Hello guys,

I have made my mind to jump into the SD world. I currently have a 2014 ecoboost, and while I love that truck, I believe I need to step up. I do about 35k miles a year, with a couple trips hunting out west in the mountains - usually pulling a 16ft enclosed trailer loaded to the max, 4 guys, and a probably 1000 pounds of gear in the box. I love the power that motor puts out, but the transmission just can't handle that much weight in the mountains and on both trips I was constantly having to stop and let it cool off once we got in the mountains.

I also pull a 18' flatbed utility trailer with a small tractor and ranger, a couple thousand pounds of fertilizer/seed/water/implements in various different combinations. I think the heaviest I have ever been is 3500 lbs between the ranger, JD, and tiller, with 2000 pounds of fertilizer/seed/misc equipment in the box, plus the weight of the trailer. That usually happens about twice a year, with most weekends in the summer I will be pulling a lighter combination (but still pushing the sticker rating on my truck or going over almost all the time). I only see this foodplot hobby getting bigger (heavier) in the future, with upgrading from a 23 hp diesel lawn tractor to a 3020 or 4020.

With those driving conditions, what would you guys say I should order? My dad has had a 2001 F-250 7.3L and now the 2016 F-250 6.2L, and I have driven both a fair amount. Neither the gas or diesel scares me and I know they will both handle my driving conditions. What I would like is more opinions from guys that have gone down the SD route.

So the big one first - Gas vs. Diesel?

Current thoughts:
- Gas is 8k less to order
- Gas is cheaper to buy
- Diesel gets better mpg (push from financial view, but looking from a driving range view)
- Diesel is more dependent (longer life, more solid motor)
- Gas is easier (DEF, plugging it in, warming it up)
- Diesel will perform better in the mountains and towing foodplot trailers
- Gas is more abundant (every store has gas)

Next Up - Lariat vs. XLT
I really like the LED head lights, but I can't justify the 10k it takes to get them over an XLT - would like to do the conversion I saw on here earlier
I like leather seats, but my current truck has seat covers over cloth anyway
The bells and whistles are nice, but are they worth the money over a premium XLT?
I wont get a diesel Lariat - that is just too much money for me to spend on a truck.


Side question - 250 vs. 350

Any real difference? does anyone feel strongly one way or the other?

Give me your honest opinions!
Thanks in advance

 

Usually the 350 is not much more in price than the 250 and you gain more hauling capabilities. I would go 350.


Diesel is at many stations now in my area so that isn't too much of a concern. On the highway it is readily available at truck stops.


The weights you are towing are very doable with gas. I tow a 7k pound boat, my F150 does okay however my Dodge diesel does it much better and I am more relaxed. The diesel will give you lots of power towing up the mountains over gas.


I personally like the XLT line and don't get sucked into the upper models and their gadgets.

 

I think the 350 is $1200 on the website, now who knows that the price you pay at the dealer will be compared to a 250.

If you were in my shoes would you lean towards a diesel XLT?

 

I really struggled with this exact question. In my case it is a lease for business and the monthly wasn’t that different for gas or diesel. I went Diesel Lariat but I would have gone diesel XLT over Lariat gas. There are so many opinions that support both sides of this but in the end it comes down to you. I think get what will address your work or play needs for the truck, if you need to sacrifice some luxury options for the Diesel engine If that is important to you then so be it, if it’s the other way around that’s ok to. I think in retrospect I went into it wanting a Diesel and then spent a lot of time looking at what facts would support that decision. Which wasn’t too hard :-)

 

So I can tell you I went through the exact same questions in my head. Ultimately, the price did limit what I got but I tried to maximize the options to fit my needs. When a gas F250 Lariat Ultimate came up for sale in the lightly used lot down the road, I had to go for it.

My thoughts:
1) If I went gas, F250 (gas transmission). If I went diesel, F350 (diesel transmission). All due to the payload ratings. The diesel in the F250 was too much of a hit for my needs and registration for a F350 was an extra cost along with the GVWR flirting with 26,001#. Winner F250 and I really like how the transmission shifts.

2) My old, cloth level trim Nissan had some features I wasn't willing to go backwards on. Even with a loaded XLT, it just didn't have what I wanted. The steering wheel, the rear view mirror,and the radio (the tachometer display is nice too. Winner Lariat; not even close. (Lariat Ultimate ate up my "diesel" budget as well)

3) LEDs. I have the Lariat Ultimate without the LEDs and also without the 360 tow package. I have zero issue with the halogen lights. For me, the cost of those add-ons pushed the price tag out of range so I am perfectly happy with this setup. If going Lariat, go Lariat Value or Ultimate at a minimum. Plain Lariat is just a little too plain IMO.

4) Gas vs diesel. The 6.7L is REALLY nice. However, I don't tow for a living and I make too many short trips. Diesel costs more per gallon and its not like guys are getting super super great mileage. My heart wanted diesel; my brain wanted gas. No issues so far with my 6.2L; enjoy it a lot.

5) So, F250 6.2L brings up the next question. 3.73 gears or the 4.30 gears. I had my heart set on the 4.30 gears but when this truck came up, I caved. I figured I drive fast more than I tow heavy so the 3.73 would be fine. So far, no issues but I know one day I will miss the 4.30 gears. But, that should only be for a day.

