Thanks tnt2 and stanford, glad to hear tnt2 isn't wound out. I think that my weight will be around borderline for stanford's 10000# number (I'm hearing about 7500# empty truck) anybody else?
I'm posting for my husband, so pls forgive any technical mistakes. He purchased a SD 250 PSD, (RWD, xtra cab, short bed, 3.73 gearing, manual transmission) in early Dec. This was to replace an F350 box van that was getting horrible gas mileage when towing. The trailer is a 20' enclosed trailer & weighs ~ 10,000 lbs loaded. He went with the PSD primarily to get better mileage when towing - thought the extra $$ would pay for themselves within year vbased on his calculations/usage.
He just started towing 2 weekends ago. The truck has around 3K miles on it. Much to his dismay, he is only getting around 8 MPG when towing (at about 70mph). When empty, he gets around 15 MPG, sometimes a bit higher. He had the truck in for servicing yesterday & they found nothing wrong with it, however, on his trip last night, he said it looked like he was getting only 5 MPG. The past two trips have been on very flat territory with no severe weather (no wind/rain or extreme temps). These trips were in the 200-400 mile range (one way).
He loves the truck and finally has it all set up the way he wants it. He is just heartbroken that he'll have to give it up, because he can't afford to spend that much on a truck and have such pitiful MPG. From what I've read on this board, many people are getting much higher mileage when towing.
Does anyone have any ideas? Suggestions? Thanks in advance for your help.
catsull - Diesel's deliver their best performance vs gas motors when lightly loaded. This has to do with no butterflys in the intake tract...... A diesel motor will still deliver better fuel economy than a gas motor when run at higher loads due to higher compression ratio and more BTU's per gallon of fuel. Two reasons for poor fuel economy - Making lots of horsepower towing the giant frontal area trailer at 70 mph. The second could be due to winterized diesel fuel - it has less BTU's per gallon. Note: If the diesel is getting 2MPG better than a gas motor (lets say the gas motor would get 6 MPG) then your husband is getting 33% better fuel economy with the diesel. I would think that is great and your husband would be overjoyed with his purchase.............
Last thought - a trailer behind a box van wouldn't increase frontal area at all... a trailer behind the aero pickup is a substantial difference.
The 3.73 gearing might have been a mistake, if thinking that the higher gearing would give better mpg. When a turbo diesel is loaded, especially to 10,000#, The turbo is spooled up most of the time. Whenever the turbo is producing boost more fuel is delivered to the cylinders. A turbo does not develop boost until the motor is under load. Thus with the 3.73 gearing you have created more of a constant load on the motor. The motor is still "tight", it should improve. Another thing you might think about, as markbuck posted, is the frontal area of the trailer. A wind deflector will help gain 1-2 mpg. I have a 36' travel trailer(10,000# loaded) that is 11'8" tall and gained 2 mpg with an aerowing mounted on my fiberglass topper. I get around 13 mpg highway towing, F350 CC 4x4 DRW 4.10 auto.
Thanks for the quick response! I'll show my husband your responses when he gets home Sun/Mon.
In response to two of the questions...
He has a camper top (isn't that what they're called?) on the truck, one of those Leer tops that is much taller in the rear than the front. It goes almost the full height of the trailer. It would make sense that this is providing some sort of air deflection for the trailer (I think). He had put a wind deflector (can't remember the brand name at the moment) on top of the cab of the box van for the same reason (and it did help the gas mileage on that truck a bit).
I mentioned the idea of winterized fuel to him after reading some earlier posts. We weren't sure if we would be affected - we're located in Georgia. Do gas stations/truck stops post it when they're using winterized fuel?
Kota, a sad story indeed. But count your blessings that all you wasted is time. There's nothing worse than an unethical dealer. You found out about them at a cheap lesson. But get back into the fray and order you one of these great trucks. I am so pleased each time I drive my truck. I am amazed at the power of the V-10. Check out another dealer and don't give them any deposit money. My money stays in my pocket until I decide the goods are as they should be and then I make the purchase. Remember and please remember "Never pay anybody money to treat you bad". I love my Ford Super Duty, I love my Norriscraft Boat and I love my Tennessee National Champs Team. Go Falcons.....The Brown Fish Man
Catsull: That mileage is very surprising. It sounds like you have a problem of some sort in that engine. I didn't get that kind of mileage in my old non-turbo '93 pulling 7000# through Eastern Missouri! Its very hilly, lots of black-smoke moments, and I was still averaging 12mpg. If you're only getting 15mpg empty with 3.73:1 gears -- that's just way too low IMO.
