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Old 03-02-2015, 06:21 PM   #1
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Question Ford diesel 250 vs 350

We have narrowed our choice to platinum 250 or 350 diesel. The question is that the dealers (more than 2) state the 350 is more stable for the pull and less bump on the hitch and unit. I know nothing about all of this. we currently have 1 2015 25 FB FC and will be upgrading to a classic soon. Those of you that have 2015 350 diesel fords, why and what questions should I be asking.
We currently have a 2015 expedition with towing package. It works hard to pull on steep hills and even with tow haul the steep down hill grades are very hard on the vehicle.

Your thoughts and recommendations are appreciated.
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Old 03-02-2015, 06:31 PM   #2
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I have used both trucks. The F350 King Ranch dually, and the F250 lariat, both crew cab, both diesel. They are more than capable of pulling your FC. I liked the dually better because it didn't wag at all. They will probably try to sell you the more expensive rig. Either way both are awesome. Flip a coin, I guess.
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Old 03-02-2015, 09:15 PM   #3
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Are there issues about the affect on the AS. Do these larger trucks beat them up or really bounce them?


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Old 03-02-2015, 09:29 PM   #4
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I have a 2009 F-250 Super Duty 6.4L diesel. All I can attest to is that it pulls my 30' Classic up and down mountains as well as on open highways without any problem. I really enjoy driving it. Either a F-250 or 350 diesel will serve your needs and its more a wallet issue than whether you'll have adequate power and road handling qualities. With either you'll want a high quality tow package and that is as important as which of these two models you decide upon.
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Old 03-02-2015, 09:40 PM   #5
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I have the f250 with the current 6.7 Diesel engine. It has plenty of power for a 30' Classic and plenty of gear in the bed.

The F350 has an additional leaf spring in the rear and will likely have a stiffer ride when not towing.

I would not buy a dually. The single wheel vehicles are large enough for a travel trailer.


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Old 03-02-2015, 09:58 PM   #6
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I'm back. After thinking some more I think a F-250 Super Duty diesel is plenty adequate for your needs. Save your money because there will be lots of other amenities and toys you'll want for your FC. Above all, have fun!
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Old 03-02-2015, 09:59 PM   #7
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If you want to haul a Harley or GoldWing in the back of the truck and tow an Airstream, the additional payload of a dually would be necessary. Otherwise, a ¾ ton should do the job. Watch the net payload as you accessorize the vehicle.

We tow our 2014 31' Classic model 30 (typically scales to around 9,100 pounds with full water tank and all the food and stuff) with a 2012 Ram 2500HD 4x4 with Cummins and cross the scales at over 19,000 pounds when all the stuff is loaded in both vehicles. No issues going either up or down mountains.

Our tongue weight is currently 1,350 pounds, but will drop about 250 pounds in May when the four Lifeline 6Vdc 300 amp hour batteries (makes 12Vdc and 600 amp hours storage) are replaced with Lithium ion designed batteries with the same capacity rating. We are also replacing the water heater with an on demand water heater that drops about 50 pounds of weight since there is no six gallon water storage tank.

We did replace the complete steel spring suspension with a Kelderman level ride air suspension system that is also available for the Ford brand. The truck sits level all the time and I can dump the rear air and lower the tailgate over 4" to facilitate loading as I am short. We replaced the stock 34 gallon fuel tank with a Titan 56 gallon tank and have over 600, miles range. This tank swap is available for Ford as well.
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Old 03-03-2015, 08:06 AM   #8
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We fell in love with a F250 Platinum 6.7L 4x4 diesel at the Chicago Auto Show. Even my 5'0" co-driver felt comfortable in the cab (adjustable steering and pedals). Now we are trying to figure out which options to include for towing a 27FB FC. Is Heavy Service Front Suspension a good thing? Dual Alternators or Extra Heavy Duty Alternator? Electronic Locking Axle? Does the 5th Wheel/Gooseneck Towing Package offer any suspension or other advantage for towing an Airstreams?
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Old 03-03-2015, 08:54 AM   #9
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got a killer deal on a 2014 F350 so i went with this truck. this is the first 1 ton i have owned. i have to say, towing is a breeze with this platform. but, the added rear height will cause you to redo your shank as a 'standard' length shank is not capable of dealing with this height difference. a small problem but you had better be aware of it in advance.

i have always had to add air bags to my 3/4 ton trucks, not so with this 1 ton. other disappointment was the 26g fuel tank with the crew cab. i solved this by adding a transfer flow 50g tank. the instrument computer is reprogrammed to now understand the capacity which is nifty as the gauges all work as before.

we have only towed about 2k so far but this 6.7 diesel is a gem. i travel at the speed limits, up to 65 up and down all grades i have encountered. a dually would be worth the expense IF you were planning on loading one of those monster campers, otherwise not necessary in my opinion.

