F250 vs. F350

[CMB430]

Good Morning,

I have a serious question for you. According to the Ford Site, a 2008 F350 SC 4x4 tows the same as a 2008 F250 SC 4x4. I own a F350 because of the deal I got on it. What is the advantage to owning a F350 vs. an F250 if they are the same truck. I am asking because I am considering trading in my truck on a F250/F350 V10 4X4 SC LB 6spd manual.

Thanks!

[RjeffJ]

I don't think towing capacity means they are the same truck. Check carrying capacity. When I looked the springs and a few other key things are different. If you tow tag trailers fine if you are looking at 5th wheel you'll find a difference I believe.
Cheers

[Old Mose]

Yep.....they're both rated to tow the same. That number is for the trailer weight. However, the difference is the payload rating - what you load directly onto the truck. This is the combined weight of passengers, cargo, trailer pin weight, fuel, and whatever else you put on/in the truck. You'll get about 1200 lbs more with the F350.

I've had both in 4WD.....if you don't need the 350, don't buy it. And if you don't need 4WD don't buy it. Ride height is several inches higher and becomes a concern for bed clearance when towing a 5th wheel trailer. I now have a 350 because my 5er, plus truck cargo and passengers, exceeds the 2,400 or so lbs rating of the 250. My former 5er setup was great with the 250.

Good luck,
RJ

[torino73]

Unless you have bed clearance problems with a fiver, I have to disagree. The cost of upgrading from 250 to 350 is negligible considering the overall cost of the truck. If you think you might need the 350 at any time, then get it. "It's always better to have and not need, than to need and not have."

On another note- I'd wait awhile longer before trying to sell a truck that new. I know diesel prices are killing us all, but you will lose your a$$ selling or trading in an '08. Besides, I think that some time soon, something is going to SNAP over these fuel prices. Americans are not going to just belly up and pay ever increasing prices with no end in sight. There's going to be changes coming- and as long as it's done right, we'll all be better off. Stay tuned...

[reba]

The size of the rear springs.

[t613]

Are the axles different also? I thought I read that on this site in the past... Tim

[CMB430]

I do not think that I will do too bad, as I only have 18K on her. As for the axles, mine as 3:73 where the V10 comes with a 4:10 if I recall correctly. I looked and the bed / GVWR is a bit more on a 1 ton. Do not get me wrong, I get between 15-17 mpg empty and 11 towing my 7x16 v-nose. However, I use my truck as a dialy driver because it is cheaper to drive it than purchase a small car (gas, insurance, payment, tags, maintenance, etc). I, too, feel that prices will fall in the near future as it is going to krimp summer travel if it does not.

My mind is not maid up yet, but $1,000 is $1,000 when it comes to the F250 vs. the F350. The sticker on my truck was $44,000 and I paid $36,000 for it. Thanks to my preference for manual transmissions and most Americans wanting autos, I can get good deals. But I can not find a truck like mine with a V10 on a lot. Ordering would make me loose my a**, but off-the-lot may not. Again, thanks for your input and I will keep watching.

[CMB430]

A few more points I left out. My tail pipes look like brand new...not even any rust on them. I have the factory radiator in her. I have not been left on the side of the road. Perhaps I could sound cool again with the V10 with duals .

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by CMB430

According to the Ford Site, a 2008 F350 SC 4x4 tows the same as a 2008 F250 SC 4x4.

Yes, and no. If you don't read and understand the fine print, then you might conclude that "a 2008 F350 SC 4x4 tows the same as a 2008 F250 SC 4x4."

But if you finished the 4th grade, then I hope you'll read and understand the fine print, especially the part that says "Never exceed the GVWR or GCWR of the tow vehicle".

Yes, they both have the same tugging ability (GCWR). So if the trailer is a wagon style with almost no hitch weight - including many farm trailrers such as cotton trailers and grain trailers - then they have the same trailer weight capacity. Even with a more common utility tag trailer with 12 percent hitch weight, the F-350 SRW and F-250 can still tow about the same gross weight.

But when you tie into a fifth-wheel or gooseneck trailer with 20 percent hitch weight, the F-350 SRW can tow a lot more trailer weight than the F-250.

Because the F-350 SRW has more GVWR than the F-250, and the F-250 runs out of GVWR before it gets close to the GCWR.

I own a F350 because of the deal I got on it. What is the advantage to owning a F350 vs. an F250 if they are the same truck.

They are not the same truck. Back around 2002 they were very similar. But since the 2005 model year, they are quite different. Different rear spring packs, different rear axle, different stock tires and wheels (although F-350 SRW wheels and tires are optional on F-250), and resulting in different GVWR.

F-250 SuperCab longbed 4x4 PSD has a GVWR of 10,000 pounds. Same truck but F-350 SRW has a GVWR of 11,400 pounds. Because the F-350 SRW is a bit heavier, the net difference in payload capacity is 1,260 pounds.

Example:

Typical wet and loaded tow vehicle will weigh around 8,000 pounds. So F-250 will have a max hitch weight of about 2,000 pounds without exceeding the GVWR of the tow vehicle. That translates into a gooseneck or 5er trailer of about 10,000 to 11,500 pounds, depending on percentage of hitch weight. So assuming a wet and loaded trailer weight of 11,500 pounds, that's a max GCW of 19,500 pounds. But what about the GCWR of 23,000 pounds? You didn't read the fine print.

The F-350 SRW has 1,260 pounds more available payload for hitch weight. So your max hitch weight goes up to 3,260 pounds. That's enough for you to tie onto the max of 15,000 pounds you can tow without exceeding either the GVWR or the GCWR of your tow vehicle.

So if you never tie onto a gooseneck or fifth-wheel trailer that has more than about 2,000 pounds of wet and loaded hitch weight, then the F-250 will suit your needs fine. But if your trailer has more than about 2,000 pounds hitch weight when loaded for bear, then the F-250 will be overloaded while the F-350 SRW won't.

[CMB430]

Thank you. That was a complete answer. I do not have a 5th wheel, and do not see myself having one in the future. A ball hitch is all I use. So in my case I could pick up a 3/4 ton if the price is right. Again, thanks for the breakdown.

[t613]

Good answer, Smokey! You seem very passionate and informed about these trucks!

Tim

[Trimble1]

Thank you for answering Smokey, that put my mind at ease over my F250 and camper towing.

jim