I have a 1999 F250 PSD. I just went looking for oil filters today for my first change. Stopped by Checker first, who told me they don't carry filters for the 99's yet. Dealer wants over $18 for the stinking thing. Do the 99's take the same filter as earlier models ? (FL-1995) Where are you folks with 99 PSD gettiing your oil filters at ? How much are you paying ? Dealer also wants $50 for the fuel/water separator filter. Will I have the same problem with it when replacement time comes ? What about air filters ? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Kota, Very sorry to read about your ordeal, and I agree with gobrownfish, find yourself a good dealer and get one of these great trucks. Tell everyone you know about that dealer and the bad time he gave you. Hopefully, with enough bad press, he will have to change his ways or change his address. The Super Duty is a winner, the dealer was not.Good luck.
I have had my SD250 CC V10 Lariat (loaded) for a little over a week now. 1k miles now. Hated the 5 month wait and was tempted to go with another brand truck several times during the wait. I even get the GM employee discount but wanted the Ford. Now the wait is over I am very glad I waited and did not change. Now I can look at it like my truck is 5 months newer than it would have been if I could have walked into the dealer the first day and drove it home. My miles on the truck is a lot less too. Find the good in the wait and hang ing there. I can not imagine any one finally getting one of these trucks and not realizing the wait was worth it.
kota, I had a similar experience, but no where near as bad. When I went to the dealership (Five Star Ford) in Scottsdale AZ, to pick up my ordered truck, they tried to jack up the price. I think it was about $900 if I remember right. The jerks kept going into the office, then coming back and saying the numbers wouldn't add up, etc. All the while I kept showing them where the salesman had signed the out the door price. I decided between visits from these jerks that I wouldn't pay one penny more than the agreed on price. And I was planning on telling them that if I didn't get the agreed on price, I would order and buy an identical truck from another dealership and take them to court for the difference plus a grand for punitive damages. But finally after an hour or so, they said that they would give me the extra money for my trade in to make up the difference in the new truck value. I knew though that they were just trying to fleece some extra money out of me, and when they saw that I wouldn't stand for it, they had to make an excuse and claim that they were giving me more for my trade in when they were really only concerned with the difference in price between the new truck and the trade in. If I were you, I would tell the dealer to sell me the truck for the agreed price, or you will order an identical truck from another dealer and take them to court to pay the difference plus punitive damages. Bring a witness to hear you warn them. They will probably give it to you for the agreed price to avoid any hassles.
Hey everybody - I ordered an F250 CC 4x4 V10 3.73LSD Lariat, etc., etc. back on 11/2/98. Right now I live in Henderson, NV (next door to Lost Wages). I just got a new job (after about 2 years of trying) in Del Mar, CA and will finally be going back home, starting work on 3/1. I did not order my truck with CA emissions. Does anybody know the ramifications (that's a big word) of taking this truck, when and if I get it, to CA without the emissions package. I'll probably be commuting back and forth between NV and CA until the end of the kids' school year before we make the permament move. Do I need to register it in NV first and then take it to CA (I will be picking it up in Oklahoma)? Should I call the dealer and change my order to include CA emissions? Will that put me back at the end of the list? Is this as confusing as it seems? Any insight would be greatly appreciated. I won't be really happy until the first day I park my new truck AT THE BEACH.
I believe they are both the same. I say this because I bought a case of each from my local auto parts dealer right after the truck was new, april. Never did look at the numbers.
A buddy of mine bought a Toyota 4-Runner from AZ w/o CA emissions while he lived here in CA. He told me that it cost $1000 up front as some kind of fee for not having the emissions. Then he had to get it smogged. Eventhough the standards are lower for a 49 state vechile, the $1000 up front fee is pretty steep. It would be cheaper to order with the CA emissions. But before you do, it's best to check with the CA DMV. Hope this helps, Tom
Thanks for the info on the automated order status system. I tried it and it worked like a charm. This is something that we have all been waiting for! My F250 4x4 sd sc v10 will be built the week of Feb. 8th, with an ETA of Feb 22. Order date was Dec. 16. Not bad considering the fleet salesman claimed that it would be a 4 month minimum. Price was $500 over invoice through the Costco auto buyers program. Also, what was the other site that you visited for the above info.?? Sounds like it might be one to check out. Thanks again. Tom
Thanks TNT. I should have done a little more looking around before I posted. I did just that today and answered my question. I'll have to be careful with the fools at my local Checker Auto Parts. Their loss, I'll go spend my money somewhere with a little more knowledgable counter help.
