I'm in the early stages of new truck fever. I'm a big guy 6'5" and my three teenage daughters are well north of average, the oldest being close to 6'2". I am looking to sell my 2001 F150 SCrew to a daughter and upgrade to a F250 Crew Cab. I have several questions about the configuration of options that I'm considering.

Crew Cab (a must)
- Wife and 4 Daughters
Diesel (a want)
- Longer engine line and good low end since I live in the Texas Hill Country
Long Bed (a want)
- Tired of the 5'6" bed in my SCrew
> A truck that long would limit my wife driving it (a good thing?)
- Larger fuel tank
2x4
- Don't really do any off road
- South Texas gets 7 days of ice and snow every 10 years
- smoother ride
High ratio Locker rear end.
- I like the idea of a 3.31 for mileage.
- I do often haul more than I should in the bed of my 150, but seldom tow and really don't tow anything that needs lower gearing.

So tell me why I shouldn't get this truck or these options, or what is wrong with my reasoning.

Thanks

 

So I can explain to my wife that my reasoning and logic are perfect?

 

the only question is gas or diesel.. unless you carry lots (tons) or tow lots, diesel might not be the way to go.. go can get everything else tho

I LOVE the legroom (I an 6'2) on the Fords.. the F150's and Superdutys are amazing. longbed is easy to do. I love mine.
I am near Austin. so only have 2wd.

low gear is the problem. to get low on superduty really 3.55 is the lowest prior to 2011 models, 3.31 lowest there.
I don't know the gearing in the f150

I was a chevy guy, til 06 when the best deal was an F150 crew cab, and it was amazing to have legroom.. needed to tow my custom car trailer all over so picked up a superduty diesel (first ever) longbed, crew.. wow.. amazing.. (and even more so towing).. same mileage not towing as the F150.. 12-14..

Sam

 

I don't see anything wrong with your list. You want I should call your wife and let her know?

You don't need the diesel. But if you want it then let it be.

You might want to reconsider the long bed. The Superduty bed will be a foot longer even in the shortbed.

 

mine is 22ft not counting the trailer hitch..

sam

 

Others may comment differently on this one but I found the handling of the 250 to be "heavy" compared to a 1/2 ton. Your wife may not want to drive it regardless But, if you really want to boost your chances, the long bed should help out for sure. Or, go get a 350 DRW.

I am in the process of getting a 2010 250 CC SB PSD myself - 9-10 days to go and I'll be driving it home.

All of that having been said, the short bed is a great size on the super dutys. I drive a 2003 chev 1500 Z71 now and it has a 6.5' bed so the size difference is minute, the new super duty being 4" longer. For what I use a truck for it is the ideal size. Coupled with a full height cap the space will be more than enough. The long bed would be over kill for my uses.

However, if you plan to do any towing with bed-mounted hitches then the long bed would be more of a consideration (not that I am saying your wife-deterrent idea isn't good ). The stability on a longer frame vehicle while towing is a big plus and you have more turning room for the trailer to swing next to the back of the cab. City driving/parking really blows in long trucks but you weigh your options.

If you really want a diesel then get one. Simple. Do you need one? Maybe not. You won't get the sound, smell, and low end torque you get with a diesel out of a gas though. I will say, the 6.4L stock is EXTREMELY quiet. If sound is your primary consideration you'll never hear it once you get in and shut the doors, unless of course you modify it somehow.

 

I have a crew cab, long bed, diesel, 2WD, uh, pretty much what you have. Except that I have a 3.73 rear end. But I do pull a 30ft 5th wheel too. I love this truck. It's just me and the wife most of the time, but when we visit the chitlins and the grandbabies, this truck is an absolute must have. It has plenty of room, and with the long bed, you get the bigger gas tank. Supposed to be 38 gallons, but I ran it a bit close one time, and got 39 gallons into it. Won't do that again! Anyway, go for it. You're looking at the perfect truck!

 

Diesel - Unless you are towing A LOT, I would skip the diesel. High intial cost, more maintenance, fuel mileage isn't as much as it used to be for diesels.
Long Bed - Only way to go. I use my bed a lot. I tow a travel trailer and fill the bed with a quad and an old 3-wheeler. For me, why bother with an SD if it isn't a long bed?
4x4 - Mine is a 4x4. While I've used it for fun, I really don'y need it. My next truck will be 2wd.
These are just my opinions.

 

Don't even think your wife won't drive it because it is too big. Mine said the same when I got my SD, but after the first time she had to drive it she decided maybe she liked driving a big truck. She decided she really liked it the day she drove Big Red into a parking lot and a group of guys gave her and the truck a long look and a thumbs up.

My truck suddenly became "our" truck.

 

Ran a few errands and ended up at the Ford dealer, strange how that works. The CC SB is a good size and I might got with that over the long bed. I like the seat in the F250 a little better than the F150, and for the base units the SB isn't that much more. When I haul it is not so much size as it is weight, stone and dirt and scrap concrete.

As far as the diesel is concerned I was thinking that total cost of ownership would be lower. I have 103K on my 2001 and would keep it for at least 5 more years if I wasn't selling it to my daughter. Barring a major accident or theft I plan on having this truck for 20 years or 250K+ miles. The lower cost of the 6.2 will make this an easier sale.

 

lol - redford! My wife loves "our" truck too.... but after pushing a Jetta around thinking it was a shopping cart at the local mall... now she's a bit more selective about where/when she takes the truck

As far as the size goes, I love that I can still stretch my legs in the back seat (6'2") in between my twins car seats while the wife drives. But the extra footage makes plowing a bit more interesting too. Hence the SB on the CC.

4X4 is a must if you have a stock LS or open diff. Mine is open and from what I read on hear LS might as well be open. Set aside the weather, plowing and off-roading, I've had to make some unexpected U-turns or detours in grass/dirt and needed that 4X4 push.

 

I'm one for the get what you want or regret it later. My brother has a Dodge CC SB 5.9 (don't knock him, he got the truck for the engine, not the maker of the truck) and he wishes he had gotten a long bed, plus he complains about the crew cab on his being so much smaller then my ford. I've got a long bed and love it. If you throw a tool box or fuel tank in the SB, you loose a lot of space. That extra 18 inches isn't much considering the new trucks turn sharper then the old ones. You get used to the length quick.


Not to derail the thread...but that sounds like a funny story worth sharing.

 

Well as we all know parking spots aren't meant for CrewCabs... I take up 2 spots when I'm being nice but with the plow definitely 4 spots (2X2)!! I'd never be able to get out otherwise!!

Unfortunately I wasn't there to see it but the phone call I received started out "I will never complain about your driving again". Well that only lasted a day but anyway. She tells me she thought she left the carriage too close to the truck cause when she pulled out she felt a small nudge but nothing really when she got into the aisle she noticed the Jetta was awfully close, when she looked again it clicked!
She jumped out to see the front bumper off the Jetta had gotten caught on my brand new BFGs and she dragged the car clear out of the parking spot. The bumper was peeled open like a tuna can and she said there was no damage to the truck (I have a 1 sq. in. chunk missing).

 

Well, as far as the wife thing goes, she drove my other truck (short bed crew cab) exactly once in the 5 years I had it. She hated it! She has not driven the new one yet. I will make her just once so she knows she can, but she will not like it either. And that's okay...I don't have to worry about adjusting things back!