Ford f550 vs Dodge 5500 for expedition vehicle

CreeksideKP

New member
No way that's hand calculated...my dodge gets 22+ on the overhead console, but only 17-18 if you divide the actual miles driven by how many gallons it takes.
 

Buliwyf

Viking with a Hammer
Plenty of owner feedback and even a TFL review show an empty 6.7l Cummins Ram 2500 getting +20mpg on the highway. Driving style and gearing plays a part in that, but also I think the Cummins has been known for being a bit more efficient than the comparable diesel V8's.

I don't know how much heavier the 5500 version is, but I'm sure its DRW setup will decrease fuel efficiency relative to the SRW setup.



It is an issue in the sense that every time you need to do major repairs or servicing, you have to take your truck into a dealership or repair shop for cab removal (unless you have a friend with a vehicle lift). Personally, I think the whole cab removal issue for F-250/350/550's is a stupid, and greedy, move on Ford's part. It certainly adds cost and complexity to certain procedures which would otherwise be fairly easy to accomplish.


Fairly simple at what cost? Repainting the front of the truck? Paying for back surgery? Employing trapeze artists? Hiring contortionists from the Gypsy fair?

It's only 2 hours for a pro to remove the cabs on the 2017's. They remove the Ford cabs to service the gas engines as well. GM is the same way, maybe an extra hour or two to get the cab off.
 

Dalko43

Explorer
It's only 2 hours for a pro to remove the cabs on the 2017's. They remove the Ford cabs to service the gas engines as well. GM is the same way, maybe an extra hour or two to get the cab off.

2 hours to remove? How much more time to put them back on? 1-2 hours? The problem is that the cab removal adds 3-4 more hours of labor costs to the overall repair and maintenance costs. It also precludes DIY-minded owners from tackling certain procedures in their own driveway.

The fact that some GM trucks require the same procedure only adds to my point; it's stupid on the manufacturer's part, and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it was intended to push people away from DIY maintenance and towards dealership maintenance.
 

java

Expedition Leader
Ford's are more common from what I have seen of utility crews etc.

I have a 6.4 diesel ford F450. I have a large front area, (tall cabover section) but after a tune I get 10ish MPG's. Anywhere from 10-10.7 depending on speed and terrain.
 

workerdrone

Part time fulltimer
Y'all are making me want to stay far away from these newer emissions laden diesels. No extra stuff like that on it, free breathing intake and exhaust, a good tune on the turbo, synthetic fluids, basic fuel additives, reasonable speeds, good tire pressure, a diesel should get such great mileage that it's worth the substantial premium paid for the motor in the first place. And before you put 200,000 miles on it.

I also got a touch over 800 miles per tank on highway trips with my hot rodded VW Jetta TDI's. 53mpg when most people were saying they got 35-low 40's. No dash computer to read mileage on those, just the 15 gallon fillup and set the cruise at 60mph.
 

plainjaneFJC

Deplorable
Ford's are more common from what I have seen of utility crews etc.

I have a 6.4 diesel ford F450. I have a large front area, (tall cabover section) but after a tune I get 10ish MPG's. Anywhere from 10-10.7 depending on speed and terrain.

You mean it doesn't get 25mpg uphill pulling a trailer...... at least you are honest, as you can see others make lofty claims.
 

java

Expedition Leader
You mean it doesn't get 25mpg uphill pulling a trailer...... at least you are honest, as you can see others make lofty claims.
Nope, lie o meter on the dash says 14 or so last time I looked.... The tune really messed with it (tuner may want it to look good?) but I was getting 7-8 before the tune.

Better than my old gas rig, but still sucks down fuel. I'm sure if I did 55 it would be better.....

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 

McCarthy

Is it riding season yet?
Family friend was a master Ford tech in a small town for 35 years, the owner of the store opened a Dodge store and transferred him to the Dodge store, the biggest thing he complained about? Couldn't remove the cab. Made the job so much easier and allegedly the entire repair was, as a whole, quicker removing the cab. He said it was an hour to take it off, and about 45 mins to reinstall.
 

Buliwyf

Viking with a Hammer
2 hours to remove? How much more time to put them back on? 1-2 hours? The problem is that the cab removal adds 3-4 more hours of labor costs to the overall repair and maintenance costs. It also precludes DIY-minded owners from tackling certain procedures in their own driveway.

The fact that some GM trucks require the same procedure only adds to my point; it's stupid on the manufacturer's part, and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it was intended to push people away from DIY maintenance and towards dealership maintenance.

Complaining about it ain't going to solve the problem. Do you want to lean on the truck, do crappy job, and then repaint it? Or remove the cab from the truck and have plenty of room to work? On older vehicles we'd pull the engine instead of the cab. Same thing, often even more time..

The best solution is to attach the radiator, brakes, and AC to the frame. So the cab can be removed and replaced even quicker. Pop a couple plugs, disco the brake pedal, disco the steering. Design the Cab to have as few components attached to it as possible.

If the DIY guy can't pull the engine or cab, then the job is simply too big for them.
 

Dalko43

Explorer
Complaining about it ain't going to solve the problem. Do you want to lean on the truck, do crappy job, and then repaint it? Or remove the cab from the truck and have plenty of room to work? On older vehicles we'd pull the engine instead of the cab. Same thing, often even more time..

The best solution is to attach the radiator, brakes, and AC to the frame. So the cab can be removed and replaced even quicker. Pop a couple plugs, disco the brake pedal, disco the steering. Design the Cab to have as few components attached to it as possible.

If the DIY guy can't pull the engine or cab, then the job is simply too big for them.

For those it matters to, they don't complain about it. Rather they just don't buy Ford Super Duty's.

Leaning on the truck is not an issue; you can lay a soft cloth or towel over the paint to protect it. Plenty of mechanics do that for any number of vehicles which don't require a cab/body removal.

For a lot of truck owners, engine access is important, either for road-side repairs or DIY driveway maintenance. It's totally unrealistic to expect the average DIY mechanic to have a lift for removing the cab. I understand that a lot of owners will take their trucks into shops or dealerships regardless of the cab removal issue. But even for those people, the cab removal adds time and cost to basic maintenance and repair procedures. It's stupid engineering on Ford's part, no if's and/or but's about it.
 

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