A little back ground. I have a Tundra with 125k on the clock. Just broke in

I ended up finding a Gen 2 Dodge diesel. Great truck.

About my current truck fleet.

Tundra is a great truck. It really is. Hard pressed to say anything negative about it. Just a super solid rig.

My Dodge is a good Truck Solid and as far as a 20+ year old truck it is gtg. But anyone that has a truck with 250k and 20 years old you know what I mean. This truck is in better shape than 90% of them its age. So no real complaints.

The combination of these two rigs meets my needs as I tow heavy loads and need to make longer trips on occasion.

I am considering trading or selling these rigs and going to a new rig that will meet both my needs of towing and the reliability of long trips more importantly, reliability.

I really want a flat bed. Probably a dually 4wd crew cab or maybe the extra cab.

That is where the Ford Superduty comes in to play.

I looked at one. Just cab and chassis. F350 crew cab 4wd 7.3 gas. Basic truck. Sticker was $57k+
I am guessing a quality flatbed would be and additional $5k? I don't need or do not want bells and whistles.

Went to another dealer in another town. They had none. Said it is really hard to get the 7.3. Said they are selling the gas unit 5 to 1 over diesels and have been for over the last year and a half.

I am not really interested in a diesel I don't believe. The 7.3 gas will tow what I need just fine. If you wish to convince me I should go diesel feel free.

I would like to hear your thoughts on the truck. What a new one could be had for realistically. The value of my trucks. And any other thoughts you have guys.

You and I are kind of in the same boat. I have a Tundra and a diesel tow rig. I love my Tundra as a light truck. The 5.7 is powerful and the body is very nice looking. I bought the Sierra because I need to tow heavier than the Tundra is rated for. But.......now I think I'd be better off with a one ton truck. I've been looking at F450's. They are expensive but I'm thinking of buying one of the cheaper 6.0 liter trucks and bullet proofing it myself. It's not beyond my skills but I won't have the facility until after our move to Tennessee. So for now I'll do nothing.

As for diesels, they are great for towing. They used to be more economical before diesel fuel became so much more expensive than gasoline. I do get better mileage out of my duramax and it has long torque legs. Diesel engines are complicated now and have emissions parts that can cause expensive repairs. The newer ones with the CP4 pumps can grenade and cause massive repair costs. It's bad enough that diesel enthusiasts swap a CP3 pump in with an adapter to avoid those headaches. When they're running right, diesel trucks are great. Mine is an LBZ Duramax.

Have you considered a 4500 Silverado?, If you're towing a lot of weight and spending $70k on a cab and chassis, I know I would at least look into them. Duramax diesel would get better milage than a gas Ford, if diesel drops in price someday, it would be more economical.

Flat beds can meet the qualifications of a commercial vehicle and may be required to stop at weigh stations in some states.

That won't be an issue for me.

Riz, I am hoping that this truck with a flatbed installed could be bought for $55k roughly. Not $70k

Nice flatbed will set you back over 10k. Call Titan and Cobalt and see what they have in stock or on order, then look for the wheelbase truck you need with a bed delete. Norm at Corwin is a good guy to talk with, he is the fleet guy.

Thanks Stlhd, My local dealer does a lot of flatbeds. Seemed like I asked about one for my dodge at one point. Don't remember the details but I know it was not $10k. But that was a couple years ato probably. So you might be right.

We just got a new to us horse trailer with steel frame, living quarters with water, and capacity of three horses. Totals out at 14,500 loaded, and way too much for our F150. The truck of choice was a 7.3 F350 gasser with tow set up. Specced out at around $60k the way we wanted it. Unfortunately, it couldn't be ordered, and we ended up with an old, but low mileage GMC 3500.

I have a feeling that the GMC will be going down the road to a new owner as soon as The Beautiful Girl finds the Ford that she really wants.

Diesels are great, as you know from the Dodge, but unless you need that power every day, they are not the best option. Particularly now with DEF, and more frequent maintenance. As I understand it from a friend who owns one, her F250 Powerstroke requires maintenance every 6 months at the dealer simply because it's a diesel.

That new 7.3 Godzilla was built to haul. It's not an uprated automotive big block, it's a truck engine from design phase, and would also be our choice if we were buying a new 350 class truck.

ORC, just for fun, why don’t you get in touch with a truck specialist at Woodhouse Ford in Blair, Nebraska. I heard once that Woodhouse sold more Ford trucks than any dealer in the country. Their prices are competitive and they’ll deliver anywhere in the country. I bought an F150 from them once and they delivered it to NW Wyoming. Trade-in was handled over the internet (maybe a phone call or two). They brought me a new truck and drove the old one away. Something to consider, they’ve always carried a big inventory, that may still be true.

I would also consider looking at the 450/4500 range of trucks. Won't be a big difference in price, but there are a lot of advantages when it comes to hauling with these. Better turning radius, bigger brakes, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by ArtieS:
As I understand it from a friend who owns one, her F250 Powerstroke requires maintenance every 6 months at the dealer simply because it's a diesel.

Depending on how much you drive it and/or if you meet the severe service schedule, I could see the fuel filters needing replacing every 6 months. They are $70 for the pair, require a 34mm socket, and take about 15 minutes to replace.

The 6.7 Powerstroke was the only motor offered that would tow what I needed when I bought my truck. The 7.3 will tow what I need and would be what I would get if I needed a new truck now. If it were turbocharged like the 6.7 diesel, I’d replace my truck right now.

I'd get the 450 if I were to get a dually. I hit enough curbs as it is with the turning radius of my SRW F350.

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