 

Right now diesel is more expensive than gas, usually not the case from my experience in the past 10 years owning a diesel.
LED are, as of 2018, only avail on KR, Plat, or Limited, no more LED for Lariat. If you find a 2017 with them, it adds the BLISS (1+K) and Lariat Premium (4+k), plus the LED (1+K) so they end up costing 6-7k minimum and a lot of stuff you may not like, want, or need.
I've towed with gas and diesel and I'll never go back to gas for anything over 6k or so. My old 2005 F250 with the 6.8L V10 (450 ft lbs of tq, three vavle (still not sure why the new gassers barely make 400 ft lbs.)) was great but the mileage was terrible towing 6-8k and unloaded. 12 mpg unloaded, 7-8 loaded.
My Cummins gets 10-12 towing 14k 5th wheel with double the frontal area my car hauler had, 18-19 unloaded. That makes your range significantly higher before you have to stop for gas. At least a 50% increase so a 300 mile fill up turns into a 450 mile fill up. Reading the boards here, most of the newer 6.7L are getting about 17 MPG so my mileage won't decrease much when I get the new truck.

6.7L warranty is 100K, 60K for the gas engine. Probably save you some ESP cost since you have an extra 40k miles covered.
just my $0.02

 

So what was your transmission temperature? I pulled a 8,500 5er over Vail Pass and up through the Eisenhower tunnel and my trans temp never got over 208. What you are pulling should not be a challenge for the F150 at all.

Given the miles you drive and what little you pull, a Super Duty doesn't make any sense to me.

 

225 is where we pulled over to let it cool, and we did that over a dozen times on both trips. A few times it bumped up to 226 or 227 before we were able to stop.

I think a 150 with 3.73s would work for what I want to do, as it is right now, but we plan to start pulling a triple (camper + ATV trailer) out west and then the half ton goes right off the table no questions asked.

I will add that over the last 700 hours of driving (roughly 25-30k miles) my average is in the 13s for MPG. Two mountain trips this year dropped my yearly mileage down to 13 something, which is what I might expect for a diesel yearly average - so its not like my fuel costs are going to go through the roof over what I have right now. Both trips were 7.5 mpg round trip over about 4500 miles total.

 

I guess a price limit is a good start. My truck is an XLT premium 6.7. Stickered for $62k, there is a Lariat on the lot now for $64k. The lariat will have leather seats and nicer dash but its a dependant on what you can do with or without. My truck has the heated cloth seats and im considering having the Katzkinz installed for $1200 and at that point my truck will have way more options on it than the Lariat he has at nearly the same price point. Id go 350 if you go diesel to get the payload back from the diesel weight. The diesel will pull anything you put behind it effortlessly. If you go gas you could stay at the 250 but would handle what you are doing at an $8500 savings. I think past 10,000lbs is where the diesel will really show what 925ft lbs of torque is all about. Lastly, I dont consider any 1/2 ton trucks anybody makes now a “truck”, more like cars with a bed. Thats just my opinion, if I didnt pull anything id still buy a 3/4 ton to get a real “truck”.

 

I don't think you can make the blanket statement that the diesel is the more solid motor over the gasser anymore.

 

Like StrikeForce (post #5 above) I moved to a Superduty from a Titan. I was tired of having to watch the transmission and engine gauges and manage the gear I was in to prevent overheating. I was looking for overkill and I have that in my F-350 6.7L. My toy hauler has a GVWR of 11K and I'm close to that every time I pull it unless I don't have my side-by-side in the garage.

The newer Superduty diesels seem to like to run hotter than previous years. I hit 243° F on the engine oil temp and 232° F on the transmission temp. No warnings or derating took place. Those temperatures were seen while pulling up Berthoud Pass (11,000' elevation).

If you weren't going to be pulling in the mountains then I would say go with a 6.2L engine. Mountain pulling is just so much easier with the 6.7L engine. What's in your future? Bigger trailer? That might be something to keep in mind.

I haven't had any problem finding diesel. In Wyoming and Colorado it is very common except for perhaps in some of the neighborhood stations.

Out west where stations aren't always closely spaced the long bed with the 48 gallon fuel tank sure comes in handy.

 

One thing to keep in mind is if you go with 6.2 the 350 has the same transmission as diesel (6R140) while 250 has the torqshift g which is an F150 transmission. 6R140 is regarded as a more robust and more likely to handle the transmission overheating issues you have (larger fluid capacity).

 

6.7L XLT Premium here, love it with no regrets. Averaging 17.8 MPG lifetime over 7000 miles. Not sure if the lariat seats are the same as my father-in-law's F150 lariat, but our XLT seats (buckets w/console) feel better for both myself and my wife while traveling than his.

Good luck!

 

Per the 2018 Order Guide, LEDs are still available on Lariats as an option (59Q) when the Ultimate Package (96U) is ordered.

 

I have the ‘17 6.7L diesel crew cab FX4 and it’s an XL with the STX appearance package. Diesels have been in the in-laws fam for years & years but this is my first. I love it and haven’t looked back. It’s an excellent road warrior and a torque & turbo beast. Maintenance is no issue, fuel availability is no issue, ride-quality is better than my F150 was. An XLT offers strong amenities.

My vote would be a 6.7 XLT hands-down.

My $0.02