Ford F250/350 Advice

[FairfaxFWC]

Help! All of you with Ford Heavy Duty trucks, I would appreciate your reviews. I have finally decided that a 3/4 Ton is the way to go and is really the only way to ensure that you have adequate payload for a camper, water, food, people, toys, etc...

So, I have also decided that a Ford Gasser is the best for my needs...don't need Diesel for towing and it will never pay for itself with the low miles I plan on putting on the truck every year.

How do you like your trucks and how reliable have they been over the years. I am pretty gunshy to try a Ford, as I have had Toyota's for over 20 years and they have been unbelievably reliable...but even the new Tundra just doesn't have adequate payload. Thus, the decision for a 3/4 ton and a Ford.

Thanks for your input.

 

[MarkBC]

How do you like your trucks and how reliable have they been over the years. I am pretty gunshy to try a Ford, as I have had Toyota's for over 20 years and they have been unbelievably reliable...but even the new Tundra just doesn't have adequate payload. Thus, the decision for a 3/4 ton and a Ford.

Thanks for you input.


I've been happy with my 2000 F250 SuperDuty V10 (gas) 4x4 for 10 years and 100,000+ miles. So far so good. No issues. Well...I wish I got better gas mileage than 12-ish with camper... but that's not an issue, just a fact.
This is my personal experience...and I'm not even that careful or diligent about maintenance. Maybe just lucky?

 

[stormscrambler]

i have a 1990 f350 crew cab gas monster, good truck holds a ton of people and junk, i have only have it about 1500 miles so far and it needed a couple of small things like a wiper motor and fan motor, runs great about 12 mpg on the free way, but that is pretty good for a 6000+ pound 4x4 truck that could haul 6 people a ton of gear and a 10k pound trailer, safely

 

[Mark W. Ingalls]

Mine is a 2006 5.4L FX4 CC. Go to MSN Autos and compare the reliability ratings of any vehicles you want. I do not fear 'Ford'...

P.S.: Any solid front axle vehicle is susceptible to "death wobble" if you don't pay attention to the steering damper. Just sayin'...

 

[TGK]

I have a '99 F250 SD 4x4 LB with the 5.4L gas and manual trans. Original owner with 73,000 miles. This was the 1st year of the redesigned body. I've hauled a FWC Grandby on it for 7+ years and have not had any issues whatsoever. My 1st Ford and I'm very pleased with it. It handles the FWC great. I also sometimes tow a '71 Airstream (3,900# dry) and, for that reason, it probably would have been smarter to have bought the V10. However, when I bought it with the FWC in mind and a trailer wasn't on the horizon.
With the 4:10 rear end and no camper, best I ever got was 14 mpg. It's a lot of truck. Adding the camper, it drops to 11 -13. Add the trailer and I'm looking at 10 -11 best. I figure the V10 likely wouldn't do much worse and would have more guts when climbing over the Cascades. A diesel wasn't even considered because of an additional cost at the time of purchase and, with only 73K after 12 years of ownership, I couldn't justify the added expense.

They engineered more HP and torque into the 5.4L and the V10's over the years compared to my '99, so a newer model will likely serve you even better.

Good luck.

 

[leadsled9]

I've owned my F250 for just over one year. It has not had one issue....and it handles my Hawk with ease. I sometimes tow a trailer in addition to the Hawk camper....and the truck is great. I too am a Toytoa man (for the last 20 years) and still own a 2000 Tundra with over 200k on the odometer.

 

[Barko1]

Add my Fords to the list. I have a 99 diesel that I got with 110k and now is close to 160k and a 97 4.6 that I got with 35k and now at 110k. Normal maintenance, both carry the Grandby but the diesel does it better. If you're getting a bigger truck might as well go F350, never know when the extra payload would be nice.

 

[generubin]

I had a 2003 manual trans F250 with V10. With no camper I was getting 12 to 14 mpg. Usually 12. I bought it brand new. Right from the factory it had a siezed up drive shaft carrier bearing, was missing much of the weather strips around the doors. So I had it 1 day and it was in the shop for a week. There was a very loud vibration at 65 mph. It took until the truck had 10,000 miles on it and many trips to the dealership for Ford to figure out they had put a front driveshaft on it that was too long. When I'd go through a dip (as the expanding/contracting spline was fully bottomed out) the front axle would compress, shoving the front drive shaft towards the transfer case, twisting the case all the fluid would spray out and the truck would steer left!

The wiring loom was so poorly attached, I went through a bag of 100 plastic ties to keep it from hanging down inches below the chassis.

I sold the Ford for cheap because all the buyers only wanted diesel. I bought a 2006 Dodge Cummins. Manual trans. I get 18 mpg. There has not been a single issue ever with this truck. The motor is rated to easily go 300,000. I'd recommend a diesel. Fuel is due to go up a lot. $6 a gallon and higher. Whatever premium you pay for a diesel engine, you get it all back when you sell it. Thing about a diesel, you'll never sell it.

If you are getting a Ford, I'd recommend a V8 not V10. And if you are buying 4x4, get a 2006 or newer so you have the coil springs up front. I had the leaf sprung version. The turning radius with the leafs was a source of embarrassment when making tight right turns, parking or god forbid, a U-turn!

