The truck has a manual transmission? I found a Ford fleet towing guide on line. The maximum towing capacity for any F-350 without a fifth wheel is 10,000 lbs.
Towing capacity is total weight, trailer + contents.
That thing will do the trick,but after awhile you are going to be a bit disallusioned,the mileage will be fair ,but not great-Kevin
Oh, yeah, that is a helpful chart! It does have a 5th wheel coupling and tow package. Looks like it could town upwards of 12,000. I can probably work with that.
I think I was the one who responded to your question on Yahoo Answers. Yes, the 6.0L powerstroke found in the late-03-07 Ford trucks is lacking to say the least. Once you invest a grand or two into them (new head bolts, EGR delete, etc.) then they are pretty reliable. But the 7.3L is the one to get.
Just a friendly reminder. I towed a flat bed that weighed 15000 with the loader it was carrying, with a small dump body rated for well over 20000 lbs and it was no picnic controlling the weight. You will need a reserve capacity of at least 20 percent to pull livestock, I would not feel comfortable doing any less. 20000 lbs and the more the better.
@dagosa, yeah, I think you’re right. My partner has an old dump truck that will tow 20,000 lbs but it’s no picnic. I think if I got something that would tow 14,000 it will be too big-we’re talking F-4500 or 5500 and farmers don’t have that kind of money sitting around in our fields! Revised goal is 10000 lbs tow limit, with the actual intention of towing 8000 (9000 max); we’ll use the big truck for the bigger loads or make two trips with the smaller truck.
@kittytibsen
That truck you mentioned doesn’t sound too bad to me, with some qualifications
Make sure it really does have the “new” engine, transmission and clutch
Make sure you get ALL the maintenance records
Make sure it has a clean title
You may want to have a mechanic of your choice . . . not affiliated with the seller . . . check it out
If the engine, trans and clutch really “only” have 150K on them, they should still have a few good years in them
By the way, make absolutely sure the frame isn’t rusty
What do you think of this option:
I found a 2001 Ford F-350 diesel dually 4x4 with airbags on both sides and abs with 280,000 miles. But, the original engine had a bad piston so it was replaced with a brand new 7.3 L diesel in 2006. The clutch and tranny were replaced at the same time. So, engine, clutch, tranny all have only 130,00 miles. They are asking $9,500. Is this a good or at least decent deal? Should I be concerned about the engine swap? I heard all engines after 2002 were garbage, but then someone said only the 6.0 are unreliable and a 7.3L should be just fine. Is that true? What do you guys think of this truck?
I found a 2001 Ford F-350 diesel with airbags on both sides and abs with 280,000 miles. But, the original engine had a bad piston so it was replaced with a brand new 7.3 L diesel in 2006. The clutch and tranny were replaced at the same time. So, engine, clutch, tranny all have only 130,00 miles. They are asking $9,500. Is this a good or at least decent deal? Should I be concerned about the engine swap? I heard all engines after 2002 were garbage, but then someone said only the 6.0 are unreliable and a 7.3L should be just fine. Is that true? What do you guys think of this truck?
I found a 2001 Ford F-350 diesel with airbags on both sides and abs with 280,000 miles. But, the original engine had a bad piston so it was replaced with a brand new 7.3 L diesel in 2006. The clutch and tranny were replaced at the same time. So, engine, clutch, tranny all have only 130,00 miles. They are asking $9,500. Is this a good or at least decent deal? Should I be concerned about the engine swap? I heard all engines after 2002 were garbage, but then someone said only the 6.0 are unreliable and a 7.3L should be just fine. Is that true? What do you guys think of this truck?