Hey all.
First off I've been following the threads and researching for the last couple months and I found tons of awesome information on this forum. And I know people hate it when the same questions get asked over and over and I don't want to do that.

I'm looking for opinions, you all have way more experience then I do. I want to learn from others mistakes and successes.
Im going to be purchasing a new truck very soon and I want to get what's best for me. I started my own company almost a year ago and desperately need a more capable truck. I'm going to be pulling a 16'+ enclosed trailer atleast a couple times a week depending on work. Probably not more than like 7 or 8000lbs. Used mostly for pulling an indoor scissor lift.
And then trailer my car to the race track on weekends or atleast pick it up when I break it.
Right now I have a 2006 Nissan Frontier that I bought way before I thought I would be running my own business. I do pull a car hauler with the scissor lift but it does NOT like it at all. And the rear bumper I built for it was never designed to have that kind of weight on it.
My work is an electrical service company and I drive atleast 10-20 mins of highway atleast every couple days. I spend tons of time in my truck, it's my office and shop so I want to love it.
I live in Edmonton Alberta and winters can be harsh. -20 to -30C (-4 to -22F) temps for sometimes weeks.
I will be using it for hunting fishing camping (no campers right now) which might take some adjusting because with my frontier I can go almost anywhere a quad can.

Sorry I'm trying to keep this short and give as much info as I can.
Plans for the future would be a small-medium lift with some bigger tires, winch bumper.
I had a 06 dodge 3500 when I worked for a company and when the temps dropped below -20C overnight it wouldn't start in the morning unless I plugged it in. What are the fords like? If I'm hunting I might not be able to plug it in over night then what? I can't have it not start.
What should I do? Get a 150 (towing shouldn't be a problem with it)?
Or get a SD? Do I get a gas or a diesel? 250 or 350? Axle ratio? Would you get the heavy service front end?
Ahh so many questions.. I've never bought new, never dealt with dealerships and warranties and all that junk.

Any input is helpful even if it's a link to another thread.

 

Since you own your own business, and given he nature of it, i would get as much truck as possible. That way you can tackle any job that may be thrown at you, and any piece of equipment that job may require. I ordered a 250 6.7 for my daily, but for business use a dually most of the time. I sure couldn't afford to be limited to the capabilities of a 6.2 F250 thats for sure. I say get a 350 SRW (unless you need a dually) with the 6.7 power stroke.

 

Since you're not towing that much weight and so you don't have to worry about fuel gelling up I would get a f350 6.2 with 4.30 gears.

 

Ya that's a good point. I don't want to have to turn down a job because my truck can't handle it. I don't think I would need a DRW, my payload would never be really that much. I'll probably have a canopy/topper with tools and some parts nothing to drastic.
The thing with the gasser that I've been considering is that they are worse on mileage. And I know I know I can't expect to get awesome mileage out of a SD. But from what I've read seems like on average most gas get around 11mpg and diesels get about 15mpg. And if I'm towing I imagine that that gap separates more in the favor of the diesel.
I get about 13-14 mpg with frontier just daily driving with my canopy and tools in the back. Best I've ever seen is about 16mpg. Granted i have about a 3" lift bigger tires front and rear steel bumpers.

 

You also got to think of maintenance and repairs. I'm a diesel guy but going off what you're saying, a diesel isn't the right option for you. Since this truck is a primary tool for your business, you don't need any down time from it. So sacrificing a few mpg for better reliability I think it's worth it. Not saying the 6.7 isn't reliable but with as many sensors and emission stuff comes on them the likelihood of a check engine light coming on is a lot greater which means down time is greater.

 

Not sure what your gas/diesel prices are in your area, but in our area Diesel is more expensive. Try calculating your price per mile in fuel vs just MPG, then add in the price of DEF and Anti-gel and see where you stand you may find the difference is not that substantial.

As a side note the diesel maintenance will cost you more as well.

 

Landscaper here. I have a 2012 6.2 with 4.30s and it has taken everything I've thrown at it and anybody that has been in my truck was impressed. It cost 8 grand over just to get the 6.7 and that's a lot of gas. Once you start hitting the 10-12k plus towing daily you're approaching diesel territory but a 6.2 is still capable and I wouldn't hesitate to tow above 10k. As Strokin has mentioned down time is a factor and yes both engines can have problems but a gas engine doesn't require a diesel tech or have the complicity of a diesel. Only you can decide but those were my factors but if you do choose the 6.2 then the 4.30s are the only way to go.

 

No brainer. F150 with 3.5 turbo.

Local deals are US$16k off MSRP on leftover '16s F150.

Deals on '17 SD are less than 1/2 that. Way less.

3.5 turbo will pull your load with ease.

F150 and '17 SD interiors are the same. So no difference in comfort.

Buy an F150 and save yourself about US$10k.

 

That depends on how OP feels about turbos. I'm a NA engine kind of guy but also having a SD means beefed up everything which might be what he is also going for. I know the 6.2 is nothing fancy but that's what I love about it.

 

With my 6.2 and 3.73 gears I'm getting roughly 14 hand calculated mpg in stop and go traffic. Started out with 13 brand new but has been slowly increasing. On the open highway the mpg gauge shows 16 unloaded but I've never went through a full tank of just open road unloaded.

Edit* I have 3400 miles on the truck now so still semi breaking her in.

 

The main issue with the 3.5 (as with any DI engine) is intake valve deposits. Ford addressed this in 2017 with adding throttle body injectors. But I do not know if TBI will fix the valve deposit issue.

3.5 turbo will get better gas mileage over the 6.2 running around town empty/lightly loaded, as it appears a substantial part of his driving is. Especially true if he picks up a '17 with the 10 speed.

If turbos are not his cup of tea, then the 5.0 V8 will suit his needs very well also. Ford even recommends the 5.0 as best for a regular, everyday towing vehicle, even though the 3.5 has a higher tow capacity.

And if he will consider a non-Ford, the GM 6.2 motor is a beast and NA. It comes with an 8 speed. Nicely equipped GMs with the 6.2 run US$53k-US$55k MSRP and GM is knocking US$8k-US$10k off MSRP on 2017s around here. So a Lariat level 2017 GM 4x4 with the 6.2 can be bought for well under US$50k.

 

In your case I'd definitely go with the 6.2 gas.

 

You have a lot of great points. OP didn't mention anything about MPGs so I'm not sure how much he is worried. I'm not one to worry about them, I just fill it up when it's low and don't look. With what he is towing I think the peace of mind of having a HD with beefed up everything and room to grow might be his best option. It's better to have and not need then need and regret.

 

If you were local to me I'd say a 6.2 gas F250 with either gear set. I don't know what Canadas DOT laws are. Here in the states anything that goes across the state lines over 10k GVWR has to be commercial. So guys get under that with a 10k truck and a 10k trailer (trailers over 10k have to get registered in combo, so again, you're over the threshold). The -20 is going to be across the board with a diesel, and it's really more power than you need for the job. Here in the US Ford offers rebates for companies for some unfitting, IDK about up north, but it's worth asking about. If your laws are different, then I'd upgrade to the F350 and keep the rest the same.

 

I've never heard about the over 10k GVWR has to be Commerical. I don't think that's accurate.