OK, so here's the scoop. I bought a brand new F150 XLT 2WD SuperCab, 3.7L v6 engine, in September of 2011. Main intention to tow a 4000 pound (loaded) boat, occasional trips to Home Depot. In that time I put 9000 miles on the truck (2 trips to the Keys, one to Pensacola - we live in Tampa) - all other miles towing boat to local ramps.

We now realize we love boating and want to upgrade to a bigger (heavier) boat. I am a stickler for safety, especially when towing. I remember towing a 8000 pound travel trailer with a 2500 Suburban with 8.1L engine and it worked very well.

So, we've decided before getting the next boat we need to get a truck more capable of towing the new boat, which will be about 7000 pounds or so fully loaded with trailer.

We've decided to get an F250 for many reasons, including the fact that 95% of our driving will be towing, I want some extra wiggle room for braking and towing capacity, etc. We also decided to get a 4WD for those slippery ramps.

I found the following truck advertised and am going to check it out on Friday:

2008 Ford F-250 XLT Quad Cab Long Bed V10 4X4 | Sanford, FL | Gibson Truck World King of Trucks Monster Trucks Ford Chevy GMC Dodge RAM Diesel Near Orlando Florida

Seems like a very good price, the v10 I have read very good things about as well, and it has all the bells and whistles we want - I like the long bed and Supercab (works for our needs).

My questions are this:

1 - Seem like a good deal? Based on my research, my 2011 F150 with 9000 miles is worth practically the same as a trade-in as what they are asking, so I'm going to push for a straight trade.

2 - This is a two-owner vehicle - first owner had it for 60,000 miles before selling it. He did have a front-end collision at 17,000 miles but it appears to have then gone another 50,000 miles or so, which tells me it wasn't that bad of an accident. The dealership selling the truck is apparently pretty good about doing a very thorough inspection, and they give a warranty. I guess I'm not terribly worried about it, but would like some advice as to what to look for when I inspect it.

3 - There don't seem to be any major issues that I can find with the 2008 F250 trucks with the v10 engine - did I miss anything?


Any other thoughts or opinions would be welcome. On the one hand it sucks giving up a practically new truck we love with 9000 miles on it for one 3 years older with 57,000 more miles on it, however if we had bought a brand new F250 4x4 in 2011 it would have been WAY more expensive than we could afford at the time. Sucks to make a bad decision, but live and learn - my fault for not getting a bigger truck at the time.

 

Nice truck but keep looking. This one has the tow mirrors and the reciever but I did not see the trailer brake controller. You need that. I will also suggest that you actually do some trailer shopping and get some real numbers on the boat and trailer total gross..then shop for the correct truck.

Based upon the numbers you threw out there the V10 F250 will certainly do the job easy for 7K lbs.

 

Oh, I've been doing the boat and trailer research - the 23 foot boat with trailer fully loaded is right at 6400 pounds. The 26 footers I've looked at will tilt the scales at close to 8000 pounds.

As for a trailer brake controller - I've seen various aftermarket ones depending on the style of brakes my trailer will have - I could go electric or hydraulic, so that may then decide which way to go for a controller.

 

That looks like a clean truck - nice side-steps, bedliner, clean body, low miles. 3V-V10. I wouldn't hesitate. I wouldn't buy a 5.4 F-250 for towing, even at sea level.

 

I love my 08.5 V10. That said, be careful with Gibson. I have heard of shady dealings in the past and their lot in Venice is a joke. That's about what I paid for my Lariat with 92k on it about 2.5 years ago, the price should go down a little. Hopefully it's a late 2008 model so it has the one piece plug design.

 

How does one tell about whether it is a late 2008 model, and what is the advantage of the one piece plug design?

Honestly the reputation of ANY dealer anywhere is so subjective these days it isn't even funny. Most people never put good reviews on the internet if they had even a decent experience - most people don't have the time, or care too much about doing it. But if one person out of 100 has a bad experience, you can bet you'll hear about it! Plus the stories of people (competitors) paying others and family and friends to create accounts and write fake stories bashing a competitor on the internet is pretty well-established now.

 

BTW - it was manufactured and shipped on 7/1/2008

 

Another way you can tell the late model 2008 is look at the coil boots---if they are brown instead of black----it's the late version of the engine---as far a 5.4 pulling a load---click on the truck under my name and I'll show you what my 5.4 will handle---mine is the late 2008, 5.4, 300HP, 3 valve.

 

Most boat trailer brakes are now surge style brakes so as to not have problems related to repeatedly dipping in and out of water. No brake controller needed or used for those type brakes, the only electrical component of surge brakes is the electrical reverse bypass which allows backpressure to flow and not lock brakes upi when trying to reverse.

 

It is a late model 2008...a Job 3 truck.

 

Well, I pulled the trigger on her today and am now the proud owner of a 2008 F250 4x4 with v10 Triton!

Pretty much did a straight trade - given what 2013 F150s with v6 3.7L engines are going for, I think I did OK - granted, I now have a vehicle with 57k more miles, but I also have a v10 engine, 4x4, and a longbed.

Still getting used to the ride - that F150 was like a car - so smooth, quiet, and soft riding. The F250 IS quiet, and it shifts nice and smooth, has lots of power, etc. but the ride is definitely different - at times nice and smooth on smooth roads, but get some bumps or typical highway rise and fall and you can tell a difference. Still, it is SO easy to find yourself going 85 mph if you aren't careful - LOL.

I think it will really shine when I start towing

 

Yes. Load it and tow and it will ride good then.

Congratulations pics are required

 

Loaded the boat (granted, only about 4000 pounds) and took it to the gas station with the wife. Rode very well. Unfortunately the wife is SPOILED on the 2011 F150 and kept making comments about the comfort of the seat and lack of the amenities she liked. I kept reminding her that this is a TRUCK, and meant to tow a lot, vs. the newer trucks that, while very quiet and comfy, just can't do the job we need done.

I am wondering if there is a way to make the seats more comfortable - perhaps an add-on seat/cover with padding or something. The thing that gets annoying to both of us is the stiffness of the front end of the seat that seems to cut off circulation underneath the thighs - feels like I need to sit a 6-8 inch block of wood under my feet on the floorboard so I can set my feet up on it to push the underside of my thighs up and off the hard front edge of the seat.

 

I love my truck. Pretty close to the one you picked up. Congrats! Can you adjust the front of the seats downward? I can on my truck. Personally, I like the rough ride these beasts offer. My truck is primarily a weekend rig to haul other toys so the seat of the pants feel isn't all that important for me.

 

Well, took the boat to the ramp today and all went well. I honestly like the way this truck maneuvers and turns better than the F150 when towing. The mirrors alone help out a lot. When pulling out after loading the boat the 4x4 really helped as we were close to low tide and the ramp was very slick with algae. Granted gas mileage sucks, but it is only off by about 3-4 mpg vs. the F150, and since the F150 wouldn't tow the weight of boat we're looking to get, it is a moot point.

Wife didn't complain at all today about seat comfort - score one!

All in all, I think I'm happy