Time for a new Truck

I was hoping to kick this can down the road at least another 2-3 years, but the stars are aligning and i think it's time to make a change. When I bought this truck it was my daily driver, but now it only comes out for truck stuff...and I usually work it pretty hard.

Current truck is 09 F150 2WD with 4.6 3V and 3.31 gears. It has given me 215K trouble free miles. I bought it brand new. I've taken good care of it but it is getting tired.

Here's typical outing for the truck:



I figure this load including the trailer is between 9K and 10K. The tractor with FEL, bucket, and box blade is probably about the same.

The truck's max tow is 7,800 and max payload is 1,500.

I figure with 15% tongue weight (hard to get 10% with how things fit), passengers, tools, etc I'm at 2K payload.

I don't consider this dangerously overloaded (although some would disagree), but it is asking a lot of a high mileage 18 year old truck, especially when I've found myself doing it 3-4 times a month.

I've got a few leads going on a F250/F350 SRW 7.3 gasser. Surprisingly they aren't much more expensive than a F150, if at all.

I'm going to try to find the closest thing I can to a brand new truck at the same level of tech and features as the old one (basically none). I'm also going to let my inner 16YO run a little since I never have before on a vehicle. This is going to be a buy once cry once (or twice) situation. I plan to keep this one another 20ish years, maybe longer.

I'll keep ya'll posted, but probably going to happen soon.

 

That F150 is squatting down low. It's amazing how much you can haul with a half ton, with common sense and a light right foot. You won't regret going to a 3/4 or 1 ton truck, they do handle a lot better with a big load than the half tons. My hauler is an 86 Chevy 3/4 ton 4x4. Has 3.73 gears and a SM465 four speed in it. Gas mileage not so great, but I love it anyway.

 

My next door neighbor growing up had about the same truck. Another neighbor had a mid 80's Ford 1 ton with a 460. Lots of good memories with those trucks.

 

Nope, unless you go diesel, then prices get really stupid, really fast.
Just make sure that the engine has had the update for potential low idle oil pressure. If Ford says it doesn't need it, I'd put an analog gauge on it and keep an eye on things myself. I hear there are aftermarket tuners that you can bump the pressure yourself (they have a computer controlled variable pressure pump...which is all in effort to make the EPA happy...chasing that last 0.0010 worth of MPG...I mean how much extra gas will it really use if we go from 5 to 20 PSI, at idle?!! I'm sorry, but at 5 PSI, there is no oil getting to the top end, not on a 100k + mileage engine! )

 

you probably run over 50:1 in your 2 cycle engines and turnoff your auto engine start because common sense says starting an engine 20 times in half hour has to wear something out..

I edited rest out to keep with site rules

 

I think that's non-issue on '24+ trucks, which is what I'm after.

I'm the worst vehicle shopper ever. The part about figuring out what I want is fun, but after that it sucks. Finding the truck, the right price, etc all drives me nuts.

I think I have it narrowed down to a 24+ F350 SRW, 7.3, crew cab, XLT with 3.73 gears. The only options I want above the basic XLT is sliding back glass, remote start, and a carpet delete (but floor mats can fix that).

An interesting wrinkle I found is that F250's with the tremor package are just derated F350s. They are mechanically the same, just the badging, GVWR, and payload stickers are different. Part of me knows it will eventually end up on 35's so why not just do it now?

 

As in 40:1, or more? Yes.
Auto stop/start...don't even get me started on that!

I've heard that too...but then I read that maybe '26 was the first year that ALL of them were correct...I dunno, just something the be aware of/check.

I personally like Weathertech mats better than a vinyl floor...they hold the melted snow/mud and easy to remove wash. The vinyl floor just lets the snow melt/etc run down under the trim and soak the soundproofing mat, which then just holds that moisture (& salt)

You've gotten by with a 150 all this time, IMO any modern Superduty will easily handle what you are doing...there really isn't a ton of difference between a 250/350 (SRW) not like a 150 vs 250/350. Pre 1996, Ford made light duty and heavy duty F250's...the light one was just a heavy half ton, and the heavy was basically a 350 SRW...often only 400# difference in GVWR (8600 vs 9000) in a 250/heavy and a 350 SRW...and then DRW bumped it up another ~1000# usually. (pickups...not cab/chassis)
I know some of them now have crazy high GVWR, but I personally think some of those higher weight ratings (specifically towing) are over rated...being a CDL holder and being familiar with hauling the kind of load (with a much larger/heavier truck) that they claim you can, I can't imagine taking off across the country loaded at their max GVWR regularly (and even worse on some of the half tons!) seems like a sharky lawyers dream.
Might check to make sure the Tremor package doesn't change anything drastically on your insurance (probably won't) I've heard of people getting burnt pretty hard on insurance after buying a Raptor...I know, not the same thing, but still might wanna check first.
Good luck on your search!

