Hello,

I am considering moving up from my 02 150 supercrew w/5.4, 3.55 LS, trailer tow package, and 6750 GVWR package, to either
1. 09 150 SuperCrew King Ranch w/max tow package & 3.73s
2. 09 250 XLT Crew Cab/short bed w/5.4 & 4.10 gears
3. 06 250 King Ranch short bed w/6.0 psd.

The truck will be my daily driver and will tow my Jeep on a car hauler roughly 8-12 times a year for distances no greater than 250 miles. It is safe to say this combination is around 6,500lbs. So while towing is a factor it is not a daily occurence. Hauling is limited to lumber and various yard related tasks; occassionally some firewood and large field stone.

I have always felt that my current truck is at, or just beyond, the safe limit when towing the Jeep, family, and all our camping gear/tools. I use a WD hitch and that helps tremendously, but I still think greater safety margin is needed for peace of mind.

I was leaning heavily towards the 09 150 until I started doing research and ran across several threads about significant reduction in payload after building out a King Ranch version. Since I drive the truck every day I don't want a towing beast that is overkill for my needs, but I do want something that can handle the load safely and is comfortable with some amenities. A 250 w/5.4 (I have really never been too dissapointed with my 5.4) seems to me the next step up without going to a deisel that is WAY COOL, but not really what I need and kinda spendy. I happened to see a 2006 250 King Ranch/SB w/6.0 on a dealer lot that has 32K miles on it for 29K. This is a cheaper option than buying new, but Carfax lists it as being owned by a rental agency in FL and being invovled in an accident. No specifics on the accident though. I have a buddy running an OASIS report for me but the accident thing concerns me. I need to find out more, but cannot rely on the dealer to be forthcoming there.

I am not trying to kick off another 250 w/5.4 towing thread; I have read them all so far, but I am interested in getting input from the superduty crowd. I feel like I am on the border and I'm looking for additional information to prevent buyer's remorse.

Thanks in advance.

Doug.

 

sounds like you could go either way (F150/F250) with your needs, just right at the fence on what you need.

I personally would go 250, then if you decide to throw a few more items in the bed based upon changing needs you will be good to go.

As far as motors are concerned I would be a little scared about what was involved with this accident on the 6.0, let the oasis be your guide as well.

Have you considered a happy medium and looked for a V10?

Another option may be to wait for the new 6.2 that is due out soon. it will replace the 5.4.

 

You've got a tough choice ahead of you. All 3 of those are nice trucks, no doubt about it. This being the Super Duty forum everyone here is going to tell you to get the SD. I wont in this case.

That 09 F150 is a nice pickup. If you aren't towing all the time, its going to ride better, get better gas mileage, and be a good bit cheaper to maintain than any diesel (never more true than with the 6.0 if you ever need engine repairs.) I think in this case it's the smart buy on paper.

That said, I'm one of the guys who has a super duty but doesn't tow a damn thing. Yes it rides rougher, yes it gets bad mileage, yes it's expensive to maintain, but I can afford it and it's exactly what I've wanted since I was a kid.

That 6.0 SD King Ranch would scare the crap out of me too. The accident part not so much, body shops do a good job these days. It's the rental part that would scare me. I can guarantee that everyone who drove that thing romped on it hard and didn't give a **** about running high EGT's. Think of every rental car you've ever had, then imagine you had a rental 6.0 diesel... yeah....walk away. The 6.0 motor in general scares me too. They seem to have some of the problems worked out after 04, but they all need a set of head studs.

I'm part of the bandwagon of people who will tell you that the 5.4 is probably not enough for a Super Duty, towing or around town. People get about 1-2mpg better out of the 5.4 than they do out of the 6.8 V-10, and the 6.8 has a good bit more power. If you're going gas in a SD I wouldn't get anything other than the 6.8.

If it were me I'd get the F150 and be done with it. If you want a SD, I'd look for a V10. Diesels are bad *** but they aren't what they used to be due to newer emissions standards.

 

I have to put my vote in with the v10. I was sceptical at first when I was considering it over the desiel. Now that I own it I absolutely love it. The big thing that swayed me to the v10 was the fact it's more convient to fuel up. Now that I tricked out and drive my 05 v10 less. I wish it was a desiel just for a nice set of stacks and a larger turbo

 

I wouldn't bother with the 6.0 truck, especially with it's history, not a chance! That being said, I'd say either remaining option may suit you just fine. The 09 F150's are sweet trucks, and looking at their specs, they'd be more than capable of handling your towing tasks. The new supers are sweet trucks too, but based on your needs, it may be a little overkill. The 3v 5.4's in a superduty will move it along just fine, dont let anyone tell you differently. No, it wont win any races, but it will get the job done. My vote would be for the F250, because I like the supers more than F150's, but the 09 F150 would be plenty of truck for what you need it to do. It's really a matter of what you want.

