Ford f550 vs Dodge 5500 for expedition vehicle

Buliwyf

Viking with a Hammer
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.

Do you think we pull the cab to change the starter, alternator, oil change, or to refill the window washer fluid?

Minor stuff doesn't require the cab going up.
 

deserteagle56

Adventurer
I have a 2006 F550 at work with a 6.0 diesel and 290,000km. Empty service box in back, but about 1000lbs or so for a high-rail system on front and back. Gets about 20-23mpg mostly mountainous highway.

Our gas 2011 F350 gets similar with high rails and 500lbs in tools.

I'd take the 550 any day of the week though it rides real nice, diesel torque band is great.

A gas-powered F350 gets 20-23 mpg???
 

locrwln

Expedition Leader
I have a 2006 F550 at work with a 6.0 diesel and 290,000km. Empty service box in back, but about 1000lbs or so for a high-rail system on front and back. Gets about 20-23mpg mostly mountainous highway.

Our gas 2011 F350 gets similar with high rails and 500lbs in tools.

I'd take the 550 any day of the week though it rides real nice, diesel torque band is great.

A gas-powered F350 gets 20-23 mpg???

The 6.0 is a diesel, mine got 19 pretty regularly with a utility box.

I bolded the part where he said their GAS F350 gets similar mpg to the DIESEL F550. Which I have to question as well. Are they driving both trucks at 45 mph on smooth flat roads?
.
Jack
 

Bankster5.7

New member
Shoot, sorry guys. Brain fart and having some weird issues with this forum, can't seem to edit the post.

I meant those in L/100km. About 20-23 L/100km, so equivalent to about 10-11mpg.
 

chet6.7

Explorer
Shoot, sorry guys. Brain fart and having some weird issues with this forum, can't seem to edit the post.

I meant those in L/100km. About 20-23 L/100km, so equivalent to about 10-11mpg.
I figured that was it,otherwise, I wanted to get some of that Canadian fuel.:)
 

Bankster5.7

New member
I figured that was it,otherwise, I wanted to get some of that Canadian fuel.:)

Ha, no you don't. Regular gas works out to be about 5.30/gallon right now where we are. My brother just filled his car with 94 this weekend in Vancouver at about 6.45/gallon. 😁
 

TwinStick

Explorer
Gearing is HUGE for mpg. I have also found that MPG varies greatly from person to person even with the same model of vehicle. We get 8-10 mpg with our 2008' G-56 manual, Hemi Power Wagon. Empty or towing our camper, we get the same. The OH computer is dead on accurate. It has 4.56's. New PW owners are getting 17-18 mpg. They have a 6.4L Hemi vs our 5.7L, & 4.10's vs our 4.56's. Plus they are now all auto transmissions only. I think the 5500 series do have low gears, like 4.88's or so.
 

Dalko43

Explorer
GXV is awesome...

1. Anything over 10,000-12,000 gvw, you begin to lean toward diesel, however a 6.4 hemi with a supercharger will pull a house down. No superchargers made for the v10...
2. In extreme cold, gasoline is way better.. no matter what anyone says...fact
3. Gas motor is much quieter... purr quiet..and a lot lighter.... compared to any diesel and the 6.7 Ford is quiet for a diesel..and a great motor

If you are not traveling outside the USA/Canada, there is no problem with def systems.. it sucks, robs your power and is a pain, but it works.. if you hate it, remove it... get your power back.. but depending on where you live,.. that may be a real problem for you legally... but the systems work fine stock...

if you go on dodge or ford truck forums, you would think every one ever built is broken... they are just sensationalist complainers... not true...both good vehicles and good diesels... I would take a 6.4 hemi over a v10... because you can get a bolt on supercharger...and that means about an extra 150-200 hp/tq...yeow! the v10 is a great motor.. but you got what you got.. no aftermarket stuff , no super charger option.. a supercharger takes the power levels of a gas motor to here diesels were just a few years ago...

As for 150k miles... dodge 6.4 hemi with or without supercharger, Ford 6.8 v10, or either diesel will accomplish that without breaking a sweat... these engines are built so well these days it's incredible, computer controlled robots with tight tolerances... really well built...all of them,,,

Ok lastly, gas mileage... does it really matter? Almost no one drives 800miles without stopping to take a leak...and in USA Canada , you can't be very far from fuel, no matter where you are... as for added cost of lower mpg... so what... fuel will be the cheapest thing you ever do when it comes to the build and use of this vehicle... you can bet on that...

