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Old 08-22-2012, 03:57 PM   #21
mhs4771
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Might not mean much as you seem to be leaning towards Fords, but had a 2005 Chevy Duramax/ 5 speed Allison K3500 Dually (pre all the extra emision stuff) pulling a 14000 Fiver. 9.5 to 11 towing, 18 to 20 solo. Traded for a 2011 Chevy Duramax/ 6 speed Allison 3500HD Dually. still 9.5 to 11 towing, 17 to 19 solo crusing at 70.
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Old 08-23-2012, 10:43 AM   #22
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I don't think we'll get a dually. Our camper's gross weight is only 7200 lbs and I don't have this thing packed at ALL. Most of the cabinets are empty. And I really don't want to drive a dually out shopping...

Our biggest issue now is trying to figure out what years gas/diesel, were good and bad motors. We know we want a F250 but the more we realize how much a decent one is going to cost, the more we'll end up using it so we want somewhat better mileage than what the V10 will give us for daily use. So now it's figuring out what years had the bad engines. Everyone says stay away from the 6.0 certain years and blah blah blah...should just trade it all in for an RV!!!!!

Do we really need to worry about the gear ratio for the weight we're pulling with an F250? Would the lowest ratio and best fuel economy be hard on a truck pulling this weight? This is where I get a little confused. I would think moving up to a F250 would be a walk in the park with the weight we're pulling and a WD hitch vs an F150. Do we still need to worry about the gearing moving to a Diesel? Sorry for all the questions...I want to know exactly what to look for when the time comes. I think we're looking at around $20K to spend on a truck and I've found quite a few with less than 100K for mileage but not sure what's good or bad...and realistically...we're not going to keep this truck for 300,000 miles...because we live in Minnesota...the salt will eat the body before we get even close!!!! It would be nice though but trying to convince DH to park it in the winter...well yeah...not gonna happen.
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Old 08-23-2012, 10:50 AM   #23
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Jean, I'm pulling a TT with that's 5400 dry weight / 7200 gross, with a 6.7L in a F250 CC longbed and I have no problem with it.. I have the 3:31 ratio.. Now if I were pulling twice that I'd probably want the 4:10 but 3:31 is plenty for a light weight TT...

Right now it takes a pretty good hill to drop it out of 6th gear on the highway..
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Old 08-23-2012, 11:15 AM   #24
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Jean, I'm pulling a TT with that's 5400 dry weight / 7200 gross, with a 6.7L in a F250 CC longbed and I have no problem with it.. I have the 3:31 ratio.. Now if I were pulling twice that I'd probably want the 4:10 but 3:31 is plenty for a light weight TT...

Right now it takes a pretty good hill to drop it out of 6th gear on the highway..
Thanks for the advice. I'm guessing what we pull is considered light for a F250 so we don't need anymore overkill so I'd like to take advantage of something that will get better than 10 mpg when we use it for every day use like I keep reading about the V10...when I was talking to a dealer the other day I told him I thought it was a V10 and not the V8 and he's like, you really want the V10??? Of course I'm not going to listen to a dealer...most of them don't know crap about towing so I usually just blow them off and only rely on them to do the paperwork...my husband thinks I'm a saleman's worst nightmare...but when we see what we're going to pay for a under 100K mile V10, we figure we might as well just get a diesel for that price and get better mileage. DH can work on either.
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Old 08-23-2012, 04:39 PM   #25
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1999-early 2003 7.3 is a great engine. Only gearing available on a SRW trucks from 99-10 was 3.73. I drove my 2000 for ten years before I bought the current truck. The 6.0 got a bad rap early on. I would still consider a 2005-2007 with a 6.0. The 2008-2010 trucks came with the 6.4. The only complaint is mileage with these trucks due to all of the added emmisions equipment.

2011 and up trucks with the 6.7 have been great. Good mileage right out of the box. I have 3.55 gears and they are plenty. No need to go any lower. If I did it again I would get the 3.31 for the empty mileage.

2005 and newer trucks have coil springs up front. They ride better and have a shorter tunring radius.

Don't count out the SRW 350. Not much difference from the 250 so if you find one you like jump on it.

Feel free to post any more questions if you have them.
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Old 08-24-2012, 07:50 AM   #26
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If your looking at diesels, do your research. While I have a Dodge 6.7 cummins I wished for the first year of ownership I had instead went with the 5.9 and in fact sometimes still would prefer it when it comes to mileage. The 5.9 is bulletproof, and gets great mileage both towing and highway. Absent is all of the emission crud they added on the 6.7 and it makes a lot of difference. Your looking at about 14 towing and 19+ highway. If I were in the market for a used Diesel I would seriously consider a 2003-2007.
Jean,

If you start looking at diesels, you owe it to yourself to at least try a 2003 to 2007 Ram with the 5.9l cummins.
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Old 08-24-2012, 11:59 AM   #27
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You mean a V8 Hemi? Aren't they gas hogs? I found a 2004 with only 39k for $18,000
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Old 08-24-2012, 12:00 PM   #28
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You mean a V8 Hemi? Aren't they gas hogs? I found a 2004 with only 39k for $18,000
He's talking about the Dodge Cummins diesel..
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Old 08-24-2012, 12:45 PM   #29
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Oh this?

http://www.findcars.com/a.php3?q=721434

We used to have a Dodge 1500. Wouldn't mind going to a Dodge again.
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Old 08-24-2012, 01:14 PM   #30
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Oh this?

http://www.findcars.com/a.php3?q=721434

We used to have a Dodge 1500. Wouldn't mind going to a Dodge again.
Yes like that! That is one nice looking truck, the Diesel is hardly broke in and that is not a bad price. One owner to boot.
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Old 08-31-2012, 05:55 PM   #31
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I've never really understood why nearly everyone thinks diesels are so much more expensive to maintain.. I have a few 100,000 miles behind the wheel of diesel pickups hauling 10,000 lb work trailers and they weren't that much more expensive... The oil changes and filters are a bit more but the intervals are longer between also.. I guess maybe cause the part are higher if you break something.. but in all them miles I had to spend less than $200 bucks on a broken throttle cable..

After 6 years in a gas rig I'm glad to be back in a diesel again.. 19-20 hwy 15-16 in town and 13.5 – 14 hauling my Passport.. and I paid less for my XL F250 Crew Cab than many pay for a F150

By the way... the 6.7 rocks...
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Just curious, what are you getting with your diesels when you're NOT towing? Thought more about it last night and thought, well if we're still going to fork out a lot for a decent V10 (2006 or newer) then I want to drive this thing more than just for camping and 10 mpg kind of sucks...so we started talking about Diesels again sorry, I'm a woman, I can't make up my mind!
Saw in your OP that you didn't want to drive a diesel to get grocery's, so I was not going to suggest.

I daily drive our 01 Dodge Cummins, 11.5 to 13 towing an 11.5K 5er in the hills of western Oregon, 13 to 15 mpg city driving, and right at 20 mpg doing 65 on the highway empty.
Longevity, well bought it used with 234K miles currently at 252K and still pulls the 11.5K 5er at speed in the hills with 3.55 gears.
Dodge had the 5.9 through 2007.5 then went to the 6.7.

Edit: the newer the Diesel the quieter they are, I test drove a 2011 once and it didn't make any more noise than a gas engine. My 01 sounds like a semi, 03 and newer are quieter as they have electronic injectors where mine are mechanical (more noise).
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