I'm glad that the information from my last post was able to help as I know how frustrating it can be when you are trying to get information out of the dealer after your order has been placed. I was lucky, I only had a six week wait but for the people who have to wait for an extra ordinary amount of time this information should help them as another avenue to see if their dealer has been truthful with them. I know that if it wasn’t for this site It would have been a lot tougher on the nerves but actually made the wait a pleasant experience. It continually educates anyone who has any kind of question especially where the dealers keep the customers in the dark from build dates, to options like the availability of the 3.73 LS in the V-10 or the free PTO option on Lariats. I ordered the PSD so I also go to the Ford Diesel Website at http://www.abol.com/users/jlester/index.htm I am sure after going through Edmund’s superb site you my find something useful to you they’re as well since it is very helpful to anyone wanting information on the Super Duty. It’s much more than talk about diesels.
This is my third brand new Ford truck. On my 88 and 97, Ford sent me a survey a couple of months after I got my truck. They asked questions about my new truck, how my dealer treated me,if the new truck was clean, how much gas was in it, would I ever buy another vehicle from them, etc. I have had my 99 for three months now and have not received a survey. I did get a phone call from Ford about a month ago where they asked me a few questions, but nothing about the dealership. I am looking forward to giving my dealership an awful report card. Have those of you that have had your Supers for several months or more received a survey? If so, how long after purchase did you get it? Ken
To All: I've been reading the posts at this site for several months and have found them very helpful and encouraging. A good group of people. Now, it's time for my success story bringing my new beast home.
I saw my first SD last spring - love at first sight! Had to have one. Due to lack of availability, we got another summer out the old faithful Dodge camper(>200Kmi, no engine problems with 2Kmi oil changes).
Tried to order a SD this fall, but no one here in Los Angeles or Ventura Counties would deal. I first went to the fleet manager at a local dealership where I had bought other trucks. His General Manager wouldn't let him sell one at our usual couple hundred over invoice because he could sell his entire monthly allocation for sticker, and above, within a few days of putting them on the lot. As a result, I called an out-of-state relative who has a dealership and persuaded them to order one for me one out of their allocation (with CA smog equip) and have it drop shipped to my local dealership. Ordered 20 Nov - the beast arrived 27 Jan.
It's awesome! A 350 supercab, short bed, V10, 5spd, 4.30ls, Lariat, camper pkg, trailer-tow pkg, dark toreador red. I preferred the 3.73 ls, but 4.30 ls is the only rear end available in CA with the V10/5spd combination, which were must have items. (As I understand it, Ford has to do a full 100Kmi life cycle smog certification for every engine/trans/rear end combination in CA - Hence, limited choices.) The 4.30 is not a serious problem. The engine turns about 3000 rpm @ 70 mph and I get a really low "granny gear" for maneuvering a fifth wheel in mountain campgrounds. With the short bed, we will probably go with a Pull-Rite hitch, although an extended pin box is another option. Ninety percent of time, I'll be driving it empty to work.
Things I really like so far: -Power, power, power! -Torque, torque, torque! -Good unloaded ride due to graduated springs -As stable as a sports car -Authoritative brakes without being "grabby" -Awesome styling -I actually like the TT "Dumbo" mirrors
The only thing that I don't like is the small and inaccessible ashtray. I also think that I prefer the tubular chrome nerf bars (part #16450)to the Lariat steps. Anyone want to swap?
Does anyone have a comment on the recommended 5W/30 oil? I tend to be a 10W40 man on my other vehicles, or even 20W50 in a diesel.
For the Brown Fish Man: My daughter is not allowed to touch this truck. We bought a new Explorer Sport back in 1991 that I let her drive to high school to show her friends. While demonstrating the speed and power, she skidded, corrected, over corrected and rolled it. Thank God she didn't hurt, but there was $12K damage and mismatched paint ever since. My current problem is that my wife is trying to find where I hide the keys when I sleep. Might have to let her drive it once and a while.
Best wishes to all and may your trucks arrive soon!
I now have 1500 miles on my truck and still upset with the fuel mileage. I paid the extra to get the diesel. I thought a diesel would provide better fuel mileage than the V10. A buddy of mine who has a F350 SD V10 is getting a mile or two better mileage than me. I am getting 15.5 to 16.2 running empty on the highway. Those of you who have the PSD, auto with 3.73 gears I have a question. What is your rpm's at 70mph. Longhair's post 313 says with a 4.10 gear and traveling at 70 mph he is turning 2100 rpm. I suppose to have 3.73 gears and I am turning 2100 rpm at 70. Is this correct for the both of us with differend gears? Am I wrong in expecting my diesel to get around 19 to 20 mpg traveling between 65 and 70 mph? Some others have told me not to expect a diesel to get good mileage until I have arond 3000 miles it. From those of you who have experience with diesels, is this true, will the mileage come up that far after a good break in or am I being to quick to judge a diesel? Since I paid the extra money for a diesel and the added maintenance, I am concern if I made the right choice or should I have bought a gas engine. Well maye I am like my wife says, I am a broken record when talking about my truck. all of you who have the new SD trucks have waited like me and when you get it and it does not perform like the information says, then you tend to get upset. Help truck owners PS I like the trucdk well except for the fuel mileage and rough ride on I40 in ARK. We will get use to the rought ride.
