Hey Guys. New guy here. I am purchasing my first powerstroke and need some help finding my way as I have been overwhelmed with all the different configs from 99-2013.


I have been researching this off and on for months and this forum has been excellent. Thank you all.

I am looking at an F350 crewcab fullsize drw. 2wd preferred. I cannot decide between an older 99-2002 and their legendary 7.3L or the newer 6.7L with their stump pulling 800ft/lbs, 6 spd, and engine brake. And, although this may not be the best way to start off a thread on Ford truck forum, the 6L is off the table for me (sorry 6L fans; no offense intended)!

I currently tow a TT at about 5800lbs loaded and also pull a 20ft enclosed car hauler loaded with a sand rail and gear or classic cars (haven't weighed that yet) and 2 growing boys. Both towing situations are new to me as of Jan of this year but have already lost track of the number of trips.

Since this is really the beginning of towing for us going bigger on the TT side is likely and, since I keep my vehicles at least 10 years on average, I plan on keeping this truck until there is nothing left of it. (After all how much more truck can a guy need!)

I am thinking drw because of better handling and load capabilities but realize I am no where near load cap even for a F250 let alone a 350 drw. Again, keeping this truck a LONG time.

We run a lot of BIG hills and winding roads as well and a lot wet roads here in Oregon. Not much snow.

Here are my questions:

99-02 vs 09-12? Can I get away with the older? Are the 09-12 really worth the money? 4 spd vs 6? Is the 300 ft/lbs of torque difference a deal breaker? In my area the older goes for $20ish fully loaded and has right at 100k mi. and are like new (one owner). The newer goes for $35-45k fully loaded, around 6K mi. and up.

The bottom line is I don't want to over buy with the newer nor do I want to spend a lot of time and money making the older perform like the newer. I can afford either; just trying to be practical.

Thoughts? Links to other posts appreciated. Thanks for putting up with the new guy. Appreciate your input.

 

The 7.3 is pretty long in the tooth as far as body/suspension etc. Also the transmission is a concern on them. I am always a proponent of buying the newest you can afford. If you keep trucks for ten years, that 2002 7.3 will be into 20 years plus old. Just food for thought.

 

If it were me, and saying that you are going to keep the truck for 10+ years, I would buy the newest that you can afford. Personally, the amount of advances that trucks have made over the last few years warrants the decision to purchase a newer truck.

Just my humble opinion.

 

if you're going to keep the truck for 10yrs plus get a new one, it'll be cheaper in the long run.

 

I agree and get the ESP.

 

Here are some thoughts on someone that decided on the older one:

We bought our 7.3 based primarily on the legendary reliability basis. We purchased it knowing that we wanted to semi-retire and travel full-time in a fifth wheel travel trailer that we had not started looking for at the time.

The 99-03 7.3 F-250s and F-350s all have a gross combined weight rating (truck and trailer actual weights) of 20,000 lb. With the truck weighing 7,500, that leaves 12,500 for a trailer. As we started finding out when shopping full-time capable fifth wheels, 12,500 is around what many of them weigh empty (ours scaled at 12,400 at the factory). Toss your life's supplies in the trailer and we're pushing 15,500 now.

However, by the time we settled on a trailer, we had already sunk a bunch of money in the truck bringing it up to spec. Between the original purchase price and what we've put into it, we're at a little over $30K. Bad news is if something happened to it - insurance is going to pay off at most NADA clean retail, which I just tonight checked and is down to about $12,700. That's a big hit to take.

Hindsight being 20-20, I'd have probably picked up a low mile, lightly used 2010-2013 6.7. Selling our 7.3 and buying a 6.7 now would be financially feasible, but I'd be tossing away good money. The 7.3 pulls and stops the trailer fine, though I might be one of the last ones up a long grade. And with all the things I've had rebuilt or replaced, it should last quite a few years. So I'm sticking with it for now.

Plan ahead is what I'm trying to convey, I guess. You'll spend almost as much on a good used 7.3 and throwing more money at it to make it reliable as you might on a decent, used 6.7 and the 6.7 will be worth what you paid for it.

 

Thank you MTalley for the thoughtful post. Good info indeed.

