Hi all,

I apologize if this question has been asked before, I have done extensive research on the internet and can not find an definite answer.

I am on the market for a 2015 Ford F350 with an 11' Royal utility body on the back for my electrical contracting business.

Ford have come back to me and said I need a F450 as I am going with the supercab, the F350 can not handle the 11' utility body.

I have head that the F450 can cost more in Insurance and use more diesel. I contacted my insurance company and they said it wouldn't change to much, this is in CA.

Is there any differences between the F350 and F450 apart from the rear axle and larger brakes. Also if there a major difference in MPG.

I currently have a Ford F150 Limited and love it!

Thanks in advance for any help

Chris

 

The big diff. in Ca. from what I've been told is the DMV knocks the hell out of you when you go above the 10,000 lb. thresh hold. There for the 450 will get nailed when tags come due. Don't get me wrong, the beefed up 350 won't be cheap. That's why I elected to go the 10,000 lb. platform on my new f-350. It is sufficient for my needs.

 

Lower HP and TQ mean anything?

 

Presuming a Chassis Cab order that is...

2015 Ford Chassis Cab Work Trucks | Fewer Stops at the Pump, More Time on The Job | Ford.com

 

It would have to be a chassis cab due to an 11' body (84" CA).

If you pick the same gear ratio on both trucks you would get the same or close in MPGs as everything else that would contribute to different MPG's is the same on both trucks. Outside tire diameter may be a little different from truck to truck but I don't see that changing the MPG's enough to alarm you.
The curb weight is a little higher on the F-450.

I don't see why Ford says a 350 isn't big enough for you.
I currently own a crew cab 350 that had a 9' enclosed walk in utility body on it when I got it. It was a state truck for 150,000 miles that way.

I will say that maintenance costs on a 450 are much higher than a 350. Which I'm sure you would want to take into consideration.

 

Unless you're going to be hauling large loads the advantage go to the F 350. IMHO MPG will be lower because of the higher rear end ratios.

 

I'm in CA and was looking at both the 350 & 450.

As said in an earlier post it's the DMV that will get you.

My insurance company is AAA and they were leary about insuring a 450 as well. Ultimately I think they would've been able to insure it but it was out of their comfort zone and after bouncing through a couple supervisors I could see where that was headed.

Gov. Moonbeam jacks the registrations sky high on the 450's.

In the end I settled on the 350 for the reasons I mentioned above. Insurance was still easy and my registration is a third less.

Just clicked off my first thousand miles and it's a beast. I Love it. For what you're trying to accomplish I'm not sure you really would need the 450.

I'm sure Ford is thinking worst case scenario.

Let us know what you do.

 

Thanks for the replies. The body I am getting built by Royal truck bodies state that the F350 will not be able to carry the 11' utility body. Stating that the F450 will be able to handle the 11' body due to having an extra spring/or something on the rear axle (forgive my lack of description). If I got a F350 regular cab it could accommodate the 11' body, but due to the super cab it shortens the rear chassis space, so I have to choose the F450.

I really want to go for a 11' utility body so I can carry more on my vehicle mostly tools, nothing to heavy. I won't use the truck for towing apart from the occasional trailer. I'm happy to go for the F450 if it doesn't affect my MPG/Insurance costs. The salesman at Ford has told me there wont be a difference, but I fear he is just trying to make a sale.

Thanks

Chris

Below is a link to the truck body I am having built:

Utility Truck / 11ft Utility Service Body / Royal Truck Body

 

I'm in Florida. As you can see I upgraded my truck recently from a 2011 SRW F350 to a 2015 F450. Insurance (same coverage Progressive) was $100 per 6 months. My Tag was transferred from F350 to F450 for transfer fee.


Miles per gallon went down from 18 to 16.5.


The truck handles and rides awesome. Tows my 38' fifth wheel with ease and comfort.

 

whats the gearing on the 450? 4.30 or 4.11?

 

I think they only come in 4.30...Not sure.

 

one other thing it seems like the F450 uses more DEF than my F350 did, before delete.

 

Yes. F-450 Pick-up only comes in 4.30,but chassis cabs have a few options.

 

F-350 Chassis Cab comes with 3.73 and 4.1
F-450 Chassis Cab comes with 4.1 and 4.3

The F-450, like for like will use a little bit more fuel because its heavier, but shouldn't be significant. One significant consideration for CA is the weight you will be carrying. A F-350 DRW chassis cab has a payload of ~7000lbs. An F-450 DRW chassis cab has a payload of ~9000lbs. I'm not sure how much your service body is going to weigh, and what payload you want to carry, but you don't want to be over your GVW.

 

Hi Guys, so I decided to go with the F450 Lariat super cab, the sales guy said my MPG should differ that much and the truck will be listed as a commercial vehicle anyway as its through my business. The truck won't be ready till the end of Dec, I'll post a pic once its ready. Thanks for all the replies.

Chris