First is the sales gimmick question. Dealer advertises msrp of say 71,000 and a sale price of say 58,000. Of course the msrp includes the destination and delivery charge of 1195. So they then roll back in the 1195 on top of the sales price in calculating final sale price. This does not make any sense to me. Am I missing something or is the dealer trying to pull something on me. Please explain.


The next question has to do with whether I go with a 3.73 or a 4.30. When I bought my 02 drw in 05 it was recommended on this forum I go with the 4.11 rear end so that is what I did. At that time I did not know how heavy my fifth wheel was going to be so that was what I went with. Getting ready to buy a 15 drw and going through same mental process except now I MAY be a little smarter. The ford brochure says either rear end is good up to 19000 lbs. If that is true why would I not go with a 3.73 which would provide better mileage, at least when I am empty. My fifth wheel weighs approx. 13,000 lbs so I think I should be in good shape. Am I thinking correctly? Does anyone have any experience with this rear end and pulling 13,000 lbs.

 

I am pulling 13,000 with my 12 DRW.. don't even know its back there..

 

With this engine, I don't think there is a reason to need such deep gears for pulling 13000 pounds.
That said, what ever I buy I always get the deepest gears I can. But I am old school.

 

I've got a 13 dually with the 3.73's. The claimed dry weight on my trailer is 9500 (GVWR 13465), I have not hit a scale with it to verify yet. But it'll be more as its loaded up and even with a 2/3 fully freshwater (100g) tank it tows great. On paper the dually is overkill for the trailer. Plenty of people pull heavier trailers with SRW. I've got room for error and growth. I'm more relaxed towing this combo than any other, aside from the worst of the worst northeast expansion joints, nothing bothers it. I see no need for 4.30 gears, though I would have considered a real F450 (aka 08-10 or 15+) just because I like the look of the 19.5s on the truck. Though they look much better than they ride. Far as I remember the 3.73 F350 dually was rated to tow 22k ish. 13k is nothing.

 

My 5th wheel weighs 12,000 (13,000 GVWR). Truck and 5er weigh 20,200. My 2014 F250 has the standard 3:31 rear end gear (18" wheels). I was concerned the 3:31 would be too high for the weight and voiced my concerns on this forum and was assured it would work. And it does. With the amount of torque, horse power and 6 speed transmission I can testify it works great. I have never had a tow vehicle that will go up hills with a heavy trailer as easily as this truck does. It is a pleasure to drive.
Randy
2014 F250 Lariat, CC LB

 

I concur about feeling relaxed with the drw. I would hate to go with a srw and find out I made a mistake. Other thread have validated this, even tho the srw is rated to pull 13 k, the ride can be rough, there can be considerable squat and side winds are much more a factor than a drw.

 

First things first --- MSRP
It does not incude destination charges and never has to my knowledge.. The destination charges vary depending upon the distance the vehicle has to be transported and transport method.


3.73's are just fine on my truck dragging a parachute that weighs about 18k... The truck never breaks a sweat.. I'm actually wondering how well it would have done with 3.55's actually...

 

That is amazing! Does the cross winds effect you much? Are you getting much squat? What kind of mileage are you getting towing and mt? Have you pulled up long inclines like in the mountains?

 

Next time you have an opportunity look at a window sticker, all the ones I have viewed recently have included the destination and delivery as part of the msrp.

 

The Destination fee is the same no matter where you live in the US.

I have the F350 SRW with 3:55 and 295/65R20 tires. So an inch bigger than the factory 20" tires. I pull a 13,000 lbs GN horse trailer in the mountains of Utah, Idaho and Wyoming. I frequently pull 20 mile long grades with 7% grades. My truck pulls that weight just fine.

A 3.73 in a dually with 17" or even the 19" tires will pull 13,000 just fine.

 

MSRP = Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price. This is the figure you find on FORD.com ...

Here's a random window sticker from the WWW that shows a $995 fee...
Like I said - it will vary. I would be pretty certain that there are additional fees to get trucks to Alaska and Hawaii..




The dealer is not trying to pull one over on you. The destination charges have never been a negotiable item in any of the new vehicles I have ever bought...

 

This is where I feel the delivery charges should not have been added to the sale price. This footnote was included with my quote and I do not see how the delivery charges could be construed to be installed accessories, license or doc fees. What say you?


*Your price quote is valid for 7 days and does not include Dealer Installed Accessories, Tax, License, or Doc Fees. We reserve the right to modify this quote to correct arithmetic errors. Incentive and pricing programs are subject to change by the Manufacturer without notice. We will notify you promptly if any incentive or pricing programs or other terms change.

 

I would agree with everyone that the 3:73's are fine. I have a SRW 350 and regularly tow a 5th wheel toy hauler that, depending on how loaded the garage is, can weigh from 17-19k. Tows 100% confidently with no issue in wind, mountains, anything really. I can't imagine "needing" a DRW for my situation but understand others love theirs.

As to the delivery charges, I think you are over analyzing. If you're getting a great deal, stop going in circles and grab it. A heavily discounted truck set up the way you want is something I wouldn't split hairs on.

 

As shown in the Monroney sticker above, the Destination & Delivery charge is part of the final MSRP shown at the bottom of the sticker.

However.....

It is quite common for a dealer to charge a separate "dealer handling fee". Furthermore, there may be added fees for dealer installed accessories, tax license, etc. Taxes and license fees are Uncle Sam's cut, so you can't bypass any of that.

The dealer handling fee is required by law to be posted in the dealership in clear view of the customer, and typically states something like "A dealer handling fee of $xxx is applied to the final negotiated price of all vehicles sold and is additional profit to the dealership." Often dealers will stick to their guns and refuse to negotiate this portion away.

Dealer installed accessories is often preloaded items. They can be common items such as clear mask, alarms, VIN etching, etc. Some items are just gimmicks, others are nice to have and can provide value. Yes it is true that often times dealers overcharge for certain items, especially the gimmicky ones.

Hopefully that helps explain.

 

The only need for a diff gear shorter than 3.73 is if it's a work truck doing all of its loaded driving in cities/towns, endless stop and go short trips. Basically a local landscape company, construction, utility types.

Heck, if we could shift on the fly between low and high range we could easily run 3.10 as long as it doesn't overheat (but we can't so it's moot).