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First trip towing my 27' t/t, took the wife and kids to see the big mouse in Fl, 1400 mi round trip. My trailer loaded is about 6700 lbs plus family of five in the truck ect. My configuration is: 00,f250,xlt,psd,6spd,3.73,265tires,cc,sb.
This truck is a pulling machine!! I am so impressed with how this thing pulled my t/t, I set the c/c on 70 mph in 6th gear, and no grade on the interstates65,20,or 75, even gave a hint of slowing this beast. I averaged 14 mpg on the trip at that speed with air on the entire time. I love this truck. I never even put my sway control on, no need!
Thanks for your help!
p.s. the gas price was up to $1.98 today( up $0.50 to $0.60 in the last two weeks) while diesel was at $1.63. I wish I had a diesel today!!
First, I'd recommend trolling www.ford-diesel.com. It has over 7000 members and the primary (albeit not sole) focus is the Ford diesel (old and new).
http://www.ford-diesel.com/downloads/mileage.xls is an Excel spreadsheet to calculate the breakeven point for diesel mileage.
As well, this topic has been hashed over a number of times and if you don't find your specific questions answered, ask one in the appropriate Forum and you'll get answers.
We went with a diesel for a few reasons (and in no particular order). Cheaper fuel, ability to get way more miles out of a well maintained diesel engine over a gasser (I've read of diesels hitting 300-400K miles which a gasser isn't likely to hit without a re-build), and it's cool truck to drive.
I've not heard of any specific horror stories about PSD rebuilds etc.. Later in life (200k miles +) when the diesel needs work, it is usually more expensive than working on a gas engine..
A big question is to tow, or not to tow..
If your not towing or not hauling alot, or if you don't need to do any heavy towing/hauling, then the 5.4L gets fairly good mpg as well. (5.4L 5sp 4.10ls 4x2)
Of course in your area, there seems to be a bigger difference in gas vs diesel gas prices than where I am.
If your towing a fair amount of the time, or are towing/hauling heavy loads alot, then your at a tossup between the V10 and PSD..
When I was crunching numbers a while back, I figured I'd recover initial the cost of diesel after about 100k miles or so vs. a V10.. Thats a long time.
I think your already leaning towards the PSD, and that is an excellent choice for you that you'll be happy with, both today, and 10 years fro m now. If you want more re-enforcement to buying a diesel, check out ford-diesel.com.
I'm way happy with my truck (5.4L), as it fits my wants/needs perfectly.
I will do most of my driving empty, but will pull a travel trailer some of the time. I would really appreciate hearing from you.
Thanks again.
As for a couple of posts....
bowhunter....I do it all the time. Foot on the brake and able to also push down on the gas at the same time. If my foot overhangs the brake by any little bit it also hits the gas pedal. Just have to be carefull.
I have 12,000 miles on the truck now....picked up Oct. 15th 99......v10 Lariat CC V10 3.73....getting 12.7 in town and limited hwy miles have been about 15.8.....
I'll throw my props out for one product....I had a black scuff mark on the rear corner by the tailgate....it wouldn't rub off when washing...used my GS 27 scratch remover....bought off the informercial....I'm a sucker....but that stuff took it right off...completely!!! Also used it on my sis in laws white escort....on some scratches on the hood....took them right off also.
Its a miracle!!!! well...maybe not...but it worked.
Seee ya all around.....and I've told the aliens to leave me alone!!!
It would also make for an easier time haulin the TT.
Also, the mpg difference between the 5sp and auto seems to be pretty significant, (-2 mpg when you have auto and the 5.4L).
Y2K F250 SC 4x2 5.4l 5sp 4.10LS:
MPG when doing mixed city/highway = 15.5 or so.
MPG when mostly highway = 17.8 (I bet 18+ is capable if I would do all highway for a whole tank).
I am a conservative driver and basically obey the 65mph speed limit..
2000 F250 SD CrewCab Lariat 4x2 5.4l Auto. Harvest Gold, Trailer Hitch & pwr. tele/tow mirrors, CD and best of all ....it's my first truck, and it's a Ford !!
Can't pick it up until tomorrow morning though. I think I've got to go golfing now to get my mind off of this.
Thanks for all the support. This is a great site we all learn from. Will check in with my thoughts after I've picked it up.
It's a great day in Santa Barbara, CA !!
Gold, Trailer Hitch & pwr. tele/tow mirrors, CD
Yes, it was worth the wait. My wait was only eight weeks though. Picked it up 50 miles from my home and only have 75 miles on it so far. During the trip back, my mileage moving up and up to about 16.4 (all highway) and was still going up a bit at the end of my trip home. Obviously, a 50 mile highway test is nothing.
The only concern that I had was in the steering or handling. It seemed like I had to keep correcting the steering just a little bit(drifting just a bit left and right as if the wind was pushing me a tiny bit). Not too noticeable but maybe it's because I'm not used to driving this beast yet. Any comments? I'll test it again tonight.