 

Before I even considered a super duty I checked on insurance. On the super duty the tremor is an option package (like FX4) not a separate trim level like it is on the 150. It has 35's, factory 2" lift, some drive mode stuff, heavier 350 axles and suspension, 4.30 gears, and the 10R140.

Still a plain truck. The tremor F150s are too fancy and honestly a little too flashy for me with all the orange accents and extra badging.

I'm kinda leaning toward one right now. This pure want, not need.

 

The Motto to live by...If we can afford what we want!

 

I haven't had a car payment in 15+ years. I'm not about to get one either.

 

Nice...I haven't had a car payment in 30 days, July was my last payment! LOL

 

You will like that F250, with Godzilla. The powerband is in the higher RPMS, so sounds like it's almost screaming, but it's not. Ours has no problems pulling whatever we hook behind it. 35' camper, 16' trailer with tractor and equipment on it or the dump trailer...only hauled 6.8 tons on gravel on it or 6.6 tons of pine logs to the mill...we wouldn't overwork a truck...
The suspension is a good bit stiffer, but the seats are comfortable

 

That's the same truck I have except mine is from 2000 and the 7.3 is diesel. As less and less of my truck miles are unloaded I am considering my next one be a gas truck. Diesels were a lot better than gas 25 years ago and if you put on a LOT of miles but the newer gas options in 3/4 or 1 tons are very good.

After having an F350 for so many years now, the half ton stuff is just dainty and weak. Thin frames, small brakes, lower capacity.

 

I special-ordered a 2003 F250 crew cab with the 7.3 Powerstroke/6-speed manual as the ideal (at the time) hauling and camping truck. And indeed it has been!

Since then, diesel fuel has changed chemically, gotten relatively more expensive than gasoline when it once was cheaper, and even worse diesels are now equipped with DEF and DPF systems that are routine, expensive failure points even when the engine is sound. Folks that ask my opinion now are told that a gasoline engine is by far the best bet unless you absolutely, persistently need the bottom-end torque of a diesel AND are going to run the crap out of it all the time, not baby it or use it as a commuter vehicle. Even then, personally, these days I'd take my chances with a gasoline engine. And don't even get me started on the lack of manual transmissions!

 

You can swap a new gas engine for less than the cost of a fuel system on a diesel if it ever comes to it.

 

A tremor f250 is about the perfect rig. A 7.3 Godzilla will do all that you need, especially if you've been getting by with an older f150.

The tremor suspension rides nicer than the stock 250. Then again my coworkers 21 fx4 250 rides better than my fx4 150, but I have the 20" rims. I think it's time for bilstein shocks and in fall I'll need new tires and I'll probably go with new 18" rims when I get new tires. If I space out the additions, I can see which of these things makes more difference in ride.

 

Yes, that's the crazy thing. That and until the emission systems get reduced from the factory, unless you tow a lot, new diesels just don't make sense. Our friend bought his son's just off lease 2500 Duramax Chevy truck and uses it to tow his 25' four winns hd5 boat. We towed my 25' Larson and led our two trucks with boats on the way to and from on the freeway on our joint trip to door county. My boat weighs a little less than his, and he had 4 people in his truck where we had 2, but my truck did pretty well. Sure in the hills you could tell that the big duramax wasn't even fazed, and I had to let the coyote rev a bit, 3.31 gears and slightly taller than stock tires and 6000 lbs of fueled boat and several hundred lbs of payload in the truck. I just know that if I had a 250 with the Godzilla, it wouldn't have even bothered it. I get 10 mpg pulling that boat at 70 mph anyway, the Godzilla would probably get the same.

 

I went and drove a 7.3 Tremor this evening. Very nice truck. A little rougher than .my half ton, but what 3/4 ton isn't?

It was the right color too.

 

Got pictures of it in your driveway yet?