F350 DRW Vs F450

[jfk69]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Around here, you can't find a new 4x2 on any dealership lot and I haven't seen a used one in 4 or 5 years... Go to south Louisiana and it's hard to find a 4x4 truck without special ordering it.

Boy isn’t that the truth. Looking at Javi’s sig vehicle.....a 4X2 DRW truck would be mighty scarce to see in our state John. It would have little value to anyone here. I’d rather drive a Mustang/Camaro/Challenger here in the winter than a two wheel drive dually pickup.

[vampress_me]

Originally Posted by Javi

I honestly can't fathom why anyone would spend good money for a 1 ton SWR... complete waste of money.

Oh man, I’m disappointed. Many reasons, especially if you live outside Texas, in a place where parking lots, roads, drive thru’s just aren’t made for the width. I, personally, now know which drive thru’s we have to avoid in our town and surroundings because the dually doesn’t fit where the SRW used to. Try living, or having to go to, a city that is “made” for “cute little” cars in the parking ramps, or heck, just driving down the roads. The Twin Cities have quite a few streets not friendly for a DRW, and I don’t think I’ve found a parking garage there I could get into comfortably (but that may have more to do with the CC and 8’ bed, but the hips don’t help). Ever been to Seattle and driven around? Like by Childrens Hospital (try spending a lot of time in that area) or downtown? No bueno with a DRW, some of the main roads by Childrens were barely wide enough for our ‘99 Dodge 2500 Cummins, and they have not made them wider in the past few years, I’ve checked. Heck, even Missoula, MT has areas that are hard to get a dually around in where our SRW had no issues.

But, I can say - I’m now an expert fitting an 8’ wide DRW in a 8’-9” wide garage door (I measured even though it is technically a 9’ wide door...) and luckily I’ve always liked to park out a ways because I hate door dings. Also, as we've found out recently, a DRW truck doesn’t fit into all handicap parking spots either. At least not good enough to give room for someone who may park next to us and have a ramp on the side of their van. So, even in the big spots a DRW doesn’t fit the best.

[jasin1]

Been at a couple dealers with my daughter today, she was interested in the Ford bronco sport badlands edition.
Been waiting on it to be delivered for a couple of weeks,they called today

Salesman said right away as we were test driving it that it sells for above sticker price.
$3000 to be exact. He said that they have shipped a brand new f150 and a brand new bronco sport to the auction and got $3000 + over sticker so that’s what people are willing to pay. He said “ everything is up in prices” look at rubber and lumber”
I said yeah but you didn’t pay any extra for the bronco from Ford. Your like the price gougers selling water and gas in a hurricane at inflated prices.
Didn’t phase him at all ..couldn’t of cared less if I bought it

We drove it but told him we wouldn’t consider paying over sticker.
Went back to the jeep dealers and met another decent salesman, no pressure ,willing to negotiate on price and said if we order it’s 4 weeks for jeeps. Much better deal and much more capable vehicle with long term resale value
I used to hate going to the car dealers and it’s even worse now

[sourdough]

Jasin looking at the new Broncos I would buy a Jeep any day, and every day before I got one of those (Grand Cherokee). I had high hopes that they might be able to sort of reincarnate the looks of the late 60s early 70s Broncos but they missed that by a mile....no, a thousand.

[notanlines]

Jasin, just to take you to task because I have been nice to everybody else today I'm am assuming you said all this to the owner/general manager of the Ford dealership, or was it the car salesman who gets paid to do what he's told? If it was the salesman, then you missed a good opportunity to show your daughter how it should be done. He/she doesn't make these decisions, but could and probably would lose their job if acquiesced to your demands. I'm certain you know where I'm going with this. Is there a business in this country that doesn't charge what the market will bear?
Okay, now I'm done. By the way, I found your video interesting about broke/bored old RV folks going back to work....

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by notanlines

Jasin, just to take you to task because I have been nice to everybody else today I'm am assuming you said all this to the owner/general manager of the Ford dealership, or was it the car salesman who gets paid to do what he's told? If it was the salesman, then you missed a good opportunity to show your daughter how it should be done. He/she doesn't make these decisions, but could and probably would lose their job if acquiesced to your demands. I'm certain you know where I'm going with this. Is there a business in this country that doesn't charge what the market will bear?
Okay, now I'm done. By the way, I found your video interesting about broke/bored old RV folks going back to work....

