Decided on the V10 but now considering the transmission. This truck will be used to tow. After hearing all the horror stories about automatic transmission replacements and my experiece last summer I think the manual would be bullet proof. My concern about reverse gear in a manual is well grounded. Some of the folks I have talked to driving other brands of trucks say reverse gear is too fast! When backing up they have to slip the clutch in order to go slow enough.
Do the diesels and V10's have the same automatic and manual transmissions ?
You folks driving the manual have this problem with reverse being geared too fast to safely maneuver while backing up?

 

i have a 2000 F250 V10 4 wheel reg cab and i pull trailers some of the time up to about 10,000 lbs. i was in asheville nc not too long ago and got on a road where i had to back the trailer in reverse up the side of a mountain. of course i sat and spun in 2 wheel drive, so i got out and locked the hubs and threw it in 4 high and backed right up no problem. this is with the 5 speed manual. but everyday just backing into my driveway, the revs come up pretty quick. i dont think it will be a problem. just my 2 cents. matt

 

That is one of the reasons I like 4x4 so much for towing. Put you transfer case in low range and you can idle a heavy load uphill, on soft ground, you name it.
This is true for standard and autos and in 05 and later you get the same trannies in both gas engines and the PSD.

One of the reasons I don't buy RV mags anymore because I keep reading articles written by "experts" that state there is no advantage in having the 4x4 option in a tow vehicle. In my 30 years of hauling campers and pulling trailers I have seen so many people cooking their auto trans while trying to back in a trailer on soft ground.

I have overloaded pickups so much they won't even move in reverse while trying to back up a steep driveway without low range. In low range you idle up just about anything and this is the main reason I own 4x4s. Take care, Wrench.

 

The problem with a 4X4 is the height of the bed. One of the trailers I pull is a 5th wheel and the trailer should set level with the truck. Of all the 4 wheel drive vehicles I have looked at they all sit too high. I know this is for ground clearance but I have no need to go off into off roading. When I back up I like to go really slow and miss all the tree branches and obstructions in camp grounds. I also hate the smell of a burning clutch.

 

imo, i dont think you would have any problems, but if u are worried about it, i think there are many guys on here that will agree that the new torqshift 5 speed automatic is the real deal, best automatic ford has ever made is what i hear. cant beat it for towing. as for me, i will die with a stick in my hand. matt

 

is a 4X4 manual hubs with the stick on the hump, 6 spd V-10 with 4.30 gears, and in 4L Reverse, you can walk faster than that pick-up will go. You will not burn the clutch if you get gears like mine, and inching up to a hook-up or backing a load is a dream come true. The tight turning radius with the large tt mirrors makes it a breeze to back trailers. I have a Shook swinging extension hitch that drops down below the reciever hitch tube about 5 inches to allow for the extending and swinging feature of the drawbar. This makes the trailer tongue height about the same as a regular low pick-up with a straight bumper hitch.

 

Some 5th Wheels fit tall trucks and my 06 Montana 5th wheel sits almost level when hooked up to my 05 F350 4x4.