Hypothetical F250 build

[Grassland]

Getting sick of driving the Transit 250 MR LWB all the time. Not that it isn't amazingly useful, but it's bad on gas (still better than an E series) terrible in the winter (still better than an E series) and underpowered (still better than an E series)

With today's bizarre world of sky high goods and what used to be normal interest rates (I remember when a good mortgage rate was 6.5%) there is no way I can afford a half ton as a personal vehicle. And while I can probably make a Colorado Trail Boss work as a personal, there is still the additional cost of insurance etc on a third vehicle.

I ran my F150 for 4 years as my fleet and personal vehicle. I'm thinking I could do the same much better with a Super Duty and a different set up.

XL w/STX package, 7.3 Godzilla, 4x4 SCAB 6.75' bed truck has over #3500 payload. Say 300# for bed slide, 300# for contractor cap/roof rack. 200# in packouts for back seat and bed slide. 1000# in tools and parts. Still leaves tons of capacity for passenger, trailer tongue weight, ladders on the rack etc.

Would put some 285/75R18 tires on it. Take off front air dam. At least have factory skids. 4.30 gears and E locker.

Anyone double duty their 250/350 on here? Would I have enough weight for a decent daily ride or would it still be harsh?
Want to be able to grab camper trailer and go without unloading the truck for a long weekend. But would also empty truck for any long road trips and only have a few hundred pounds of gear in it then, outside of the cap and bed slide.
Wouldn't be able to afford Deavers or any fancy custom leaves, and no fancy shocks for the first couple years.

Thoughts?

 

[IdaSHO]

They are comfy, but are real trucks.

As in.... they ride like butt when empty, especially with high load tires.
I drop to 40PSI or so with ours when empty, which helps. But its still a real truck.

 

[Grassland]

STX is cheapest way to get no chrome. Truck will never be "empty" per se, except on a long road trip but then will have 500# tongue weight on it. Cap and bed slide, couple hundred lb of stuff.
In work duty going to be 1500# weight regular or more.
Wheel base is same as the Transit, and only 3" longer than my F150. Parking either of those vehicles sucks in modern lots. The van is two inches from the lines on either side and sometimes extends into the aisle.

 

[Ozarker]

STX is cheapest way to get no chrome. Truck will never be "empty" per se, except on a long road trip but then will have 500# tongue weight on it. Cap and bed slide, couple hundred lb of stuff.
In work duty going to be 1500# weight regular or more.
Wheel base is same as the Transit, and only 3" longer than my F150. Parking either of those vehicles sucks in modern lots. The van is two inches from the lines on either side and sometimes extends into the aisle.

Today, mine is the F 150, XL, 4x4, LWB extended cab with the short back doors, I think they are about the same size as the F 250, when parking in a lot, I usually back into park, using mirrors along with the BU camera I find that easier, then pulling out is also easier, especially in a bust lot.

Backing in keeps my inside quarter moving away from the car next to me and lets me steer the front away that car, if I head in, my inside quarter gets closer to that vehicle as I pull in until I can straighten it out. I just find it easier.

If you carry some weight in the back that truck it should ride like a Cadilac, at least a Buick.

 

[tacollie]

Sounds like you want to build a newer version of our truck. Unloaded we run our 285/75R18 tires at 50 in the front 40 in the rear. That helps a ton. Loaded for a trip we have about 2200lbs additional weight on the rear axle. I air the rear tires up to 55 psi and the truck handles it like a champ. The 285s definitely cause you to take a hit on mileage. Tires under 34in and keep the air dam I bet your MPGs will be a lot better.

You might be able to source some tremor springs to get a little height out of the front. These trucks don't have much up travel in stock fromt and I think that affects the ride. We ended up with Carli coils. Turning radius sucks. Aside from that we're pretty happy with it.

 

[NORDFORD]

Check this build out.

Oreo, the Tremor Ford should have built

As fun as my Jeep Gladiator is, it is seriously lacking in power. Well, 7.3L of push rod V-8 will scratch that itch. Unfortunately, 4,900 lb of payload capacity plus radius arms do not make for a comfortable ride. I can do something about that! This is my Ford F350 “Oreo” that is getting a...

irate4x4.com

 

[Grassland]

Hmm radius arms. Didn't think about that. My familiarity with solid front axles is with WJ jeeps. Four control arms and a track bar.
Now I have to do some reading.

