9/13 came and went..... lol. I need details on the platinum or the ULTIMATE!

 

No longer an auto loan...auto mortgage!

Almost every auto I have owned since my first in 1964 has had a limited slip or lockers or both.

For primary street use I like a LS over lockers. Off-road if there are rocks involved the more I lean towards lockers.

 

I just purchased a F-350 SRW CrewCab shortbed XLT Lariat and I love this truck. I have 1640 miles on it. I will be hauling my 2015 Lance 855s and pulling a Ranger bass boat. I think it will handle the load

 

The limited slip on my F-350 worked surprisingly well, but there are limitations. It only works at low speeds. If you gun the engine and spin the tires fast, the limited slip action stops since the clutch is overpowered. Unlike a locker, it also cannot transfer 50% of the torque to each wheel. Given that this is for street use, I'd bet its in the 15% range. It still is better than nothing, and the one in the M300 seems to be pretty responsive and it does help back the truck up my driveway through unplowed snow. Overall, I was happy. I reckon it will suffice for most field / loose dirt use. For true off-road use, a locker would be much better. Additionally, although most complain about it...the traction control system on these trucks also works pretty well to get the power over to the side of the axle with more traction.

 

I realize the power of the 6.7 could overwhelm the LS diff pretty easy.
I guess you now have a truck that would run circles around an SD truck in the badlands!
I would love to try a Raptor out in the Big Muddy Badlands.

 

The Raptor's advantage is suspension, tires, and much more sophisticated AWD / 4WD system. The tire advantage can be quickly negated...lots of guys put BFG AT KO2 35" tires on their Super Duty trucks...I did with my 2016 King Ranch diesel.

I never felt the dually was ever going to be much good off-road. I felt its 4x4 system would allow it to get across a muddy field, get through a snow storm, or make it up a steep gravel road. It did those things well for me. Tires / lifts etc are much more limited on a dually.

Now, a single-rear wheel Super Duty is actually a very good off-road vehicle...particularly the 1999-2016 trucks with the c-channel frame. They had very good wheel travel, thanks in part to the flexible frame (just ask Howie Long). The new trucks flex nearly as well. Good ground clearance, good wheel travel, a factory-offered electric rear locker, a two-speed mechanical transfer case, and a reasonably functional brake-based traction control system working on front and rear axles starting in 2011. Downsides are a jarring ride off-road, and size. But believe it or not, a Super Duty SRW truck is 6" narrower than a Raptor...which can help a lot on a trail.

But yeah, the Raptor is a hoot to drive hard in the dirt. Last night I hiked a mountain. To get to the trailhead, you needed to climb a winding mountain road which had paved sections and dirt sections intermittently along the road. The dirt sections were washboard and the paved sections had pot holes. The Raptor, in AWD mode, just hammered over all of it without skipping a beat.

 

Since the color combo I wanted is no longer available, I am glad I ordered this 2017.
And $18,000 or so off of MRSP is a substantial amount.
And I got a window sticker tonight!

 

No longer an auto loan...auto mortgage!

Almost every auto I have owned since my first in 1964 has had a limited slip or lockers or both.

For primary street use I like a LS over lockers. Off-road if there are rocks involved the more I lean towards lockers.

 

any news on the 2018 Changes?

 

Was the roof always aluminum? Or was it body color? I'm thinking thats a change.....oh, just looked again and seems its like that with the sunroof only....I guess its just clear coat on the aluminum?...hopefully no issues with that.

 

There are a few changes on the 2018 Super Duty, some of which were just released a couple days ago.

-The diesel engine receives a small bump in power of 10 more horsepower and 10 more lb-ft. Now rated at 450HP and 935lb-ft. More significantly (possibly) is that the cylinder heads have received some type of redesign.

-There will now be the option of a 4x2 F-450 (previously 4x4 only)

-Electronic Shift On The Fly is standard on all trim levels, including XL work trucks. Manual shift 4x4 will be a no-cost option on XL and XLT trucks.

-A new top trim "Limited" is now available, positioned above Platinum trucks. It includes some unique features: grille, wheels, suede headliner, two-tone custom leather, etc.

 

Roof has always been aluminum starting in 2017. It is also painted. Obviously, those trucks with the panoramic moonroof will have a mostly glass roof, but the rest is painted aluminum.

 

Not according to what I saw on the build site.https://shop.ford.com/build/superdut...3V.527.59Q.%5D...unless you mean clear coat as being painted. I'm sure its not just bare aluminum.

 

All 2018's have a tailgate camera

 

I've been configuring new Super Duty trucks for um... weeks so was pleased when I discovered night before last they finally updated the "Build You Own" to the 2018 models. I still have several windows open with 2017 configurations and so decided to compare the same truck with only the years being different. My first was a 350XL Crew Cab short box. I saw the 'base price' decreased from 48,905 to 46,655. Options were setup to be the same but I did notice some pricing changes with: Spray in Liner from 495 to 540, remote start from 195 to 250, dual alternators from 0 to 115, Sync3 from 115 to 450, trailer brake controller from 270 to 0 and Elect shift on fly from 185 to 0. The summary value for these selected options as well as others I had picked without any price change only increased the total options price by 95. Not bad. Delivery fees are the same. Incentives of -1295 are gone for 2018. When you add everything up my excel gave me a summary of 57,095 for the 2017 and 56190 for the 2018. I was half way excited to see a reduction...

That was until I noticed the summary price Ford gave was 58,880! The problem is that is an increase of $2,690 (~4.5% increase) and it does not jive with the detail priced options. Definitely looks like a bug of some sort. I did check my list several times. Hopefully they will fix that soon.

My background info:

Initially I was set on getting a Lariat F150 4x4 Supercrew with the 5.0 but by the time I got it loaded out like I want it I decided for about the same price (a little more or a little less), I could get a Super Duty which I think is way more truck for your money. I have probably run the Build your Own tool a hundred times maybe looking at everything from gas to diesels and single cabs to crew duallys. I got the Ford Truck fever bad and I know I will be getting a Super Duty. I pretty sure it won't be more than a Lariat due to budget constraints, it won't be a Dually because I really don't need it. It's going to be a CrewCab 4x4 and I had thought I wanted a gas motor but after driving both the gas and diesel back to back, its hard to not want that commanding power. I thought I had the color down but here comes this new stone color for 18 that looks very sweet. I know this will be the largest vehicle purchase I will ever make and my family is giving me the thumbs up to get it loaded. My desire not to spend tens of thousands beyond is holding me back. I've got some time and will be selling a few vehicles to raise cash and make room. My son just bought himself a loaded F250 Plantium diesel and planted the seed with dad.

I wonder if anyone else out there has spent as much time researching... :-)