F350DRW or F450?

[ExPatNW]

First, thanks for all the SRW/DRW related posts on this site, very useful reading for me.

I currently have a F350 2011 6.7PS SRW (Crew Cab/Long Bed) and love it. I really do - its pulled our Montana Mountaineer and my family to many western US national parks. Awesome.

But we will take delivery of a 3790RD in a couple of weeks and I started to read about the pin weights. I know why truck can manage the weight of the rig all up - but the pin weight into the bed plus all of us in the cab seems to indicate that we will be over weight in the bed of the truck. In fact my calculations would suggest we were at the max or a little over even with our Mountaineer. The label on my truck says the full load capacity is 2980 Lbs. Did not seem enough to me - but it is a 4x4 crew cab long bed I guess.

Anyway (sorry for the long post) - I may replace the truck later this year (its a good excuse and seems to be working with my wife :-)). Price wise (list anyway) there does not seem a lot of difference between a F350 DRW and a F450. The F450 has a better turning circle and it would seem larger brake components, and honestly I prefer the look of the front of the F450 a little more than the F350. But I know the axle ratio is different on the F450 and I am worried I will end up with a truck that gets noticeably worse fuel consumption with towing or running solo than the F350. I also read that the F450 may hold its value a little better?

Anyone have thoughts on which one to go for? (btw - if I go F350 it will be a 4x4 anyway). While I don't need 4x4 too often - its handy in the Pacific NW from time to time.
Thanks
Chris

[Dam Worker]

Either would work great for you and your family. If I remember correctly the F350 actually can haul more but tow less than the F450. Bigger running gear on the F450 weighs more and I am pretty sure the gearing is a bit higher. I think you can get the narrow frame on the F350's now which put it on par with the F450 in turning radius. Good luck and let us know what you choose and the reasons why.

Tom Marty

[JABURKHOLDER]

I currently drive a 2016 F350, DRW, 4x4, 6.7l, crew cab, long bed with 4.30 gears towing a 3791RD Montana.

Here are some 2016 comparisons;

4.30 gears:
F350 with High Capacity Tow Package
F450 standard

GCWR:
F350 14,000lbs
F450 14,000lbs

Tow Capacity:
F350 26,500lbs
F450 26,500lbs
both limited by availability of 26.5k hitch
F450 has a gooseneck capacity of 31,200lbs

GVWR:
F350 35,000lbs
F450 40,400lbs

Max Payload:
F350 6,460lbs
F450 5,300lbs (yep it's less than the F350)

Either choice has capacity limits to spare for your Montana.
All things being almost equal, if the front end looks and the better turning radius do it for you, go for it. I believe you would be happy with either choice and wonder why you hadn't gone dually sooner.

As for fuel economy, I get (with my 4.30 gears) 10-12 mpg while towing. I get up to 18mpg when unhitched. These numbers are better than the last truck I used for towing my 3791RD. That was a 2006 F250, 4x4, 6.0l, crew cab, short bed with 3.73 gears.

[Golfmedik]

I have a '13 F350 DRW 4x4 that I pull our 3790RD with. There is no problem with the truck towing that unit, or even bigger ones. The F450s are very nice trucks and the turning radius that DamWorker was talking about is true. The F450s front wheels turn at 45* while the F350s turn at 38*, so a big difference there. Of all the ones I know with the F450s, they all have trouble with the ride and go to the ends of the earth to balance them for a smooth ride. Now that is the empty ride! Loaded, no problem. Plus, there are only a few tire treads available for the 19.5" tires of the F450. If you want an all terrain or snow tire, there is really only one out there and it is a Toyo that has to be specially ordered. The other tires are pretty much a rib tire. IF you can find a '14-'16 F350 with the TOW BOSS package on it, you have the front end of the F450 with the turning radius, and lower gears. They are rare, but out there. Happy hunting for a truck and happier camping!

[ExPatNW]

Thanks for all the great input. Clearly both are capable and more than enough to do the job with our 3790RD. The tires for the F450 do sound a little more problematic than the F350.


We won't pull the trigger on this until later this year, but this will help!
Chris

[WeBeFulltime]

I would go with the F350 due to the additional Max Payload and the fact that there should be a higher demand at resale time.

[vipermanden]

I don't know the rules in each state, but I was told if i went with the F450 or Ram 4500 etc., that the truck would be registered as a commercial vehicle, and the insurance rates and registration etc., would be higher. Maybe it is just a Kalifornia thing?

[K0LCB]

I believe they are both real, nice trucks. I like the looks of the 450

[Mr Pachu]

I looked at a new 2017 F350 King Ranch today, while getting the car serviced at the local Ford dealership. Nice truck with a very deep pockets price tag. I'll have to keep my 2011 truck with 45,500 miles as my pockets aren't that deep. This truck had the 3.55 gear ratio in it. I asked a salesman there about a 3.73 ratio and was told that 3.73 was only available with the gas engine. With the 6.7 diesel you had a choice of 3.55 or 4.10. Which ratio would you get? Why?

