Thinking About Upgrading Tow Vehiclr

[Hblick48]

Currently tow my 2002 3280RL with 2005 F250 6.0. Montana has been totally upgraded and suits us just fine. F250 runs great and has been "bulletproofed".

I'm considering a 2017 F350 with the 6.7. Main reason is that I've heard that the newer trucks have an exhaust brake, ride much better (hitched and unhitched), are easier to drive, and are much quieter. I'm tired of having my teeth fillings fall out when driving unhitched.

Curious to hear your experience with the newer trucks. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[Carl n Susan]

I have had a 2005 6.0, 2008 6.8, and know two different 6.7s (a 2011 somene liked more than me and a current 2015). You will be amazed at the difference between your 2005 6.0 and a 6.7. Power, brakes, the exhaust brake, being able to hear one another when it is running, etc. Just do it, you won't go back.

[Hblick48]

Originally Posted by Carl n Susan

I have had a 2005 6.0, 2008 6.8, and know two different 6.7s (a 2011 somene liked more than me and a current 2015). You will be amazed at the difference between your 2005 6.0 and a 6.7. Power, brakes, the exhaust brake, being able to hear one another when it is running, etc. Just do it, you won't go back.

How much better is the ride, both hitched and not?

[Bourbon County]

I have a 2016 F-350 with the 6.7 and have been extremely pleased with it. It's without a doubt the quietest diesel I've never heard; the engine brake is quite loud though. I was actually startled the first time it kicked on. I didn't realize at the time, but the 2016 model year was the last year the super duty models had a steel body, 2017 is the year they went to aluminum bodies. I don't know if that makes a difference or not to you.

Mine has the 3.55 rear gear which concerned me at first, although I've never driven through the rockies I have been many places around the Applachians and never caused any issues. They offer both a 4.10 and a 4.30 rear gear which has to be a fuel mileage killer. I get between 10-12 MPG while towing depending on location. I'm not sure what year they started offering it, but they now have an optional 48 gallon fuel tank. I can go about 375 miles comfortably with mine which is much longer than an old man's bladder can go.

Bear in mind that used vehicle prices are extremely high now and it seems like new inventory on diesel pick ups is non existent. Be prepared to pay for it. It seems like most anywhere I drive mine someone will approach me in the parking lot and offer to buy it. Out of curiosity, I looked up the current value and it's about $3-5K more than I paid for it.

I haven't experienced it (yet anyway) but there is an issue with the newer Super Duty models having an issue called "death wobble". It is caused by wear in rubber bushings used in the front suspension. There are some aftermarket steering stabilizer products that help prevent it. So far as I know, Ford has yet to offer warranty repair for this. There are a number of online articles and videos on this.

[Bourbon County]

Another thing I forgot to mention is turn radius. The F-350 has a much longer turn radius than same year F250; like 9 feet longer. I'm not really sure why the designers decided on this.

I don't really consider it a down side, it just takes a little getting used to. You just have to watch carefully maneuvering in a parking lot even when not towing. It will feel much different than your present truck.

[MandK]

Went from a 2012 to a 2021. Ride quality is no comparison. 2012 was a supercab though, so not quite an even comparison. The 2021 has a cargo carrying capacity of 4061 and the 2012 was no where near that making the much better ride even more impressive in my opinion.

[BobStack]

I know your a Ford guy but I own a 2020 GMC 3500 Denali SRW diesel and cant say enough good things about going Diesel. It tows my 3781 (41' 16klbs) with not the slightest issue and rarely shifts out of 10th gear running at around1500 rpm's. We went to NC last year and even on 7% & 10% grades I still averaged between 11 and 11.9 mpg.

[twindman]

I went from a 2004 Silverado turbomax to a 2012. Ride was MUCH better, no diesel smell at all. Cruise and engine brake are great. I went from Missoula down I 5 ( I think) all the way to southern Utah and only had to touch my brake pedal once. And the cruise kept the speed up very well - I think maybe 1 or 2 hills it couldn't keep 65mph. Only down side I can see is having to use DEF. Pain in the rear. Also I spent $2500 over 2 times within a year on replacing computer boards for the DEF.

[Daryles]

In 2019 when we bought our Montana, we test drove a 2019 F250. Did not care for it. The guy pointed to this 2016 F350 Lariat dually. We didn't want a dually but test drove it anyway. The difference was night and day. The dually was quiet and smooth and had all the bells and whistles.
We bought the dually. Never looked back

[wed]

I have a F350 2019 and the ride is fine not loaded

[BB_TX]

I towed several years with a 2007 F350 6.0 and thought it towed great, even over mountain passes. Traded for a 2012 F350 6.7 and was amazed at how much better it towed those same passes. And easily cruised at 70 mph in cruise control and rarely downshifted on flat to slightly rolling roads. Newer 6.7s have even more power.

And yeah, that long turn radius was annoying. Otherwise comfortable ride and enjoyable to drive.

[firestation12]

Last truck was a 2017 F-250 short bed SRW, current is a 2020 F-350 short bed SRW. The newest F-350 rides better loaded and unloaded than either of the 2017 and 2015 F-250s. The 2020 and newer GM and Fords have the 10 speed transmission, AND have significantly increased load and towing capacity ratings compared to previous years. I've not seen any difference in turning radius of the F-350 compared to the 2017 F-250 or the 2015 F-250 before that. Perhaps the 9' comment above refers to a long bed versus a short bed. IMHO The 10 speed transmission in the newest GM and Fords is worth it. The 10 speed transmissions were co developed by GM and Ford, each made a few changes in the final stages of development. Ford uses a composite pan and GM a traditional steel pan.

