From my searching it looks like the last three year models are exactly the same except for tiny, insignificant changes like a piece of the top of the dash that folds up to access a USB port, cell power, etc.

That should make 2011 and 2012 owners feel good. But I am hopeful that any bugs that showed up in the previous years have been worked out at the factory. Ford makes hundreds of thousands if not millions of these sd trucks and most of the stuff we read is by the tiny fraction that have problems. I would guess there's a lot of very happy SD truck owners out there we never hear from.
We have a very long, steep grade in I-25 here and it hit just under 100mph (for a very few seconds) at 7,000 feet altitude!
I'm varying speed from 45 to 75 for fist 500 miles like it says in the book.
Just upgraded from 7,500 maintenance intervals to 5,000. It cost a fortune. 7,500 with fossil oil was $2,100. 5,000 mi with 100% synthetic was $4,600 ! That was for 100,000 miles, 7 years, 20 visits, no deductable. If Ford service charges me anything at those maintenance visits it's going to ding the old soc sec check pretty bad.

I will post pics. Wanna wash it first.

 

$160 per oil change dino oil @7500 miles
$230 for synthetic @5000 miles

If the synthetic keeps things cleaner, why not if you have the CA$H, but I'd go 7500 with the synthetic.
Even though the synthetic lasts longer as far as the quality of oil, the coagulated pentane insolubles will still build up.

 

Coagulated pentane insolubles ! Hmmm. Sounds bad. Wonder if I have them in my arteries.
The way I fingered it was that I run with 6,500 lb load on the truck all the time. It never is without that load. Then I run on interstates at 65 to 70, then steep mountain roads, lots of dirt roads (I live at the end of 5mi of dirt), and ofter very rough 4x4 in granny gear.
I'm guessing that qualifies for "Heavy use". But then it could sit for 6 months and never turn over. As I understand it synthetic doesn't degenerate and build up acids while sitting for long period like fossil oil does.
Any truth to that?

 

Not sure of that aspect, but it is supposed to be more stable under just about every condition oil is subjected to.

Coagulated pentane insolubles is just the fancy term used for the ultra fine soot that can not be filtered out of the oil and is what turns it black.

BIG words to impress the customers that act like they know it all!

Call it the "soot" that it is and it has less of an effect.

Get enough built up and it acts like a fine emery cloth slowly polishing away any metal surface the pressurized oil come into contact with.

 

Well, in light of the abrasive properties of the soot I'm thinking 5,000 instead of 7,500 may be even more worth while regardless of type of oil. I wonder if that's what the computerized oil change recommendations from the truck are measuring when it tells you it needs an oil change?

 

My first guess would be the miles are what it is measuring.

Perhaps like the flex fuel vehicles, the resistance changes between clean and dirty oil, (rather than gas or ethanol) and if it changes enough, "CLICK" the notice is given.

 

2.5 years and no problems.

 

I just got my 2012 Super Duty F250 6.7 EXT-Cab 8' Bed 4X4 on the 5th and filled my first 2/3 tank of gas at 337 miles. No problems yet except falling in love and buying parts!

 

2011 f250 king ranch loaded 70,000 miles only oil changes brakes etc and computer upgrade.... This truck is awesome I tow 80% of the time mountains and back!

 

The wife owes me one so this weekend I'm going to take a look see.

DAMN!
FOILED AGAIN!
The ford web site will not let me print out my "build your own truck" selection for reference!