I have an ‘02 F350 crew cab dually w/ a 7.2L diesel. When I tow my 30’ camping trailer up hills, I slow down to around 25 mph. Other trucks with trailers are passing me doing 55 to 65 mph. Will a new truck help?
Also, what is the difference between an F350 and an F450?
Thanks!
I made a mistake. I have a '92 F350 not an '02.
How many miles on it? Turbocharged? Automatic transmission?
The numbers refer to the payload capacity. The numbers aren’t quite the same these days, but traditionally the F150 was the half ton, the F250 the 3/4 ton, the F350 the 1 ton, etc (I think those are the numbers-- I’m not really a Ford person). In terms of the actual physical difference, the higher payload capacity trucks have beefier suspensions and beefier axles. By the F450 (assuming you mean the Ford, not the Ferrari) you’re into something more like a tow truck, so I don’t think you should need one of those.
What’s really more important for what you’re towing is the engine (which can be the same engine in the different payload capacity trucks). The turbodiesel in the newer trucks will blow the doors off the old non-turbo in your '92, so the answer to your question is yes a newer truck will definitely help.
I wouldn’t buy a new f350. I’ve heard terrible things about the 6.0L powerstroke. I think in the new F350s International made revisions to the 6.0L engine to address a lot of the problems it had. Ford is no longer doing business with International because of the 6.0 Liter Diesel. Buy an older F350 with a 7.4L turbo diesel or wait for Fords new Diesel motor.
I appreciate the input. The engine I have now is NOT turbo charged. The transmission is an automatic E4OD (which I hear was one of the worst trannys for had. I have 125K original miles on the truck. I have not had any issues with the engine. The tranny was rebuilt once.
The truck I seem to be gravitation to is the 2008 F350 with the 6.4L Power Stroke diesel engine and TorqShift automatic transmission.
Please add any knowledge or advise you can. It all helps.
Thanks again.
I think you should try to find out what is wrong with your 92 F350 first. It might just need a simple repair. If the repair it needs is major and expensive, then yes, trade it in for a newer one.
Nobody can give you good advice on this issue until you know what is wrong.
A friend just sold his '92 F-350 Diesel Dually crew cab which he used to pull a 13,500 pound sailboat on a 3-axle trailer. He could maintain AT LEAST 45MPH over hill and dale…This truck was set up for towing from the get-go, a manual 5-speed with a “splitter” which provided a 20% overall gear reduction when needed. The engine was the 7.4 liter equipped with a Banks turbocharger. When he sold it, it had 223,000 miles on it and it still ran like a new one without any major engine repairs. He maintained it meticulously and it was in perfect condition. With a “blue book” of $5800 the best offer he got was $3800 and that’s what he sold it for. He had owned it for 12 years and towed the boat from Maine to Washington and down into Mexico with no complaints about keeping up with traffic…It burned no oil and blew not a whiff of black smoke when pulling hard…
I agree with Whitey…Have a Diesel Specialist evaluate your truck before you condemn it…