Today is my 76th Birthday,. This morning I got the call from the local Ford dealer that the F-450 King Ranch that I ordered early March of last year has finally arrived.

The sales rep asked if I was OK with picking up tomorrow. I said NO WAY, not on Friday the 13th. So they are getting it ready and Ill pick it up late this afternoon January 12th. .

I am trading in my 3 week old 2022 F-350 Platinum on it. The truck's mission is to tow our 14,000 lb 5th Wheel RV so the 450 is much better suited than the 350 SRW for that.

This will be the 4th new vehicle I took ownership of in about the last 6 weeks

• 11/27 Traded my 2020 Nissan Leaf in on a 2023 Nissan Leaf
• 12/15 Sold the 3 week old 2023 Leaf back to the dealer and bought a 2023 Tesla Model Y
• 12/20 Traded my 2020 F-350 Lariat in on a 2022 F-350 Platinum
• 1/12 trading my 3-1/2 week old F-350 Platinum in on a F-450 King Ranch

This was the shortest turn around on vehicles in my history of buying now 65 new vehicles.

This will likely be the last car or trucks I will purchase for myself unless my eyesight holds out long enough to take delivery of the 2023 F-450 King Ranch I have on order. Time is running out.

 

Happy Birthday!!

I'll be really interested in seeing how you make out trading in a 3 week old truck! Hope they don't bend you over too hard!

 

Congratulations and I'm sure you'll be much happier with a DRW for your 5er.

Cheers,
Dave

 

They offered $4,500 over price I paid. I was price protected when I bought I so I bought it $10,000 under MSRP.

The 450 is also price protected so I’m buying it $9,000 under sticker.

 

Man, I feel for you on the vision loss.

I can't even imagine 65 new vehicles. I'm 45 years old and I've only purchased three new vehicles for myself (one 12 months ago). Four for the wifey.

 

can't post without a good photo of the 450! Got to see it.

 

I only got one picture at the dealership. By the time I got home it was dark.

Credit Card Statement online: Jan 12, 2023 FORD $3,554.46

After all said and done it was $3,554 plus my trade out the door, with all taxes, tags, dealer fees etc, which I put on a credit card for the points. One of the best deals I've ever made. I traded in the 2022 F-350 SRW (MSRP $87,485, paid $77,805 -$2,000 PCO + TTT) for the 2022 F-450 King Ranch Ultimate with a MSRP of ($93,360, paid $84,895 +TTT). Both were X-Plan with Price Protection

At 70 MPH it was displaying 21 MPG. After a 40 mile test drive it calculated 17.4 MPG, about 50% local city and 50% highway. I'm pleasantly surprised, but don't expect that as the norm.

 

Sweet truck! Only thing you will want to change is the front tires. I got mine warrantied and got the steer tires on the front now. It drives so much better with the steer tires, more like my srw truck.

 

Kameron,

Tell me more. Which tires did you install?

 

I got my f450 in June. When I left the dealership with 5 miles on the clock in Charleston SC, head back to NC I noticed my truck seemed to walk the road a lot. I instantly new it was out of alignment. When I got home I had 275 miles on it. The passenger tire tread was tearing off the tire, as the toe was turned in and it was rolling the outer edge of the tire under. I took it to the local dealer and they aligned it and put new tires up front. (They put the factory tires back on). Well at about 6k miles I noticed my tires where feathering, the outside rib and the 2nd rib from the outside were getting inconsistent. I let it get a little worse. At 9k miles I took it in and told them it was feathering, by this time if I rubbed the tire you could feel an occasional pickup in the tread and several deep pockets of feathering. I had posted a thread on my tires wearing badly before I went to the dealer. One guy sent me a screenshot saying continental will not warranty tire feathering, as that is caused by bad suspension. The Continental hybrid hd3 that is on our trucks from the factory is not designed to go on a steer axle and will cause feathering. I told them that at my ford dealer and becuase my tires were feathering he ordered the Contenential HS3 for my truck. I told him we needed a solution as this was the 2nd set of front tires in less the 10k miles, and I cant keep doing this when the tire warranty expires, so something is wrong with the tires or the truck. Others have had tons of issues with these tires as well, but I have seen some people make it 100k miles. I don't know, I don't off road, it's a pavement princess. I have the Continental hybrid HS3. I got 10,400 miles on my truck now and about 1,400 miles on them, and man I can tell a massive improvement. The old Continental hybrid HD3s felt like I had a aggressive tire on it.
when going down the road. These New Continental hybrid HS3 tires run like it should have came from the factory. I enjoy driving it, it doesn't dart around anymore, it runs like my srw f350 with Michelin tires. Most people probably wouldn't know the difference, but I am extremely picky when it comes to how My tires ride, and wear, and I can see these making it at least 50k miles. My rear tires are chunking for some reason now and can't figure out why, I think I might have them replaced as well with these HS3s, this will also smooth it up even more when towing. Also, since you RV as well, if you keep the front mud flaps on it, I would recommend you cut about 3 inches off the bottom, if not when you are backing your 5th wheel up an slight incline you might drag your mud flap and rip it off. I kept meaning to cut the mud flap but never did. Today was the day I ripped it off.

Back to the tires, if you wait it out you will probably be able to get new tires under warranty before the 12k mark. It seems alot of folks have issues with these stock hd3s. Or if you want them now you should swap now so you can sell those tires and get them for next to nothing.
Here is a photo of the Continental hybrid HS3

 

Very nice truck, and Happy Birthday to you sir

 

Happy Birthday, and congratulations on taking delivery!

 

Sweet truck! Happy belated birthday.

 

Nice truck! Congratulations!

 

That is one heck of a discount, much more than a normal X-Plan. I can only guess you were price-protected under the old 2022 pricing, before the mid-year price hike. My Lariat MSRP jumped about $5500 after the price hike, luckily I got it before the price hike.

I'll be trading my 2022 Lariat Ultimate with 5k miles on my 2023 450 when it arrives. Hopefully I'll make out as good as you. The market is still strong, and there will be an additional market of guys who want a 22 because they don't like the changes of the 2023. If dealer offer isn't strong, I'll sell it privately.