Greetings All. Many thanks for the great advice I've read here as I whittle down my choices for a new truck. I've already decided I want an '06 SD--and I've come over from the "dark side" and become a big believer in the V10 with 4.30 LS. I'm still on the fence as to whether a 250 or a 350 is right for me. This will be my daily driver--replacing a 1/2 ton Ram with a breathed on 360(cam, intake,etc) I tow a track car once or twice a month--with an open trailer it's only 5-6000lbs--but I plan to move to an enclosed trailer before long, and that will bring the load closer to 8-10,000lbs. Since this is the most I can envision towing at this point, is there any reason to choose the 350 over the 250? I'm under the assumption that, as a daily driver(usually carrying little if anything in the bed), the 250 will give me a better ride. Do I assume correctly? I want as much comfort as I can get without compromising the truck's towing capabilities. Also--is resale an issue between a 250 and a 350?
And finally--from the "bling" category--I really like the look of the forged aluminum 20" wheels available as a $1200 option. Any practical reason--other than cost--to shy away from these?
Thanks--in advance--for any guidance y'all can send my way.
Dean

 

dean
first off welcome to fte.
as to your choice i'm like you in towing , but for me it's a boat and a inclosed trailer that holds a top fueler rail car. my 250 dose it all. and as my dayly driver it rides great. some times i do wish it was a 350 for the extra towing it can handle. but i'm ok for what i do.
as to going from a ram 1500 with a 5.9 gasser to a 2 or 350 w a v10 i think you will find our v10 much smoother and stronger when it comes to towing and every day use.
best of luck with your choice .i think you will think highly of the ford product .

 

VADean Hi and welcome to the V10 Forum and the FTE website. Just like Charlie says, you are going to love your V10 SD. If you think you will ever need the legal payload the F350 offers, go for it. If you are certain you will not need the extra payload the F250 is all you want and comes with better tire choices as well. Both trucks are rated to pull the same as the powertrains are identical, but the extra payload of the F350 will allow a bigger 5th wheel just because large fivers have such a heavy pin weight and will put an F250 over its GVWR. This fact usually gives an F350 a higher resale because it will meet the need of a bigger group. The truck in my signature rides better than my 02 Honda Accord on good paved roads. Rough roads are a different story.
Take care and good luck with your new truck purchase. Wrench.

 

Go with the 350. There is not that much difference in the ride & like the others have said, you never know whenthe bigger rating will help.

 

Check you insurance company before you buy. Several folks here have gotten a rude awakening when they purchased their 350's and saw their insurance go through the roof. Lots of reasons for it, all of them are pretty sorry. Just trying to make a buck I guess.

Also, some places do not allow you to travel with a 1 Ton plus vehicle. They consider them commercial vehicles too and some areas restrict those.

As for the towing. The 250 will have no problem with that weight. I have an '04, 3.73, F250 and I've moved 9000K worth of boat in the Adirondacks and it rolls it fine.

As far as anything else between 250 / 350, I think the only real difference is the size of the rear lift blocks, except the duallie's. Other than 2" (250) and 4" (350), I don't thing there are any other "actual" differences in the two vehicles. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that is only real difference. I know the payload differences, as advertised, are different, but hey you have to be able to justify your model differences some how.

 

To get the extra GVWR , you must have tires that can take the weight. The 05 F350s have 18 wheels with 275-70 tires that are rated to carry 3640 pounds on a SRW.
The 250/350 difference has nothing to do with anybody justifying anything and it has everything to do with the truck's legal payload. My truck weighs just over 11000 pounds with my slide in Camper loaded up for the road. I am still legal at this weight because I have an 11200 pound GVWR. If I had an F250 Iwould be breaking the law and here in BC, Canada, my insurance would not cover me in an accident. This is the way the world is going and one can argue this till he is blue in the face and I will say it one more time. Air Bags and Overload springs or even a team of Philadelphia Lawyers can not change the GVWR of a pickup. You must buy a pickup that meets your needs or gamble that you don't get into any kind of problem with an overloaded pickup because, yes Friend , even Ford can choose to void your warranty if you overload the truck that they built and they certified for a certain payload. Who ever said life was fair. Wrenchtraveller.

 

Nobody is saying anything is fair, certified, overloaded or otherwise. I was trying to "explain" the differences in the two models so that the individual with the question could make an informed decision and make the appropriate purchase for his needs. What you do with your truck and what you need it to do are not the issue. Look at the guys original post and you will see that what you are explaining is not what he is looking for. Keep the heat for the winter in BC and help the guy with his question.

 

I had a similar decision to make. I settled on a F350 V10 (which should arrive in a couple of weeks.) I figured i'd drop the extra $$ now instead of having to think about a new truck later if I went to heavy 5th wheel. (Currently have a 30 ft TT, weight approx 8000 lb loaded.) Good luck on your decision!!

 

Welcome to the site!

Assuming your current & future trailers are tag-alongs, you'll be fine with an F250. Both the F250 & SRW F350 have the same 12,500 lb "conventional" tow rating. If you're talking about a dually F350, then it has a higher tow rating.

Heck, even if they trailers are goose-necks, you'll probably be OK (just near the limit for GVWR) with the F250. It really depends on the pin weight- which you can adjust by moving the load on the trailer. I tow my 10,000 lb 5th-wheel RV with my F250.

 

I believed I was pointing out the difference between the two trucks and as far as your remark about needing heat for my winter, I live on Vancouver Island and any of your northern States need more heat than I do.
Your remark on your first post about not being allowed on some roads with a 1 ton vehicle is something I have never run into from the Mexican Border to the Alaskan Border so to caution someone against an F350 for this reason is not really helping him IMO.

 

I'm not trying to start a flame fest here, but where I'm from (NY), there are many places you can't go with a 1 ton or up. And you get charged extra in various areas for tolls because of the 1 ton rating. Being that he is from VA, which I know has several areas, including DC, that has restrictions on these trucks. Just because you haven't run into the problem doesn't mean that other folks haven't. I don't comment on your laws in Canada, as I don't know them, so don't comment one ones that you may or may not know about on our side of the border. So as far as my comments, let's keep them on the information level and not on the personal peeve or tangent level.

 

As far as keeping comments on the information side, that is good advice for you to follow. The comment on heat came from you and I am sure you have heard that people in glass houses should not throw rocks.

 

VADean, well to get back on track with YOUR thread. Drive both trucks and see for yourself which one feels right for you. As I stated earlier, check your insurance carrier just to make sure you don't get any unwanted surprises as other have.

I'll leave now.

 

Doesn't look like anyone has addressed your question about the 20" wheels, so here goes my 2cents. You'll kill your towing gear ratio and will have an expensive set of tires to buy or replace. But like everyone says - it's your money spend it like you want.

 

Thanks guys for all of the responses--I truly appreciate and value your opinions! Think I'll have to spend a few more hours at the local dealer before I know for sure what I'm after. I reviewed the weights of the future enclosed trailer, my car and the track stuff I need to carry--and it looks like my max would be around 8000 lbs. I hadn't even considered the insurance companies would beat me up over the 350--so that requires a phone call or two! Keep the advice coming--the more opinions the better.
Thanks again
Dean