I'm almost 22, and I bought a 2000 F-250 4x4 Power Stroke last year. I've never even owned a car. Do I need a truck? Nope. But do I love having one? HELL YEAH! This is my third truck, and I don't plan on owning anything less! If you can afford it, buy it. I only average about 10K miles per year, and I don't give a ***** what people say. If I want it, I'll own it. I'm thinking sometime in '07 I'll be upgrading to either an '03 7.3 CC, or an '04/'05 5.9 Cummins quad cab. Am I saying definitely go for a diesel? No, but don't be afraid to consider one!

 

That goes for small four cylinder gas engines as well. My Volvo was full of
carbon after driving only 3 miles to work for 4 years. Needed a thorough
cleaning out to get it running smoothly again......

All things considered, I would go back to a diesel truck. I have been very
disappointed in the mileage and performance of my 460 gas.....

 

So is there a mark for daily driving, meaning if I have a twenty five minute drive back and forth everyday at 75mph is this enough to get the diesel warmed up?

 

Yes it is, but just barely.

 

Yeah what schultz said! Especially the grinnin' fool part!

Warning...If you go to a diesel you likely will not go back...not knocking gassers but rather just something I've noticed...everyone I know that drives one (of any kind mind you) says they always will....????

 

what if you leave the truck running for a while iam in the same boat iam tired of my little 5.4 barley handeling 4-5000 pounds i want a deisel even though i will only be hauling a 4 place trailer with 4 sleds and gear a few times in the winter i want the deisel for the looks of the 250 and i wont buy a 5.4 or a v 10 for that matter because i feel the truck is under powered

i have had my 5.4 f150 for 5 years its a great truck until you hook a trailer to it
its way under powered for my liking and i really dont want a v 10 because i dont think its enough for my liking also

i have been reading alot about the 7.3 latley and it seems like they have alot of issues and iam not sure if i want to deal with having to repair them constantly

so far there have been some great replies to this thread but can someone explain why that would be so hard on the engine only driving 5-10 miles at a time

 

What year is your F150? I have heard and read that the 5.4L in the 06 models will handle a 5000lb trailer with no problem. However I am not sure what type of wear and tear it will have on a the motor, trans and brakes over time. Anybody know? In terms of only 5-10 mile drives in a diesel, I've been told (and I am sure others can get more technical) that the short distances does not allow the large amount of oil in a diesel motor to warm up to temps which could and probably will create problems over time. Also the short drives does not allow the motor to burn off deposits. I think of it like keeping a wood stove on low all the time will create a lot of soot and creosote in a chimney flue. You need to stook it every so often to keep the pipes clean. I know the analogy is simplistic, but it works for me.

 

my truck is a 97 and i have a 3 inch body lift with 35 inch tires but i havent had to tow a 4 place yet i had a steel 2 place that the truck struggled with iam getting a 4 place and i want to have a truck that can handle the load and do it while getting 14-18 mpg my truck now gets about 10 with an open aluminum 2 place right now on the e way


iam looking for an 01-03 7.3 psd the newerones are to rich for my blood and i think the 7.3l is a more proven engine if the 6.0 was so great ford wouldnt be ditching it already but thats just from what i have read i dont have any real world experience with either

 

Yes the V10 might be nice, but how do you put gas in it?

 

I am afraid your question makes no sense to me. What do you mean? I put gas in it the same way any other truck does, through the filler tube. What am I missing here? Are you asking if it's a gas hog? No, my 460 ate far more gasoline. My V8 Triton ate only slightly less.

 

Time for some real life facts regarding towing your little trailer. I have an 04 F150 4X4 standard cab with a 5.4 and 3.73 gears. I tow my 25' trailer with a GVWR of a little over 4,700 lbs (my light packing may makes the load around 4,200-4,300 lbs). I lock out overdrive, set the cruise on 60 and get about 12 MPG towing and it doesn't slow down on hills (it does downshift). It gets around 14 MPH in normal driving and under the best conditions, it will get just under 20 on the highway. The 5.4 in 04 and newer F150s also includes a heavier duty transmission and larger rear (9 3/4 vs 8.8) than smaller engines.

The only justification for getting a diesel is because you want one.

 

they are getting alot better. just like in '95, ford had problems with the new powerstroke coming out. after a year or two, they worked the bugs out, and it's good to go now. the same thing with the 6.ohs- they were a teething year in 2003-2004, but at the body style change in 05, they seemed to be getting them right. the reason they are dropping the 6.0 is for EPA's stringent emissions. the same reason why they had to get rid of the 7.3, and push the half-tested 6.oh out so early. if ford would have had ample time to R&D the 6.0h in the early stages, it wouldn't have such a bad reputation. that is from a neutral stance, a guy with a 95 powerstroke that has had problems, a 2002 powerstroke with is awesome, a 04 6.0 powestroke with MANY problems, and a new 06 powerstroke which is fine at 2500 miles.

 

osbornk "Time for some real life facts regarding towing your little trailer. I have an 04 F150 4X4 standard cab with a 5.4 and 3.73 gears. I tow my 25' trailer with a GVWR of a little over 4,700 lbs (my light packing may makes the load around 4,200-4,300 lbs). I lock out overdrive, set the cruise on 60 and get about 12 MPG towing and it doesn't slow down on hills (it does downshift). It gets around 14 MPH in normal driving and under the best conditions, it will get just under 20 on the highway. The 5.4 in 04 and newer F150s also includes a heavier duty transmission and larger rear (9 3/4 vs 8.8) than smaller engines.

The only justification for getting a diesel is because you want one."

Well put.

 

Just watching the smile on my kids faces when I crank her up makes it worth it.
But then I have an IDI that I bought for $4000! Dont think I could ever go back to gas now. I rarely need the diesel, but when I do pull a big load I am very glad to have it.

 

Yes, that diesel growl. There is NO substitute.