Your right! I told the salesman but should have said it the manager.

My kids ( 25 and 29) and wife are the best thing that has ever happened to me. My daughter is independent and has always liked to experience and do things for herself.
When I bought dirt bikes for my son when he was 10, my daughter tapped me on the shoulder and said “ hey dad remember when I said I’d like a dirt bike?”” Is it because I’m a girl”? I went out and got her one the next week.
When we would be riding and I’d stop to make sure she made it through a big mud puddle she would wave me off and say “ go see if my brother needs help” lol.
Her first car she bought herself out of college I went with her...made the mistake of calling the salesman afterwards and giving him an offer and setting everything up.
My daughter got upset with me for about the first time and said I was taking away her first buying experience on her own. I robbed her of what it feels to do something for herself. I felt bad ..she wouldn’t budge for a week or so ..then she talked to me and said she understood I was trying to help and we went back and SHE negotiated a deal on her own.(but asked my advice).
So now I go as an advisor but she talks to the salesman. She’s a professional with a good job and a great guy for a fiancé. I’m very proud of her.
I always see her as my little girl though.

Anyway sorry for the long story...I just know my place at the car dealer now when I’m with her

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by sourdough

Jasin looking at the new Broncos I would buy a Jeep any day, and every day before I got one of those (Grand Cherokee). I had high hopes that they might be able to sort of reincarnate the looks of the late 60s early 70s Broncos but they missed that by a mile....no, a thousand.

Yep my daughter wanted to see what they were all about. .
We drove one a week or so ago (3 cylinder yikes) but if you read my other post I was in an advisory role lol..after we drove the bronco sport I said “ does this car thrill you? Does it make you want to drive it this weekend ? Or is it so so?” She agreed it was bland and boring at best.( this one was 4cylinder eco boost)
We went back to the jeep dealer.. she was originally a little put off at the $50k sticker prices but she Is going to order one exactly the way she wants without any unnecessary extras

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by notanlines

Jasin, just to take you to task because I have been nice to everybody else today I'm am assuming you said all this to the owner/general manager of the Ford dealership, or was it the car salesman who gets paid to do what he's told? If it was the salesman, then you missed a good opportunity to show your daughter how it should be done. He/she doesn't make these decisions, but could and probably would lose their job if acquiesced to your demands. I'm certain you know where I'm going with this. Is there a business in this country that doesn't charge what the market will bear?
Okay, now I'm done. By the way, I found your video interesting about broke/bored old RV folks going back to work....

Love the “broke bored old rv folks going back to work”
You do have a way with words my friend

[Javi]

Originally Posted by vampress_me

Oh man, I’m disappointed. Many reasons, especially if you live outside Texas, in a place where parking lots, roads, drive thru’s just aren’t made for the width. I, personally, now know which drive thru’s we have to avoid in our town and surroundings because the dually doesn’t fit where the SRW used to. Try living, or having to go to, a city that is “made” for “cute little” cars in the parking ramps, or heck, just driving down the roads. The Twin Cities have quite a few streets not friendly for a DRW, and I don’t think I’ve found a parking garage there I could get into comfortably (but that may have more to do with the CC and 8’ bed, but the hips don’t help). Ever been to Seattle and driven around? Like by Childrens Hospital (try spending a lot of time in that area) or downtown? No bueno with a DRW, some of the main roads by Childrens were barely wide enough for our ‘99 Dodge 2500 Cummins, and they have not made them wider in the past few years, I’ve checked. Heck, even Missoula, MT has areas that are hard to get a dually around in where our SRW had no issues.

But, I can say - I’m now an expert fitting an 8’ wide DRW in a 8’-9” wide garage door (I measured even though it is technically a 9’ wide door...) and luckily I’ve always liked to park out a ways because I hate door dings. Also, as we've found out recently, a DRW truck doesn’t fit into all handicap parking spots either. At least not good enough to give room for someone who may park next to us and have a ramp on the side of their van. So, even in the big spots a DRW doesn’t fit the best.

Let me set the record straight... Yes, I've driven in 48 of the 50 current states, some several times.

I've driven 102" wide Class 8 tractor/trailers thru places that most of you wouldn't try in your SWR.

A dually is 96" wide at the hips and 105" at the mirrors.
A SWR F350 is 80" at the hips but still 105" at the mirrors..

