that to. Some did and some did not. One came back and told me 6 months later that he wished now he did go to the srw 1 ton.

Chris.

 

[rasimmo]

Diamondpilot,
Your post had me curious, so I looked at the Ford site. It lists the F350 srw payload capacity up to 1000lbs higher than the F250. The towing capacity is actually listed as 100lbs higher on the 250 though. That sounds kinda funny to me.
I don't see many 1 ton srw trucks around here, on the lot or on the highway. Just wondering if you have noticed any difference other than the amount of squat the truck does. That makes sense because of higher payload, but what about the towing. Have you seen much difference?

 

[jeffsw6]

That sounds kinda funny to me.

I think the tow ratings are a GCWR limitation of the transmission, so if you make the truck itself heavier (with more frame and suspension mass) then the truck .. gets heavier .. which means slightly less trailer fits within that GCWR before your combined truck and trailer weight is above the design limit of the transmission's cooling and torque-handling ability.

So what the ratings are telling you is that the 3/4 ton is theoretically similar in towing ability. In reality this is probably true of tag/bumper pull (where the transmission design limits are not a factor) but not gooseneck/5th wheel (because tongue weights are higher.) But I am not a Ford guy so I am not familiar with the specific trucks. Besides that, those huge towing figures for SRW look good on paper but when you get a large trailer in the wind you wish for more sidewalls.

Just my $0.02.

 

[Diamondpilot]

You are right, srw 1 tons are regional. All my neighbors and friends have them. Only know 2 guys with 3/4 tons.

Also, you ate right about the tow ratings being slightly higher on a 250 when compared to a srw 350 due to the trucks slightly heavier empty weight

My 04 F250 for example is 7500# while my 06 F350 is 7600# nut the difference with a load is night and day. Kind of like a 1/2 ton to a 3/4 ton. That is the difference between a 3/4 ton and a srw 1 ton.

GVWR is the number I look at first and care about the most and the Fords have that going for them if you know what to look for and how to order them.

Chris

 

[sparc]

I think you made a wise choice. There have been others on here I suggested that to. Some did and some did not. One came back and told me 6 months later that he wished now he did go to the srw 1 ton.

Chris.

Well according to the dealer he had to cancel the first order and do another order with all the goodies I had on the first truck. He said he couldn't just change from a 250 to a 350. If it was just adding an option or changing something on the F-250 order, no problem, but changing the truck meant starting over. So I lost a week in the order process. I'm in no hurry but I do hope to be driving the new truck before the end of the year.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Well according to the dealer he had to cancel the first order and do another order with all the goodies I had on the first truck. He said he couldn't just change from a 250 to a 350. If it was just adding an option or changing something on the F-250 order, no problem, but changing the truck meant starting over. So I lost a week in the order process. I'm in no hurry but I do hope to be driving the new truck before the end of the year.

Can not wait to see it. My gutt tells me you will have the new truck as a Christmas present. Vehicles are not moving right now so the factory should get it built asap.

Chris

 

[Lt CHEG]

Well according to the dealer he had to cancel the first order and do another order with all the goodies I had on the first truck. He said he couldn't just change from a 250 to a 350. If it was just adding an option or changing something on the F-250 order, no problem, but changing the truck meant starting over. So I lost a week in the order process. I'm in no hurry but I do hope to be driving the new truck before the end of the year.

I wouldn't lose too much sleep over it. Chris does bring up an excellent point in his fondness for the F350SRW over the F250, however according to a couple of different guys over at Ford Truck Enthusiasts who build Super Duties at the Louisville Plant, the only difference between the F250 and F350 SRW diesel equipped trucks is the addition of blocks on the rear suspension for the F350. The axles and springs are identical, it's just that the blocks help prevent sag under load. If I was ordering new, I'd probably spring for the F350, but in my case I ended up with an F250 because that was what was on the lot and that's what I got a terrific deal on. I've yet to reach the limit of what my F250 can do and I've towed to the limit of what the truck is rated for. However, if I ever feel like I need the extra load capacity of the F350 SRW, I'll just buy the blocks for the rear suspension from Ford and add them myself and have an F350 SRW that's marked as an F250 . I would make sure though that you have the highest GVWR package available for your truck. Chris reminded me of the fact that Ford usually has several different GVWR packages and I made sure I checked that mine was the 10,000 pound GVWR package when I bought mine. Good luck with your new truck.