Well, I changed my order and went with the dark toreador red clearcoat metallic instead of red clearcoat metallic ('99 F250 SD 4WD V10 Reg Cab Lariat 3.73 LS loaded). I went to Royal Ford in West Bend and didin't find any, but then when I was driving down the highway I spotted one in a business parking lot. I made a quick U turn and by that time he was in his truck and taking off down the road. I was able to get side by side eventually and check it out and it looked sharp. Then I went to my dealer and asked where a guy lived who had just picked up his new truck Friday which was dark toreador red. I took a drive to the guys place and looked it over and decided to change my order. It's really a sharp color and will look nice with a silver striping package. I looked at some auto parts stores on Saturday for some things I want to put on the truck. I have Ja-Mark aluminum running boards on my '95 F250 4WD, and I want to take the cab steps off and put Ja-Mark running boards and matching mud flaps on the new truck, and a chrome tailgate guard. I also saw stainless steel slotted side rails, and an Interceptor bug guard I want to put on, and a bed liner. Where is the best place to get all these items..local parts accessory store? If anyone has found a website or someplace with really good prices, please let me know.
I found this information that may be helpful to you as I get around 19-20 MPG while driving empty at 70MPH( 110KMH ) and I have a F-350 crew cab 4x4 PSD with 3.73 gears.
My Baltimore dealer said there was water getting inside the airbox and when it got cold the filter was hard as a rock! There was a TSB update on how to modify the airbox and relocate the opening. They said water was coming up from the wheel well on the left side and getting into the box, obviously when it got cold or freezing my filter was a solid block of ice! The performed their fix and it has worked so far.
Keep us posted on any info. I personally would like heated mirror's. The stock mirrors were fine with me if you or anyone knows of an after market heating application please let me know. If I have to scape them one more time I'm going to drive to Ford and complain in person! Not really but would like too!
Nothing but compliments from co-workers & neighbors---SD F250, V-10, 4x4, DarkRed Toreador with Silver Accent!! Really does look sharp. Even fits into standard garage...with only inches to spare. Camping World is offering retractable mirrors supposedly in Mar.'99...I believe $400 a pair. Good Luck to all!! JB
We just picked up our Black F250 SC LB V-10 3.73 LS on Friday. We ordered it on Oct 10, so it was just a day shy of 16 weeks. We also had to inform a couple of dealers that the LS actually was available in the 3.73 and V-10. I was going to sleep in it that first night, but my wife wanted me to sleep with her. We have been impressed with how nice and smooth the ride is for such a big truck. We had a Legacy high rise canopy put on it Saturday. That sure does make it a head turner! We had someone comment on it the first day out.
The only problems we have with it is the dealer didn't clean up the interior before giving it to us, the wipers streak, and the black paint has very fine scratches on it. Has anyone else seen this problem with the scratches too? We are thinking about having a paint sealer/clear coat put on it to get rid of the scratches and prevent more. Does anyone know about these? Are they worth it?
The paint sealer most dealers put on is nothing more than a decent wax job. Beside financing and extended warranties, this is the biggest rip off, IMO. The fine scratches are from the dealer incorrectly washing the vehicle. My black k3500 had some light scratching here & there, told my dealer to fix them, and got buffing swirls instead. This time when I picked up my black F350 I told them not to touch the outside. Meguire's make some fine auto finishing supplies that will take care of your problem. I know the dealer should take care of this, but all they do is turn the truck over to some high school kid and tell him to shine it up.
That depends. Statistically, the dealers make a lot of money on them, and there are cheaper aftermarket ones available. I went for a Ford one anyway for two reasons. First, this is an initial-year truck, so I wanted the extra warranty. Second, I didn't want to hassle with paperwork so I went with the Ford one. Going somewhere else could have saved a few hundred bucks, but if I have problems I'll be happy to pay the extra. I got a 4-year 75K mile one -- figure most everything weak should have broken by then. Hopefully, I'll never have to use it...
Remember, if you change your mind, you can always cancel the warranty and get the balance back in cash -- the full amount if within 60 days.
