Found the "perfect truck" what you think?

[leechlake]

Thanks for all that replied to my perfect truck post, after searching and wanting originally to buy a Chevy 2500 duramax I think I found the look I want. Feel free to pass any judgement on my choice, I haven't bought it yet but plan to this week.

Ford F-250, 6.0 diesel, Lariat, 18" tires, crew cab, toreador red tan, chrome tube steps, it basically has everything, one in town has a moonroof one doesnt. I've had a moon roof on my last three suburbans and don't use it so I probably won't spend the dough on it. If anyone has one I'd like to know the mileage they have been seeing, just curious. I'm going to put a fiberglass topper on it and some other minor items, it comes with 275/70 R18 OWL tires and I'm thinking about keeping them, although any opinions on a better, beefier looking tire would be appreciated. It has a 3.73 ratio limited slip axle. Thanks for the past help and any thoughts on this rig, I'll post photos after I get it, if I get it.

[Gissert]

Wow! That sounds like a great looking rig for sure. You are gonna LOVE having a diesel. I hope I never have to go back to a gasser.

[icehousebob]

Doesn't the F-350 have to be licensed and insured as a commercial vehicle? That also means it must be inspected every year. A friend wanted to buy an F-350 and the salesman talked him out of it, for those reasons. Instead, he ordered an F-250, but ordered the towing package, which gave him the equivalent of a 350 back end and suspension. Then he added the plow package which did the same for the front. Cheaper up front cost and beats the insurance and licensing problems. Basically, his is an F-350 with an F-250 emblem on the side.

[Northlander]

Plus thats a ton of weight on the ice.

[leechlake]

typo, thanks Northlander, it's a F-250, sorry

[Powerstroke]

That is a fantastic truck. Yes its heavy, but its tough and bad-a$$. In the summer you're gonna be looking at 20+ MPG unloaded. I used to get 22-23 on my 2000 F250 with the 7.3L diesel and your new one is much more fuel efficient. The winter mileage varies on how long you have to warm your engine in the winter. If you park indoors then you should still see 18-20. If you park outdoors then you will need to let your engine warm up in the winter and then I used to get more like 15mpg.

I would also skip the moonroof since I don't know anybody who want their roof open when you own a diesel. Probably will never happen.

Remember that with your heavy truck you will want a tire with a "D" or "E" rating. An E-rating has the stiffest sidewalls and will be necessary for heavy hauling or towing say more than 8000 lbs. I never did much towing or hauling more than 3000lbs so I actually ran 35" C-rated tires on my truck and it was fine.

I think you will be very pleased with this truck. I no longer NEED a truck this big, but I sure wish I could get another one. I'd like to see a diesel in the F150 crewcab now.

[Powerstroke]

If I can make another suggestion, ask the dealer to swap too a rim/tire combo of 16" if possible. Tires will be much cheaper and easier to find than 18's or even 17's. Alot of Ford dealers also sell tires. You should see if they'll swap your rim/tire combo onto another truck and you can get new tires form the dealer put on the 16's or 17's and that can be rolled into your loan so you don't have to pay out of pocket in a couple weeks.

[hawkeye43]

they weight 7680#

[fish2live]

it is a real nice truck a buddy at work has one, but, not very good mpg i nthink he said he gets 12-13 driving and 11 or less towing but, he tows a 50 ft enclosed trailer and he also told me he just burned up his tranny it's under waranty but still it's only a year old. if i were you i would see if they have any 7.3 power strokes left i know my friend tried and the dealer said they were out but, worth asking for cause it's a much better engine and better mpg

just my .02

[Valv]

Quote:

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Doesn't the F-350 have to be licensed and insured as a commercial vehicle? That also means it must be inspected every year.

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The 350s and 3500s trucks will be licensed as commencial but you don't need to have inspected every year, only for commercial use, not private.

It is a heavy vehicle on ice, but on snow you will love it, front end won't move at all, you will think you're driving on dry pavement.

Swapping the 18" for 16" could be ok, but the larger and newer are worth more money, you might be better out selling them then buy new 16s and keep difference for 1st or 2nd truck payment.

[LABS4ME]

We have 4 of the new 6.0 litres in our fleet. They all average 16 MPG in town. I've gotten as high as 19 on the highway. I have put 26,000 miles on it in 6 months and haven't had one problem. In fact we had tranny problems on our first one we bought, they replaced it and that has been flawless the last year and a half. These vehicles are used to tow also, no problem in the power department. Mine does go down to around 14-15 mpg when towing a heavy load (20' Triton - skid loader etc). I really like mine as I too have the Lariat interior, quiet ride, spacious interior, no moon roof but the power slider in the back window is nice. Helps with mosquito and fly removal! , plus if I have a dog in the cab, they can have their face out the rear window as opposed to the side window.

We also have a half dozen 7.3 powerstrokes and an old 7.2 diesel. They are all in the mid - upper teens in mileage. There have been occassions of mileage in the low 20's, but this is only when empty and all highway. 6.0 litre seems snappier and quieter, but they have all been admiral trucks, very rarely do we have a problem with them, and some of them have been worked hard every day for the last 6-10 years with upwards of 200,000 miles. I think you're gonna love your new truck.

Good Luck!

Ken

[Blaze]

leech - out of curiosity, what was it that changed your mind from the Duramax to the Ford?

[leechlake]

Frankly, I'm getting a Ford because I like the look better, mostly in regards to the tires. The 2500hd chev has 16" tires, the f-250 and 350 are 17, 18 and 20 inch. I drove a 350 with 20" today, I prefer 18's though and I thought I had found a F-250 King Ranch with 18" tires that I was going to buy and it apparantly was sold, the salesperson is checking right now if it is sold. If it is they are going to look for another one in town or order it.

I've had three suburbans with 17" tires, like it but I want a change also. Nothing wrong with chevy's, I own one now.

[Powerstroke]

If you like the bigger rims thats cool, just be prepared for an even stiffer ride since there is less sidewall to absorb shock. You will also face difficulty finding tires that are both all-terrain and strong enough to support the weight if your truck and its load.

Thats why I suggested getting 16's.

Man if you could find a King Ranch I would be completely jealous. I would love to have a 350 KR crewcab with the 6.0L. My dream truck.