Good day all. I am new to the Ford world. I am looking to upgrade my families camping experience and that appears to include upgrading my tow vehicle as well. I am just looking a place to start. Would like anyone's $0.02 on which year F250 Crew might be the best value out there to look for on the used market. Starting from scratch so any advice comments encouragement welcome.

 

need a budget !!!!

ther really arent any BAD years of the SD...

 

If you are looking at gas motors 05 up have the 3 valve heads and a bit more ump.

 

Major changes occured in 99 (earliest Superduty), 2003.5 (new diesel motor), 2005 (major upgrade, including interior, new gas motors), 2008 (major upgrade, new interior, new diesel motor).

Your question was only about years, so I would say the newest you can afford. Just about everything has been an improvement, with the possible exception of the early 6.0L diesel motor in 2003.

If you tell us what motor your are interested in, we could further narrow it down.

 

I have one of the first 2003's with the 6.0 and it has been a great vehicle with very minor issues and minimal out-of-pocket expenses, but it is starting to show its age and is kinda plain when compared to the later models. Starting with the 2005 models, Ford switched to coil springs in front which allows for a smaller turning raduis which is a good thing. On the other hand, if you're thinking diesel, they also changed internal parts like the EGR cooler to a more problematic design. You probably want to find a (diesel) truck that is still under the 5-yr/100K-mile warranty and, if possible have a Ford dealer run an Oasis report on it. Oasis will show all of the warranty-related repairs done to the vehicle. Avoid any vehicle with multiple instances of the same issue. I would also recommend you think long and hard before you buy any (diesel) truck with performance enhancing mods: particularly tuners and non-stock intakes. Lastly, these (diesel) trucks need regular maintenance. If you can find a nice one that the owner has all the receipts showing regular (no more than 5,000 mile interval) oil changes, fuel filter changes, transmission fluid changes that is in good shape and runs well, it should make your decision easier. Good luck.

 

Thanks for the input. I guess I do need to supply more information.

I am looking for a tow vehicle that can pull a 9,000# trailer with 2000+ pounds of capacity in the truck and I dont want to have to worry about maxing out the gross weight of the truck doing it.

I am not married to type of engine. I do need a short bed crew because that is what I am used to now, the vehicle will be used for long trips and need the cabin room and it needs to fit in my garage :-). I would prefer 4x4 but again not married to it.

Again thanks for the info and keep it coming.

 

Welcome to FTE, BirminghamRTR!

As bpounds stated, the best rule of thumb is to go as new as you can go without breaking the proverbial bank.

2005+ went to larger disc brakes on all four corners & coil-sprung front ends which improved turning radius. They also have the option of a TowCommand system (factory installed trailer brake controller) which could be useful with your trailer.

The 5.4L V8 will get it done, but you will not win any races. It will benefit from lower gears (4.10s or 4.30s), as Ford's modular motors need to get their RPMs up to be at the top of their performance.

The 6.8L V10 will pull like a champ. From my experience, you will lose an additional 1 - 1.5 MPG over the 5.4L, but it was well worth it. Here again, it is a modular motor and will benefit from lower gears....many of the V10'ers will swear by 4.30s.

The 7.3L PSD (Powerstroke Diesel) is highly regarded & sought. It has proven itself in every way. Unfortunately, that also means that they are getting a bit harder to find, as folks continue to ****** them up. They are known for their hauling/towing ability & their longevity. It is not uncommon to see 200 or 300 thousand miles on their odometer.

The early ('03 - '04) 6.0L PSD can be bipolar...they were either problematic from day one or they were trusty work horses. The best thing to do is get an OASIS report run for any 6.0L-equipped Super Duty that you may become interested in buying. The later models were more trustworthy, but it will still be prudent to get an OASIS report on them.

The 6.4L PSD had a better start, but they are saddled with emissions equipment which cuts into their fuel economy. It will pull like a champ, but it will get something approaching V10 fuel economy in its stock form. A bit oversimplified, but true.



As you start whittling down your choices, come back & ask some more specific questions. There are a ton of helpful & knowledgeable folks lurking around here.

And good luck with the search for a truck!!

 

"The early ('03 - '04) 6.0L PSD can be bipolar...they were either problematic from day one or they were trusty work horses. The best thing to do is get an OASIS report run for any 6.0L-equipped Super Duty that you may become interested in buying. The later models were more trustworthy, but it will still be prudent to get an OASIS report on them."

Is this to say that later models ('05 and so on) are less problematic?

 

I would say yes.

There were incremental changes made through the 6.0L's production years (late '03 - '07 model years). I have seen a couple of decent posts down in the 6.0L forum which chronicled what changes were made, but I do not have any of them saved. (I lost interest in tracking the 6.0L after my '06 was stolen.)

If you do some searching down in that forum section, you will undoubtedly find some, if not all, of those changes, and how they improved the 6.0L's reliability.

 

Based on your needs, I would recommend a 2005 or newer F250/F350 crew cab short bed with the 6.8L V10 engine. What is the budget for this purchase? I was searching Autotrader.com yesterday and saw these trucks that look solid but may be a little overpriced. Price is always negotiable!

2006 F250 w/ 30K miles - $25,900.
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...e&rdpage=thumb




2006 F250 w/ 51K miles - $26,473.
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...e&rdpage=thumb




2006 F350 w/ 23K miles - $28,995 (Overpriced!)
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...e&rdpage=thumb

 

and the 05+ have the killer TorqShift trans. the 03.5 and 04 6.0 diesels had the torqshift, but they had a few kinks that were worked out by 05. the 99-04 4r100 transmissions were a bit ify. if you use the search, you will find a thread dedicated to the 4r100