On an unrelated note: The dealer also told me before I left that the tire pressure up front was set at 50 or 55 (can't remember) and the rear was at 80 according to the specs./sticker on the driver-side door area!!! I was surprised to hear the rear pressure was so high. I have General tires.
I'm so happy !!!
I have the some slight drift as well on windy days, and to one direction or the other on crowned roads (on a calm day). If the road is flat/level on a calm day, it seems to be better..
But, overall, the truck doesn't seem to track as well as the 99 Windstar. I figured its just because of the stiffer suspension etc. ..
Tire pressure: On the door jam, the pressure numbers reflect what the pressures should be if your under max load conditions.. (thus the 70 or 80 in the rear). Lowering the rears down to a 50 or 55 also seems to help the over handling somewhat when empty.
Have you checked wheelbases of the SC long bed vs CC short bed (since you didn't say what bed length you're looking at). The SC LB is only slightly longer that the CC SB (an inch or so). The SC SB is about 18" shorter than the CC SB (as I recall).
I know what you mean about length but if you're planning on family additions and lusting after the PSD, I'd go CC LB and satisfy both you and your wife.
Dave
The 4 year old is in a booster seat and I usually sit him behind the driver.
The 1 year olds car seat fits easily in the middle of rear seat when both in the rear facing position and forward facing position..
When the child seat is rear facing, my wife found it nice that she could put her seat all the way back, and recline some and tend to the little dude.
We've taken a few long trips (500 miles), and the kids had no problem.
The SuperDuty SC rear seat is slightly bigger than the F150 SC, but not as big as the F150 SuperCrew.
I figure the SC will fit my kids well into thier early teens. (Although I'm only 5'5" so its likely my kids will be shorter than average).
Ford considers it safe to put child car seats in the rear seat.
On another note, I just had a line-x spray in liner installed in my truck bed. I can't be happier with the installation and its appearance. The installer did an excellent job and even dared me to find anything wrong. I'm pretty picky when it comes to my vehicles, and am happy to say I couldn't find even the smallest defect. I guess time will tell on the liner's durability, but at least now I'm not hesistant to throw practically any thing into the back of the truck.
goleta: congrats on the new arrival. enjoy.
cc v. sc: we have 2 cubs (one just arrived) and i had seriously considered the sc and the lb. ended up getting the cc with the sb, and am quite pleased with the driveablility. however, i do live in a pretty rural area so i have no "urban assault" to contend with. having said that, you gotta believe that all the little cars and trucks will scatter when you need to get somewhere...
gas v. diesel: just in case any of the "havenots" are sitting on the fence, gas has gone up to 45-50 cents more per gallon than diesel. i'm sure it is temporary, but owning a diesel is particularly frugal these days.
misc: left my 350 (psd) over the weekend for it's first oil change at the dealer. was given an expedition as a loaner. it's a nice truck, but i couldn't get over how small it felt, and that it would tip over with the slightest bit of hard steeering.
have 3600 miles on the rig. mileage is basically 17 city, 19 hwy. hope it improves, although i can't complain about those numbers. quick question, do any of you have any comments/experience with Leer bed caps? they are the only ones local, and they are selling them for just over $1k. don't know enough to know if that's pricey, it their well-made, etc. any help would be appreciated.
Good luck.
John
Thanks again.
Goleta--congrats on the recent upgrade to "have" status! I'm going on 2 months of ownership, 3200 miles, very pleased. Keep us informed.
Bess--more info on my highway ride concerns. I drove the interstate tonite with approx 400lbs in the box, and the choppiness was noticeably less than when empty. Perhaps the dealer service manager is right and the highway itself is the culprit. It is a pretty rough stretch of road, yet I keep feeling as though something is out of balance in the rear. It feels as though there are three distinct, rapid oscillations for each bump that is hit, and there are sharp, regular bumps for miles on end on Colorado's I-25. I wonder if there is a weak shock back there that is not controlling rebound as much as needed. I'll let you know what happens as the investigation unfolds.
I also heard they had some goodies for us, since we agreed to do this. Looks like I'll have to drive my SD to work, so when I go to this meeting of tire kickers, they know what a real truck looks like. Can't wait to get home, they were going to fax all the details today. I guess they are doing this all over the country. One of the bennies to being a life member. Whew gas is up to $2.09 a gal for Regular
But, I disagree about 1st gear. I use it, my last F250 had the same tranny (the ZF1) and I used it then too, 200,000 miles and it only now needs a clutch job.
I have had a hard time getting used to the drive line lash (clunky clunky) but just about have it in hand.
I'm 6'4"/240# and I fit just fine back there just in case (not likely I might add)I want to let someone else drive. I rode in a friend's Honda Accord yesterday and I could barely get in and out and I couldn't see a thing.
I haven't seen any references to clunking from under the CCs, lately. I noticed it only happened on mine when I turned to the right and into a driveway with a hump or gutter. Then it "clunked" under the left rear. Someone earlier said they had the "nerf bars" tightened, but I didn't know what it was. But, I thought they might mean sway bars.
