Ok so I've been offered a job which is pretty much going to require me to be away from home for up to five weeks at a time...The Job pays AMAZING money...I'll leave it at that.

My issue here is that I have a 2011 F-150 FX4 5.0L SCAB. I LOVE the truck...I've only got just under 20K well cared for miles on it. But if take this new job it will basically be driving all over Texas and New Mexico while towing a trailer full of tools and what have you...Not sure of its excat weight. I'll be doing this with a friend who just bought himself a 2012 Dodge Cummins, but he will be using that to tow the travel trailer we will be starting out in.

I don't want to use my new well cared for F-150 to drag trailers for thousands upon thousands of miles...So what I'm thinking is that I'll put my F-150 up in the garage when im out on the job and get a 10ish year old Superduty to use to drag this trailer around and put lots of miles on.

My question here is...What should I expect to pay for a used Superduty? I don't need a fancy four door diesel...I'm thinking Regular Cab or Supercab and maybe 5.4L V8...But im thinking the V-10 would probably be a little better suited for what the truck will be used for...The truck will be used occasionally offroad so even though I could probably survive with out 4WD on it...It would be preferd. The only true MUST HAVE...Is a working Air Conditioner and Heater.

So for you guys out here that have Superduty experience...What direction would you point me? Is gas ok? Or should I really look into a diesel? I like the idea of towing with a diesel...But I don't like the idea of the added maintence cost and added cost of fuel...If I get a diesel it will most likely be a 7.3L considering the year models I'm looking at...I wont consider the 6.0L...Heard to many horror stories about it...Maybe you can change my mind here?

Anyway, that's about it...What should I expect to pay for a Superduty...Preferbly a V-10 Regular Cab or Supercab 4x4...I'm thinking as long as it has less than 150,000 miles I'll be cool with it.

Anyway thanks for any help here.

 

I'll throw in my $0.02 for what it is worth...

If the trailer is over 7000lbs and you'll be towing regularly, I'd say go for the diesel. You would be one of the few people who own a diesel for it true purpose and towing would be a breeze. Depending on the miles you'd put on it, I'd say look into a Gear Vendors unit too. Those overdrives can be a great way to maximize a tank of diesel (or gas) for a lot of highway driving. The diesel has higher maintenance cost, but will save you at the pump.

I'd also say go with an extended cab. Its really nice have the extra in cab room to keep things dry. If not, I'd say go with a nice tonneau on the bed.

 

Don't be afraid of a 6.0. Just be aware they need a little attention. The Torqshift transmission behind them runs rings around older units.

There are few places in TX or NM where a 5.4 gas motor would be happy, especially with a trailer full of tools. Especially on a freeway.

-blaine.

 

Ditto what Blaine said.

I had an '05 6.0L prior to this truck and it was fantastic. I had a couple of minor issues which were covered under warranty but nothing major like head gaskets, etc.

Believe it or not, there have been times (recently) since owning this '11 that I wished I had the '05 back.

 

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'll try and compare a few 7.3L and 6.0L's back to back. I know the 6.0L is a strong runner, I've only driven one once back when they were new and it seemed like a really nice engine at the time. I just got a little soured on them when I heard all of these stories of catastrophic failure.

I did see a nice Regular Cab V-10 4X4 the other day that tempted me pretty good. But I'm trying to be as smart as possible in this purchase and not rush into anything.

 

If I was in your boat I would probably use what I alreadyhave if the weight of the trailer is light enough that you can pull it ok. You have one of the more trouble free enginesthat Ford has IMHO. Your truck will getabout the same mpg towing as a SD, and you will get better mileage unloaded, itis also newer than what you are looking at. If you do go with an older SD I would go with a V10 if possible. Your fuel expenses would be higher than witha 7.3 or 6.0, but they tend to spend less time in the shop, and if your truckis down, you are not making any money. An$800 repair bill can end up costing you several thousand dollars after youfigure in your down time when your truck makes your paycheck.