I just got a recall notice on my 1999 Super Duty. It seems that they want to replace the left rear brake line and add a shield just ahead of the caliper. The dealer said that rocks and road debris can hit the caliper and line and cause brake failure if they are damaged. If you look at you 99 SD you will see that the caliper on the left side is in front of the axle. The right side is behind and therefore protected by the axle. I am under the impression that all 1999 SD's are subject to the recall. If you own one you may want to call your dealer and get it fixed. Won't cost ya a penny and seems like a good idea. My local dealer told me they are only ordering the parts as people bring them in. 24 hours to get the parts in and then a couple hours in the shop. Hope this helps.
My new F350 SC SRW 4x4 V10 in burnt amber is a real head turner. Nothing but compliments from everyone (except Dodge and Chevy owners), but I have a question:
I can't access the instantaneous gas mileage readout from the Lariat console. Owner's manual says I should have one. I have temp, miles to empty, average fuel mileage and blank, but that's it.
Plus the temp guage is off by about 4 deg F whenever I pull up close to a bank display.
Dealer says duhhh, bring it in for service...and they will look at it. Any comments or suggestions?
The only reason I say that the extended warranties are a ripoff, is that dealers almost always mark these up 200-300% or more. Ever wonder why they push these so hard at the time of purchase? In the early to mid 80's they might have been a good idea with the introduction of fuel injection into many of the vehicles and the lack of a full coverage warranty. With today's warranties being what they are, 3yr-36k bumper to bumper min., the extended warranty is very seldom used. These warranties can, and I recommend, also be purchased just before the basic warranty runs out. You can get more of a feel if something is going to break or go bad from a vehicle that you've owned for a couple of years. If it gives you peace of mind, relax and enjoy.
crcrain...I don't think the instantaneous gas mileage is available on the v-10's or powerstrokes. I can't access mine either.
My F250 that I picked up on Friday and was built right around the first of the year, has the brake caliper shield.
The reason I don't ever get the extended warranties is because I usually know more about cars than the mechanics and I do almost all my own repairs. Besides, if they were so good in the long run, the companies couldn't make money on them. I have saved enough on not getting extended warranties, I can now spend quite a lot before I would be losing. Also, I just went through a hassle with one of those free 3 month/3000 mile warranties. I had what sounded to me like a real slight wrist pin knock. It turns out that I had to agree to pay for them to tear down the engine to check it. If they found proof of the problem, they would pay, but if they couldn't prove what the problem was, I would be stuck with a very hefty bill. Needless to say, I opted to not take the few thousand dollar gamble that these idiot mechanics knew what they were doing.
My scratches already look like buffing swirls. The dealer told us that they come that way from Ford. I question that. They did offer to buff them out, but I don't want to take any paint off. I didn't pay this much to end up with anything less than a whole paint job! Our new canopy also has matching swirl scratches.
Does anyone know if you can either buy the F350 Lariat pkg without the cabsteps or get the XLT pkg with leather? I like the leather, but not the looks of the Lariat steps. Also could someone explain the uses of the option 62R Transmission power Take-off provision? Anyone find headrests for back seats ?
The lariat steps are fairly cheap, and may be removed in a matter of minutes. That's what I'd do -- just throw them out or sell 'em in the classifieds. Mine are going to be replaced with a set of Ranch Hand bars one of these days too.
As for the extended warranties -- you do know that you can haggle the asking price down a lot, right? Paying sticker on a warranty is like paying sticker for your new truck.
Now I can feel like part of the gang. Ordered F-250 XLT SC 4X4 V-10, 3.73 LS. I ordered through Military Car Sales, I will pay a bit more, but will be waiting when I come back to the good old USA. It is 3:00 am and I can't sleep so I came for some therapy.
it looks like you're stuck with the steps for the Lariat or cloth for the XLT, but stanford is right, they look like they should come off easily.
the PTO ($200 option on automatics) (standard on manuals) (probably also requires the idle control to set the speed, depending on your use) is for hooking up something like a hydraulic pump or generator. Useful on utility trucks (run the booms) or the farm, but the pump/genset won't be cheap. Ford is not using the 7 or 13 spline that you find on small farm tractors, so your selection of accessories is limited. I almost ordered the PTO, but then started calculating the rest of the cost for me to have a built in generator and decided I could live with the portable unit in the bed.
Help wanted with finding a good dealer in the North Central Florida area. I know the vehicle I want ( 250 SD CC 4x4 V10 SB Lariat ), and I know the pricing, but I'm new to this area and would rather make a short list of dealers that people have had good experiences with, than just pick a few out of the Yellow Pages. My closest dealer wants 3% over invoice, 'nuff said! However, I did find out that the 250 V10 is available with the 3.73, but if you go to a 350 dually ( our second choice ) you have to have the 4.10.
Well i got a VIN# on Friday and a build date for the week of Feb 15th!!
