Greetings all,

I am starting to formulate plans to buy an F-250 this summer/fall after I return from this 7 month deployment. This will be my first truck purchase and I really don't know what I'm getting into. I'll provide some info on the what and why and intended use.

I live out in the "country" of San Diego and I bought a house with half an acre last summer. Believe me, that's pretty big in San Diego LOL! I so wish I would have had a truck. Between getting all the home improvement supplies to hauling mulch for my kids playground I payed a handsome fee to have people do it for me.

I couldn't decide between Ford, Chevy and Dodge at first. But, my wife's uncle has a 2008 F-150 and I liked that. It was very roomy and he hauled a 20' trailer from Ontario, Canada to Florida, San Diego and back. I still want to do some test driving when I get home.

I chose diesel because of towing capacity, durability and fuel economy. I think it fits my needs well. I also want a Super Cab, I believe. I need lots of leg room, which my current vehicles don't have. And for the WAF, it needs to have a big back seat for the kids.

I currently own a 2010 Harley-Davidson CVO Ultra-Classic and need a trailer for it. We do however have plans to buy some kind of camper or toy hauler in the future.

Now, there are several choices out there on trim packages and extras. This is where I am lost. Crew cab or Super cab? Lariat or King Ranch? Bed length? Do I need to upgrade the stereo and/or navigation or would it be better to do that after market? 4x4 or 2x4? Bed liner? Gear ratio, this seems to be a big decision??? Would it be better to try for the 2012 models or get a close out price on an unsold 2011?

Any questions, conserns or advice are greatly appreciated. Rock on!

 

You'll want the crew cab (4 doors) for the kids. They fit in a supercab for now, but they grow up quick before you know it.

 

You want 4x, 8 ft. bed, screw cab, manual trans, manual tranfer, manual hubs. Model XLT for the power windows and locks, LS diff. The rest is useless fluff.

 

I just went through the same thing. Spent a month configuring an F-250 and then ordered it. I got the VIN today, so I'm hoping to have the truck in less than a month.
Here's what I ordered:
F-250 Crew Cab King Ranch - I REALLY like the seats in KR.
Golden Bronze and Adobe - saw it at a show and it's beautiful
4x4 but not offroad - just-in-case and resale value
18" wheels - 20" tires are very expensive and make the truck even taller
6.7L diesel - for towing a 5th wheel
3.31 locking rear end - same torque as a 3.51 w/20" wheels, better MPH
Electric block heater - $60 why not and resale value
Power Sunroof - it's $3K but I decided I wanted it
5th wheel prep
Nav and Sync - very cool.
Splash guards
Tailgate Step - also very cool
Factory spray in bed liner

If you go to consumerreports.org and join their auto pricing service (about $35) you can download the MSRP and dealer cost for the truck and every option. I walked in with a spreadsheet and got it for invoice price (they get $1400 back from Ford, so that's their profit).

 

Thanks for the replies so far.

Actually, being active duty military I use USAA for all my banking and insurance needs. With their car buying service I can save like $5,000 off MSRP.

I don't expect to mod the truck, except for the stereo of course. 18" tires should be good enough and I don't expect to offroad or lift the truck. Auto makers just can't get the sound right. I want to replace the speakers with JL Audio and get a Stealth Box for the sub. So, is their navigation package worth it?

So, crew cab is bigger than the super cab? I can see getting 4x4 for resale value (if needed), but I don't think I need the block heater for southern California. Sunroof doesn't interest me.

I'll just have to hit up a few dealerships when I get back and take a look for myself.

 

I meant to say Super Cab (4 door).

The block heater is $60, so for resale up north I ordered it.

 

SuperCab = Ext Cab 4 doors, rear doors are basically half doors.

Super Crew/Crew Cab = 4 full doors. Basically, an excursion with a bed. WAY MORE ROOM.

