Hi everyone,

I'm posting here on behalf of my Dad (a die hard Ford customer for the last 30 years) who still does not use computers...

He called me tonight kind of upset because his brand new F-450 V10 business vehicle (which he bought to replace his old 1989 F-450 7.3L diesel) can't tow worth a damn. He's been running diesels for over 20 years and to save on the upfront cost of the diesel engine went with the gas V10. Needless to say, the same load he would tow without almost even knowing it with his old truck, he can now barely tow.

He is trying to tow the same load he's been towing for 30 years with his other previous trucks: a triple axle trailer (6000 lbs), with another 5000 lbs of equipment on the trailer. Apparently he can't make it up any of the hills in the area, and only got 250 km to a tank of gas (130L!) in one instance.

Even, he attached the identical load to his curent personal vehicle (2008 F-250 Diesel), and I quote in his own words "My F-250 laughed while pulling this load"...

He's extremely annoyed because this new F-450 was supposed to have even more towing capacity than his old one, and was certainly supposed to have more than his F-250.

Any reports of this type of behaviour from these trucks? I told him to bring it in but he refuses - he claims there's nothing wrong with it it's just a piece of junk. (and so he wants ME to write a letter to Ford...) Please let me know. Any information would be extremely useful.

 

A N/A gasoline engine will not behave the same as a turbo diesel. It will tow the same load, but it requires that your dad break his turbo diesel brainwashing, and PRESS THE ACCELERATOR.
JL

 

Tell Dad to put the truck in Drive, activate Tow/Haul mode and let the engine rev. A 3 valve V-10 will pull as well as a 7.3L PSD, you just need to let the engine rev more. Cresting a hill at 3500 RPM in third isn't going to hurt anything.

 

Yup...having drivin' a 96 7.3TD and now an 06 V10. The V10 does everything the 7.3L does.

 

I remember back in the early 80's my dad had a few 460 powered trucks that would haul trailers to Texas. We pretty much had to keep it floored half the trip. Some hills would bring it down to 35-40 MPH. The V10 does a lot better. I've had my 09 F550 V10 loaded to 27,000# and the cruise held 65 up a mile long hill without a problem. It did downshift, but then it held the number. V10's need to breathe, They tow great at 3-4K RPM's, where Diesels tow great 1000 RPM less. Let it breathe!

 

keep in mind that new F450 weighs WAY more then that older F450.

plus the V10 as stated above likes to rev. you cant drive it like a deisel. it hates being loaded up and driven below 2000RPM.

at 1200-1500 its down right terrible. were as a deisel shines at those revs. get your old man to adjust to life with the V10. he'll come around.