Drive-through aisles shall have a minimum ten (10' 0") foot interior radius at curves and a minimum twelve (12' 0") foot width. 2. Drive-up windows and remote tellers shall provide at least one hundred eighty (180' 0") feet of stacking space for each facility, as measured from the service window or unit to the entry point into the drive-up lane.

I don't live places I don't like, I don't have too...

To me a truck is a tool, nothing more... I look at the job I will use the tool for and buy the tool to suit the job... If I want to pull a 15,000 pound trailer or believe there is a chance that I will in the foreseeable future I buy a dually, that way I'm not trying to figure out what to leave at home or if I can drive with some wood for a campfire, or if I can't dump am I over weight, or if I want to fill the FW tank before leaving home or any number of questions we all see on this forum every day... No, I buy a dually.. I don't worry about driving it down a narrow street, if the street is wider than the mirrors it'll fit..

Turning around, trust me if the wheels aren't up on the curbs I can turn around... may take a jog or two, but I will turn around..

Trucks are tools... nothing more, nothing less...

Some of y'all rationalize that a SWR is plenty and then compromise on the trailer you buy or what you can haul so it will fit.... I don't... But I do think that as much as some of y'all pay for these doodads in these trucks and then compromise so you can use it, because you didn't buy enough truck are just

[JSisemoreTX]

Originally Posted by bcintx

Currently pulling a new Cougar 316RLS with the F250 in my sig. Yes, I am over GVWR I don't need to be beat up about that. Wife has given me the go ahead to get a new truck given that we have roughly $30,000 in equity in the current one. There is a ford dealership near me that has both 350 DRW and 450's in stock. Looking at 4X4 CC lariat trim levels and the 6.7- wife needs heated seats due to back issues. The diesel comes standard on the 450 and is optional on the 350 but the msrp for similar vehicles comes out within a couple thousand of each other. I just started this process and have yet to drive either of them. I plugged in a vin for comparably equipped trucks on my insurance companies website and the 450 is a whopping $13.55 more per month than the 350 DRW. I am going cross eyed looking at the super duty brochure. Can anyone tell me if there is any appreciable difference between the two trucks besides the wide track steering on the 450?

Other considerations, in some states you need a CDL with a F450. I have the F350 Dually. I hear the 450 is much easier to turn but that it has larger more expensive and stiffer tires as well. In other words, the f350 is a smoother ride when not towing.

[JSisemoreTX]

Originally Posted by RickV

We drove 400+ miles to get our new F350.

When we first got into this whole RVing thing about 10 years ago I had a 1/2 ton Silverado, I knew it wouldn't work even though the RV dealers said it would so I found a 2003 F250 7.3 and it it did the job as we had a 30" Rockwood 5ver. When we upgraded to a new Crusader 325RES I was over GVWR by about 500lbs as the F250 had a GVWR of 8900. I found a 2003 Duramax 3500 Dually and all was good. Fast forward to a few months ago Duramax needed injectors and we had planned on buying a bigger 5ver early next year. So rather than spend the 4-5K on new injectors I decided to look at a new vehicle as the Duramax was rated to only pull up to a 15.6K 5ver and most of the 5vers we were thinking about were close to that dry. I hadn't bought a brand new truck in around 20 years so I decided to go that route I started looking locally for a F350 all of the local dealers would not budge off the MSRP so I expanded my search out and found a Volume Dealer in Chattanooga that was about $4500 cheaper. After speaking with them we jump in the wifes's car and drove up there and did the deal. It is an XLT but has has the premium package, trailer prep, etc I didn't want to pay for all the bells and whistles, It has 32K 5ver rating so I think I am good to go. OP you had mentioned getting a Lariat for the heated seats my XLT with the Premium Package has Heated Seats. All the talk about turning radius, to me it seem like the turning radius is just fine on my 4x4 F350. To finish my long winded story after buying the F350 we went to a RV show and next thing I know we are buying a New 5ver about a year earlier then originally planned.

Personally, I am a big fan of buying used. Got my 2017 F350 Fx4 Dually in Lariat a few months back for $47,000 .....yes it had 125k miles on it and I am in Houston so there is some inventory around.

I also saw a white 2017 F350 Dually, Fx4 Lariat with 85k miles on it for $54,000 (asking price).

[RickV]

Originally Posted by JSisemoreTX

Other considerations, in some states you need a CDL with a F450. I have the F350 Dually. I hear the 450 is much easier to turn but that it has larger more expensive and stiffer tires as well. In other words, the f350 is a smoother ride when not towing.

