So as per the great advice I heeded here I went to Home Depot and rented an F-450. They didn't have one at the time I was there so I had to wait about 40 minutes before they had one. Since I was using it to transport a bed I went to a nearby Target to pick up some sheets and pillows.
It was a really short process, I showed them a DL, CC, insurance card, and signature later and I was set. The guy from Home Depot showed me the truck, and my first thought was.. holy sht, that's a huge vehicle. My normal car is an Integra, and this thing which was several feet longer and about a foot wider, so I thought, okay I'm going to drive this thing slowly.
I pull out of the parking lot and try to ease my foot on the gas..but notice that nothing was happening. I push a little hard and WHOOSH, I go flying through the Home Depot parking lot. Apparently if you push the front part of the pedal down nothing will really happen, you have to push down on the back of it to get going..and for a vehicle that must weigh around 6000lb it can get out of the block pretty effortlessly.
Driving around town I started to get used to the oversized mirrors pretty easily, and was able to keep myself between the lanes without any trouble. Visibility was much better than I was expecting, as driving around a college town with narrow lanes and lots of pedestrians is generally not the easiest thing to do even in a normal car.
Turns weren't bad at all, and I was able to make an easy u-turn around a relatively normal sized street. The steering was extremely light, which definitely made maneuvering around town simple.
Brakes were extremely solid, not that I'd necessarily trust them in an emergency situation. Accelerating to freeway speeds was equally as effortless, though the diesel engine just completely died near redline..which brings me to my absolutely favorite part of the experience..the engine sound. I never knew a diesel (I'm assuing it's a diesel) could sound so mean and aggressive. I would purposely keep distance between me and the car in front of me so I can mash the gas and have the car downshift so I can hear it growl. Even at 3k rpms there was enough oomph to put a smile on my face.
Anyone know the specs on the 450? I can't seem to find any of them..
It was a really short process, I showed them a DL, CC, insurance card, and signature later and I was set. The guy from Home Depot showed me the truck, and my first thought was.. holy sht, that's a huge vehicle. My normal car is an Integra, and this thing which was several feet longer and about a foot wider, so I thought, okay I'm going to drive this thing slowly.
I pull out of the parking lot and try to ease my foot on the gas..but notice that nothing was happening. I push a little hard and WHOOSH, I go flying through the Home Depot parking lot. Apparently if you push the front part of the pedal down nothing will really happen, you have to push down on the back of it to get going..and for a vehicle that must weigh around 6000lb it can get out of the block pretty effortlessly.
Driving around town I started to get used to the oversized mirrors pretty easily, and was able to keep myself between the lanes without any trouble. Visibility was much better than I was expecting, as driving around a college town with narrow lanes and lots of pedestrians is generally not the easiest thing to do even in a normal car.
Turns weren't bad at all, and I was able to make an easy u-turn around a relatively normal sized street. The steering was extremely light, which definitely made maneuvering around town simple.
Brakes were extremely solid, not that I'd necessarily trust them in an emergency situation. Accelerating to freeway speeds was equally as effortless, though the diesel engine just completely died near redline..which brings me to my absolutely favorite part of the experience..the engine sound. I never knew a diesel (I'm assuing it's a diesel) could sound so mean and aggressive. I would purposely keep distance between me and the car in front of me so I can mash the gas and have the car downshift so I can hear it growl. Even at 3k rpms there was enough oomph to put a smile on my face.
Anyone know the specs on the 450? I can't seem to find any of them..