This has been the longest wait for any vehicle i have bought,just hope it will be worth the wait! I ordered a 1999 SD SC SWB XL V10, 3.73,5 speed,off road,roof lights,trailer tow mirrors,nerf bars,and bed liner, in bright red. I have a camp in northern New Hampshire and i hunt and fish.I will be using the truck to haul wood and all the "huntin" stuff i will need,i think it will do the job!!
primespt: The dealer's invoice on my new F350SD has a $205 item on the invoice for advertising (FDAF Assessment. All other prices agreed with Kelly BB site.
Tom18: I went with the Lariat and plan to throw the plastic steps away and replace them with chrome nerf bars.
Does yours have the "instant" mpg? Crcrain and I can get the avg. mpg and miles to empty, but not the instant mpg. My expedition has the avg. mpg, instant mpg, and miles to empty.
The information I have states the 3.73 and 4.30 is available on all models with the V10 and the only ratios available. The 4.10 is only available with the 5.4 V8 and the PSD with the dual wheels. Dual wheels are only available with the F350. The 3.73 is the only axle available for the PSD with SRW either F250 or F350. Doesn't make sense to me but that is what it says.
anybody have info for the fuel filters with the 99 PSD....Is it the same as the previous powerstroke? I have almost 10,000 miles already and the maintence guide says to change at 10000. I dread going to my dealer and spending twice the price for the Ford filter.....also how much should these cost and does anyone have a brand (other than Ford) and part number? any info appreciated
Just received a notice today from Ford about the GEM and the ESOF. Something that has been reported on the NET 7 months ago or so. I haven't had any problems with it but I guess I will have it replaced along with the brake retrofit. I hope they know what they are doing. I have only seen 2-3 Superduties here in the Milwaukee area. My dealer certainly wasn't aware of the problem yet.
Comments
glad to hear tnt2 isn't wound out.
I think that my weight will be around borderline for stanford's 10000# number (I'm hearing about 7500# empty truck)
anybody else?
He just started towing 2 weekends ago. The truck has around 3K miles on it. Much to his dismay, he is only getting around 8 MPG when towing (at about 70mph). When empty, he gets around 15 MPG, sometimes a bit higher. He had the truck in for servicing yesterday & they found nothing wrong with it, however, on his trip last night, he said it looked like he was getting only 5 MPG. The past two trips have been on very flat territory with no severe weather (no wind/rain or extreme temps). These trips were in the 200-400 mile range (one way).
He loves the truck and finally has it all set up the way he wants it. He is just heartbroken that he'll have to give it up, because he can't afford to spend that much on a truck and have such pitiful MPG. From what I've read on this board, many people are getting much higher mileage when towing.
Does anyone have any ideas? Suggestions? Thanks in advance for your help.
A diesel motor will still deliver better fuel economy than a gas motor when run at higher loads due to higher compression ratio and more BTU's per gallon of fuel.
Two reasons for poor fuel economy - Making lots of horsepower towing the giant frontal area trailer at 70 mph. The second could be due to winterized diesel fuel - it has less BTU's per gallon.
Note: If the diesel is getting 2MPG better than a gas motor (lets say the gas motor would get 6 MPG) then your husband is getting 33% better fuel economy with the diesel. I would think that is great and your husband would be overjoyed with his purchase.............
Last thought - a trailer behind a box van wouldn't increase frontal area at all... a trailer behind the aero pickup is a substantial difference.
In response to two of the questions...
He has a camper top (isn't that what they're called?) on the truck, one of those Leer tops that is much taller in the rear than the front. It goes almost the full height of the trailer. It would make sense that this is providing some sort of air deflection for the trailer (I think). He had put a wind deflector (can't remember the brand name at the moment) on top of the cab of the box van for the same reason (and it did help the gas mileage on that truck a bit).
I mentioned the idea of winterized fuel to him after reading some earlier posts. We weren't sure if we would be affected - we're located in Georgia. Do gas stations/truck stops post it when they're using winterized fuel?
Thanks again for your help!
nothing worse than an unethical dealer. You found
out about them at a cheap lesson. But get back
into the fray and order you one of these great
trucks. I am so pleased each time I drive my
truck. I am amazed at the power of the V-10.
Check out another dealer and don't give them any
deposit money. My money stays in my pocket until
I decide the goods are as they should be and then
I make the purchase. Remember and please remember
"Never pay anybody money to treat you bad". I love my Ford Super Duty, I love my Norriscraft Boat and I love my Tennessee National Champs Team.
