Ford SuperDuty - F250 or F350?

[SilvrCowgirl]

My husband and I are in the process of buying a 2010 27' Flying Cloud and now need a tow vehicle to begin our Airstream adventures. We are set on the 2011 Ford SuperDuty, diesel engine, but are stuck on whether to buy the F250 or F350. We've been told by various parties that the F250 would be adequate and a smoother ride but others suggest the F350 is the way to go due to the heavier suspension and resale value. We would greatly appreciate any thoughts/expertise you have to share as we are new to this. Thanks in advance.

[THEPILL]

The smoother the suspension, the easier on your Airstream. I was debating a f350 before I ordered my 2011 F250,,,,But like I stated the f350 suspension will beat the tar out of your Airstream. Stay away......, F250 is good,


Shane

[SteveH]

The F250 will be more than you need. If you could live with a gas rig, the F150 would do the job as long as it's equipped correctly.

[HowieE]

The 250 is more than antiquate for a 27 ft. trailer. As for the diesel your mpg towing will be higher. The only question is how long do you intend to keep the truck? If you trade in less than 5 years the additional cost of the diesel may be lost.

[Ahzmyrah]

We originally towed our 1980 31' Excella with a 1/2 ton van with out problems but it was underpowered. Went looking for a 3/4T Pu and ended up with a deal we could not turn down on a Ford F350 1T Crewcab diesel long bed. We now have over 20K miles towing and it has been fantastic. The trailer does just fine with the suspension and the truck weighs more than the trailer does. So the tail does not wag the dog. You really only need an F250 3/4T and the resale value of a 3/4T vs 1T isn't an issue. The diesel is nice if you tow alot like we do as snow birds. At interstate speeds with a full load we average about 13mpg

[RamblinManGa]

Hi from Ga. . . I pull a 25' Safari with a 250 and I don't think I'd want any stiffer truck. It pulls the A/S beautifully, but without the trlr the ride is pretty stiff. Mine is a V-10, just cause I'm not a diesel guy and it does a great job pulling. It also only gets 11 mpg towing. If you don't mind diesel and, as others have said, plan to keep it for 6+ years (to justify the 12K add'l price) that new 2011 diesel sounds like a great motor. Early reports on forums are very flattering. Good luck to you, regards, Craig

[THEPILL]

Originally Posted by RamblinManGa

Hi from Ga. . . I pull a 25' Safari with a 250 and I don't think I'd want any stiffer truck. It pulls the A/S beautifully, but without the trlr the ride is pretty stiff. Mine is a V-10, just cause I'm not a diesel guy and it does a great job pulling. It also only gets 11 mpg towing. If you don't mind diesel and, as others have said, plan to keep it for 6+ years (to justify the 12K add'l price) that new 2011 diesel sounds like a great motor. Early reports on forums are very flattering. Good luck to you, regards, Craig

It's only 7-8,000 more for the diesel.

Just say'n

Shane

[Wingeezer]

Originally Posted by THEPILL

It's only 7-8,000 more for the diesel.

Just say'n

Shane

........ and its not as though you lose it all when selling, I would expect a diesel attracts a higher resale price.

Brian.

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by SilvrCowgirl

... We are set on the 2011 Ford SuperDuty, diesel engine, but are stuck on whether to buy the F250 or F350.

while either might work there are distinct differences.

the 350 SRW truck has a higher rated rear axle than the 250.

so the payload is 100s to 1000 lbs more depending on options/configuration.

the brakes are vacuum assist on 250s and hydraulic on 350s.

gearing/wheel/tire options are slightly different for each line now.

there are several other small differences.
__________

for 2011 ford has s__ p__ r__ e__ a__ d__ the gap between 250s and 350s.

gvwr and payload differences are greater than in previous years.

while drivetrains are the same

it appears they are trying to DISTINGUISH the 2 lines more than in past versions.
__________

the price difference is small (depending on options)

given the actual differences like axles, springs and brakes and so on.

~400-600$ on the sticker, for 2-4000$ of upgrades (done aftermarket)

the RIDE differences largely depends on tire/wheels and wheel base.

i drove about 20 of them before buying

and could NOT feel a difference based on 2 or 3, if the cabs/beds were identical.

IF planning to carry must STUFF in the bed the 350 is a better choice.

payload matters.

cheers
2air'

[thecatsandi]

250. 350 has slightly stiffer suspention. 250 3/4 ton. 350 1 ton.

[pattonsr]

I was planning on a 2011 F250 4x4 short bed until in an earlier thread 2air' talked about payload and stuff.

I did the calculations on what I might haul around and was way over the limits of the F250 plus I couldn't fit in all the stuff. Now I am looking at a F350 and 8' bed. More stuff and larger diesel tank. Some of the weight comes from a Leer cap, yamaha propane 6300 generator with 2 30 lb bottles, and a gorilla slide. If one adds in a 100 gallon water tank for boondocking, then the F250 is very over weight.

