The time has come to upgrade to a better truck. I want to tow a 24.5 fifth wheel and I can't justify the cost of a new truck so a used one will be OK. I am very tempted by the PSD. What are the recomendations out there?
Is 4wd really necessary for towing a fifth wheel? What years seem to be better?
What is the advantage of single vs dual rear wheels Is there anything specific I should look for or watch out for? Anybody have a preference for automatic vs manual? A manual never bothered me before.

FYI My old truck is a 73 ford F250 w/360 engine. It finally hit 100k miles.

 

Ok, since money is somewhat tight, you can look for a '94-'97, and if you can afford a little more, then you might be able to get up to a '00. Believe it or not, I think that 2wd can tow more that a 4X4. The only use you would have for a 4X4, would be if you really need that extra traction. The automatic transmissions have been known to overheat, so if you get one make sure you get a good tranny cooler and some gauges. I have also heard the pre-torqueflights are not that great of trannys. I think that a Manual will be less to worry about and better and last longer. You probably shouldnt need a dually, and the only real benefit of one, is they balance loads better that singles. Good luck in chosing. It would also help if you told ur your budget.

 

You don't really need a dually with a trailer that size. However I vote for the 4x4 even if you never use it for the reason that I like to use low range when I am maneuvering the trailer in reverse. I also am very adimant about only having a stick shift. I've heard far too many stories about automatics getting fried, torque converters shredding, all due to the massive power output of the Powerstroke. As far as what the best year is, IMO it's 2000 to 2001.5. If I am correct it's the year that had the heated adjustable rear view mirrors and the engine still had the forged connecting rods.

 

961506, you are right about the pre-torque shift ( torqueflight=MOPAR jk ) trannies. The E4OD in the 95-97 ( 94 PSD only came with a manual tranny ) is not the strongest trans out there. I killed 2 on a pretty much stock 97 F250 with only moderate towing. The 4R100 in the 99-03 trucks is better, but can still be broken. The 4R100 is basically an upgraded E4OD. If you don't want to worry about it just look for a 5 or 6-speed. I love my 6-speed, the way I look at it a clutch is a lot cheaper to replace then an automatic.