Go Falcons.....The Brown Fish Man
I had a similar experience, but no where near as bad. When I went to the dealership (Five Star Ford) in Scottsdale AZ, to pick up my ordered truck, they tried to jack up the price. I think it was about $900 if I remember right. The jerks kept going into the office, then coming back and saying the numbers wouldn't add up, etc. All the while I kept showing them where the salesman had signed the out the door price. I decided between visits from these jerks that I wouldn't pay one penny more than the agreed on price. And I was planning on telling them that if I didn't get the agreed on price, I would order and buy an identical truck from another dealership and take them to court for the difference plus a grand for punitive damages. But finally after an hour or so, they said that they would give me the extra money for my trade in to make up the difference in the new truck value. I knew though that they were just trying to fleece some extra money out of me, and when they saw that I wouldn't stand for it, they had to make an excuse and claim that they were giving me more for my trade in when they were really only concerned with the difference in price between the new truck and the trade in.
If I were you, I would tell the dealer to sell me the truck for the agreed price, or you will order an identical truck from another dealer and take them to court to pay the difference plus punitive damages. Bring a witness to hear you warn them. They will probably give it to you for the agreed price to avoid any hassles.
A buddy of mine bought a Toyota 4-Runner from AZ w/o CA emissions while he lived here in CA. He told me that it cost $1000 up front as some kind of fee for not having the emissions. Then he had to get it smogged. Eventhough the standards are lower for a 49 state vechile, the $1000 up front fee is pretty steep. It would be cheaper to order with the CA emissions. But before you do, it's best to check with the CA DMV. Hope this helps, Tom
Thanks for the info on the automated order status system. I tried it and it worked like a charm. This is something that we have all been waiting for! My F250 4x4 sd sc v10 will be built the week of Feb. 8th, with an ETA of Feb 22. Order date was Dec. 16. Not bad considering the fleet salesman claimed that it would be a 4 month minimum. Price was $500 over invoice through the Costco auto buyers program. Also, what was the other site that you visited for the above info.?? Sounds like it might be one to check out. Thanks again. Tom
information on the Super Duty. It’s much more than talk about diesels.
Fred.
Ken
I saw my first SD last spring - love at first sight! Had to have one. Due to lack of availability, we got another summer out the old faithful Dodge camper(>200Kmi, no engine problems with 2Kmi oil changes).
Tried to order a SD this fall, but no one here in Los Angeles or Ventura Counties would deal. I first went to the fleet manager at a local dealership where I had bought other trucks. His General Manager wouldn't let him sell one at our usual couple hundred over invoice because he could sell his entire monthly allocation for sticker, and above, within a few days of putting them on the lot. As a result, I called an out-of-state relative who has a dealership and persuaded them to order one for me one out of their allocation (with CA smog equip) and have it drop shipped to my local dealership. Ordered 20 Nov - the beast arrived 27 Jan.
It's awesome! A 350 supercab, short bed, V10, 5spd, 4.30ls, Lariat, camper pkg, trailer-tow pkg, dark toreador red. I preferred the 3.73 ls, but 4.30 ls is the only rear end available in CA with the V10/5spd combination, which were must have items. (As I understand it, Ford has to do a full 100Kmi life cycle smog certification for every engine/trans/rear end combination in CA - Hence, limited choices.) The 4.30 is not a serious problem. The engine turns about 3000 rpm @ 70 mph and I get a really low "granny gear" for maneuvering a fifth wheel in mountain campgrounds. With the short bed, we will probably go with a Pull-Rite hitch, although an extended pin box is another option. Ninety percent of time, I'll be driving it empty to work.
Things I really like so far:
-Power, power, power!
-Torque, torque, torque!
-Good unloaded ride due to graduated springs
-As stable as a sports car
-Authoritative brakes without being "grabby"
-Awesome styling
-I actually like the TT "Dumbo" mirrors
The only thing that I don't like is the small and inaccessible ashtray. I also think that I prefer the tubular chrome nerf bars (part #16450)to the Lariat steps. Anyone want to swap?
Does anyone have a comment on the recommended 5W/30 oil? I tend to be a 10W40 man on my other vehicles, or even 20W50 in a diesel.
For the Brown Fish Man: My daughter is not allowed to touch this truck. We bought a new Explorer Sport back in 1991 that I let her drive to high school to show her friends. While demonstrating the speed and power, she skidded, corrected, over corrected and rolled it. Thank God she didn't hurt, but there was $12K damage and mismatched paint ever since. My current problem is that my wife is trying to find where I hide the keys when I sleep. Might have to let her drive it once and a while.
Best wishes to all and may your trucks arrive soon!
Jim
Those of you who have the PSD, auto with 3.73 gears I have a question. What is your rpm's at 70mph. Longhair's post 313 says with a 4.10 gear and traveling at 70 mph he is turning 2100 rpm. I suppose to have 3.73 gears and I am turning 2100 rpm at 70. Is this correct for the both of us with differend gears?