Of course, my experience may not be yours. Jay (chnlisle) had a couple of relatives who's Ford F250s (diesels from around 2003) were so much in the shop that Ford was forced to buy them back at full price.

All that being said. If I was buying new, I would look at all 3 of the big boys. But I'd likely end up with Dodge because, well, I just don't like automatics for reasons of poor reliability.

 

[Desert Rancher]

Thing about a diesel, you'll never sell it.


Yup, must be:

-The rattle in the morning when it first fires up.
-Going up Cajon Pass fully loaded at half throttle.
-16-17 MPG.
-Little loss of power at higher altitudes.
-Significant power mods that can be done are all external to the engine.

I could go on...

 

[HERR42]

i bought my 2000 new, was mostly special order, it has been perfect.

130K miles at this time.

get the 350.

 

[BenG]

Like the Ford Trucks, first one I owned was a 89 F250 4x4 460 cid 5 speed, it was very reliable it had almost 400,000 miles when I trade it off on the one I have now, current truck is a 96 F350 crew cab 4x4 460 cid auto, it has 140,000 miles on it hope it runs as long and trouble free as the old one, but remember the 460 are not know for fuel milage, about ten miles to the gallon, don't seem to matter loaded or empty. I would recoment a Ford Truck>

 

[pods8]

Fords need to make their extended cab model with 4 independent doors rather than the suicide doors. That would make them much more appealing in my mind.

$.02 that has nothing to do with the conversation.

 

[MarkBC]

Fords need to make their extended cab model with 4 independent doors rather than the suicide doors. That would make them much more appealing in my mind. $.02 that has nothing to do with the conversation.


On the other hand, my 2¢ -- Having the doors open facing each other (aka "suicide") makes it easier to load stuff in the back seat area 'cause with both doors open (on a side) makes it one big cargo-loading hole. I can open the front door and get out, open the half-door and reach into the back seat area (which I only use for storage -- not passengers) -- without having to go around behind the half-door to reach in.
But I can see the downside, too, depending on how you use it...personal preference, of course.

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

My brother in law is a general contractor.

He has a 1997 F-250 long bed with a zillion miles on it.

He also has a 2004 F-250 with the V-10 with lots of miles on it.

He never does anything to them and they seem to keep on running without any major problems.

I have a 2000 Ford F-150 with the 5.4L engine and have been very happy with it.

The Ford trucks seem to be pretty good.



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[FairfaxFWC]

Thank you all for your valuable input. I am pretty sold on an F350 as it would be nice to have the extra payload capacity if I ever go with a larger and heavier camper. Now I just need to find the $$!!

 

[SDJeff]

I was in the same situation as you after doing a lot of research re payload capacity. I have had Toyota's for many years and love them, but wanted a 3/4 ton. I just picked up my new F250 factory ordered gas engine yesterday. Putting the camper on this weekend. Seems the way to go, but I need to put some miles on to be sure. I did get the "camper package" as it was cheap and per Ford it is required for a "slide-in camper". Happy trails.

 

[generubin]

I had a camper package on my 2003 F250 4x4. I think what you get is a stronger spring package up front and I know you get the sway bars. I do quite a bit of rough road travel. The Ford factory limited slip is not functional and the sway bars seriously reduce axle articulation. I was getting high centered often, with the result of no forward motion. After I removed the sway bars, I never had this problem again and though there was a tiny bit more lean around the curves, the on road ride was greatly improved. My 2006 Dodge 2500 4x4 came with a front sway bar only. I removed it for a nicer ride and amazing articulation. Additional on=road sway was imperceptible. I know I have put this video link up on this site a few weeks ago but there is a point in the video you can see the Dodge axles articulating beautifully, especially for a truck with 3,000 pound payload. You won't get this with your sway bars installed:

 

[FairfaxFWC]

I was in the same situation as you after doing a lot of research re payload capacity. I have had Toyota's for many years and love them, but wanted a 3/4 ton. I just picked up my new F250 factory ordered gas engine yesterday. Putting the camper on this weekend. Seems the way to go, but I need to put some miles on to be sure. I did get the "camper package" as it was cheap and per Ford it is required for a "slide-in camper". Happy trails.


You are just the person I need to talk to. I am very interested to hear how it goes once you have the camper on...especially what your gas mileage is with the gas motor, and how the truck handles. Also, what level of F250 you decided on and what other options you choose.

Thanks.

 

[leadsled9]

You are just the person I need to talk to. I am very interested to hear how it goes once you have the camper on...especially what your gas mileage is with the gas motor, and how the truck handles. Also, what level of F250 you decided on and what other options you choose.


Last year I switched from carrying my 2008 Hawk camper on a 2000 Tundra.....to carrying it on a 2010 Ford F250. I'll never go back to 1/2 ton running gear. So far the Ford has been perfect. With the diesel I'm getting 16.8 without camper and 16.0 with camper (mixed highway city driving).

 

[simimike]

I have a 3/4 ton Dodge. I should have bought the 1 ton. For a few dollars more they are worth it.

mike