 

Just thought I'd finish this post off with what I decided to do. I ordered a 2014 F350 2wd crew cab drw 172" WB with the 6.7L (of course). Lariat trim and interior with leather, preferred equipment pkg, 5th wheel prep, and a cache of custom options. I paid less than many used ones are going for so it was an easy decision. Thanks everyone for you excellent input. Posts that influenced me the most were jstnromero & MTalley.

Here's to being first up the hill!

 

Excellent! Great truck. Post pics when you get it

Only thing I would've done differently in your situation is to make sure I got 4WD. There's never really a reason to not get a truck with 4WD, and there often seems to be some time over the life of the truck when you really wish you had it. I almost did the same thing when I bought my first Super Duty (moving up from a 2WD Nissan Frontier), but a friend talked me into 4x4, and I'm so very glad he did. If you're 100% paved highway cruising and will never see freezing temperatures, then it's skippable. Otherwise...

 

Great to hear....glad you made the decision to take the plunge on a new vehicle. Enjoy the new truck and post pics when you get it!

 

For future readers who will be faced with this same dilemma I wanted to answer Firekite's excellent point and elaborate on my decision to go with 2wd which, understandably, goes against the grain when thinking about trucks; especially one of this caliber and expense.

I considered Firekite's argument in depth for months before purchasing this truck and I have been considering this purchase overall for the better part of a year. In short, and to respond directly to the argument for 4wd, I will ONLY be driving this truck on paved roads and never in snow or ice.

This truck was purpose designed and custom ordered to fit my use for it. It's only job will be pulling and hauling and only on paved roads and never in snow or ice; it will not be my daily driver. My current daily driver is a 2001 Chevy Tahoe 4x4 that is mint and just works too good to give up and it will remain my daily driver. I also have a 1960 F100 4x4 in my garage that is mostly for fun but is equally as capable and in excellent condition as well; I am covered in the 4wd area.

With all the above in mind here is specifically why I chose the 2wd option: don't plan on driving off road or in snow and ice, less maintenance and repair over the life of the truck, better ride and handling for those 100 to 600 mile trips we take regularly (traveled 63 days already this year), lower truck height for wife and kids to get in and out.

None of the following was a consideration but just for fun: the 2wd have a great stance, look mean, and (to me) look like the hot rod of trucks when you put white raised lettering on the tires. That theme will go great with pulling my classic cars to the shows. Disclaimer: none of these are valid reasons when considering a truck!

Last but not least, it rarely if ever snows where I live and there are only a handful of days a year where the roads are icy. We do take regular trips over the mountain in the snow to visit family but never when pulling or hauling and even with the 4wd F350 drw the Tahoe is better suited for that kind of driving which is a whole ‘nother post that one can read about else where on this site.

Having kept the last 3 vehicles I have owned for over 10 years, [read: resale value not important], (my Tahoe currently has 180K on the clock) I am hoping that this will be my “forever” truck because, as we all know, properly maintained diesels can run hundreds of thousands of miles and more! Here is to being the first one over the hill and seeing how many miles I can put on a truck!

PS If it turns out I am wrong I will be the FIRST one to admit it.

 

MG,
I made the same decision regarding getting 2WD. I don't offroad (except in campgrounds) and only drive in coastal and mostly flatland CA, which never sees snow and rarely gets cold enough for ice. I did decide to get the locking rear diff, which I think may help if I ever get slipping on gravel or dirt while in a campground or if I use a boat ramp (not likely).

There are lots of reasons to get 4WD if you really need it, but I had a Ford Explorer for 8 years which NEVER got into 4WD where I live, even on the occasional trip up to Lake Tahoe. 4WD is also more expensive and may require more maintenance as the vehicle ages.

 

Well that's really all you had to say

 

Just a bump to this thread to note that I, too, jumped on the new truck bandwagon. Model year-end incentives got the best of me (fairly well loaded Lariat with a sticker of $61k, purchased for $48k).

 

Stay away from any 6.0 and the 6.4 as they both have many problems. The new 6.7 is a good bet but don't overlook the 3V V-10's from 2005-2010 either.