No kidding, I was in the Coast Guard (long time ago) but on a bouy tender, an ice breaker, and a weather cutter .......... ice breaker was interesting ... 6 months in the arctic!!

 

I'm also in the CG, seems like there are a few of us here.

 

I was on the first ICEBREAKING BUOYTENDER. I did my first class cadet cruise on the old MACKINAW, fell in love with her as a child. Then my first tour was driving the hell out of the new one and writting the book on how to for the first podded military vessel. Then off to a 140' ice breaker now sitting at a damned desk..... atleast I get HQ credit for this 'remote' HQ tour! I loved breaking ice, to me it was so cool to know how much thinking goes into it. Working with the weather, letting it work for you. You weren't just breaking ice but planing on where to move the ice you broke and then had to be careful, breaking ice meant making ice. I always thought HP and tonnage broke ice, now I know science and planning breaks ice better!

 

small world considering how small the Coast Guard is ......... was on the Northwind when they were seeing if the north coast of Alaska could be kept open vs a pipeline ......... you're right about how a ship breaks ice with the healing systems and weight transfer, especailly when you're in 100% surface coverage ......... and we did get blown in with winds behind us and had to blast out ............. but that's another story .......... maybe that's why I like power strokes; the sheer power!!!!!!

 

I love my PSD..... but I'd take those CAT 3612s we had on MAC any day if you could fit a 12 cylinder CAT under the hood! BTW.... I have an EASTWIND profile hanging in my office. My boss saved it from the trash at HQ. They had like 30 of the nice profiles framed of everything from the orig cutters, SCAMMEL ect all the way up to the WINDs they were gonna toss because they were redoing a p-way

 

my '03 PSD; I had the choice of the 7.3 or the new 6.0 motor; fortunately I chose the the old addage, there's no substitute for inches .... then added a superchip tuner, exhaust, air dam, and a pyrometer to watch the heat ......... now the new 6.7 I think will surpass that; but the '03 was awesome wiht power

back to the USCG and engines ...... I did a stint (after oceanaography school in New York) on the 378' Dallas, she was a fairly new class at the time and had Boeing engines (auxiliary) for use on SAR calls, they put those on line once to show us what she could do ........ you could hear the fuel rushing through the lines when at full speed, they told us it could reach top speed in it's own length?? not sure about that, but I was a kid at the time and it sounded impressive to me!!!!!!!!!

the Ford dealer should be calling me today....... they were going to do a search first then order if none around with what I want

 

Best of luck. Hope they find what you want..... waiting sucks!

 

I had two F-250 Fx4 with camper package and liked same.

Per the 2011 ordering guide you can not get camper package with 3.31 axle on a 4x4 w/ 17" or 18" so it sounds like you can only get 3.31 with 2WD if 3.31 axle and camper package.

You can not get camper package w/ 20" wheels.

Camper package also includes higher rated front springs.

helper rear springs on F-250 only

Rear stabilizer bar on SRW only.

I'm looking at SRW F-350 and want the 20" for the higher tire load rating. I would like the camper package for the rear stabilizer bar.

I'm not sure if there is another way to get the rear stabilizer bar other than the camper package?

BTW, my brother now retired from Coast Guard met his second wife in Keokuk, IA while on an ice breaker on the Mississippi, working the locks. They ended up living most their lives in the Keys and raising their kids there.

Bob

 

Bob -

right out of boot camp I was on the Miss R out of Memphis on a bouy tender then went to a couple schools and ended up on the Northwind this was all back in the mid 60's ............

back to trucks ....... I'm buying one out of stock and it has the snow plow package (don't need that) but you get a bigger alternator and heavier springs but no rear auxiliary springs, which I liked, but I'm Ok, and it has the 3:55 electronic locking axle.

mainly use for towing a 9k boat/trailer ........ thanks for response

 

Hello all, my first post. I test drove a 3.31 gear and at 70 mph the tach was at 1600 rpm, thats at peak torque. When pulling a load (13000# fiver) and more power is needed for passing or starting uphill would'nt it want to shift down right then instead of hold the gear. Any speed lower than 70 you would below peak torque, seems to me that would be lugging the engine. I hope I am wrong about this. I just orderd a 350 swr with 3.55 gear but could change it before they start building it. Every body seems to like the're 3.31 mabey I would to. Thanks

 

took delivery of a 250 w/3:55 gears Saturday; I won't tow my boat until late summer but the 3:55's are fine. I have the 18" wheels and AT tires. I probably would have ordered the truck and left the the standard 3:31 gears as is, but I bought out of stock. Only have 300 miles so not much to offer as far as data goes, but she is much more truck than my 7.3 2003 (and that had superchips tuner set at the 3rd level). Plenty of power, no turbo lag, doesn't know when to quit pulling at the top end, very impressive .......... and I thought my 03 was awesome with a tuner, exhaust, air cleaner, etc!!

 

My 2011 F350 has the 20 inch wheels, Michelin tires and a camper certificationn is in the glove box. YMMV

 

Well I think 3.31 sounds like the way to go unless your truck is permanently hooked to a huge trailer. Especially now with the 400HP/800lb-ft upgrade, the engine should easily handle the taller drive ratio.

 

My truck has 3.55 gears. After driving it over 3000 miles with a 13000 pound fiver behind it, if I would order one I would go 3.30.

 

So you have the "camper package"?

and the rear stabilizer bar?

I ask as the order guide says the camper package is not available w/ 20" wheels.

Straighten me out!

Bob