Hey guys, i want your opinion and thoughts. I have an 05 350 with the 6.0. Im looking to replace it with something newer that has a heavier tow rating. Heres my conundrum.... im looking at used 6.7s. I have been finding some pretty good deals lately. There are 2 specificially that i like. The first is a 2012 350 4x4 dually fully loaded lariat. The second is a 2017 450 4x4 dually with the xl package. Now my 05 is a lariat, but back in its day there werent a ton of options for these trucks, so comparing it side by side the 2017 is similarily equipped to my current truck. Now im not a techie where i need to have all the bells and whistles, but if they come with a truck that i buy, i wont argue. If I were to end up with a more basic truck id most likely add an aftermarket radio or a stand alone sync system. Ive heavily modded my 2005, but i have never driven or towed with a 6.7. What say yall.... newer truck with less features and newer style engine, or older more loaded truck. Im aware that the 2012 would most likely need the turbo updated and a few other things, but either truck will get the "treatment" with some entry level mods, etc. The 2017 has 10k more miles than the 2012. I will be pulling a 5th wheel with a gvwr of 19,000 lbs. What say yall?

 

Once accustomed to 'luxuries' I'd be hard pressed to give up things found in a Lariat (vs an XL); things like power windows, door locks, heated seats, etc.
Then again there is a world of difference between a 9 year old F350 vs a 2 year old F450.

If not under any pressure to buy today I'd likely keep looking.

 

The xl has power windows, door locks, power mirrors, sync version 3, gray leather, upfitters etc. Just not heated and cooled seats, etc. My current truck doesnt have seat heat so i wont miss it lol.

 

The 2017 will have more power and likely a higher tow rating along with an aluminum body that won't rust. Even an XL can have some upgrades that might make it close to a Lariat. My Lariat is NICE so like Army RET I would be hard pressed to move down on the options. The only additional option I considered (that would have required KR or Platinum) was the massaging seats.

 

I wonder if its possible to add those interior upgrades. I know itdd need wiring and modules but still.

 

Either this XL was nicely optioned or the trim level has been significantly upgraded since Y2K; as such I'd be highly inclined to consider this F450 over the F350.
Personally I have NO interest in massaging seats (nor the chrome glitz) that the Platinum force feeds.

BUT if I could get an optional pax seat young red-headed cutie it'd be a done deal. Or perhaps another cute love puppy.

 

I'd get the 450. I think it will serve you better in the long run.

 

My 2013 F350 can tow 22K. So either should work fine. But...I'd opt for the F450. It has what you need. Plus you can buy the other stuff when you want and give yourself some alone time with your new toy.

 

I switched to Ford for the Aluminum body for rusting so I would go with the '17 450. I'm sick of my beautiful trucks rusting after 4-5 years but I live in Ontario where we pour salt on our roads. I bought a '19 Lariat F450. My wife wanted the xlt and we would get aftermarket leather. But I wanted the lariat for memory seats and better dash display. I'm sick of trying to find my spot after my wife was in my vehicle. It is especially hard with power seats. Manual seats isn't too bad to find your spot again. The 450 also has a greasable front end, tighter turn radius and bigger brakes. I ended up ordering my 450. I've always found new to be cheaper in the long run. I keep my trucks a long time and I hate buying someone else's problem. Nobody gets rid of a truck because it gave them no trouble or didn't need some work. By ordering a new one you don't have to get some options you don't want just because it came with it.

You can't change the guts but you can always salvage some seats or add a fancier radio. The 2017 has a ton of differences that are all better. It will also hold its value much better being a current body style.

 

 

You let your wife drive your truck???


@ OP: Your choices tell me you have no clear idea of what you want, other than a newer truck. Since you have a 5er to pull, compare the cargo carrying capacities of each truck. Option for option, an F450 has less cargo carrying capacity than an F350. But since you are talking different generations, it's hard to say without looking at the labels.
As long as the 450 has the capacity to carry your pin weight and all the other cargo, I'd choose it over an older 350.
Something else you may not have thought of is fuel tank size. The F450 is going to have a 48 gallon tank, what size tank does the older truck have?

 

Check the difference in registration. It could be a big difference between the 350 /450. Millage oisn't a big deal but I wonder where the leather and other goodies came from. Doesn't the XL come with cloth seats crappy radio and other entry level things. Check the vin to see what options really came on the truck.

 

 

Registration and insurance should be the same. The 450 pickup is still a class 3 truck (14,000 gvw). Most insurance know this. The f-450 pickup is a different class truck than the f-450 chassis cab. Mine is fully commercial registration as we pay for heavier weight and I need a Class A license to drive it with our trailers. My insurance rate didn't change from our previous 350/3500 trucks. It is a much safer vehicle in my opinion with the heavier empty weight, bigger brakes, wider front end and commercial tires. There is absolutely no brake fade when I need to stop a heavy load and the trailer brakes are acting up after being in the field or mud. If insurance is smart the 450 should be cheaper insurance as it is much more stable than my previous 350/3500 trucks and I know in an emergency it is a much more capable truck towing the same weights.

 

Another thing to consider is everyone is worried about payload weight and using that figure for pin weight. That is not how commercial ratings work. If it is just the bare truck you can not exceed 14,000 lbs total with payload and fuel.

When towing a trailer they look at each axle rating, tire rating and gvw rating of brakes. So for example front axle is rated at 6,000, rear axle 9,900 and pulling a trailer with 10,000 axles. Assume the tires are rated properly for the axles. Then the truck has a gvw of 14,000 and the trailer has 20,000 lb brakes. You can theortically pull 34,000 gcvw if you can distribute the load around without overloading any individual axle. You can actually run a higher pin weight than the payload rating if the hitch is rated for that much pin weight.