Alright so here is the deal, i have done alot of searching but i still cant make a decision. I have my search into my cousin for a new 05.... im looking to get a f250 crew cab short box with captains chairs. That is basicly the search criteria i had him search for. Everything else, ill take what i can get, but i need something soon.

My biggest dilema though is what engine to get. I want the diesel, but its a 4,000 dollar option. But i am going to be getting this on D plan so it doesnt make the option as bad. The 5.4 seems underpowered on the standard cab long boxes that we use at work, granted there is a ladder rack and tool box loaded on there. The v10 seems to be my best option, but my cousin is saying gas mileage will be awfull, (cousin is a salesman with ford).

So i dont know what to do.

As for what i will be using the truck for. It will be a daily driver, im selling my highly modified bimmer for this truck. Graduating school, and having a practical car and a toy car just isnt very practical.

I will also be using it for work. Which i will haul skids of shingles, nails etc... I will also tow a hydrolic dump trailer for tear offs. I will also occasionaly trailer a 12 to 15 foot box trailer with contractor supplies in it...(ladders, tools, material etc.) We are in the roofing and siding business.


For play, my family has a 30 foot baja on a triaxle trailer, that we tow from home to our lake house. Once a year to sit at the dock and back home. Occasiaonly we pull it out and go to lake erie, but that is maybe two more times a year. The ill pull a double jetski trailer and a car hauler. And cant forget when i got duck hunting with my dad he will also make me trailer the duck boat.

So as of right now i tow, but nothing extremly heavy, and as of right now no fith wheel towing. Skids of shingles are heavy. Im just worried the v10 will eat up the gas loaded.


Please help me out here. The thing keeping me from going diesel is the loudness and price. Im just graduating college, so the payments are an issue.....


Thanks alot.... sorry for the lenght...

Kevin

 

If you are going to be hauling regularly, I would recommend the diesel. Especially if you can write it off your taxes.

 

Go with the Big "D". Got my first one two weeks ago and love it. worht the extra money. More pwer than any gasoline truck engine I've ever had.

 

Don't even consider the 5.4. It doesn't have the power you need.

I had a V10, and I now have a PSD 6.0. Its an early 03, and it hasn't had one of the problems that some others have had. I get 18.5 unloaded b/f to work. I get about 13 towing a 6k# TT @ 65. I use biodiesel when I can afford it. I have a spreadsheet that has tracked all the costs associated w this rig, and with EVERYTHING figured in, it's costing me $32/day to own it. If you want te spreadsheet to look at the costs you might be facing, I'll be happy to email it to you.

My truck is in my sig, so you can get a feel for it.

 

First things first...don't get me wrong...I love my '02 V10 SD CC 4X4...has an 8" Fabtech lift, 35" swampers and 3.73 gears (I commute the truck 140 miles per day too). I tow a 32 TT (#9600) with a yz400, a KX250 and a quad stuffed in the bed, fire wood, gas, generators, water and all of the required gear that goes to the desert....The truck pulls this up a pretty good sized grade (Cajon Pass for those of you in SoCal who know it) at about 60-65 mph and I still get about 8.5-9 MPG towing. I get about 11.5 commuting.

If I had to do it all over again...I'd get the diesel. Tranny is quality goods, better milage and will last many moons with regular maintenance. Towing capacity is a few pounds more as well.

My one saving grace is I'm in the fuel business and I get my gas for free...The V10 loves premium...At an average of 25 pennies more per gallon than diesel...With the way gas prices are going, you may make back that 4K difference in a short period of time...

 

Go with the Diesel. You will be happy with the towing performance and fuel economy.

I bought my truck on the D-Plan (-$7500). Also got the D-Plan rebate (-$2500) and D-plan extended coverage 6y/60,000 on tranny. Might want to ask about those. I save over $10,000 off my 04 F350. Diffently paid for the diesel then some.

If you go with the V10 you will be able to afford a deck out truck. I had (2) V10. Good motors but not the greatest for fuel economy. That was the reason I went to the oil burner.

With the saving I am already pre-planning for 2008 to buy a new truck. Just hope my brother is still working for Ford.

Good luck with your choice. Either motor will do fine.

 

2 words......Power Stroke.

 

Since you can use truck for your business, and can use the tax break, I would go with the diesel. The extra cost is now not as bad. The diesel would be best for the towing you do. The V10 would definately handle it, it is a very sweet engine. The fuel costs would be definately higher with V10.

 

decisions decisions decisions.....

thanks for the info guys, this helps out a little... im more on the diesel side of the fence right now, but we will see what he comes back with his search today....


another question... what exactly is D plan going to get me? Is the discount off of invoice or MSRP..... I always thought it was under invoice... please correct me if i am wrong.


Thanks alot...

Kevin

 

If you go with the diesel you can throw on the SCMT for an additional $400 and gain a couple hundred lb-ft of torque and more HP. The thing will then probably give your bimmer a run for it's money - but won't corner like it

Dropped my 1/4 mile ET from 16.0 to 14.33 s. Not that I race my truck around that much but I wanted to benchmark the performance improvement and also wanted to make a run on the last day of operation at the historic Carlsbad, CA raceway - soon to be another business park or something

I bought my truck for towing and use it to regularly haul a 30 ft 10,000 lb toyhauler which it does quite well. With the SCMT installed I did see an improvement in towing performance as well as in fuel mileage. Like the others I see 17 to 19 mpg highway and 9 mpg or so while towing the TH around the SoCal mountains. I've seen as much as 12 mpg while towing it on the flat at reasonable speeds.

 

With what you are saying you are going to be using it for, GO with the Diesel.. you will not be sorry.

 

Diesel. You will not be dissapointed.

 

Proud v-10 owner here, but with what you'll be using it for, get the diesel. As far as the noise goes, just buy a big amp and you won't hear it. That's how I solved all my creaks and rattles in my truck.

Have you decided on 4wd or 2wd? Reading your post and the places you go, sounds like you need a 4wd.

 

Hi gals/guys- I am also in same dilema. Will be hauling 5th wheel w/ 2005 Ford SD 30% time. For 2005 V10 has upped the ante on HP and wonder if the decision between the PSD and the V10 would be different. Out here on the East coast Diesel is $2.25/gallon vs 1.69 for regular. Difficult to pay out difference in diesel cost. HELP!!! and I don't want to be under-powered.

 

get the PSD and we can welcome another diesel head, make sure you get the 3.73 gears, unless you are hauling alot, then you would need a 4.10