I've been on the fence about buying a new Super Duty for at least two years now, and with more and more rumors swirling that they are closing the order banks for the 2016's on August 31st to gear up for the new 2017 model, I figured it was now or never. I already put down a $500 deposit and they drafted up the purchase order, but they are going to wait until Monday to submit it since I'm still debating on a couple of the options, which is where I'm hoping to get some input from you all.

The truck is going to be a F-350 Lariat crew cab, short box, 4x4, 6.7 Powerstroke in Magnetic. Below are the options I currently have on the build:

• Camper Package
• FX4 Off Road Package
• Lariat Interior Package
• Tailgate Step*
• Wheel Well Liners*
• 5th Wheel Hitch Prep*
• Engine Block Heater
• Transmission PTO Provision*
• Dual Alternators
• All-Weather Floor Mats
• Heated Rear Seats
• Rapid Heat Supplemental Cab Heater
• Navigation*
• Universal Garage Door Opener
• Upfitter Switches

The items with an asterisk (*) after them are the options I'm still on the fence about. As you can see, I have everything in the Lariat Ultimate package optioned except the moon roof because I'm worried about busting the glass throwing bikes and kayaks on the roof. I still hope I'm not sorry later that I didn't just go with the Ultimate Package though. Obviously the most likely option to toss is the PTO provision, but I was curious what you all thought. The 5th Wheel Prep I thought was a good idea for future proofing the truck. Still debating on the nav; it's a $900 option unless I spring for the Ultimate package, where it's included with the moon roof. I like the idea of wheel well liners, but was wondering if these are just a gimmick.

Last but not least, I think I negotiated a decent deal, but I wanted to get all of your input. MSRP for the truck is $65,715; I got them down to $59,377, which includes the current $1,000 rebate. If the rebates improve before I take delivery, I'll get to reduce the price accordingly. Only other charges I have to pay are license and registration of $373 and no sales tax (thanks Oregon!) or dealer processing fee BS.

I walked in wanting to just take a short bed crew cab for a test drive to my house to see if it'll fit my garage (it does, barely) and ended up walking out with a new truck order. I can't wait to take delivery, but I'll definitely miss my old 7.3, and not sure how quick I'll be turning it loose. It will at least stick around until after I take delivery of the new truck so I have something to pull my camping trailer in the interim. Below are a couple pics of the test fit:





Looking forward to my new home in the 6.7 forums!

 

SHOpar, welcome to the world of the Super Duty's purchasing nightmare! I've not ordered a truck since my '01 Excursion, but I see a lot of people with the same dilemma. You want a truck and want to get it right. I had a Lariat Ultimate in my '10. Loved the truck but really didn't care for the sunroof as it made it hotter here being in the south. But honestly, it's what you want. For instance my truck now. I don't really care for the chrome package at all except for the running boards. They are not as easy to slip off of as the standard ones, but then again people still like the plastic running boards. I'm glad to see you getting the dual alternators as I really didn't think about that when I bought mine. If ones goes bad, the truck will run fine on the other until repaired. If a single one goes bad, and the voltage drops to 11, these trucks will shut down. As far as the tailgate step, wouldn't have one without it. Very handy item to have especially as tall as the trucks are. The 5th wheel prep is nice to have as well. It's always there if you want it, but out of the way if you don't use it much. The wheel well liners are just a personal preference in my opinion. The PTO provision can be useful if you plant to use your truck for any type of work like that. May be a waste of money, but you may need it. Not sure. The NAVI system can be fun to play with, but I am finding I don't use mine much at all for navigation as I still use a Garmin that I can change while in motion. The only thing I really use it for is the occasional use of the satellite radio and the fuel centers that are coming up while traveling. Don't get me wrong, it looks cool and is fun for the kids to play with and I do like the voice controls of the Sync system at times. Glad to have you in the fold and look forward to seeing pics of your vehicle when you get it. You will love these trucks. I still have an Excursion 7.3 that I drive every day, but it can't hold a candle to the ride and performance of today's trucks. Welcome aboard!

 

Lariet, no sun roof or crome.


Camper package and Snow plow prep package.


5th wheel prep.


rapid supplemental heater and engine heater.


Nav.


Change to long bed.

 

If it were me, I'd drop the PTO, add snow plow prep. snow plow prep gets you the beefier springs up front.

 

Congrats on your order!

Remove the cheap floor mats and use the money for some good ones.

 

djousma,
Sorry about hijacking this thread but what is the difference in the front springs in the camper package vs the snow plow prep package?
Thanks,
Skip

 

Not sure. all I know is that camper package adds rear sway bar. Snow plow prep adds heaver front springs. Not sure if camper package does anything for the front at all. Maybe someone else will chime in.

 

The camper package adds the same front spring as plow prep. So, since the OP is getting dual alternators, the plow prep is nothing but an $85 notation in your records saying you can plow without voiding the warranty. It kills me that you have to order it to plow under warranty but I had to order it for just that reason since I got the camper pkg. and the dual alts too.

To the OP, I would get all your starred options other than the PTO. The step is a must. The wheel well liners are great and most add them later so just go for it and get it done. If you ever plan to haul a 5ver, the 5th prep is a no brainer. So much cheaper than adding later. I would also get the supplemental heater. It is such a nice option and cheap money.

