All I've been pretty much set on getting a:

Ford f350 dually crew cab with v10. I'll be pulling a 5th wheel (undetermend model yet) but will be about 10,000lbs proably. I've has Van Bortel ford quote me a great price at about 29k.

A "comperable" Dodge with the cummins is around 31K.

There are many thing I would sacrafice with the dodge but right now the price,diesel, and 7 year warrenty on the dodge seem to be outweighing what the Ford is offering. I'm posting this on the v10 board because I'm way to chicken to jump on a psd with all the problems people have been having.

I'm leaning towards the Dodge now but I'm such a Ford guy that it is hard.....Not sure what my question is maybe i'm just venting.....Thanks for listening....Dave

 

Drive them both and if you truly like the Dodge better............buy it. I would definately buy a Cummins before another 6.0 . When I decided to get rid of my 04 F350 I drove Chev and Dodge diesels. I also took out an 05 PSD because there were no V10s around. I like the Ford way better than the competition and using the information from this Forum and especially Fredvon's own experience I ordered a V10 and I am thrilled with everything about this truck so far. The final test will be when I load up my camper and go on the road. I wish all Ford 6.0 PSD owners the very best of luck with their motors but I hate the thing myself. I treat people and things the way they treat me. The 6.0 crapped all over me and I will never own one of those again, not in this lifetime, take care, Wrench.

 

Wrenchtraveller,

Well I've now driven a cummins twice, and darn it if I didn't like it even better the second time. The cummins sounded very similar to my 5.0 mustang . Cummins was wisper quiet inside (except for the turbo) and seemed to ride really nice.

I'm going to try again but the ford dealers around me didn't have a 6sp v10 I could test drive.

When I told the dodge dealer I was going to go with the cummins or the v10 he laughed and said stay from gas, he would rather see me the the psd than a gas motor for towing.

Thanks!

 

Dave98, Do a real search on this forum and you will see the diesel does get better towing mileage than a V10 but the new diesels and the new V10 are not as far apart as the old diesels in the mileage dept. Take your original cost, your higher maintenance , and the fact that diesel fuel is higher than gas in many places and the argument for going diesel is pretty well owner choice. When I got into diesels back in 95 , I had to get a diesel to get the max tow rating, I had a business so bought my diesel fuel wholesale for 25% less than gas. Now I got a V10 with more tow rating than my 04 PSD , I buy gas cheaper than wholesale diesel . I will say if you want a diesel, IMO, the Cummins is the best choice by far. You can order a Cummins in a new F650 but what a pity you can't order it in a new F350. Now that would have been a tough choice for me, Wrench.

 

There is a high maintenance cost involved with the diesel engine. I worked for a medium truck dealer (Ford) as a service writer. The upkeep $$$$ on the diesels was cost prohibitive for me. I was always calling these poor owners with hugh repair estimates. The 6.0 and the 7.3 cost wasn't reasonable. I have a rv club friend who works at Cummins who is also a writer. I asked why he didn't get a Cummins in his new motorhome (he went with a 6.8 V-10) and he said the same thing. With my 2005 F-250, V-10, 4X4, 4.30LS, torqueshift, I can tow a fifth wheel uo 15,900#. Crawl under the Dodge and Ford and take a good look at the 'platform' the trucks are built on. The Ford has a full frame, F-550 front arms and a whole bunch of sweet, strong goodies underneath. My old tow vehicle was a 1989 F-250, 460, 4X4, C-6, 4.10ls. I got 5.5 mpg towing until I installed a Hypertech chip gave me 7.7 mpg. I was always 'beat up' driving the truck from the harsh suspension. The new truck reminds me of my 740il BMW in 'feel' of the road. The mileage that I now get (1040 miles) is 10.6mpg. This weekend will be my first time towing. To me, I am currently living with a BSEG and would not change anything. To me, mileage is inconsequential. Good luck, John.

 

JohnSac we really got the same front arms as a F550? I like that and they do look skookum. That's a northwest term for stocky and strong. My 05 is a real sweet ride on the black and smooth but on gravel potholes.............mmmmmm I hope your Bimmer rides better. Wrench.

 

I don't think the Dodge boys will really have a comparable truck until the '06 model. That's when they're supposed to make a real crew cab. What they have now is basically a super cab with independent doors.

 

What percentage of your vehicles life will really be lived with a trailer behind it ? 2% ? 5 % ? 20% ? 20 % is alot of towing, alot. I think I tow alot, and it's a couple times a month in the summer, and once every couple months in the winter. So I'm in the less than 5% margin. For a fulltimer living on the road I might be able to see having a diesel, but even then, you tow to a site in Tucson, unhook and hang out for a month or two, no trailer behind you. Then hook back up and head to Louisiana and do the same thing. Dodge owner satisfaction is traditionally not very good, why have a perfectly running motor with a truck turned to junk holding the engine off the ground ?