Am I wrong in expecting my diesel to get around 19 to 20 mpg traveling between 65 and 70 mph? Some others have told me not to expect a diesel to get good mileage until I have arond 3000 miles it. From those of you who have experience with diesels, is this true, will the mileage come up that far after a good break in or am I being to quick to judge a diesel? Since I paid the extra money for a diesel and the added maintenance, I am concern if I made the right choice or should I have bought a gas engine.
Well maye I am like my wife says, I am a broken record when talking about my truck. all of you who have the new SD trucks have waited like me and when you get it and it does not perform like the information says, then you tend to get upset.
Help truck owners
PS I like the trucdk well except for the fuel mileage and rough ride on I40 in ARK. We will get use to the rought ride.
you're going to have to give her a couple of thousand breakin miles, then your mileage should start creeping up.
My Baltimore dealer said there was water getting inside the airbox and when it got cold the filter was hard as a rock! There was a TSB update on how to modify the airbox and relocate the opening. They said water was coming up from the wheel well on the left side and getting into the box, obviously when it got cold or freezing my filter was a solid block of ice! The performed their fix and it has worked so far.
Keep us posted on any info. I personally would like heated mirror's. The stock mirrors were fine with me if you or anyone knows of an after market heating application please let me know. If I have to scape them one more time I'm going to drive to Ford and complain in person! Not really but would like too!
Mroffshore
JB
The only problems we have with it is the dealer didn't clean up the interior before giving it to us, the wipers streak, and the black paint has very fine scratches on it. Has anyone else seen this problem with the scratches too? We are thinking about having a paint sealer/clear coat put on it to get rid of the scratches and prevent more. Does anyone know about these? Are they worth it?
Sounds like I may have been taken. I did take the extended warranty on my truck. Why do you say that it is a big rip off.
Remember, if you change your mind, you can always cancel the warranty and get the balance back in cash -- the full amount if within 60 days.
My new F350 SC SRW 4x4 V10 in burnt amber is a real head turner. Nothing but compliments from everyone (except Dodge and Chevy owners), but I have a question:
I can't access the instantaneous gas mileage readout from the Lariat console. Owner's manual says I should have one. I have temp, miles to empty, average fuel mileage and blank, but that's it.
Plus the temp guage is off by about 4 deg F whenever I pull up close to a bank display.
Dealer says duhhh, bring it in for service...and they will look at it. Any comments or suggestions?
If it gives you peace of mind, relax and enjoy.
crcrain...I don't think the instantaneous gas mileage is available on the v-10's or powerstrokes. I can't access mine either.
The reason I don't ever get the extended warranties is because I usually know more about cars than the mechanics and I do almost all my own repairs. Besides, if they were so good in the long run, the companies couldn't make money on them. I have saved enough on not getting extended warranties, I can now spend quite a lot before I would be losing. Also, I just went through a hassle with one of those free 3 month/3000 mile warranties. I had what sounded to me like a real slight wrist pin knock. It turns out that I had to agree to pay for them to tear down the engine to check it. If they found proof of the problem, they would pay, but if they couldn't prove what the problem was, I would be stuck with a very hefty bill. Needless to say, I opted to not take the few thousand dollar gamble that these idiot mechanics knew what they were doing.
My scratches already look like buffing swirls. The dealer told us that they come that way from Ford. I question that. They did offer to buff them out, but I don't want to take any paint off. I didn't pay this much to end up with anything less than a whole paint job! Our new canopy also has matching swirl scratches.
As for the extended warranties -- you do know that you can haggle the asking price down a lot, right? Paying sticker on a warranty is like paying sticker for your new truck.
the PTO ($200 option on automatics) (standard on manuals) (probably also requires the idle control to set the speed, depending on your use) is for hooking up something like a hydraulic pump or generator. Useful on utility trucks (run the booms) or the farm, but the pump/genset won't be cheap. Ford is not using the 7 or 13 spline that you find on small farm tractors, so your selection of accessories is limited. I almost ordered the PTO, but then started calculating the rest of the cost for me to have a built in generator and decided I could live with the portable unit in the bed.
This has been the longest wait for any vehicle i have bought,just hope it will be worth the wait! I ordered a 1999 SD SC SWB XL V10,
3.73,5 speed,off road,roof lights,trailer tow mirrors,nerf bars,and bed liner, in bright red.
I have a camp in northern New Hampshire and i hunt and fish.I will be using the truck to haul wood and all the "huntin" stuff i will need,i think it will do the job!!
moe7
Tom18: I went with the Lariat and plan to throw the plastic steps away and replace them with chrome nerf bars.
Jim
when did you order yours?
moe7