Is an F-250 Overkill?
#46
02-26-2015, 05:07 PM
My 2005 f-250 weighed 6565 empty. Put a person and some gas in it....bingo
so if you travel south of 105, might need to stay with f-150.
#47
02-26-2015, 07:03 PM
Thankfully there's no track down that way. I take the turnpike to Atco and live past 120. Gotta love NJ!
#49
02-26-2015, 07:31 PM
I've been debating the same choice. As a daily driver is a F250 that much more rough riding than a F150? I've test driven both the F150 and F250 and the F250 seemed like a pretty smooth ride - however I didn't get to take it out of the suburbs, I was short on time that day. Of course the F150 was smoother, basically similar to my Explorer.
I have a 2015 F250 lariat CCSB 4x4 diesel, and recently took it on a trip about 400 miles away, not far but far enough to get a feeling for how it rides. It was actually more comfortable than my wife's Honda Pilot, which we always considered comfortable. There was more room to stretch out, it was quieter, ride was as good or better, not harsh at any time. We did have maybe 300 lbs in the bed, so basically nothing. I know I can put 1000-1500 lbs in the bed and it rides better. I am not sure how a f150 rides, but if you are complaining about the ride of a f250 you are looking for something to complain about. It is not a plush ride, but it rides good.
#50
02-26-2015, 08:16 PM
the only truck i've found that rides worse than our 2004 is our 1979.
the one thing they have in common though is that they will both make your kidneys hurt, depending on what you are pulling (or not pulling, depending on the road).
some of our roads really suck here, though, so that may have something to do with it.
the one thing they have in common though is that they will both make your kidneys hurt, depending on what you are pulling (or not pulling, depending on the road).
some of our roads really suck here, though, so that may have something to do with it.
#51
02-26-2015, 08:50 PM
I have an '83 F-150 4.9L six, long bed.
It drives very easy, palming the wheel and easy to maneuver.
I have an '02 E-350 15 passenger Club Wagon. easy for towing and maneuvering.
I just got my new to me, '99 F-250 Lariat Supercab V10, today, 89,000 miles and immaculate, must have been garaged. It will probably be much better for towing.
Now I see the difference between vans and trucks, the 250 is a big truck, by comparison and not as easy to park. It's much more massive, than my F-150, or E-350. Gotta love it.
It drives very easy, palming the wheel and easy to maneuver.
I have an '02 E-350 15 passenger Club Wagon. easy for towing and maneuvering.
I just got my new to me, '99 F-250 Lariat Supercab V10, today, 89,000 miles and immaculate, must have been garaged. It will probably be much better for towing.
Now I see the difference between vans and trucks, the 250 is a big truck, by comparison and not as easy to park. It's much more massive, than my F-150, or E-350. Gotta love it.
#52
02-27-2015, 05:57 AM
#53
02-27-2015, 06:26 AM
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it get used for the reason it was purchased, that is, to pull heavy stuff around.
unless it is pulling something that can't be pulled with something smaller, it sits.
why would one drive a rough riding, hard to park, gas guzzling 3/4 ton truck when you can drive something that is the opposite of all of those.
we put more miles on the expedition in the last year then we have the SD the whole time we have owned it (bought it 6 months old with 10,500 miles).
simple economics tells you that driving something that gets twice the mileage costs about half as much to operate.
that's just us; everyone's different.
unless it is pulling something that can't be pulled with something smaller, it sits.
why would one drive a rough riding, hard to park, gas guzzling 3/4 ton truck when you can drive something that is the opposite of all of those.
we put more miles on the expedition in the last year then we have the SD the whole time we have owned it (bought it 6 months old with 10,500 miles).
simple economics tells you that driving something that gets twice the mileage costs about half as much to operate.
that's just us; everyone's different.
As for it being hard riding. Well.... YEAH! But isnt that part of what we love about our trucks?
#54
02-27-2015, 06:42 AM
#55
02-27-2015, 07:29 AM
Senior User
#56
02-27-2015, 10:36 AM
Ask on a Super Duty forum, and you're going to get recommendations of a Super Duty. Both the new F150's with the Max Tow package and the Super Duty trucks have their pros and cons. The F150 will have a much more car-like ride and be nicer to deal with in town when parking and going through drive-throughs and such. It will also be cheaper to operate. And it will be rated for for more than you're looking to pull in the future (10k lbs). However, you will be coming fairly close to its capacity.
The SRW Super Duty will undoubtedly handle the tow a little better. An F350 dually even better. An F750 will do even better than that. But as always there is a law of diminishing returns. Where is the "sweet spot" you want? Well that's almost entirely up to you.
