Yeah I know what you mean. I wonder though, if it would come close to an EB truck with 3.73s and OEM sized tires, after you lift one. Aside from the increased rolling resistance, that is.

Of course, if you lift the SD with the 6.7, you're going to see a decrease in MPGs as well. And, like you said, with the huge difference in maintenance costs and fuel prices, it would take a pretty good while to realize any savings with the SD.

Either way though, you can't go wrong. I mean...you'll be in a Ford!

 

No doubt....that's the plan....best trucks in any class on the market right now. Just trying to do a little due diligence in the decision process. My wife thinks I'm crazy and would have made the decision for me many months back. I continue to stew about all of the decisions. I probably should have been an engineer

 

question whats the differnce in weaght from a f150 to a f250 (not towing but truck weaghts)reason i ask is i was told the f250 is only like 600 lbs biger is this true?

 

I'm right with you. I'm having a heck of a time right now trying to decide if I want to stay in a Super Duty or my next truck or get a 150. No easy way to decide it and I drive my wife nuts too.


Not sure on this. I know that about a year and a half ago, there was a huge thread in the 2009+ F-150 forum on payloads. The guys were taking pics of their tire and loading stickers on their door frames and posting them. A lot of the trucks showed really small payload capacities in the neighborhood of 800 or so pounds. So if the GVWR of the truck is 7200 pounds, it would suggest the empty weight of the truck to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 6400 pounds. The good thing about the 2011 F-150s is that with the Max Tow Package, you get either the 7650 or 7700 pound GVWR. Nice because it gives you a little more breathing room when it comes to considering tongue weights on trailers and cargo and occupants in the truck.

My '05 F-250 on the scales with a full tank of fuel and me (195 pounds) weighs in at 7920. My tire and loading decal says its payload is 2210 pounds and the GVWR is 10,000. So I think the decals are fairly accurate. With the 350, you gain a little in "rated" capacity over the 250.

That said, the Super Duty trucks have gained a little weight since my '05 came out.

 

John, following your logic, I just so happen to have 2011 brochures sitting on my desk for both the 150 & SDs. Here's what they show (all 4x4):

GVWR Max Payload Vehicle Weight?
F150 7700 (SCrew, 157WB) 1890 5810
F250 10,000 (SRW CC SB) 3250 6750
F350 11,300 (same specs) 4420 6880

Not sure if these are entirely accurate as there are multiple GVWRs per model, but there appears to be right around 1K lbs difference between comparably sized 150 & SD vehicles

 

Yup. The biggest difference I see is that the weights shown in the brochures, order guides, and towing guides are based upon base models without options. After you option a truck up with assorted things like the moonroof, tire and wheels options, etc. it begins to add weight. I think that's where that payload thread I referred to originated. Folks were seeing payload capacities in the brochures and then couldn't figure out why their tire and loading decals showed so much variance. Take a truck with a 7200 pound GVWR and it's a base model without any options. Start adding options like I mentioned above and it starts adding weight to the truck. The GVWR remains the same but the actual empty weight begins to increase.......as such, the actual payload capacity begins to shrink. Hope that makes sense.

I had a copy of the 2009 F-150 Sourcebook which detailed the exact weight of each option that could be ordered on the truck. You could take it and figure very closely what your payload capacity would be on a new truck when you optioned it the way you wanted it. I haven't seen one on the Super Duties or the 2011 F-150 but if you could get your hands on one, you could easily determine what your approximate payload would be on a truck with options....or at least get really close anyway.

That's been one of my chief complaints over the years. Manufacturers advertising payload capacities on their vehicles only to have customers buy a truck and find out it is often under-rated for the tasks at hand. The RV manufacturers do the same thing. They print empty weights and tongue / pin weights in their brochures and customers look at them assuming the tow vehicle they have will handle it just fine. Or worse yet, they buy a new tow vehicle based on the ratings in the RV brochure, only to find that they are over on rear GAWR or GVWR after they make the purchase. On RVs, the hitch weight in the brochures is usually grossly inaccurate. Most of the time the actual hitch weight is much higher, especially on fifth wheels. Additionally, the empty weight is often significantly higher. When you add larger refrigerators, flat screen TVs, Kind Bed options, etc., it all adds to the empty weight of the RV.

 

You'd be hard pressed to find a SCrew that only weighs 5800lbs. Most are well over 6K. Most have posted 6700 lbs+

 

My screw weighs in at 6200lbs that is with me 210lbs and my daughter 40lbs. My screw is a fully loaded lariet limited 6.2. I got the weight this weekend when I took a load to the dump.

 

Here you go fellas. You may remember when I did my Eco boost drive. The door jamb doesn't lie.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...oost-pics.html

IMHO, and as John said, the FX4 with 4.10's and an EB engine should meet your needs. Make sure you get the max tow package and trailer brake controller and in my opinion you'll be fine to pull a tandem Bri-Mar type dump trailer on occasion.

Your comparing the towing ability of a 2000 Expy 5.4 which is a 2 valve engine and runs about 250 HP / 300 TQ. Very good for it's time too I might add.

With the EB running 365HP and 420TQ mated to 4.10's and a 157" WB with a the 4x4 she'll be rated to pull 11,200. Increasing the wheel diameter will affect these numbers and cause the engine to work harder for sure, especially in the very hilly terrain of California.

No matter what Ford does to increase the F-150's overall capabilities, I am still of the opinion that you can't have too much truck.

Comparing the F-150 Platinum to a SD Lariat 6.7L, I think you'll find about an 8K-10K price difference leaving the SD to be the higher cost.

Good luck on your choice. No matter what, Ford builds the truck you need.

 

Good stuff Tim, I appreciate it. I agree on your statement regarding not having too much truck, hence the tough choice between the 6.7 & EB. The EB is ultimately more cost effective from an acquisition & operational standpoint, which is a factor as well. My one frustration with the F150s is Ford's packaging strategy in terms of options offered on the different models, including engines, bed size, a few basic bells/whistles, etc.

I don't want to derail this thread from the towing conversation, but my last comment has to do with the '12s. I've read the speculation on whether or not the '12s will see any major changes (camps seem to be split). My dealer confirmed this week that the Expos will see a major redesign in '12, and since the 150s and Expos have traditionally shared similar design features (i.e. front end), I'm wondering if Ford would move forward with changes on both product lines at the same time. I know the '12 order bank for the SDs opens up in mid-late May with production beginning in July (still no info on what the changes will be). I'll be keeping an eye out for the same info on the F150s.

 

With the max tow package on the FX4 20" wheels are included with 4.10s

 

81Beast, from your signature, I see you have the 2011 EB FX4 with 4.10s. What sort of MPGs are you seeing?