[Montana Man]

Ford makes a fine truck relating to fit and finish and driveability. If buying a used one I would research the repair aspects of any given truck. Ford dramatically "improves" major engine components regularly in search of finding a reliable powerplant. As such, maintenance costs can be above average. If the desired truck in mind requires the removal of the cab for otherwise routine repairs, that also increases costs as well. It also may be a limiting factor for doing repairs at home or on the road. Having a 6.0 should be lesson enough to look closely at a vehicles dependability before making a purchase.

These are my opinions which I share with my brother in law who was a mechanic on all three of the brands we tow all tow with.

Good luck.

[1retired06]

Love the 6.7 in our F350 dually

[Hblick48]

Originally Posted by Bourbon County

Another thing I forgot to mention is turn radius. The F-350 has a much longer turn radius than same year F250; like 9 feet longer. I'm not really sure why the designers decided on this.

I just checked the specs:
2017 F350 2x4 turning radius 27.4 feet.
2005 F250 4x4 turning radius 26.9 feet.

I don't think I'd know the difference.

The 2017 I'm looking at is 2x4. We always go to RV parks and am too old to go offroading. Don't see a reason to get 4x4.

[432bartman]

Only other reason I could see you needing a 4x4 would be for snow. My first diesel I had was 2WD and never had an issue pulling our 5th wheel.

[BB_TX]

Mine have almost always been 4x4. But only because that is about all you can find on dealer lots with higher trim levels. Never once needed 4x4 while towing. And that included frequent trips to one RV park in Colorado where all sites were either native soil or grass. About the only time I ever used it was getting in/out our hunting cabin in TX hill country when muddy.

[firestation12]

[QUOTE=Hblick48;1245906]I just checked the specs:


2017 F350 2x4 turning radius 27.4 feet.
2005 F250 4x4 turning radius 26.9 feet.


I don't think I'd know the difference.


Thank you for your reply with accurate information. Boubon County's posts

#4 & #5 contained several inaccurate statements. Here is a portion of #5:
"Another thing I forgot to mention is turn radius. The F-350 has a much longer turn radius than same year F250; like 9 feet longer. I'm not really sure why the designers decided on this"



There is a difference between turning radius and curb to curb circle.

The 53.0 ft (Curb-to-Curb) is unique to the 160" WB; this is the 6.75' box.
The 57.8 ft (Curb-to-Curb) is exclusive to the 176" SRW and DRW; this is the 8' box.
The F-450 Pickup is unique to DRW and the 176" WB. This model has a turning diameter of 50.4 ft. (Curb-to-Curb)
As Hblick pointed out, the difference (if any) between a F-250 and a F-350 of the same wheel base is virtually non discernible. I have found this to be the case in my personal 2020 F-350 and the 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019 F-250s used by my office execs.

The second correction is the fuel tank capacity. Each wheel base comes with a standard size tank. An option to upgrade to a larger OEM fuel tank is not true. Aftermarket providers do offer much larger tanks that fit in place of the OEM. I have a 60 gallon tank upgrade from S&B.
Third, the death wobble. Bourbon County states:
"I haven't experienced it (yet anyway) but there is an issue with the newer Super Duty models having an issue called "death wobble". It is caused by wear in rubber bushings used in the front suspension. There are some aftermarket steering stabilizer products that help prevent it. So far as I know, Ford has yet to offer warranty repair for this. There are a number of online articles and videos on this."



The 2015 F-250 at 82K hasn't experienced the described "Death Wobble" but the 2017, 2018, and 2019 F-250s, ALL had complimentary replacements of the steering stabilized replaced by Ford at no charge. SanTan Ford in Gilbert AZ has provided stellar service to all of our trucks.
Lastly, While the new Super Duty 6.7 diesels are quiet, the newest DuraMax diesels are no slouches. 5 of my 6 sons own 2021 GMC diesels and they all are outstanding trucks! GM trucks since 2020 have an unresolved problem with fuel tank up grades. After filling the tank, and traveling about 100 miles, the low fuel warning will trigger. Turning the ignition off then re-starting, the low fuel warning goes away. S&B and Titan haven't come up with a fix yet. Due to GM's non shared programming architecture, this may never happen.

[TomCat]

[/QUOTE]

I haven't experienced it (yet anyway) but there is an issue with the newer Super Duty models having an issue called "death wobble". It is caused by wear in rubber bushings used in the front suspension. There are some aftermarket steering stabilizer products that help prevent it. So far as I know, Ford has yet to offer warranty repair for this. There are a number of online articles and videos on this.[/QUOTE]

Just FYI - I have a 2019 F350 6.7 and there was a recall in 2020 for the “death wobble”. They replaced the steering dampener. I had the issue and took it in before I even knew there was a recall. The fix seems to have worked fine - no problems since. I am not sure what models and years were affected, but if you have any questions you may want to check with a dealer. My guess is if you haven’t experienced the problem you probably aren’t affected by the issue.

[laverdur]

I made the switch from a 2006 F-250 6.0L to my current 2013 F-350, 6.7L. The 2013 rides better loaded and unloaded, is quieter, handles better and the 6-speed automatic transmission is a dream. It does not have a true exhaust brake but with manual control of the transmission, its easy to find a gear that will control descent speed with engine compression. This truck does not know what an upgrade looks like. I'd like to have an exhaust brake but I'm not willing to part with $70-80K to get one and I'm not a big fan of this type of aftermarket modification which would be a lot cheaper but, at what cost to the reliability and longevity of the truck.