The one thing I'll say is almost a certainty: if your commute is literally only 2 miles, you should very seriously consider the 6.2L gas option if you go with the Super Duty vs the diesel option. Cost may or may not be a factor, but over time the diesel really is happier when it's able to at least get up to temp (and diesels do NOT get up to temp as quickly as gas). The gas engine is a great option as well. If you're going to be pulling 17k lbs worth of gooseneck you would be fine with the gasser but would really enjoy the herculean torque of the diesel. But with such a short daily commute and only looking at pushing 10k and even then at some point in the future, you truly don't need the diesel. Plus, you may find that once you start looking around, diesel may be an expensive pain to get ahold of in your neck of the woods depending on what gas stations around you carry. Gasoline is always available.
Essentially you're planning well for the future, but you're basically in the big gray area between the two, where the venn diagram overlaps fully. There are those who moved from a Super Duty to an F150 Ecoboost and love it, while others would say the opposite. I would not discount the F150. It should definitely be a consideration. The Super Duty would also be a great choice for the task of towing your trailer. Because it actually spends most of its life as an urban or suburban commuter and all around daily driver, and because it appears you're in NJ and I don't even know which part, it's not a solid victory for the Super Duty.
Either will work. It's up to you to decide which you like better and which fits your budget better. If you know someone who has a (stock) Super Duty, see if they'll let you swap vehicles for a week, and see how it goes. Then you'll really get to see if the disadvantages are no big deal or if it turns out you'd hate living with it. Personally I love my F250
The SRW Super Duty will undoubtedly handle the tow a little better. An F350 dually even better. An F750 will do even better than that. But as always there is a law of diminishing returns. Where is the "sweet spot" you want? Well that's almost entirely up to you.
The one thing I'll say is almost a certainty: if your commute is literally only 2 miles, you should very seriously consider the 6.2L gas option if you go with the Super Duty vs the diesel option. Cost may or may not be a factor, but over time the diesel really is happier when it's able to at least get up to temp (and diesels do NOT get up to temp as quickly as gas). The gas engine is a great option as well. If you're going to be pulling 17k lbs worth of gooseneck you would be fine with the gasser but would really enjoy the herculean torque of the diesel. But with such a short daily commute and only looking at pushing 10k and even then at some point in the future, you truly don't need the diesel. Plus, you may find that once you start looking around, diesel may be an expensive pain to get ahold of in your neck of the woods depending on what gas stations around you carry. Gasoline is always available.
Essentially you're planning well for the future, but you're basically in the big gray area between the two, where the venn diagram overlaps fully. There are those who moved from a Super Duty to an F150 Ecoboost and love it, while others would say the opposite. I would not discount the F150. It should definitely be a consideration. The Super Duty would also be a great choice for the task of towing your trailer. Because it actually spends most of its life as an urban or suburban commuter and all around daily driver, and because it appears you're in NJ and I don't even know which part, it's not a solid victory for the Super Duty.
Either will work. It's up to you to decide which you like better and which fits your budget better. If you know someone who has a (stock) Super Duty, see if they'll let you swap vehicles for a week, and see how it goes. Then you'll really get to see if the disadvantages are no big deal or if it turns out you'd hate living with it. Personally I love my F250
#57
02-27-2015, 01:00 PM
Yes, Go with a Super Duty
I've been doing a ton of research on this and I'm still at a crossroads. I currently have a 2013 Ecoboost F-150 that will be going back at the end of this year (lease) and I'm looking to buy my next truck and keep it for the next 10-15 years. I drag race so I have an open trailer with a heavy car, tools and equipment on race days. I typically do about 4000 miles per year of towing and around 15,000 miles driving total. I am likely going to upgrade to an open trailer in the next few years, with a 2015 F150 could tow but it will likely be close to 10,000 lbs. I feel more comfortable with the idea of my most expensive toy (the car) behind a bigger, heavier truck. Is this massive overkill for what I'm looking to do?
#58
02-27-2015, 01:47 PM
#60
02-27-2015, 02:57 PM
I've been doing a ton of research on this and I'm still at a crossroads. I currently have a 2013 Ecoboost F-150 that will be going back at the end of this year (lease) and I'm looking to buy my next truck and keep it for the next 10-15 years. I drag race so I have an open trailer with a heavy car, tools and equipment on race days. I typically do about 4000 miles per year of towing and around 15,000 miles driving total. I am likely going to upgrade to an open trailer in the next few years, with a 2015 F150 could tow but it will likely be close to 10,000 lbs. I feel more comfortable with the idea of my most expensive toy (the car) behind a bigger, heavier truck. Is this massive overkill for what I'm looking to do?