New to me truck, 2008 Ford F250 Diesel Truck

[Elganja]

before everyone jumps on me for getting such a big truck and a diesel at that... I did have a purpose

I needed a tow vehicle to tow my GTR to various events (in an enclosed trailer to be bought still)... as I continue to push the envelope in my GTR, I continue to break things (axles, transmission, axles, axles, axles), and I needed an easier way to get home, rather then relying on AAA all the time.

It's a 2008 Ford F250 King Ranch Edition w/ 75k miles on it. I didn't get the greatest deal, but not terrible either (paid 29k)

 

[Greenman]

What engine? I've heard the 6.7l isn't any good, though that's entirely hear say, I have zero experience with Ford diesels.

 

[Elganja]

What engine? I've heard the 6.7l isn't any good, though that's entirely hear say, I have zero experience with Ford diesels.

6.4L Powerstroke

 

[jlee]

Nice! Going to leave it stock?

 

[Yuriman]

Hey, if you can afford it, who am I to complain? Diesels are awesome.

 

[Elganja]

Nice! Going to leave it stock?

DFT and EGR delete, full 4inch exhaust and a tune... just the basic mods to remove all the EPA stuff that hinder performance and longevity

 

[herm0016]

i have put around 150k on 6.0 and 6.4L and would never own one myself. good luck keeping turbos and injectors in it!

what are you looking at for towing weight? 5k or so?

 

[rommelrommel]

what are you looking at for towing weight? 5k or so?

GT-R alone weighs almost that much

 

[Elganja]

i have put around 150k on 6.0 and 6.4L and would never own one myself. good luck keeping turbos and injectors in it!

what are you looking at for towing weight? 5k or so?

around 8-10k... towing my gtr ~4k and a 30ft enclosed trailer

I do have an extended warranty on it that covers everything for 3yrs 36k

 

[halik]

oooh what's the towing capacity on that thing? I'd probably get a diesel Excursion, unless that f250 has far greater towing capacity (excursion powerstroke is 11k).

Love the king ranch leather on the seats though, wish they wrapped more of the hard plastic with it.

 

[Elganja]

oooh what's the towing capacity on that thing? I'd probably get a diesel Excursion, unless that f250 has far greater towing capacity (excursion powerstroke is 11k).

Love the king ranch leather on the seats though, wish they wrapped more of the hard plastic with it.

It can tow up to 12,500lbs and 15,800lbs w/ a fifth wheel. I did look at excursions too, but I felt the utility of the truck would be better

 

[halik]

It can tow up to 12,500lbs and 15,800lbs w/ a fifth wheel. I did look at excursions too, but I felt the utility of the truck would be better

Found it :
http://my.carid.com/featured/parts/upgrades-ford-f-150-s-interior-carlex-design

That's what king ranch should be for $50K+ truck.

 

[Elganja]

Found it :
http://my.carid.com/featured/parts/upgrades-ford-f-150-s-interior-carlex-design

That's what king ranch should be for $50K+ truck.

that's crazy! i think a little too much for me ... lol

King Ranch actually isn't an expensive option... this is what the window sticker looked like for this car in 2008 (ford has a nifty way to get the window sticker via your VIN):

 

[xBiffx]

I can tow almost 10K lbs with my F-150. I thought these had much higher capacity, what gives?

 

[Elganja]

I can tow almost 10K lbs with my F-150. I thought these had much higher capacity, what gives?

~3k more is a good chunk... I think the real advantage is the fifth wheel towing capability which you can't do with a F150... also while the F150 may be able to tow 10k, it's probably a terrible experience

I don't think the limiting factor is the truck itself, i think its the hitch... you probably don't want an exorbitant amount of weight on the hitch

 

[herm0016]

fair enough... i did not realize the GTR was such a pig.

3/4 is the way to go for 10k lbs. 10k on a half ton in a bit much.


i used to tow 10 to 15k with my f350 work truck and i have towed 8k with my 1/2 ton. the 350 was better at towing 15k than my half is at towing 8.