I slid under the truck and noticed that there was a place about 1/2" long on the rear anti-sway bar that was wiped clean of dirt like the bar was moving left and right a little. Everything else was brown, but there was that shiny black paint showing. The sway bar goes through a bracket that holds a bushing on both sides, but the right side was uniformly dirty and obviously stable.
There are several bolts that clamp the sway bar in place, but this one (left side only) appeared to be wiped clean. I tighted the nuts and the clunk appears to be fixed, at least I haven't heard it yet in the one place near my office that I always heard it every morning.
Sorry about the long post, but this might be a clue to the mysterious clunking so many people heard. It might be specific to those CCs with the tow package and the camper package that come with the sway bars.
Gas update: Atlanta area yesterday Reg. $1.45/gal., diesel, $1.35 gal.
Bottled water: $.99/liter
lile1mo "nerf bars" are the tubular bars for stepping into your truck. Its just another fancy name for them.
I got the CC and long bed. We have a 9 yr old and 6 yr old. They will not be petite when they mature. A SC would work for a short period but since I hold on to the truck for 10 plus years I want one that will do it all for quite a while. I got tired of the 2 door Bronco and kids climbing over the seats instead of sliding them forward. It's a big truck but it's manageable (and GREAT!).
I suppose it may take a day or so to completely empty the rail-cars. Then, I hear, they may sit in a yard for the car-haulers to arrive. From the day my SD arrived, it was then three days later at the dealer. (Saturday morning!)
You are probably a day or so away (I hope). Can you ask your dealer to check with the car-hauler? My dealer was able and going to, but it arrived before they were able to check.
I hope this helps. Good luck. What did you order?
1. clunk in front end (ordered bushings 5/23,not here yet)
2. Clunk in rear under acceleration from a stop or slow speed (says not found, normal)
3. Low on power and poor gas milage (2nd time, 1st they reflashed prom, this time replaced Mass Air Sensor, no change still 10.5 on the hwy)
4. Cuptosser broke
5. Recalibrate the speedo for 285's (wife just got a ticket for 78mph, she said the speedo was on 70)
6. Alignment, pulls to right (not even close)
7. Change oil (Well I guess one out of seven ain't bad)
If anybody knows of a GOOD Ford dealer in Cen Texas, please let me know. The ones I have been to are poorly staffed.
BTW the service guy at my place was nice as pie, just didnot fix the truck.
Maybe I ought to just sell it and try again.
I went thru the whole SC vs. CC debate before ordering my CC. I upgraded from a F-150 SC. Yes, kid seats do fit in the SC but adults and rear facing child seats don't fit so well, especially if you have a bench or 40-20-40 seat with the middle section up. As I had no real need for the full size bed, I decided to make my life easier by ordering the CC. I have no problem jumping in and out of the back seat twice daily when hauling the 1 year old to daycare. My 10 year old loves the room. Friends and visitors are much more comfortable in the CC than the SC. A good buddy has a SC and hauls two kids. After seeing the ease of loading and unloading kids in my CC, he is going to upgrade to CC in the near future. Your truck is your choice but I strongly recommend the CC over the SC, especially if a SB suits your needs.
jepsonfam - Where's that ARE dealer in MD you mentioned
2000 white F-250 XLT 4x4 PSD auto 2.73ls (great truck)
last tank was 15.4
a really sweet ride, at first i did notice a drift in the steering but its gone or i got used to it
Hopefully this is an isolated incident, but I highly recommend those Super Duty owners with gas engines check for this discrepancy on their trucks as it is a potentially dangerous condition.
I'm glad I perform my own maintenance or who knows when this problem would have been discovered.
By the way, I'm taking a 500 mile trip (one way to northern CA this week. I'll report my MPG when I get back. Again, I have the 2000 SD CC V8 Auto. shortbed (no 4WD). So far, it's a great truck. (Just the drift problem I hope to get resolved tomorrow).
What does the dealer say the ETA is? It may change week-to-week. My SD came 1 week before ETA.
Can I lower the pressure in the rear to be the same as the front pressure? Around 55? Does this give me a little smoother ride (empty)? Will this affect tire wear or handling at 55 lbs. or at 80 lbs? Would I want to lower the pressure in front from 55 down to ?????
Most of my travels will be empty. When I tow, or carry a heavy load, I suppose I would increase the tire pressure in the rears.
2000 SD CC shortbed Auto. V8 3.73 axle
Thanks for any help.
It is a widely accepted practice that when empty you can run considerably less tire pressure in the rears without adversly affecting wear. It will be a big improvement in the handling of your truck.. I thought I had mentioned this before here.
I currently run 50lbs in front AND rear tires.. (my door jam plate calls for 45front/75rear).
This is also consistant with the advice on ford-diesel.com. Folks with diesel's tend to run a slighly higher front air pressure because of the extra weight up front.
Note: if your hauling a load, then its extremely important to air up the rear tires to the recommended pressure, otherwise they can overheat and risk exploding..