I currently drive a 71 f250 and having issues affording the restoration. I'm thinking maybe of upgrading to a power stroke excursion. Would this be a good option for hauling a large power chair in the back and still be able to pull a trailer? It be nice to have an air condoner and cruse control as well.

 

I'd say make sure that the power chair will fit first, but weight wise, I don't see any issues. You may choose to upgrade/update your springs in the rear or put in airbags to assist with the load. If you're using the chair for yourself, you may want to check out the Ex's barn door situation... it's not for everyone. I, for one, really miss my power liftgate I had on the Expedition.

 

i live in a pretty spred out metroplex and i like to travel. would the v10 or the psd be the better motor for me? example i go to a dr every other week and it is 10 miles one way other drs are even farther out.

 

I mean what you're asking is pretty subjective. For example, you're saying your doctor is 10 miles away like it's a long trip. I put 40+ miles on my truck every day just going to work and back. If you're doing mostly in town, infrequent traveling, the V10 is the way to go. If you like to travel, say 400-500 miles, the PSD would get better gas mileage and (arguably) tow better.

The maintenance on the diesel is a lot higher than the V10 and the process of finding a well taken care of 6.0 can be a challenge in itself.

If you're set on diesel but want to avoid the hassle of finding the perfect 6.0, the 7.3 diesel (99-03) is a workhorse of an engine that's highly regarded. It's also loud. Some people are fine with that. If you can find one in the 100-150k mileage range, you should be fine (after checking it out of course).

 

so geting a pro code scanner mght be a good investment to pull up code history on a psd then or a v10. as for traviling my avrage trips will be 600-2400 miles round trip. so sounds like psd might be better for me right?

 

You probably have to spend extra money after the buy to bullet proof a 6 liter...

 

Ditto. The 6.0L is not for the faint of heart or the shallow of wallet. How heavy is the trailer you want to tow? If >8,000 lb, the 6.0L may be worth the effort and spending cash up front to prevent later problems. If you get a V10 and install 4.30 axle(s), it will tow well if you feed it plenty of gas.

We get approximately 9.5 - 10.5 mpg towing our big trailer at 70 mph. Under the same conditions without the trailer, we get 16.0 - 17.0 mpg. I don't know what a V10 would do in these situations.

Budget about $4K - $5K to 'bulletproof' an unknown 6.0L engine, on top of what you pay for it.

 

would i be better off looking for a 7.3d opposed to the 6.0psd?

 

Depends on mileage. I'd say that any 7.3L with less than 150,000 miles would beat comparable mileage 6.0. Then the problem will be chassis/body/suspension.

But, if you plan to really use it and can start with <100k miles on a pristine late 2005 6.0L, go for newer engine/chassis.

 

The v10 is nice if you get it with 4.30 gears. It gets **** mpg i get 9 towing my camper thats around 6k and we will see what i get towing my jeep which is 8k next week. If your towing you will need sway bars in the back and some other stuff. The rebuilding the suspension is going to happen on any of the years sense these trucks eat ball joints. I have had to replace the ones on my old super duty with 180k 7.3l and my excursion v10 140k. They might need new wheel bearings in the front too. As for the 6.0 you need to put a good chunk of money into it to get it where its trust worthy. The 7.3 the transmissions can give you problems but nothing like the dodge trans. The v10 seems to be easier on the transmissions. With how long you are towing it wouldnt hurt to go the diesel way but keep in mind that there is a lot more to go wrong on a diesel then a gasser, just because they have turbos intercoolers and complicated fuel systems. It is expensive to fix a diesel. I loved my 7.3l but when i sold it i went with a v10 sense its not my daily driver and autos just dont last behind diesels unless you put a lot of money into them. The v10 has impressed me with how well it tows and im pretty happy with the change from diesel to gas minus the **** mpg.

 

so i ether pay with bad mpg or with manitnce from what i understand. guess it comes down to personal preference then really

 

There ARE 6.0L diesels out there that do NOT need the thousands in repair or bulletproofing. I meet people every week that have 6.0s with over 100k on them that have had ZERO modifications to them and haven't a clue what I'm asking when I ask if they've bulletproofed their truck.

The general consensus (at least from the people I talk to) with the 6.0 is you either have a good one... or you don't. There are two 04s in my neighborhood who're still rocking their EGR and have the factory headstuds and exhaust. One was even crazy enough to run ford gold coolant in his. He uses his daily to tow over 8k in lawn equipment. Both have over 140k on the clock.

The point I'm trying to make is that there's a very good chance you can pick up a quality truck with a quality engine without spending an insane amount of money.

Now. If you want worry free piece of mind, then, yeah, you're going to need to pony up some cash, but the key is to finding the right vehicle BEFORE you buy. Pick up a scanguage (or equivalent) and spend some time on the 6.0 subforum here. Learn about FICM voltage and EOT/ECT temperature deltas. Those are two rather expensive items to replace/remove. I went through 5 seemingly good looking Excursions before I found mine.
While I haven't NEEDED any repairs, I've chosen to proactively take a few precautions because I want it to last another 100k.

Maintenance is higher on the diesel without question. Even standard things like changing fuel filters, oil changes... everything is higher on the diesel. Gas (at least in most places) is cheaper than diesel, although on my last tank, I averaged 20mpg (hand calculated), which is a lot better than the gas equivalent.

The key is to make a well educated choice first between gas and diesel and then make a well educated and researched purchase. Good luck whichever way you sway.

 

so would i be better keeping my 1971 truck then?

 

Unless its a compleatly restored i would sayyou will love the newer rigs and better mpg. My old 75 f150 with a 390 got 9 mpg when i drove it from washington to california so no matter which way you go your getting better mpg and more power. Granted i wouldnt mind having that old truck around just to have a truck. I use my car trailer for that job.