PS: What's that hanging on the drivers side rear window?

 

Keys to the truck. Lock box with one key to access with the truck keys inside

Congrats on the order!

 

Never seen such a device. And here I was going to guess it was a tracking device to keep track of the truck...

 

SHO,
Congrats on pulling the trigger on your order! The options will all depend on personal preference but in my opinion:


- Tailgate Step* yes - I'm young, in shape and still use it just about every time, so it's not an old man stick
- Wheel Well Liners* yes - no real reason
- 5th Wheel Hitch Prep* can't comment but others will
- Transmission PTO Provision* yes - I like the ability for functionality
- Navigation* depends - I have it and use my Gmaps on my phone more. For me It's good on highways but not locally. Does not like the back roads I take which I know are quicker. But the touch screen display is nice. Not sure if you can get just touch w/o nav.

And I will be getting a long bed on my next one.

 

Karl4Cat,
Thanks for the clarification.
Skip

 

Congrats on taking the plunge, SHOpar! Once you've finalized everything, send me a PM with your order number and dealership name/location. I'll provide you with weekly updates on the status of your truck's progress.

Crystal

 

• Camper Package
• FX4 Off Road Package
• Lariat Interior Package
• Tailgate Step*
• Wheel Well Liners*
• 5th Wheel Hitch Prep*
• Engine Block Heater
• Transmission PTO Provision*
• Dual Alternators
• All-Weather Floor Mats
• Heated Rear Seats
• Rapid Heat Supplemental Cab Heater
• Navigation*
• Universal Garage Door Opener
• Upfitter Switches

For my tastes, I like the 20" wheels. Doesn't adding the Camper Package give you 18" wheels. I would substitute the snow plow prep package for the camper package and add the rear sway bar myself. You get the nice front springs with the snow plow prep package and you can order the 20" wheels. You have to install the saw bar yourself. In my case, when I got my 2015 truck home, my first task was to climb under it and install the sway bar axle bolts with never seize. 8 months later, I still have not installed the actual sway bar but the bolts should come out easy enough.
Link to how this is done.


I like the sunroof on my truck that came with the Lariat Ultimate package so my vote would be for this package. I wouldn't own a truck without a sunroof. Hope the 2017s come with a panoramic sunroof like my wife's Escape has on it. Very nice.

I like the Navigation package. I use it even when going places where I know the route. It tells you how far ahead a turn is and how many miles you are to your destination. Nice to know on a longer trip.


Something you didn't note but you need to consider. When this truck breaks, it's crazy expensive to fix. You need to have a plan on how to get the beast back on the road when expensive stuff breaks and you are out of warranty. I like the Ford ESP and Diesel plans but I would not purchase them when you close on the truck. Wait until you are almost out of base warranty. If something happens to the truck while you are still in base warranty (Trade it in, crack it up, sell it), Ford does not give you all your money back. There are several online sellers of the Ford plans that sell the plans at a nice discount. Geico also has a good plan. FTE members that bypass the extended warranty and experience a broken truck outside of warranty have a history of making emotion packed posts here, blaming the dealer and Ford when in fact, their anger is mostly due to decisions they made but did not work out in their favor around an extended warranty. Members that bypass extended warranty options and are asked to write significant checks to get their beast back on the road are under the impression that expensive trucks are never supposed to break. Unfortunately, the more expensive a vehicle, the more likely it is to break. High technology is not the most reliable technology. Also, plenty of posts here of expensive parts breaking moments or just a few miles after the warranty expires. If you are covered for 100,000 miles, the Ford trucks seem to know this and break at 100,010 miles. When warranty coverage expires, Ford is under no obligation to fix your truck under the warranty and tends not to.


Congratulations on the new beast. You will love it.

bruce...

 

Thanks for all the input everyone! Based on all of your input and the input from the RV forums, I'm pretty sure I'll eliminate the PTO provision since it'll likely never get turned into a full-blown work truck. I think I'll keep all the other option boxes checked, and will give the moon roof some more thought over the next day or two.

As far as camper vs snow plow prep package, everything I've read is that the camper package gives you the same front springs as the snow plow prep plus an upgrade on the rear springs, a sway bar, and a camper slide-in certification. I don't see ever hanging a plow off this truck unless I have a major life change and move somewhere that sees a lot more snow than Portland. The camper package forces 18" wheels, which is fine by me, since I like the non-chrome package 18's as well as additional sidewall for offroading (which this truck will see).

I spent a long time debating on the long bed. With my garage limitations, I had the choice of an extended cab long or short bed or a crew cab short bed. Since I personally prefer the looks of the short bed and know the back seat in the extended cabs on the new trucks have less room than mine, I decided to go crew, short. The added advantage is I can fit the Titan 50 gallon tank underneath it and get to option the heated rear seats.

As far as future repairs and maintenance goes, I know these trucks aren't cheap to run and repairs out of warranty get expensive fast (I see that with my 7.3 that's about as simple of a diesel as you can get). The routine maintenance costs don't scare me, and as far as additional extended warranties go, I'll definitely be looking at them near the end of the factory coverage.

Thanks for the welcome everyone! Now the long wait begins...