To super duty or not super duty....that is my question..

[mlmeans]

I'm new to site... but have been out door kind of guy all my life. Have small (4 kids) and awesome spouse and we love the idaho outdoors. I'm an avid fisherman hunter camper hiker mountain biker dirt bike rider ATV rider Ect... ,and doing it with my family is the best so here's my dilemma... I've got a 2013 F 150 crew cab 4x4... great truck but as I look to make some major investments in it for overlanding I keep coming around to purchasing a superduty instead of investing in the F 150... I will use the vehicle to get back and forth to work not far 13 mile commute I work for myself... before I drop money for suspension campers upgraded wheels and tires should I just start with f 250 superduty powerstroke ... with 6.5 bed and build on that platform instead f150?

Only trailer I have is 18 ft for ATV dirt bikes etc...not ton pulling but fore bio diesel engines seen interesting to me... I prefer superduty over Cummings and duramax... no offense great trucks... just a ford guy...


Thank you every one...

 

[BBsound]

I love my 2012, gasser.
They are much more truck than a 150. Drive one before you buy one.

 

[east_tn_81]

You need to decide what are you doing with the truck. Is it just to get to the campsite or will it do more? What gear is it hauling? Do not worry about fuel economy the diesels do just as good if not better than the gas F150's. If you are carrying a ton of stuff and are thinking about bumpers and family and winches then maybe a Superduty is for you.

 

[Rovertrader]

You are likely over the GVW in the F-150 if you account for everything including passengers, etc. I would consider the 350 CCSB and never worry again...

 

[tgreening]

Unless you intend to haul serious weight there is no reason to buy a diesel and plenty of reasons not too. If the fuel pump goes out on your Ford V6/V8 it's no serious big deal. If the high pressure fuel pump goes out on a power stroke diesel you're looking at 10-15k at the Ford dealer. That's a serious hit to just about anyone.

 

[911regular]

I was in the same situation,,I had a 2013 Raptor (F-150) and a 2008 F-250 with the 6.4 diesel. My diesel suffered a stretched head stud and a small crack in the head and a couple other things damaged in the carnage. The repair bill was gonna be 10,000+ bucks. My F-150 may not pull our 5200 pound trailer as easily but its still going strong and IF there is a failure it will not be anywhere near the cost of fixing a modern diesel.

 

[nick325i]

I've been in a similar situation for a while now. I am right at the upper limit of a half-ton. I started with three Chevy 1500's with a 5.3. I even put 4.56s in the last one, but it always struggled with all my gear and trailer. Then I went all out and got a F250 with the 6.7 Powerstroke. It pulled GREAT, but so great that it felt like almost a waste of big truck and all the diesel maintenance, monthly payment and the looming "out of warranty, what if?" Stuff got to me.

I've now settled on a Gas 3/4 ton (Ram with the 6.4) and so far it seems about perfect. I do miss the half ton ride but Carli will fix that eventually.

I would do a gas 3/4 of your brand of choice. It might not pull your 5th wheel, boat and whole family up a mountain at 80 mph like a diesel (for example) but it will safely do what you need it too. Mileage won't be good with the gasser but if you factor in the initial savings, it will take a long time to add up to the $7000 you saved.

With that said, if you are comfortable paying for the diesel and don't mind the maintenance then they are very nice.

 

[JHa6av8r]

Had a similar sutuation as yours. Had a Nissan Titan crew cab and wanted a pop-up camper. After deciding I couldn't do it safely for my family of 3 and decided to get another truck. After a lot of research I went all the way to a 1 ton and have no regrets. Great off-road, awesome power, and only use about half the payload with camper and all of our gear. Still have extra capacity to tow safely. Bottom line is without any modifications to suspension or brakes the truck handles almost as if the camper wasn't loaded. My wife loves to drive it and feels safe and confident. A friend that has had campers for over 20 years told don't even waste your time with anything less than 1 ton. Choose with your families safety in mind and you'll make the right choice for you. Whatever you do have fun with it.

 

[OCD Overland]

Unless you absolutely need one today, I wouldn't buy the current super duty with the new model coming out in a year or less. At least wait to see what the new one has to offer.

And you'll be eyeing upgrades no matter what platform you start off with - human nature. The cheapest vehicle is almost always the one that's already in your driveway.

 

[Hopeless Diamond]

And on the other side of that argument, you will probably get a better deal on the current model ('15 or '16) because there is a new model coming out.

I have a '12 F350 with the 6.7. It is a great truck, a joy to drive on road trips. Barely even knows the our Hallmark K2 pop-up is on it. The diesel is just starting to work when we're fully loaded.

That being said, I do have concerns over the complexity of these modern diesels. The emission controls are complex and and minor failures (i.e. an exhaust temp sensor) can cause a partial shutdown. (of course there's ways around the emissions if you're so inclined, but is getting more expensive and difficult). Moisture in the fuel is the biggest worry. The ULSD fuel isn't as good as a lubricant and any water in the fuel will worsen the problem. The HPFP (high pressure fuel pump - ~25-30,000 psi) is very sensitive to this. If it goes, you have to replace the entire fuel system at $12-$15k. If it happens while still under warranty, Ford will open it up and let it dry out looking for ANY signs of corrosion. Warranty void, out of your pocket. While it's not very common, bad fuel can do that. Maintenance is more (~$120 oil change, but they rotate the tires too).

If it's being used more as a daily driver, you're better off with the gasser, then suffering through the times you're carrying a camper or towing. My $.02

 

[nick325i]

I agree a lot with Hopeless Diamonds opinion above. While I miss my diesel when towing, I have a lot more peace of mind when doing my daily driving duties with the gasser.

I guess we turned this into a gas vs diesel thread....but anyways to answer your question. I would move up to a 3/4 or 1 ton depending on your needs.

 

[surlydiesel]

Hmmm. I would test drive a Super Duty and decide if you want to drive it every day. An F-150 drives like a car really and the Super Duty's drive really well but they are trucks. If you're between an F250 or 350, just get the one ton. Ride quality is the same and you get the bonus payload.

Test drive them all!!!

And as a previous 7.3 diesel owner, I wouldn't touch the new ones. Too expensive to repair if something bad happens and the limp modes are scary in my mind too. That being said, those times when you might get a limp mode are few and far between but if you're in the Maine backcountry or in the UP, what do you do? I'm going to stick with gassers for now.

-Jorge

 

[peneumbra]

Maybe the best of all the Ford trucks is the '97 and earlier 4x4 F-350 with either the 7.3 powerstroke or the 7.5 gas engine. With a five speed manual X-mission and 4.10 gears. Much more truck than the new ones...

 

[Paul B.]

I said this somewhere else in this forum, but it bears repeating here. Whoever said that "a 3/4 ton truck is a stop-off on the journey to a 1 ton truck" was spot on. I would not even think of anything less.

 

[dave1014]

Drive the diesel. See what you think. Theyre great trucks. My next one will be another Superduty