Ford SuperDuty - F250 or F350?

[2airishuman]

nicely done barry...

but u may have underestimated the beer...



cheers
2air'

[pattonsr]

2air'

What was I thinking. I will only last 24 days even with extreme rationing. Yipes!

Barry

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by pattonsr

2air'

What was I thinking. I will only last 24 days even with extreme rationing. Yipes!

Barry

Switch to whiskey. It's much more economical from a weight-per-drink perspective.

[r carl]

Originally Posted by 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.

Or you can setup a car to tow.

[me208070]

I drive 100k a year picking up Airstreams in 48 states and love the new 2011 Diesel F250 CC. Mileage is 13.6 towing and it is not broken in yet at 10K. I am getting 19 MPG not towing. Ride is great!

Truck is quiet too...folks mistake it for a gasser......

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by r carl

Or you can setup a car to tow.

Please explain to me why we go thru all sorts of weighing and calculating to make sure we are within the manufacturers towing and weight ratings with the trucks we tow with, and then just because someone does it with a sedan, takes a picture of it, and lives to tell about it, manufactures ratings be damned, it's all OK.

[2airishuman]

lets NOT hijack this thread, see the TITLE and topic.

rather than have the GOOOFY CAR towing posts in this thread about 250s/350s...

HERE is a great place to take that stuff...

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...epid-3636.html

in particular see moe's posts #19, 23 and #44...

then the exchange that happens in posts #77/78 and 85/86...

that's a great place for thoughts on goofy carz towing houses.

_____________

back on the 250/350 considerations,

here is an older thread with the op making the same decisions.

different version/model year, but the payload considerations hold.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...350-21802.html

and for those of u WANTING to dig deeply into ford truck specs and build options...

THIS is a really good link for doing just that, a wealth of info...

(thanks again to 'moe, i have been using d'link for years)

https://www.fleet.ford.com/truckbbas.../techspec.html

cheers
2air'

[BillTex]

Welcome, there may be some differences in wheel/tire/brake components between the 250/350 as 2air has indicated. 1 tons will likely have the (better) higher rated components than 3/4 tonners.

Ride quality will likely not be one of them as the difference in spring rate occurs when the over load contacts...and this will happen when it is supposed to (heavy payload)...not something that would happen unladed. So ride "quality" (use that term loosely when talking about trucks) when empty should be of no concern.

If I knew then what I know now ...I would get the 1 ton.
Our next truck WILL be 1 ton...

For a couple of extra $...get the 350.

Bill

[Mikethefixit]

OK U ask, so here is MHO. My vote is for an F350SRW/Crewcab/ 8ft and the new 6.6 or what ever it is Diesel,and get all the toys your budget can stand. You can command more in resale,it has full vacuum over hydraulic disk brakes all around.The wheel base is long so the ride is easy. If U use a Reese dual cam like I do,with 550 lb bars the trailer will get a smooth ride too. We really like ours which now has 90k miles,@20 mpg highway/12 to 14 round town and 16mpg towing.
The decision is yours no one can choose for you.
GOOD LUCK with whatever
Roger

[epperp]

Originally Posted by 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

Pattonsr,
Being new to towing in general, can you help me understand what an airsafe hitch is, what what a gorilla slide is?
Thanks for the education!

[BillTex]

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by epperp

Pattonsr,
Being new to towing in general, can you help me understand what an airsafe hitch is, what what a gorilla slide is?
Thanks for the education!

Airsafe Hitch.... Home

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by epperp

...what what a gorilla slide is?

these are trays mounted on roller bearings that SLIDE out of the truck bed.

while they allow easier access to gear the trays can weigh several hundred lbs...

Truck Bedslide and Gorilla Bed Slide Out Cargo Platforms

cheers
2air'

[SilvrCowgirl]

Thanks to all who provided info - I am amazed at and so grateful for your willingness to share your expertise and experience. Lots of good points here, particularly the payload issue. Being new to this, we had completely overlooked the issue of how much we'd want to carry in the pickup bed (duh). While our first couple of years as Airstreamers will be spent with long weekend trips and several-week vacations, we do look forward to cross-country jaunts, and will definitely be looking to carry a lot of cargo. (My husband wants a generator, we have fishing gear, bikes, etc.) So we've pretty much settled on the F350 diesel. Because it's likely this truck may eventually be our only vehicle and one we'll keep for a long time, we're going all out with the King Ranch crew cab and all the goodies. Thanks again for your help!

[F450Harley]

Go Cowgirl. You only live once.
Please post pictures as soon as you put your rigs together.

[Woosch]

We have a 2010 F250SD Crew cab diesel short bed with a snug top canopy. We tow a 27' FB and to be perfectly honest you would'nt know if it was back there if it weren't for the drop in gas milage. We are VERY happy with our rig.

[steverino]

Originally Posted by Woosch

We have a 2010 F250SD Crew cab diesel short bed with a snug top canopy. We tow a 27' FB and to be perfectly honest you would'nt know if it was back there if it weren't for the drop in gas milage. We are VERY happy with our rig.

ditto here. Except for the snug top.

[pattonsr]

Sean at ProPride just announced support for the AirSafe hitch. No details yet.

Barry

[rideair]

I say, forget the new trailer, have a 1966 28' restored for about the same amount as buying new (plus you build the trailer that you want, how you want) that will save you 550 pounds of tounge weight, go with a F250 CC, 4x4, 8' bed. If you feel you need more *ss, put a AirRide setup on the back. Enjoy the smooth ride and a vintage trailer.

Always think outside the box.

[JFScheck]

F350 over F250 is a no brainer for me (after doing the research to include review of a few of our forum members posts....) - add your tongue weight to passengers, cargo, topper, etc. and a F250 gets to max weight pretty quickly (damn Airstream Classics and their upgraded propane tanks and optional front windows, hardwood - my 25fb has a tongue weight only exceeded by a 30' and 34' slide out's... )

The shocks on the F350 are progressive meaning the ride between a F250 and F350 is identical until you exceed the suspension on the F250 and then where the "extra suspension capacity of the F350" takes over....

Only downside to a F350 is licensing/tags/registration for some of us (both California & Maryland for me), so I'm getting the F350 10,000 GVWR option - identical capacity to a standard F350 but in theory I'm not to exceed the 10,000 pounds - fine by me BUT where the F250 is maxes at 10,000 pounds GVWR the F350 is at a comfortable level with reserve...