[vipermanden]

Since the Ram 3500 Cummins diesel has 900 ft. pounds of torque, I went with the 4.10 gears, so i could climb any mountain. I get about 17 mpg without towing, and about 11mpg towing. With the 4.10 gears and the 6.7 cummins turbo diesel, and the Aisin 6 speed auto tranny, I can pull up to 31,500 pounds.

[JABURKHOLDER]

Originally Posted by Mr Pachu

With the 6.7 diesel you had a choice of 3.55 or 4.10. Which ratio would you get? Why?

4.10 Gets you in the best torque range more quickly to move a heavy load (Montana) from a dead stop more easily.

[Todd727]

I had a F350 SRW and went with a F450 when I replaced that truck in 2014.. I need it for towing more than payload. I just weighed our new 3950BR and no issues with the payload capacity. I guess I never noticed a harsher ride either, but then again, I know it's a truck and expect it to ride like a truck and not a luxury sedan. It is my daily driver too.

Do not under estimate the reduced turning radius of the F450. This really helps as a daily driver, but when towing and backing the trailers, it is an absolute dream.

As far as licensing and insurance, I have farm tags and I registered it at 30K since that tag covers the truck and trailer weight. Sure it costs a bit more, but I know I'm legal.

Insurance can be tricky depending on your insurance company. USAA wouldn't insure it and wanted to use one of their partners. State Farm had no issue, so I have a separate policy with them just for the truck. It's not the least expensive, but they did a very good job with the two claims I had.

So, other than the initial shock of realizing that USAA wouldn't insure it, I would never have another truck in this class without the wide-track front end. Until you actually drive one, you cannot appreciate how maneuverable the truck is. It is easier to get in and out of tight places than my wife's F150 SuperCrew with the 5 foot bed.

[roothoss1282]

Originally Posted by Mr Pachu

I looked at a new 2017 F350 King Ranch today, while getting the car serviced at the local Ford dealership. Nice truck with a very deep pockets price tag. I'll have to keep my 2011 truck with 45,500 miles as my pockets aren't that deep. This truck had the 3.55 gear ratio in it. I asked a salesman there about a 3.73 ratio and was told that 3.73 was only available with the gas engine. With the 6.7 diesel you had a choice of 3.55 or 4.10. Which ratio would you get? Why?

I have a 2016 F-350 DRW 4x4 and it has the 3.73 just so you know. Happy medium and tows my 14,000+ pretty easy

[speedster100]

Actually your pin weight will be right around the 2800-2900lb area with that model, I have one and due to the rear storage areas you can put most if not all your heavy stuff at the rear and keep the weight off the pin. I tow a 3790RD with a 2500hd Chevy CC SRW with air bags for leveling and no issues at all. Your 350 will be just fine......

[Mr Pachu]

Originally Posted by roothoss1282

I have a 2016 F-350 DRW 4x4 and it has the 3.73 just so you know. Happy medium and tows my 14,000+ pretty easy

I just checked both ford.ca and ford.com websites and you can only choose between the 3.55 and the 4.10. 2016 must have been the last year for the 3.73, too bad as that would be my choice.

[roothoss1282]

Originally Posted by Mr Pachu

I just checked both ford.ca and ford.com websites and you can only choose between the 3.55 and the 4.10. 2016 must have been the last year for the 3.73, too bad as that would be my choice.

Wow that is a bummer, not sure why they did that?? I was going to wait and get the 2017 until I found out how much they were going to be and decided the 16 would be just fine. Pretty happy with mine with most of the bells and whistles for the upper 50'000's. Ken Wilson ford in Canton NC. had a lot to choose from.

[brenkco]

I have had a F350 SRW and now a 2014 F450 DRW. There is no question that the fuel economy is not as good with the F450 as noted before due to the 430 rear end. The turning radius in '14 was 9.5 feet less that the 350. That was the main reason I selected the F450.

There are a few other features that we noticed. The F450 had 17" tires therefore sat about 2" lower making it easier to get in and out of the truck. We also noticed that the F450 had a far SOFTER ride than the 350. We really noticed the ride difference when we are driving around town, unloaded.

It is true that the F450 has lower payload capacity. As far as insurance, I was able to add the F450 to my RV policy. It was a slightly lower rate and had better coverage.

Ken

[ExPatNW]

Thought I should come back to this thread and provide an update on my decision. We will soon take delivery of a 2017 F450 Lariat fully loaded (could not justify the extra couple of grand for the platinum). Main reasons were:
1) Tighter turning circle.
2) Larger brakes.
3) Liked the look for the wider front end :-)

Looking forward to my first tow with her.
Happy Camping!

[Mudchief]

Thanks for getting back. I think you will be very happy with it.

[BB_TX]

The state fair of Texas is going on with their auto/truck show. Newspaper article covering the event was showing a new F450 loaded with every option available, including massaging seats , listed for just north of $94,000.