F-250 diesel trucks, ...I need schooling

[dennishoddy]

I'm seriously laughing at all the people who buy 3/4 and 1 ton dump trucks then ***** about the ride quality. Go buy a car. And stop swerving into the oncoming traffic trying to avoid potholes.

OP, nobody buys a Ford anymore to keep for 15 plus years. Most of the DD diesels are owned by people who just want the newest. When they start adding up tires and oil changes, turbo and oil pump replacement and the ocassional intercooler, they all sell them. Start adding in fuel and DEF and the cost keeps rising. Now add all that to the note of the truck. Is it really that much better than your current truck? BTW, I only got about 16 MPG in my 04 6.0 loaded or unloaded. So the mileage compared to your current 3/4 ton is moot. Whatever mileage a Dodge owner tells you they get, subtract 20 from it and that's closer to the truth. Most gas engines are adequate for towing these days and cost less to own over the life of the vehicle. Bells and whistles are a preference thing, but like I already said, your looking for a dump truck to drive daily. Don't expect it to be a smooth ride.

Heck, you can add a bolt on super charger from Whipple to make the 7.3 F-250 gasser produce over 800 hp and just about as much torque.
It appears the engine is strong enough to handle the extra boost according to what I'm seeing.
Ford is considering putting that engine into a Mustang. Good grief, that would be a beast street racer.

 

[PBramble]

Always have enough vehicle to tow the trailer. & im not talking about horsepower. I'm talking about mass, suspension, brakes, etc.
A F150 isn't big enough to pull much more than a 16 or 18 foot trailer.
If your pulling a camper trailer bigger than 18ft, anywhere, you will want a 3/4 ton or heavier.

You mean with those aluminum bodies on the super duty series?

 

[R D Harmon]

Hot pepper wax keeps the mice outa my stuff. I spray it on all wires and rubber under the hoods
and good to go. Years ago, I used to have to repair wireing and small rubber tubing.
I started using the hot pepper spray and no more problems.
.

 

[Okie4570]

You mean with those aluminum bodies on the super duty series?

There's less than 200lbs difference in a 2012 f250 lariat crew cab long bed diesel (6914lbs) and a 2021 f250 Platinum crew cab long bed diesel (6718lbs).

 

[Raido Free America]

We still use a 90" and a 91' on the farm, they are towing turds. Start every day, seldom break down but they're just no comparison to what's out there now. All of my farm friends who ran Dodges for years have really been burned by the Cummins issues/EPA issues and every single one of them are driving Chevy and Ford f350 with the big gas engines now and loving them.

The new and improved options avalable on Ford, and Chevy Diesels, solved some of the problems with driving ether one. The heated tail gate comes in handy in extremely cold weather, and prevents your hands sticking to the tail gate, when PUSHING THEM to try and get them started! I have had two Ram Trucks, with Commings Diesels, as well as a Cummings Diesel Engine in a Case Backhoe! Can't beat them!

 

[Okie4570]

The new and improved options avalable on Ford, and Chevy Diesels, solved some of the problems with driving ether one. The heated tail gate comes in handy in extremely cold weather, and prevents your hands sticking to the tail gate, when PUSHING THEM to try and get them started! I have had two Ram Trucks, with Commings Diesels, as well as a Cummings Diesel Engine in a Case Backhoe! Can't beat them!

Both Chevy and Ford no longer use oil pressure regulated injectors, and haven't for almost 15y. Cold weather starts aren't an issue.

 

[HonkyCat]

I have 2 - 7.3 diesels. A 1999 and a 2000 one is a F250 long bed and the 2000 is a F450 with a Western Hauler Bed. Both are top notch and get great mileage. The first $15,000 gets either of them. Hard to find them in pairs like this!!!!!

 

[Ryan500L]

Of course it depends on the terrain and the wind pulling a high profile vehicle. Ours is 13.5' tall and 101" wide, weighing plus or minus 16,000 lbs depending on how heavy we load it.
With zero wind coming from OKC to Ponca I got 10.3 mpg through rolling hills. With a light tail wind, 10.9.
With a 30 mph headwind it's down to the high 8 mpg.
Unloaded with a little in town driving and a lot of highway, I'm getting an average of 13.3 with 4:30 gears.
My cousin bought a 7.3 Gasser with the 3:55 gear ratio thinking he was going to get better gas mileage.
Not so. He gets identical to me with the 4:30 gears. How you may ask?
Its all in the computer and the 10 speed transmission. Top gears have engine rpm's running the same no matter what gear ratio is in the truck.
The magic of the 4:30 gears is getting your load moving and up to speed in the lower gears faster than one with a higher gear ratio.
It's reflected in the tow rating.
3.55, 21,800
4.3, 28,000

Thats not bad, better than I thought really. My friend has a 3500 4x4 SRW Chevy with the 6.0 gas and 4.10 gears that he pulls his 35' enclosed car hauler with and I think he gets 5-7 mpg when he's pulling. I have a '13 Ram 3500 4x4 DFW with the 6.7 Cummins and I get about 13-14 pulling my 25' gooseneck flatbed. Mine has 3.42 gears.

 

[Newbie]

Both Chevy and Ford no longer use oil pressure regulated injectors, and haven't for almost 15y. Cold weather starts aren't an issue.

Cold weather starts aren't an issue in Oklahoma anyway. The lowest we get is about 0 degrees during a fluke cold spell, and it doesn't stay there more than a couple of days then we're back up into the 20s. Even so, you can still start the 7.3 in that weather without using a block heater. I've done it several times.

 

[Okie4570]

Cold weather starts aren't an issue in Oklahoma anyway. The lowest we get is about 0 degrees during a fluke cold spell, and it doesn't stay there more than a couple of days then we're back up into the 20s. Even so, you can still start the 7.3 in that weather without using a block heater. I've done it several times.

Yeah I owned a 6.9l, a 7.3l IDI, a 7.3l and a 6.0l before my 6.7l. The 7.3l and 6.0l will start at zero or just below without being plugged in. The 6.9l and 7.3lIDI wouldn't for me.