Before I bought my F350 I had a 2003 3500 Dually it wasn't 4 wheel drive and it didn't have as good a turning radius as my F350 4x4 does. I am getting spoiled.

[Mikebikeman]

If you don't need the GCW that the F450 gives you I would get the F350DRW. The 19.5" tires on the F450 are a commercial tire developed for high GVW chassis cabs and as previously stated the ride and steering suffers over the 17" LT tires on the F350DRW. I have driven many of these trucks and would gladly trade off the maneuverability reduction to have a smoother ride and more precision steering.

[bcintx]

Originally Posted by JSisemoreTX

Other considerations, in some states you need a CDL with a F450. I have the F350 Dually. I hear the 450 is much easier to turn but that it has larger more expensive and stiffer tires as well. In other words, the f350 is a smoother ride when not towing.

Using the 2021 numbers both the 350 and 450 have a GVRW of 14,000 pounds. combined with the GVRW of my trailer at 12,300 puts me 300 pounds over the 26,000 pound threshold where TX says that you have to get a Class A - NON CDL. I'm wondering how many people actually know that considering all of the rigs I see going own the road that are heavier than mine.

I could get a 350 that is de-rated to 13,000 pounds - but why would I do that? Some would say that I already drive a truck that is artificially de-rated and look where that got me.

[bcintx]

I teach science so patterns tend to jump out at me. I find it interesting that all of the early replies to this thread were "Get the 450" and the latter ones have been "Get the 350".

I had a chance to talk with a guy the other day that was driving a 450. He said that yes the steering is significantly better but the real reason to get the 450 is for the larger brakes.

[notanlines]

Originally Posted by Mikebikeman

If you don't need the GCW that the F450 gives you I would get the F350DRW. The 19.5" tires on the F450 are a commercial tire developed for high GVW chassis cabs and as previously stated the ride and steering suffers over the 17" LT tires on the F350DRW. I have driven many of these trucks and would gladly trade off the maneuverability reduction to have a smoother ride and more precision steering.

I have OWNED all three, SRW 350, DRW 350 and F450 in the last ten years. You and I have a big difference of opinion where 'smoother ride and more precision steering' is concerned. In excess of 400K on my last three trucks says what you said simply is not true. YMMV

[linux3]

We spent a lovely 5 weeks in South Central FL.
Nice 3 axle 5th pulled by a Freightliner Hauler.
Had a few talks with the owner.
Come on, if you are going to worry about 350 VS 450 buy a Freightliner.
https://www.transwest.com/trucks/type/hauler/store/

[bcintx]

Originally Posted by linux3

We spent a lovely 5 weeks in South Central FL.
Nice 3 axle 5th pulled by a Freightliner Hauler.
Had a few talks with the owner.
Come on, if you are going to worry about 350 VS 450 buy a Freightliner.
https://www.transwest.com/trucks/type/hauler/store/

I'm not "worried" about the 350 vs 450. In fact the 450 actually has less payload. At the options and trim level I prefer the price difference and the difference in insurance and registration in my state is negligible. I was soliciting comments on what the real life differences in the two models are.

[jasin1]

Performance and comfort differences aside it’s hard not to admit the 450 does look a lot better IMO ..just look at the two next to each other in the picture I posted above.
The 450 vs 350 dually looks about as different as identical trucks but one 4 wheel drive and one 2 wheel..
The 450 has a better stance and nicer profile with the bigger wheels IMO
Trucks and cars of any make and model look better to me with bigger wheels and tires. That’s why it’s usually always an upgrade option. The truck just looks tough without doing anything else at all to it
I like to keep everything stock and it’s the perfect look for me other then a bed cover and A little tinting on the windows
I certainly wouldn’t turn down a f350 but if both were around same price then it wouldn’t even be a consideration to me to get the 350
No offense to the 350 owners at all it’s just my opinion

[Dan Lockwood]

Here's about as close to twins as you can get. I woke up last Tuesday morning in Altoona IA and found the F-450 parked next to us with their brand new Mobile Suites fifth wheel. She said $200k on the fifth wheel. Empty it's 20k#!!!

Both are '21s and mine is the less than a month old now, the one in front of the Raptor.

Look about the same to me other than the wheel sizes is larger on the F-450.

If you look at the lower paint color's upper edge, it's about the same relative to the top of the tires both front and rear. Both are 4x4 models.