Yep, the stock 17's exceed the F350 DRW/F450 pickup's GAWR by a couple thousand pounds.....the 19.5's are obviously more stable and should last longer but at the expense of ride and selection/traction. There is no load rating benefit to the 19.5's on a 14,000 lb GVWR vehicle using a 9,900 lb rated rear axle.

https://cxf-prod.azureedge.net/b2b-e...2-datapage.pdf

Dave

 

Sorry you got butthurt. All I was pointing out is there are enough users that compare powertrains that are generations apart and never actually test drive the options in between. Looks like I wasnt wrong in your case. Watching TFL videos is not renting a truck and hooking it to your trailer for the actual experience.

Maybe Im just in a different mental state than most on here because I drive fully grossed trucks regularly where even a diesel has to be given the full rpm range to make it up a hill in the right lane while traffic passes. Ill probably never comprehend this so called stress that an engine operating near its peak torque rpm can physically pass on to a human being sitting comfortably in the cabin?

 

You can pretend all you want, but there is nothing easier than pulling a 42+ fifth wheel through a truck stop pump. Especially with an Open Roads or similar fuel card.

 

A DRW gas truck IS safer than a 3/4 ton diesel towing. I didn't even mention any reasons I purchased the truck I did. You are triggered because you and others think the 7.3 CANT do things that it absolutely can and im not the only one in here with real world experience backing that up.

 

Admittingly I haven't traveled every route through every state but I was always able to find a highway rest stop gas station that was pull through friendly to a 60ft combination? And any off highway fuel station that offered diesel while tighter still offered enough pull through room for a 60ft combination.

 

Nobody here has said that. From re-reading the thread, people have only input their own experiences with the engines they selected and maybe why the went the route they went. Nobody has bashed your 7.3 or said you should have gone diesel. Chill a bit.

 

Proper Planning and Preperation Prevent **** Poor Performance. I would rather spend 5 minutes on Google maps to find the fuel stops I'm going to make tomorrow than smelling like diesel inside my truck because the ground at the truck stop is soaked in diesel and the pump handle smells like it was dipped in a vat of diesel. Even when I had a diesel I didn't stop at truck stops because most of them are filthy and reek of diesel fuel.

 

If pulling a bumper pull, I agree that renting a truck and feeling it out would be beneficial. I'm not aware of any trucks for rent around me with the 5th wheel prep package installed to allow me to install my hitch to test. There would be very few threads like these if this was a viable option.

 

Our local Enterprise Truck rental has 1T trucks with OEM 5th w/gn prep-packages. I almost had to rent one this past summer just prior to finding my truck.

 

My local united rental will set up a pickup with 5th wheel if you inquire. Might be different in your local. I also rent very often for business purposes and have a CDL so they may not be as worried about me as an average joe.

 

Whew... I love me a good gas vs diesel thread, the more informative the better.

But let's not forget @CR172 's plight (the OP), who asked for our help.

In any argument, it is better to focus on the specific points you are refuting, rather than make any comment whatsoever about the person who made the points that you disagree with.

By doing so, your own refutations are easier to read, and your point of view is more likely to gain respect.

We have to respect others, in order to be respected by others.

Please keep this in mind as you continue your debates, and don't forget the predicament that the OP presented.

My two cent suggestion below is so simplistic, it borders upon silly:

Consider trading in the 2024 CCSB 7.3L for the lowest price F-450 CCLB you can find, and never worry about not having enough truck for personal use again. The extra tires in the back of a dually add stability when cornering, capacity under heavy pin weights, and might help save the day if a rear tire blows out. The increased wheel cut of the F-450 reduces the turning radius more than enough to make up for the long bed. I've been using an F-550 CCLB diesel as a personal truck for 24 years now. No worries.

I used to suggest selling one's truck on their own, before visiting a dealer to buy a replacement. That way, you as the owner get to keep all of the margin that a retail purchaser pays for your used truck, rather than the dealer making $10K profit on that sale, which was taken out of your pocket one way or the other... via a discounted trade in value, or via giving you what you want for your trade, and inflating the financing on the new truck to make up for it.

But there doesn't seem to be that buyers many out there who can fork over $75K+ for a used truck, without getting financing, which makes it harder to sell a newish truck privately.

Maybe some other members have some experience in dealing with how to lose the least amount of money in these types of mind changing buying experiences... which might be helpful to the OP as well.

 

Flip a coin and live with either choice if your budget permits it.
End of story.

 

OP is going to buy a diesel. Pretty sure that was settled real quick. Now its just the usual discussion

 

I learned something new today! I wasn't aware that there were indeed a few 1-ton trucks around me that are prepped. Only found 1 Ford within 100 miles which would have made a comparison hard. I'd aassume that rentals would be fleet level trucks with limited powertrain options. I would think that this would be a great thing for someone on the fence about moving up to a 3/4 or 1 ton truck from a 1/2 ton. To be fair, I did test drive a 7.3 and also a DRW before going with my current truck, and am sure I could have made any of them work for my needs.

 

Did you expect anything less here? Not I... You have the same people beating beating the pro diesel horse to death and the pro 7.3 folks beating that horse to death. It took longer to get to bashing of each others opinion than normal though, so I'll consider that progress .