 

Drive a V10 truck, if you can find one. Then drive a 5.4. You probably won't find a 5.4 truck on a delaer's lot with 4.10 gears.

We have an '08 5.4 F250 4x4 at work with 3.73s. It is a slow pig that needs to constantly be driven at wide open throttle to get moving. My V10 with 4.30 gears gets better mileage than that 5.4 truck.

If you want a 5.4, get the 4.10s at a minimum with 4.30s preferred.

I had an '01 F150 Supercrew 4x4 and an '06. Both had 5.4s. I liked the '01 better. You will probably like the Super Duty more than the F150, if for no other reason than the seats. That '09 F150 has the worst headrests ever.

 

Thanks for the feedback. I realize asking this question on the SD forum is going to lead to mostly SD recommendations, but asking on the 150 sight will spark up the entire payload debate and I'm living that now so I want to hear the SD side of things.

The dealer I go to has both the 150 and the 250 I am interested on the lot, so I know I can find the truck I like if I go new. The 06 is pretty much out; I supposed I just wanted to hear someone else say "You're right that truck is not a good deal". I plan to test drive both the 150 and the 250 to get a feel. The V10 just seems like so much more motor for my planned needs. I'm seriously leaning towards the 250 w/5.4 & 4.10s just to make my hauling & towing worries go away. I deal with the 5.4 now and really have no compaints; I imagine the newer 5.4 will perform better than my 2V; the test drive will be telling.

 

the 3v 5.4 is a decent motor. I had a 06 with that in it. It is quite capable based upon your needs. It just doesn't give you a ton of room to grow should your needs change significantly.

 

I would say go with the v-10. It is only a small amount more then the 5.4 to purchase. You say that you are happy with the 5.4 in your 150 but remember that the 250 weighs more right off the bat, so that same motor will have to move more weight empty. And everyone I here who hauls with the 5.4 complains about single digit mileage numbers. My dad has a v-10 with 210,000 miles on it and no major problems. He tows a 10,000 pound trailer everyday and get 11 mpg, and when empty on the highway get 16. The newer 3V v-10 are even better from what I hear. If I was going to by a new truck I love my stroker but the v-10 would be a strong choice. Sorry about the long post, just trying to help out.

 

I must have a built in fear of the V10 because I find myself continuously finding reasons 'why' the 5.4 will be sufficient.

 

I have an 05 5.4/3.73 combo. It is fine for cruising around town and I pull a TT (8.5k)with it in Florida and it does an admirable job for the engine size. Folks seem to forget that it is only 330ci and these are heavy trucks. If you can find one with a 4.10 rear it would most likely fill your need provided you never want to tow more. That said I have ordered an 09 with a 6.8/4.10 because I want more power and I think you will too every time you pull the jeep if you get the 5.4.for a measly $600 and a 1-2 mpg fuel penalty when empty you can have a tow beast and the best of both worlds.

 

Go drive one. It's not some sort of monster that's undriveable. Heck the 6.0 has a good bit more power. The V10 is basically the exact same motor as the 5.4 with 2 extra cylinders and a different firing order. It's a modular motor just like the 4.6, and 5.4.

I'm biased but if you're set on a SD then I wouldn't go with anything other than a V10 if you want a gasser. Just look at the people above who drive the things on a daily basis.... Almost everyone above you is saying get the V10. There's a reason for that.

 

I have a 2005 F350 4X4 with the 5.4L engine. I don't tow or haul anything. I've installed a CAI kit and SCT tuner and the engine runs great for my needs... however, I have more $$$ in those two upgrades than what it would have cost to get the 6.8L V10 engine and I'm still nowhere near the base performance level of the V10.

It's a "no brainer" to get the V10 engine.

 

I was going to respond based on your original questions/choices, but it appears you'd consider the V10 by your response.

The V10 is "retail" $600 over the 5.4 (or it was). You can't spend $600 on the 5.4L and get the same power. The V10 is probably the best option available for the money. The Super Duty is likely heavier than the F150 and therefore will feel underpowered in comparison (maybe not underpowered if not comparing them though...the 5.4L may feel great to you in the Super Duty). When I priced trucks the F150 was not significantly less than the Super Duty (although significantly means different things to different people). When I saw the price of the V10 I couldn't figure out why that's not the base engine, especially in a crew cab (heavier than standard cab). All of that being said, daily driving, the 5.4L is most likely going to cost less in fuel; although, with the crew cab, it may be a toss up. Towing, the 6.8L is likely to cost less.

 

The bottom line is you are going to get what you want. We are just giving you what you wanted... that is our thoughts. The posts show that there are plenty of votes for the v-10, and quite a few from people with the 5.4 who wished they would have went bigger the first time. The couple of 5.4 that I have driven, there is no comparing it to the v-10 it is not in the same ball park. I would put my dads v-10 next to my diesel anyday, and I might have more torque but he will stay with me the whole time. The v-10 is a great motor, with a very good track record.

But in the end I hope what ever you get you are happy with.