[WestTexas]

I just wanted to drop a line and give my thoughts on my purchase, sorry long read. I know most of the time we come to these forms looking for solutions to issues we have with our trucks but I wanted to share a positive introduction. I am coming from a 2015 GMC Denali 3500 Dually 4X4, owned it for 17 months. Truck was great until I blew a transmission cooler line driving down the highway. After a run around from the GMC dealer accusing me of hitting something, no damage to the truck mind you, I digressed and paid for the repair, $532.62. By the way the cooler line was on top of the frame, behind the radiator, in front of the motor, and well above the skid plate, you could only see the damn thing from on top of the engine bay. The line blew at the connection to the cooler, a manufacturing defect I claimed, and the dealer insisted I hit something. With 48k on the clock, the 100k powertrain warranty would not cover the repair; the extended warranty would not cover the repair either. Fords extended warranty would have covered it, I checked. The service manager at GMC had the nerve to tell me if I were under the 36k warranty, even if I had hit something, he would cover it, oh and he also said cooler lines needed to be replaced as a regular maintenance item but couldn’t show me where in the owners manual it said to. Now to what brings me to The Diesel Stop. As soon as I picked the GMC up I drove straight to the Ford dealer and made the trade. I ended up getting one hell of a deal I feel, 13k off the sticker, new models coming out.. I picked up my Silver 2016 F-350 Lariat 4X4 Crew Cab long bed 09-02-2016, 12 miles on the clock after a test drive. I had the windows tinted, and a B&W hitch installed first thing. I have towed with it a couple times, a little over 12k, pulls great almost seems the rpms are too low. I have picked up feed a few times up to 3k feed in the bed, rides smooth. I now have 3k on the clock, 11.3mpg towing a 26’ GN double decked with goats. Ranch to town to errands mpg is 15.7, hand calculated, up from 11.3 on my GMC. Highway trips I have pulled 16.8 mpg running 80mph out here in West Texas. First regen was at 780.2 miles on the clock and went till 800.2 miles before it finished, seemed short. This truck gets really quite while in regen, almost have to look at the tac to make sure it is running. I have since had several regens, 750 to 800 miles apart, same as the GMC. The truck rides smoother than the dually on my rough ranch roads, and seems to be laid out more for the working environment I use it in, Ranching/Hunting operation. The interior is not as refined as the GMC but I didn’t want all the bells and whistles this go round, and I really enjoy it more so far. The truck sits much higher than then GMC, I’m 6’2” and it took some getting used too to not bust my butt getting out. The space in the cab seems much larger than the GMC, wife and kids love it too. I can’t say I have any issue with the truck other than the my phone not always connecting if my kids start the truck before I go outside, and the back doors not unlocking when I go into park. I am sure the phone is just software, it will connect if I hit “connect phone” on the screen and I bet my unlock answer is in the owners manual. I have a GN trailer that I haul my tractor to another piece of property; the combined GVWR of the tractor, trailer, and the GMC was just shy of 27k according to CAT Scales. I have a set of Firestone Airbags with an AirLift Wireless compressor coming; I hope to install them next week. I am looking forward to doing some heavier hauling after the bags are in to see what she can really do. I will need 22 tons of corn for deer season, not all at once; 115mile one way drive to get the best price. I know I don’t have the capacity of the dually but I think I can limit my loads enough to get by for the work I do with the single rear wheel. I know this was a long post, I hope it helps those thinking about a Ford purchase. I have owned a 2008 Dodge Ram 2500 4X4 diesel, a 2011 GMC 3500 4X4 diesel, and my last 2015 GMC 3500 4X4 diesel. The Duramax Allison is a great combo but the dealership really destroyed my faith in the product. If the dealer would pull an “it’s not covered” on a cooler line, then what am I to expect on a transmission or a turbo or something else expensive down the line. This is my first Ford and I am happy to say it so far has been a pleasure.

 

[Phil G.]

Welcome to The Diesel Stop and to Ford!

I had a couple mew GM's in the 90's then 4 new SD's from 99 to 07, I switched for the same reason...warranty policy and dealer issues. I have no issue with the GM products, I'd buy out of warranty used but never warrantable products where I was at the mercy of the dealer.