I have the Super Cab, but I only have a g/f and a dog, no kids. Since you have kids go with the Super Crew/Crew Cab. Go with a long bed if you can, you'll hate parking it at first, but the first time you load it up, you'll ask yourself how you got all of that in there

 

No go on the manual transmission. Ford did away w/ them.

To the OP, do you really need 4x4 in SoCal? How long do you plan to keep the truck, will the extra resale really offset the extra cost/maintenance and lower fuel economy? I can't imagine driving a crew cab long bed there if this will be your daily driver. The extra 1.25' of bed space is nice if you're hauling a lot but will it make up for the extra hassle?

 

I agree with the gentlemen suggesting a crew cab, the kids grow faster than you think. Figure out what you want on the vehicle, there are many sites that will give you msrp and "invoice" prices- ford.com, usaa.com, edmonds among others. Search FTE for info about options and what people paid. I ordered but the price was approximately $3500-4000 less than USAA car buying service. I am 99% sure I will finance through USAA, although when you start dealing, it is helpful to be approved for a loan beforehand. If nothing else it tells the dealer what interest rate he has to beat to get your financing business.
Regards
Russ

 

Crew cab all the way. I was in your situation a couple of years ago. My dad had the crew cab and I loved it. When I went looking I settled for an extended cab. Kick myself everyday for not waiting for a crew cab. It is a pain in the butt getting my sons car seat in and out of the back seat even with the half doors. It works but if you are buying new with these prices get what you are going to need down the road too. I would also go with 4x4. You may not need it but when you do get around to sell it, you will have a larger crowd interested in the 4x4.

 

Very good, this is exactly the type of feedback I'm looking for.

Ok, the crew cab is what I am looking for. My kids are 3 and 1 now, but will grow up faster than I want.

My primary vehicle for driving to and from work is my Harley. So the truck would be for inclement weather and days I need to take a lot of stuff wit me.

That makes me really think about the 2x4 vs 4x4 arguement. 2x4 would be less work and better gas milege eh? I probably plan on keeping this truck for a long time. Is there a big difference for towing?

Axle ratio? 3.31 would be best for fuel economy right? And it doesn't have that big an impact on towing does it? I highly doubt I will be towing anything super heavy for a while.

I can configure a truck on the USAA car buying app, but the actual Ford website won't load on our LAN. Being on a ship in the middle of the ocean is definitely not the best for internet. But, at least I do have some internet.

Thanks again for the input.

 

Since the truck won't be your primary vehicle, I don't think you should be too concerned with the ~1 or 2 MPG difference with a 4X4. You will get your money back when you sell it. As for maintenance, the truck will be under warranty, and there really isn't all that much to maintaining the 4WD system.

 

I'm guessing Navy/Marines? If you may be stationed in the northeast or along the coast (driving on beaches with family) 4 wheel drive might be preferable.
The 3.31 ratio you mentioned seems like it would work for you. I recently read of a guy who tried to retrofit nav- he had problems and went after-market with joy. Bed size could be dictated by trim choice--afaik Lariat
supercab either 6.5 or 8 ft bed, Lar. crewcab (CC) 6.5 ft bed. King Ranch (KR) is CC with either 6.5 or 8. Someone will corrrect me where I am wrong.
I choose the ford spray-in bed liner. Line-X is well thought of as aftermarket.
2011 closeouts would be great price--if they have what you can live with.
You may need to look at ordering a 2012 if what you need is not on the lots/
Regards
Russ
USAA member 34 years

 

You might want to think about (numerically) higher gears if you're going to be adding that camper and/or pulling a toy hauler - especially if you're going with a tall wheel/tire combo; if you're buying a truck to do work, it makes sense to configure it as such...no reason to compromise it's capability if it's not your daily driver IMO.

 

I forgot to put in if you are carrying 4x8 sheets of plywood or longer sticks of wood frequently the 8ft bed may be the way to go. If hauling less frequently a 6.5 bed with bed extender may be better.
Russ