Help buying my first pickup truck if you please?

[Tractors4u]

I hadn't heard anything about the super duties having a lighter tailgate. We just bought my wife an 04 F150 and it has a tailgate with a spring assist. You can lift and close that tail gate with 2 fingers. The dealer said to keep the tail gate locked because they cost about a grand. The dealership learned the hard way. Someone stole a few of theirs one night. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[johnday]

Larry, By all means buy what YOU can be happy with, but since you asked, the 5.4 to me is not even a consideration in a SUPER DUTY. I had the 5.4 in a 99 SD,SC 4X4,8' box and tried to tow my 14'enclosed Haulmark tandem to Denver. Talk about disapointed, I had to keep the thing out of OD and with 4.10 gears that thing was screaming. Definetly under powered for towing. The V10 while having more horsepower is still marginal for a decent load. At any rate, two days after getting back from Denver, I ordered my 01 7.3. Best pulling truck I've ever used outside of a Kenworth, worth every penny I've ever spent on it. By the way, I pleasure myself thinking I'm one of the few safe drivers left. Round trip to Denver and back was spent at 65. The trailer was bare bones empty also and truck was still screaming.
The stroker also has unbelievable torque, that is what really moves a load, not horsepower. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Larry_Van_Horn]

I guess there is the other question of whether I should stay with the 250 or go to the 350. The price difference is only $500, and I pick up an extra 1000 pounds of payload capacity. Thought it was worth it. Otherwise they seem pretty identical. Maybe I am missing something.
L

 

[johnday]

You haven't missed a thing. I'm springing for the 350 in the fall of 05. The 350 as far as I know of this writing, also hasn't been lowered in the rear 2" to accomadate the 5th wheel camper crowd. When I got my 250 I took it to Sport Truck USA to have it restored to the 99 height.

 

[dmccarty]

Larry,

Spend the $500 to get the 350. I went to a 350 for the extra load capacity.

Diesel vs Gas. Look at the resale value for the trucks with both engines. Its been awhile but I think my 95 Chevy's deisel sold for 2,800 dollars. When I traded the truck in I got about $3,000 more for the truck than I would have if it had a gasser. Check and see if that is still true or in the ball park. If you can afford the extra dollars then you can't afford the extra dollers. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

These things ain't cheap.

One thing I have noticed with Excursion is that used gassers are for sale and diesels on the used car market are rare. I'm seeing gas Excursions going for 15,000-20,000. Diesels are usually 5-10,000 more. But there are very few diesels.

I would not worry about the F350 being more truck like than the F250. Not sure if it is true but I don't complain about my F350 and even my wife likes to drive it as long as its on the open road.

Later,
Dan

 

[BradK]

Larry, I recently got a used F350 4X4 with the 5.4 L and 4.10 gears. It hauls my 16 foot enclosed with lawn equipment with no trouble. I also haul the 3010 on a 20 foot flat bed with out any trouble. I have had 112 1 X 6 X 16 and 84 4X4's on it and it did find. With the trailers I tend to drive a little easier, but am sometimes serprised at how it goes when I have to take off fast. I have been happy with it so far have had it for 17,000 miles 7 months, have towed for about 1,500 of those miles.

BradK

 

[KAB]

I decided to look at Ford's website for the technical spec's of the 250/350 Tow Capacities are the same for both trucks. I then looked at some other info and it looks like the payload should be close to the same. The major factor indeterming this appears to be engine/axle ratio. Now what you can actually (per spec's) haul will also depend on what options are on the truck. What you can actually tow (per spec's) depends on how the truck is equipped and what ever else you have with you (Number of Passengers, weight in the bed, etc.).

To find the actual payload capacity of the truck there is usually a sticker inside the door (drivers or passenger) some manufactures will list a number beside an F and T. This list the weight that can be added to the (F)ront or (T)otal truck.
(F is if you want to add a snowplow - T total weight that can be added to the truck). This can vary from truck to truck depending on options.

From Ford's spec's with the 5.4L 3.73 axle the max tow capacity is 7100 for 4wd and 7500 for 2wd. This is just the base truck with a 150lb driver. Any other item in the truck will lower the tow capacity.

I was not able to find this info on Dodge's website.

I would personnally go GM.

Hope this helps.

Kurt

 

[cowboydoc]

I have both of these engines and can tell you hands down that the diesel will outperform the 5.4 by a much greater margin than that $6000 difference. The 5.4 can't pull half as much, and I mean that literally, as fast as the 6.0 can pull twice the load. Couple that diesel with the new auto transmission and you have a towing monster. The 5.4 is a joke compared to the diesel.

As far as 350 and 250 again I think that's a no brainer as well. Get the 350.

 

[Larry_Van_Horn]

OK you ford folks, and I greatly appreciate all your comments here, is the v10 triton a happy compromise?
lar /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[BigDave]

Doc,

I don't desire to fuel a potential a Ford vs. Dodge vs. anything else flame here. Advice was sought, and I gave my opinion only. I shopped these 2004 model trucks, yes the HD models also, this past winter. I gave the F250 Harley Davidson model some serious consideration. Compared to the newer designs, it seemed like an old truck. Don't forget, 1999 was five years ago. I was especially unimpressed with the fit and finish in the extracab model that I considered. When I shut the door, the half door moved quite a bit. Seemed flimsy.

As it turns out, I have never repeat purchased a brand of truck before, so I believe I am more unbiased than most in making such comments. Just because anyone made the "best" truck one year, doesn't mean it's the best truck the following year. I usually go on the offensive when I hear guys touting one brand over the other, just ask TresCrows, but no more, it's getting tiresome. Brand loyalty is like a religion to some folks, but not to me. I couldn't give a flip. I looked at the trucks out there, and drove a good many of them, & I traded in my Ford for a Dodge this time. Car & Driver praised the new Ford and the Nissan, but the Dodge won my behind the wheel comparison tests. Next time, maybe it will be a Nissan or a Kia for that matter. Unbiased advise is sometimes unobtainable in these forums. That's a shame, since this is where people come to find it. That's all I'm going to say on this topic.