In any case this would be a Fleet vehicle first and a weekender/couple times a year hauler and back country truck second.

Might have to re think my single vehicle plan, and align it with reality again

 

[phsycle]

Would an F150 w HDPP work? Mine doesn’t have HDPP but I’m still close to around 2k lb payload.
I’m sure the F250 will carry the weight better when fully loaded. But F150 rides better when empty. What config will see majority of miles?
Tough call either way. But you’ll be able to make it work both ways.

FYI, I’ve ridden/driven plenty of HD trucks. Yes, rougher ride. But not THAT rough. Rode better than my dad’s old 88 Ranger w clapped out suspension. I was also almost always stuck in the back of that “extended” cab with my knees jammed into my teeth. Every bump felt. Have scars on knees to prove it. ?

 

[tacollie]

I've been happy with the factory radius arms. They flex surprisingly well and are dead simple. I don't see why that guy did a 4 link on a leveling kit.

 

[BikePilot]

They ride surprisingly well, especially when big tires on small wheels and reasonable air pressure in the tires. Toss in some Carli front springs and matching shocks and you'll be happy with it I'm sure.

Yesterday the wife rode in my Ram 3500 that's similarly equipped and she was amazed at how smooth it rode, and her daily is a Land Rover on air suspension that's downright cloud-like.

Sent from my Pixel 5a using Tapatalk

 

[NORDFORD]

I've been happy with the factory radius arms. They flex surprisingly well and are dead simple. I don't see why that guy did a pseudo 3 link on a leveling kit.

Follow his other threads. Flex your leveling kit on 37’s the amount he does. Everyone’s cup of tea? No.

His level of “overlanding” is more than most.

 

[tacollie]

Follow his other threads. Flex your leveling kit on 37’s the amount he does. Everyone’s cup of tea? No.

His level of “overlanding” is more than most.

He's running the same travel shocks and could that I am. He's also running a sway bar. I've flexed mine plenty. The factory radius arms have done surprisingly well in my opinion. I pulled my sway bar. I'm sure if he pulled the sway bar and got longer shocks he would get more flex than me. Without doing those two things though I still don't understand the value added by replacing the radius arms.

He did gain a little bit more caster. My truck tracks straight and is predictable. I think that Grassland would be perfectly happy with the stock radius arms. Just my my opinion.

Don't get me wrong. It's a cool build.

 

[NoDak]

A couple years ago I traded my ‘14 F150 XLT supercab 4x4 145” for the same year F250 XL supercab 4x4 143”. Don’t regret it at all. Ride isn’t much different and fuel mileage with the 6.2 isn’t far off what my old 5.0 was. I’m running 285/75R17(34x11) with Bilstien 5100 shocks and steering stabilizer. Wife doesn’t complain about the ride. The increase in capability was dramatic.
It’s also our only vehicle at the moment. Works, hauls, tows, commutes, takes the girls shopping and to school.

 

[Grassland]

A couple years ago I traded my ‘14 F150 XLT supercab 4x4 145” for the same year F250 XL supercab 4x4 143”. Don’t regret it at all. Ride isn’t much different and fuel mileage with the 6.2 isn’t far off what my old 5.0 was. I’m running 285/75R17(34x11) with Bilstien 5100 shocks and steering stabilizer. Wife doesn’t complain about the ride. The increase in capability was dramatic.
It’s also our only vehicle at the moment. Works, hauls, tows, commutes, takes the girls shopping and to school.

This is very helpful as I had a 2014 F150 3.7! I added 100# of tire weight, new leaves (80#?), shocks, plus added the reciever
Looking at specs it's about 1000# more curb weight for 2000# more payload going to a Supercab F250 from the Fiddy.
I weighed the F150 once with the drawers, cap, roof rack, and usual tools and parts and weighed in at 100# less than GVWR. Which means I road around hundreds of pounds over every other day. Especially when pulling the trailer.
Working out of a truck is less convenient than a van with a low load height, but as I'm not hauling equipment as much now and more so just tools and parts, I'm considering the compromise again.

 

[BikePilot]

The F350 should get you more payload for little or no extra cost or downside for private operators.