The 7.3L PSD, no matter what you get, the truck will be at least 13 years old, and come with 13+ year old truck issues. Plus, the clean used trucks are selling at a premium.

A gas 3V V10 or 6.2L V8 will work as hard for you. Both great engines in front of great transmissions.

If you reject the 6.0L PSD based on reputation then also reject the 6.4L PSD.

 

For that little weight you don't want a diesel. More headache than it is worth. Get the 6.2 gasser. Excellent engine. Keep an eye on the weight ratings.

 

For that weight yes you'll want a dually. My last truck I hauled a 4000lb camper and was still 1000lbs over GVWR. Current truck could do it but I'd be on the edge and the slide in's I was looking at were closer to 5K wet.

7.3L is a good engine and I sold my dually to a guy that uses it to haul a slide in that is in the 4K wet range. Truck has no problem hauling that weight around at all. Mine was a weekend rig and would sit for days to 3 weeks or more. Never a problem. After 3 or 4 weeks if I didn't drive it, I'd take it to work one day and then it would sit some more.

I'll go against the grain a little and I would consider a well cared for, later 6.0 and bulletproof it but that's me as I know a guy to do that work. I wouldn't own any diesel past a 6.0 and why I have a 6.2 which is more truck than the 2000 diesel ever was.

 

I have a TC on a F-250 but recommend getting a F-350 Dually especially if looking at 4k Camper weight. Mine does well but had to do suspension upgrades to it.

 

Thanks for all the advice. I did purchase the new camper. Couldn't let it slip away. My 1995 F350 gas with air bags in the back is 'ok' but sooner than later I need to upgrade the truck too. Both for the payload but also to get a more modern truck.

So, what it really comes down to is to dually or not. And I still don't have a clear handle on that. Does anyone here have a truck camper setup that can chime in?

Looking around the 2011 model diesel.

 

As I said in my earlier post, I have our CAT scaled 3,100 pounds camper on our 2012 6.2 with 3.73 rear end and have been all over the West without a problem. I don't think 4,000 pounds belongs on a SRW, but I also know plenty of folks doing it and they report not problem at all. If you go to the Towing forum under Slide-Out campers, I am sure you will hear from them.

So I agree with you, I do not think this is a power issue at all, but a gasser will shift down more and more often turning a lot more revs than a diesel, so pulling weight I think a diesel is more pleasant to drive, but that is a preference issue for me.

In the end, it is going to come down to, I think, in how much stock you put in the manufacturer's weight ratings. I just never exceed my ratings, but I know the majority of folks who haul slide-in campers do. I don't think anyone else can help much with that part of the decision.

Steve

 

In my srw truck, 4000 lbs loaded level with the cab roof rides okay unless it's windy. Don't think I'd want to travel the country with that same weight stacked up as high as a typical slide in camper sitting in a srw truck. Body roll would get to me.

 

I agree with you. On an ordinary day, no problem. Gusting 50 mph winds, I think not so much fun!

Steve

 

I carry a 3,500 lbs. truck camper (TC) and pull a 3,000 lbs. cargo trailer with about 300 lbs. tongue weight. Call it a 4,000 lbs. load on the truck suspension and about 7,000 lbs. total carry & pull load.

My SRW truck is described below. I have the OEM camper package (upper helper spring + heavy anti-sway bars front and rear. I still didn't like the sag or sway with the TC loaded so I installed rear Sumo Springs (rated at 2,800 lbs. additional carrying capacity).

My set-up rides drives and performs very nice now and the 7.3l diesel has no issue pulling the load anywhere ... even through the Appalachian mountain states. I do not exceed 62 mph when camping and we are always on asphalt or hard packed gravel roads. We do not go "off road" camping or boondocking ... state and provincial parks are about as "roughing it" as we get.

If I had to do it again, I likely would look for a F350 (for the higher, on-paper GVWR), still with the 7.3 diesel (I like the idea of working on it myself) and perhaps a dually for the extra safety margin although I am very comfortable with our SRW setup. Hope this helps. ~ BugJr ~

 

I think if you DON'T get a dually, you will regret it deeply, and often. I've hauled a 3K wet cabover on a SRW, and it was no fun. Add ANY cross wind to that at all, and you'll be stopping frequently for changes in undies. I had to sit on the side of the road several times and wait for wind storms to die down before I could get under way again.

If your slide in camper is anywhere near 4k wet, then it's dually or no truck imo.

 

1 agree with the above post about getting a dually. I had one for my last truck and now I have the F-250 for our truck camper highly modified to make it handle properly and if funds would have permitted I would have replaced it with a dually F-350 or better still a F-450 as it comes with the 19.5 wheels and tires for higher load capacity. I've looked at the 19.5" for our truck and its around 4k+ to do that upgrade on the F-250.

 

Looking seriously at a 2010 XLT DRW with 92,000 miles on it for 22K. It has the 6.4 motor. I think this sounds like a solid deal.

Anyone have input on the pricing, etc?

thanks

 

If you can find one I would look for a 2012 or above with the 6.7L . The Belgiums helps Ford design it and it uses Bosh fuel injection which has been around fore ever. I had a 2009 with the 6.4 and while it had really good power my Ford tech friend advised selling before the 100k driveline warranty was out. Seems they had issues with several things and even Fords ESP warranty didnt want to step up to the plate to repair. Things like injectors hanging causing hydrolock and block destruction made me go to the 6.7.
The 2011 was first year on those with some valve issues and radiators failing . Seems to have been worked out in the 2012 and up models. Just my 2 cents!

 

I paid 28k for my 6.7 a few weeks ago with 127k miles on it. If you can spend another 5k I would get a 6.7 over a 6.4. I would probably get a 6.0 over a 6.4 too. My 6.0 runs just as good if not better than my 6.7. I already found out on some back roads that it can outrun my 6.7

 

If you buy a 6.4, you may find out quick that you just thought the 6.0 had problems. Atleast a 6.0 can be fixed. But when a 6.4 is running, they run strong.