I hope to soften the ride for the Airstream by using an AirSafe class 6 hitch. Now ProPride has to provide a revised stinger. Sean says he is working on it. The weight distribution lowers the AirSafe limits and the company says I should get the class 6 if I buy a F350. Class 5 is ok for F250.

Only problem is that a crewcab and 8' bed are about a mile long.

Barry

[THEPILL]

There is no way your over loadeed in a f250....in the bed or towing.

You are talking about the 6.7 diesel...right?


http://www.fordvehicles.com/trucks/s...20101018005217

shane

[NevadaGeo]

If I had that kind of money, I'd personally let someone else drive the truck off the showroom floor for a year or two, then get their slightly used nicely set up F 350 with lots of aftermarket dodads. Then take some of the money you saved and redo the ton suspension to a more trailer friendly set up, maybe take a spring leaf out or softer air bags.

[slowmover]

I bought a 3/4T. Had I to do it over again I'd go for the 1T. Became all too easy in full-timing to reach payload capacity with an 800-1000-lb TW. While mine is a DODGE I believe the "complaint" common to all lines. 2Airs words above, and on another thread make me realize that one needs to exercise due diligence (with real world numbers) so as to spec the right truck.

Good luck

.

[THEPILL]

Originally Posted by REDNAX

I bought a 3/4T. Had I to do it over again I'd go for the 1T. Became all too easy in full-timing to reach payload capacity with an 800-1000-lb TW. While mine is a DODGE I believe the "complaint" common to all lines. 2Airs words above, and on another thread make me realize that one needs to exercise due diligence (with real world numbers) so as to spec the right truck.

Good luck

.

I don't think he is full timing.

Maybe I'm getting confused from another thread,..if so my bad.

Shane

[slowmover]

Full-timing can, in a sense, just be a very long vacation one year. My experience FT was in play as an example . . TW + payload = what reserve? Very little, I found. (And the 1T rides no differently on my brand of truck).

[2airishuman]

pattonsr and red' are probably referring to some of the posts in this thread around posts #47 and #52 ...

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...tml#post901704

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...tml#post901839

there are many examples here of folks in a variety of "capable" tow vehicles that discover...

upon weighing their gear or loaded trucks they are AT or OVER the ratings...

and full timing isn't a requirement when it comes to exceeding payload,

there are folks hauling golf carts or hogs while towing and exceed payload or get very close.

the op may/may not wanna discuss cab size/bed configuration,

here is an older thread on those issues...

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...abs-61324.html

cheers
2air'

[barts]

We've had our F250 since it was new in 1996, and w/ the Airstream I'm now doing weight calculations for trips to Burning Man. There just isn't that much headroom if you're carrying passengers, tools, extra water, etc. However, I do like the short bed - a crew cab 4x4 long bed is a bit of a beast when it comes to maneuvering in tight quarters.

There really is no substitute for doing some math - and don't forget the tongue weight!

= Bart

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by barts

...I do like the short bed - a crew cab 4x4 long bed is a bit of a beast when it comes to maneuvering in tight quarters...

no question a long bed crew cab takes a lotttttta space for parking, around 25 feet.

the issue with maneuvering has improved significantly.

a brand new long bed dually crew cab 350/450 has a SMALLER turning circle than your 96.

in 05 ford moved to coil springs/trailing arms upFRONT

and cut the turning circle significantly compared to trucks with leafs up front.
___________

still your other observations are all on target, big trucks can get over payload easily,

even without a rock collection.

cheers
2air'

[pattonsr]

Shane,

Here is my math for a 2011 F-350 King Ranch 8' cab 4x4 diesel with 3.55 electronic locking axle ratio. I would assume a ProPride hitch and hopefully Airsafe hitch will add to tongue weight as will additional AGM's and Magnum inverter installed up front.

Per the Ford website, payload is 3,380 which is roughly 1,000 more than F-250.
I am calculating the worst case for extended boon docking.

45 100 gallon empty water tank
400 50 gallons water
200 Yamaha 6300 propane generator with remote
5 Propane t holder
96 2 30 gallon propane tanks
37 32 gallon empty tote
72 2 cases of water bottles
108 4 cases of beer
4 2 empty water jugs
100 custom soft water/filters/pressure regulator system
405 2000 # gorilla 8' slide
250 Leer cap with Max Fan (remote) to vent generator (I guess 250 lbs)
30 Roof rack
90 2 canoes or whatever
420 2 adults, dogs, and stuff
1000 Tongue weight for 27fb classic (4 AGMs, Magnum 2000 inverter)
-----
3262 lbs versus 3380 max lbs

I never said a F-250 couldn't handle any Airstream. The problem is running out of tv payload. 2Air pointed this out so I made the list. Eliminate the slide, water, Leer cap and generator would save 1401 lbs. The resulting 1861 is fine for a F-250.

Now I am looking at a front hitch for bikes. I have the 400 lbs of water that is only for extreme boon docking to free up capacity for additional stuff.

Barry