 

[joutlaw]

Yeah I've done 8K on my 2004 RCSB Silverado 1500 4x4 with the 5.3. It pulled it fine in 3rd gear, but braking was a terrifying experience since the trailer didn't have brakes.

 

[xBiffx]

~3k more is a good chunk... I think the real advantage is the fifth wheel towing capability which you can't do with a F150... also while the F150 may be able to tow 10k, it's probably a terrible experience

I don't think the limiting factor is the truck itself, i think its the hitch... you probably don't want an exorbitant amount of weight on the hitch

3K is more for sure and you are right about 5th wheel. I wouldn't even try to tow a 5th wheel with my truck. But for the engine size and all its got going for it, 3K (and its more like 1.5K considering the F-150 can get up to just over 11K lbs with max tow pkg) isn't a lot more. Also, 10K isn't a terrible experience in an F-150 but then, a terrible experience is somewhat of a subjective term.

 

[pauldun170]

2008... 6.4L Powerstroke

Are you friendly with your local Ford service center?

If not, start.
While you are building those relationship (send Birthday cards, Holiday cards) ignore the normal maintenance schedule and start following the severe usage schedule.

I hope you have already joined the appropriate forums and have the list of things to keep an eye on and what the common issues are.

(Patiently waits for the 2 people on any forum that chime in with "Had mine for 5 years and never had one problem!!!")

Enjoy the truck. They can be very enjoyable.

 

[Elganja]

Are you friendly with your local Ford service center?

If not, start.
While you are building those relationship (send Birthday cards, Holiday cards) ignore the normal maintenance schedule and start following the severe usage schedule.

I hope you have already joined the appropriate forums and have the list of things to keep an eye on and what the common issues are.

(Patiently waits for the 2 people on any forum that chime in with "Had mine for 5 years and never had one problem!!!")

Enjoy the truck. They can be very enjoyable.

i've heard the same about the maintenance schedule ... I already had the oil and fuel filter changed as soon as I bought it

i've been told to change the oil every 5k and fuel filter every other time... this is until I get the DPF delete, then i've been told the intervals can be longer

I do have a 3yr/36k mile warranty on it as well... so just in case, it should be covered

edit:

i joined powerstroke.org and powerstrokearmy.org ... if you know of any other good forums, let me know!

 

[Subyman]

Love the King Ranch F250's. A diesel will be my next truck.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I can tow almost 10K lbs with my F-150. I thought these had much higher capacity, what gives?

Class III hitches go to 8,000 lbs
Class IV hitches go to 12,000 lbs
Class V hitches go to 18,0000 lbs

Most half ton pickups have class III hitches stock. You can upgrade them to a Class IV/V hitch. Ford has quite a few options to change your transmission and a lot of people suggest putting an intercooler on your transmission fluid to prolong the transmission's life. I've even seen people put larger pans on their transmissions. I think it all depends on how often you tow and what part of the country you live.

Aside from the hitch size and gross tongue weight, the transmission ratios are the other big difference and with many diesels, they'll offer a 6 speed with a low gear for starting under load. A friend of mine has a 2002 Dodge 3500. When I drive it on occasion, I always start in 2nd gear, unless we're taking his excavator somewhere.

 

[exar333]

i've heard the same about the maintenance schedule ... I already had the oil and fuel filter changed as soon as I bought it

i've been told to change the oil every 5k and fuel filter every other time... this is until I get the DPF delete, then i've been told the intervals can be longer

I do have a 3yr/36k mile warranty on it as well... so just in case, it should be covered

edit:

i joined powerstroke.org and powerstrokearmy.org ... if you know of any other good forums, let me know!

Yeah, at the very minimum. For work trucks, this engine was a nightmare because the mileage for oil changes was 5,000mi (sever) BUT also 200 hours engine operating time. That's not much for a work truck....

Keep that in mind if you use it a LOT and/or keep it running regularly. If not, the mileage and filter change intervals you identified above makes sense.

Don't confuse me, its a GREAT truck. With the DPF change and so forth, you will address most of the issues that come with it.