A few things:
- Modern diesels start relatively easily in cold weather. The grid heater on the Cummins 6.7l is especially effective, even at sub zero temperatures. The glow-plugs used on other engines are much more reliable and robust as well. If the weather is cold enough that you need to plug in your diesel for start-up's, you should realistically be plugging in your gasoline engine as well.
- Modern diesels are much quieter than their predecessors. Gasoline engines might be a little quieter, but I have driven more than a few newer diesels, and I don't find the noise and vibrations to be any worse than a gasoline-equivalent truck.
- The SCR, which uses DEF, doesn't rob any power from diesel engine, or if it does its negligible to the point where you aren't going to notice it. The DPF and EGR may dull the engine response somewhat, but there is emissions-compliant tuning that can take care of that issue if it really bothers an owner.
- Is the supercharger for the Hemi an OEM option, or is an aftermarket one? Because if it's the latter, I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole, at least when considering an overland vehicle.
- Fuel range does matter to some in North America. There are plenty of places in Canada where having an extra 100-200 miles of range can make a big difference for would-be travelers.



Here is a fairly extreme example...

150k miles @ 15 mpg = 10,000 gallons
150k miles @ 10 mpg = 15,000 gallons

Difference of 5000 gallons over 5 years...about $3k per year... or $15k total...

Now subtract the extra cost of the diesel about $7k, plus all the extra cost of maintenance...the difference in cost is not a deciding factor... the three items above are more important...imho

Using your example above and assuming a .40 cent spread between 87 octane and diesel (which is being generous), the difference in fuel costs is ~$10k. The added maintenance costs associated with diesels (to include DEF consumption) accounts for maybe an extra $150 (if that) per year. The fuel prices routinely fluctuate; it wasn't that long ago that diesel was only .10-.20 cents higher than 87 octane (at least in my area), in which case the diesel enjoys an even stronger advantage when it comes to fuel costs.
 

Dalko43

Explorer
No, diesels are significantly worse in extreme cold.. which may or may not be an issue for the OP... That is not theory.. that is tested reality up here in Montana... Gasoline fuel won't gel... Diesel will..

Yep, diesel fuel will gel. But with modern cold-start systems (glow-plugs, grid heaters), cold-starts really aren't much of an issue. I suppose if we're talking doing regular coldstart's (block heater unplugged) at -30F on a daily basis, you might have some issues, but then again a gasser isn't going to be faring all that much better at those temperatures if left unplugged. For the occasional trip into an extremely cold climate, check your batteries (that's relevant to either engine type) and you should be good to go.

Take off from a standing start in a weighted modern diesel is like pushing a pedal and going nowhere slowly.. then it picks up steam.. drive an earthroamer sometime.. then take off the dpf and tune it.. whole different planet.. real world testing and trial and error.. not theory

I wasn't disputing the difference in engine responsiveness between a gasser and diesel. I was pointing out that a SCR (which uses DEF) has little impact on engine performance. The DPF and EGR may dull engine response somewhat, but, like I said earlier, there is emissions-compliant tuning available on the aftermarket which can remedy that. The SCR is a passive system and has little to no impact on engine performance or efficiency; that is well-known within the diesel tuning community. You might need to read up on the different emissions systems, because it sounds like you were conflating DPF with SCR/DEF.

No not oem.. overlanding is all about mods... And today's bolt on superchargers are crazy reliable... as reliable or maybe More reliable than the oem turbo on your diesel. How many tubos do you hear failing... It happens.. how.many SC, I have never heard of one fail..

Turbo's don't fail all that often on the newer diesels, and the ones that do fail are usually from high-horsepower tuning. The OEM's have made upgrades and improvements over the years. And even when an OEM turbo fails, on either a gasser or a diesel, the engine will often still work and allow you to drive home, albeit slowly.

When a supercharger fails on an engine, especially one that wasn't originally designed for forced induction, you're likely to be up s#%t creek without a paddle. For that reason, I will take an OEM-designed forced induction system (whether it be supercharger or turbo) over an aftermarket-designed one any day of the week. That's not even a fair comparison; the OEM's have R&D capabilities and resources that far surpass what any aftermarket company is capable of.

Gas or diesel have more than enough range... For even the most challenging stretches in USA/Canada... You need a spare tank either way.. I have had diesels and gas..700-900 Mile range will get you everywhere and both can have that easily

A 500-600 mile range is ideal for remote travels in North America. Some gasoline trucks will get you that far; others won't, at least not without a few extra jerry cans. It's something worth considering when comparing different vehicles.


I am guessing you really like or own diesel and feel a need to defend...

I think a lot of people cling to outdated or inaccurate perceptions when it comes to diesel. I have no problem admitting that they have inherent pitfalls, the main one being complexity. But I do see people exaggerate problems associated with diesel ownership; I'm merely offering some counterpoints.
 
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dfs9

Member
The turtle will weigh in at about 14500 with out gear, water, or 2 people. We don't plan on staying in weather much below 0 degrees.
I and leaning toward the 5500 with diesel.
 

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