Which truck to buy
 

I want to purchase a Ford truck that is capable of towing a 34 foot, 12000 pound 5th wheel. I am looking for the best of both worlds. Power and fuel economy. I am being told the V10 is anything but good on fuel. 7-10 towing, 12 city, and 15 highway and the diesel is best for power. Here are my wishes...

1. Prefer a gas engine. Diesel fuel in my area is .40 more than regular unleaded. Plus the up front cost is another 4 grand.

2. Would rather not have the F350 duelly. Too big. I am told the towing specification is the same as the F250. 14K for a 5th wheel.

This leaves the F250 V8 as my main option. Will this truck work for me? Is the gas mileage better than the V10? What rear axle is best? Will it give me enough power to pull the 5th wheel up grades?

Hope someone out there has some suggestion on what would be my best choice.

Thanks again for all your help.

Which truck to buy
 

taz,

The “towing specs”, while mathematically correct, are fairly bogus. They are based on vehicle GCWR less the weight of the minimally spec’d truck with a 150 lb driver and no other passengers or cargo. It doesn’t even include the weight of the hitch.

NOT a typical recreational towing scenario!

The real specs with which to be concerned are GVWR and GCWR.

As I hinted in my previous post, the 12K 5-er trailer’s high pin weight (~2,400 – 3K lbs) will overload the GVWR of any typically equipped and used F250 SD long before the GCWR becomes an issue.

The max GCWR for any 250/350 with the 5.4L V8 is with the 4.10 axle, and that rating is 15K lbs. Under ideal conditions, the max trailer weight for a 250 thus configured is 9,700 lbs for the 250/350 regular cab 4X2 with XL trim and a manual transmission.

This combination will not work with your trailer, so I recommend you not even begin to consider the V8.

The 350, which costs only about $800 more than a 250 but includes upgraded tires, is available in SRW, so there’s no need to get a duallie.

Ironically, the “bigger” duallie’s tow rating is less than that of a comparable equipped SRW because it weighs more…

Your solution is down to a choice of one of two 350 SD SRW 4X2 configurations: either with the V10 & 4:30 rear, or with the PSD and 3.73 rear. They both are rated at 9,900 lbs GVWR and 20K lbs GCWR. Either one will tow your trailer safely.

Another complicating factor is that Ford recommends the gas engine truck GCWR’s be derated by 2% for every 1,000 ft elevation. If you're at 5,000 feet, the V10 truck’s GCWR drops by 10% to 18K.

If you plan to do a lot of towing, especially in the mountains, or plan to keep the truck for a long time, the PSD is probably the better choice. Otherwise, the V10 may make more sense.

If you haven’t done so already, I recommend you pick up a copy of Ford’s 2001 RV & Trailer Towing Guide – it contains quite a bit of very useful information and guidance.

I’m sorry if this is not the answer you’re looking for. It is, however, the correct answer, although I admit the V10 vs PSD bit is certainly contestable!

Good Luck!

Crewzer – Y2K F250 4X2 CC SB XLT 5.4LV8 AT 4.10LS

Which truck to buy
 

I too would say going with a F-350 and the v-10. It doesn't get quite as good mileage as the v-8, around 2-3mpg less, but the amound of weight you towing, you need that extra 75ft/lbs of torque.


Pastmaster's 1993 XLT 5.0 E40d 3.55LS Normal Cab/Long bed Loaded from the factory with aid of...MSd 6a ign/s.p. wires, blaster coil, Hypertech Chip, K&N filtercharger, Cat-back dual exhuast w/o mufflers, 3.5", echo tips, Accel distributor cap, Dark Mocha over light mocha. 5% Dark tint, Alpine Cd player/remote, Pioneer speakers.

toydestroyer1(No Email Addresses In Posts!)

Which truck to buy
 

I really can't add much to Crewzers excellent post. Just keep in mind that a F350 fully loaded with a PSD under the hood can easily weigh 8000 lbs. That would only leave you 12,000 lbs allowable trailer weight. So is your 12,000 lb trailer weight the empty weight or is it the trailers GVWR? Also keep in mind that RV's are notorious for understating their true weight. And even if you have a true empty weight, remember that you'll need to add "stuff" to it like dishes, sheets, food, clothing. It's real easy to add thousands of pounds of stuff.

It's a real catch 22. The dually option and the PSD option both make for a better, more capable tow vehicle, but they both reduce the amount of weight you can legally tow. The PSD weighs 500 lbs more than the V10, and the dually is about 200 lbs more than the singly (OK, singly isn't a word, but it seems to apply when comparing to a dually).

----------------------------------------
2000 F350 CC DRW Lariat 4x4 LWB 4R100 V10 4.30ls with Torklift tie-downs/Superhitch and Rancho RS9000 and Ride-Rite air springs.
1998 Alpenlite Pendelton 11'10" Slide-in camper with all options.