this truck and engine are keepers in my book. at this point, i am thankful that this deal came along on the 1 ton.
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Old 03-03-2015, 10:44 AM   #10
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All one tons are not duallys. Peace,jim
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Old 03-03-2015, 11:19 AM   #11
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I tow my 30ft International with a 2012 F350 Diesel SRW. When we bought it in late 2012, the dealer had an identically specced F250. The price difference was between 200 and 300 dollars. I opted for the F350 as it seemed a reasonable price to pay the extra leaf springs/beefiness....I was pleased I did as besides towing the Airstream to Alaska and back and some other more challenging routes it has been called into service for a lot of other heavy lifting that I really had not planned on when I made the decision to buy it. Yes, it is a little bit bumpy when unladen and the stock 26 gal fuel tank is a bit of a pain (same for the 250 and Titan will sell you a 50gal tank that mounts under the bed in the same location as the original for about $1500 but have not yet been stressed enough to do this- I carry a couple of 5 gal jerry cans of diesel as an emergency reserve in more remote locations). Bottom line for me was although I did not really know it at the time history has proven the 350 to have been the right choice for me.
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Old 03-03-2015, 11:43 AM   #12
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I don't know about ride quality, but we have a Chevy 1 ton dually that rides really smooth like a car. If you didn't see those big fenders in your rear view, you wouldn't know you were in a 1 ton dually.
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Old 03-03-2015, 11:44 AM   #13
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I tow my 2010 International 27FB with a 2014 F-250 diesel 4 door (I forget if they call it a super or crew cab) SRW, short bed. It tows great. My brother in law bought the F-350 similar to mine with the long bed. His truck rides rougher when not towing than mine, but he has a larger fuel tank than I do so his range is much better. If I was to do it over I'd buy my same truck with the long bed as it comes with the larger fuel tank.
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Old 03-03-2015, 12:02 PM   #14
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Since we drive the truck without the trailer 80% of the time we went with our second F250. Mechanic said "that 350 unloaded will cause you to require more dental work".

It's all about tongue weight and payload capacity and payload in the truck.

You'll find many 'o thread on that discussion..

Good Luck.
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Old 03-03-2015, 12:25 PM   #15
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You can take a look at the Ford Super Duty Forum ( Super Duty & Heavy Duty - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums ) to search for differences between an F-250 and an F-350. IIRC the major differences are 1) the label and 2) the rear suspension bumper size. I tow ~8,000 pounds of trailer and boat and junk with an '11 F-250 xl with the gas engine satisfactorily.

I've heard it said that in some states the tax or licensing can be very different for 3/4 vs. 1 ton trucks. You may want to check that.
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Old 03-04-2015, 05:23 AM   #16
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Pulling a 25' FC now with a 2015 F350 Crew Cab 6.7L Diesel. Having had many of these trucks over the years, one more thing to consider is short bed vs. long bed. I prefer the long bed because it is harder to get it sideways on slick roads and it improves the ride a bit. (Not to mention, more room.) I wouldn't change a thing on my tow vehicle. Tows in and out of the mountains all day long with little effort. Averaging around 11 to 13 MPG with the trailer, 16 to 17 MPG without.
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Old 03-04-2015, 06:44 AM   #17
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We have had a 2012 F250 Diesel and now have a 2015 F350 Diesel. Love them both. Both towed a 30' FC. No issues with towing on either. F350 a little stiffer when not towing and a little more stable when towing. I also transfer the trailer from storage to our driveway for loading etc without bars, only hook up and go. Much easier as it rides just a little higher and does not hit my driveway when backing in. We ordered the Platinum as we like creature comforts and it has them. Ordered almost every option, not the gooseneck as I saw no need and my wife was concerned if I did I'd want to buy a 5th wheel.

We have the crew cab as we take dog(s) with us. We are adding the Titan 50 gallon fuel tank next week. Main reason is I don't want to have to hunt for fuel stops in little out of the way diesel spots. I like having the option of waiting until I find a truck stop type stop. We get 21.5 on the interstate, 13.5 around hilly Western PA and 13.8 towing the 30' loaded. Truck knows it is towing, but with Equalizer hitch set up no sway etc., a little on the F250 but we were running Reese on that set up, so not a fair comparison.

That's about it, the engine etc are all identical on both trucks. Make sure you get tow package, I have two alternators, and Bed Rug in back. Other than that just about everything is standard on Platinum. Oh, we did order quick can heater, love it. Start the truck from the house, within three minutes cab is warm, steering wheel heater is on, seat heaters are on and bingo ready to roll. We also got the AC plug for the front in cold weather, plugs into the house and keeps oil etc warm - it works.

Great truck.

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Old 03-04-2015, 07:40 AM   #18
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In Indiana, truck plates get surcharged as the GVW exceeds the base 7,000 pounds. We acquire 12,000 pound plates to cover any possible over weight situation since the truck is rated 9,600, pounds and the axles are rated 11,510 pounds.
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Old 03-04-2015, 07:53 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by switz View Post
In Indiana, truck plates get surcharged as the GVW exceeds the base 7,000 pounds. We acquire 12,000 pound plates to cover any possible over weight situation since the truck is rated 9,600, pounds and the axles are rated 11,510 pounds.

What Switz posted is correct for PA as well, however, one has the option to move down one weight class, ie from 1 ton to 3/4 ton and thereby save some money. We do have have a truck license plate on our truck, we have a specialty plate, Veteran. Can't do it on a 1 Ton in PA so we moved down to a 3/4 Ton.
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Old 03-04-2015, 08:06 AM   #20
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Ford diesel 250 vs 350

For the small difference in money I have gone with the F350 6.7 Supercrew 4x4 long box in 2012 than again in 2015.We pull a 28ft international.The ride is the same as the F250 due to both using the same primary leaf spring when unloaded.I use a Airsafe hitch and my trailer rides smooth now also.I have pulled the same trailer with F150 and can say I will never go back.The F350 Platinum is a wonderful tow vehicle.The 2015 is better than 2012 in all respects.


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