Which truck to buy
 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 20-Dec-00 AT 10:43 PM (EST)[/font][p][font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 20-Dec-00 AT 10:42 PM (EST)[/font]

First off, I'll be honest and state that I'm a diesel nut. That said, here are a couple more thoughts. The price of diesel may be considerably lower once you're away from home.(I'm from good old NY it is $.15 or more-less costly away from here). This you will have to deceide by where you plan to travel. I'VE HEARD, that the duallys are more stable under a load like the trailer you mention.But the other side of that token is that some states charge more for dual tires on their pay highways (NEW YORK STATE
THRUWAY).
One other figure to add to your equation is resale value. Any extra expense could be worth while if it helps you sell the truck - quicker or for more money- come new truck time. BEST OF
LUCK, PHIL



1990 F-350 ,7.3 5 SPD DUALLY (work truck)

Which truck to buy
 

With towing that kind of weight you need an F350 PSD. I LOVE mine and wouldn't have anything else.

Which truck to buy
 

I currently have a 2000 F-350 Crewcab PSD, with SRW, 4X2, 3.73 rear end, Lariet, and tow a 33.5 foot Signature 5th Wheel that weighs in at 10,500lbs dry, and 12,500lbs loaded. I can easily say that my usual trailer weight is about 11,500-12,000lbs, and I have taken it on a few trips (i just recently bought the trailer). As long as I have the cruise on about 65-67MPH, the truck drives like a dream, any slower, and it tends to hunt for a lower gear when on an incline. The mileage is pretty stable at 13-13.5MPG. I keep it in overdrive, and on slightly hilly terrains it never shifts out, but of course the steeper mountains still cause it to shift back. I love my diesel, and find it hard to believe that there would be an engine that can perform better then this. And the SRW is not an issue at all. I thought it would be, but it handles the load fine...no swaying. Just thought i'd let you know about my experiences, and I will keep you posted if I encounter any problems.
Mark

Which truck to buy
 

I'm gonna order a 2002 F-250, V10, Auto, 4dr super crew, short bed. Plan on using it for commuting and, about 10 times a year, pulling a 5th wheel camper with a max hitch weight of 2,000 lbs, with a camper weight of 12,000 lbs loaded. 2 questions: 1) Do I need to order the "Camper Pkg"? Is that needed for my application or am I going to see a rougher ride with it with no real benefit to the towing of the 5th wheel. 2) 3.73 or 4.10 limited slip rear end?

Thanks

Which truck to buy
 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 05-Sep-01 AT 00:22 AM (EST)[/font][p]You want a F350 not a F250. 2k is too much for a 3/4 ton truck. The 4.10 is not available with the V10 only the 5.4L V8. The 3.73 is not enough. You'll need the 4.30 gears. Take a look at the Ford towing guide. 3.73 gears aren't rated for much over 10k. The camper pkg is a good idea. It gives you overload springs and a rear stabilizer bar for a fair price.

Which truck to buy
 

V10man has it nailed. In your situation, I would consider the camper pkg. a "must have" on the F350. By the time you add in the weight of the passengers with your 2k tongue weight, it'll be around 3000 lbs. at least. Maximum payload for the F250 CC is about 2700 lbs, where the F350 is about 3900 lbs. For the camper pkg., the overloads don't come into play until loaded (no effect on unloaded ride), and the rear swaybar comes in handy when towing heavy loads. Also grab the 4.30 limited slip, for that much weight. The mpg difference will be minimal, and it's better to have too much truck than not enough. I wish I had the 4.30LS in mine.

Which truck to buy
 

I do not pull a fifth wheel, but I've read that the normal pin weight is 20%-25% of the total. That would give you a pin weight of 2400-3000# on a 12,000# fifth wheel. The 250will likely do it without a problem, but you will be beyond the capacity. A 350 would be safer and I understand that the unloaded ride is the same as they have the same spring rate.

Which truck to buy
 

A little food for thought...If 12,000 lbs is the unloaded vehicle weight, an F350 will NOT be enough truck to keep you within the tow ratings. You will need and F450 to stay within the two ratings.

Rich

Which truck to buy
 

I believe that the F350 with the v10, a 12,000# trailer, and 2,000# of "stuff" will still be under the CGVW. I suppoe it depend how the truck is optioned out and if they need more "stuff" to take along. The PSD is the heavy beast, the V10 is not too bad weight wise.

Which truck to buy
 

Crewzer, maybe one of the single best towing posts EVER. Nice job.

I would like to add that any MPG diff the 5.4 may have empty is erased under a load. At max load for the 5.4 the V10 will get at least the same or BETTER economy.


Total miles is what I'd base the diesel v V10 decision on. Both how much towing and how much empty. The diesel will tow better at altitude and a tad quicker with a MAX load. The V10 will equal MOST of the diesels MAX capabilities just at a little slower pace. Empty the V10 is a tad quicker, smoother and waaaay quieter.

If you're racking up the miles towing, the diesel will eventually recoup the 4K investment. If you tow less than half the time and put on less than 15K a year the V10 would be my choice.(it actually is, '01 SD CC V10 4.30 auto)

Which truck to buy
 

1st, thanks for all the replies. What I will probably do is go for the 2002 Lariat F-250 V-10 SB auto 2WD with 4.30 rear end.

Sounds like the "Camper Pkg" will not make a difference in ride during none towing situations and I assume the difference in mileage between the 3.73 and 4.30 is minimal. Any ideas as to what RPM is at 65mph with V-10 and 4.30?

In looking at more 5th wheel trailer specs, I see that loaded weight for what I'm looking for is less then 10k lbs with hitch weight less then 2k lbs.

JD