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Ford '99 Super Duty Delivery Issues
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Comments
I can't say I'm in the market for a Ford, but if I have no other choice, that's probably where I would get one (as I have really bad things to say about at least 5 other Ford dealers in Bergen and Passaic counties).
Finally getting a chance to get back to you on the Factory help number. Well honestly they really do not give you any more info then the dealer gives you. If you have a good responsible salesman or sales mgr. you can get any info you need from him or her providing you have the VIN#.
They just gave me the build date and the delivery date and if any thing was on hold. One interesting thing I did find out was my vehicle according to their computer, was scheduled to be shipped to a dealership I never heard of. You can imagine what I thought. They said they would call my dealership to find out what the deal was. Well I contacted my sales mgr. late in the day to find out what heck was going on. He confirmed customer service contacted him but said the guy did'nt know what he was talking about. My sales mgr. also called the regional supervisor just to double check and it is confirmed my truck is supposed to be delivered to my dealership on the original ship date of 7/6 or close to. Who knows how that can of worms was opened! Hopefully it was some mistake on the end of a very new and inexperienced customer service person at Ford.
I also asked about the rumors of the plant shut down and the Ford customer service person knew nothing about it. In fact he did not know much of anything. I relly believe they are given enough info just to have someone for us to talk to. I went through the same problem with my Ford windstar. The dealer knew much more then they did! Hoefully every thing will go well and the truck will be here on time.
Mroffshore
Last I heard, Ford was making 70 trucks/hr. and going to 120/hr. They have all kinds sitting out, from 250's to 550's. And I might add they look SWEET.
I also ordered a F-250SD in Deep Blue Metallic Clearcoat, and was just told it is no longer available. You would think I learned from experience, because I have a 92 F-150 Deep Blue Metallic sitting in my driveway, and the hood paint has peeled down to the grey primer. I did change to another color.
Good to hear another "Edmund's Academy" student tell the dealer to 'stick it' with his bigger deposit!!!
Can anyone help me with information on this?
On the rear end ratio. Mine was ordered and delivered with a 3.73 limited slip. BUT the truck is a F-250, super cab long wheel base.
Rich
Mroffshore
Did you order through Isbell? My salesman, Danny Ware, said he has 16 orders pending. I'm at 13 1/2 weeks and Ford still hasn't pulled my order. I brought up the subject of dealer priority numbers and that I figured Isbell assigned me a low one because of the price I got. Danny said that the priority issue was definitely not causing the current holdup. I doubt a salesman would admit it if it were true, so who knows? Once they pull the order, I probably still have 4-6 weeks. It looks like it will be August for me.
Yes! It is the ESP from Ford. I just got the letter from Ford telling me that I have the ESP. They're doing it differently since my '92. There are no plastic credit like cards nor special books. It is all done by VIN in the Ford computer. This tells me that they're keeping much better track of mileage and 'do-overs' on the warranty repairs.
Rich
Mroffshore
I'll report back when it gets here. Meanwhile, I'm keeping up with everyone else's progress. This site (and all of your posts) has made the waiting easier.
Encourage your dealer to yell at the Ford preparation center to insure that your truck is placed on the hauler. If the hauler driver has their way, they'll leave it for a split load and for some one else to haul. I get the impression that the hauler drivers get paid by the vehicle and not the weight of the vehicles.
Rich
Thanks for that info. I think if I called the dealer and told him what you said, he would think this guy must be desperate for that truck! HAHA
Hopefully there will not be a problem. He assured me it would be in between Sun and Wed. of next week. We shall see! I'll tell you what, I really learned alot about this whole process because of you guys. One thing that really stands out in my mind, the dealer does have more influence then I originally thought in terms of getting your vehicle built and delivered.
Mroffshore
All, If any body else has heard of a discount for trucks ordered with the pass airbag prior to making them standard, please let me know. Thanks to all.
I would like to be able to project a delivery date and if more fleet traffic is headed Fords way I want to order a week or two earlier.
On the Passenger side air bag issue, my order confirmation quote of (6/24/98) from Isbell Ford shows the Option# 552 - Passenger Side SRS at No Charge.
Ironically, the test truck is the deep blue that seems to be no longer available, and it looks pretty good.
They did mention one down-point, and it's something I hate about my Ram too - that ridiculously small bottle jack. It barely lifted my friend's Mercury Cougar two weeks ago, so I immediately went out to stores pricing hydraulic floor jacks (and the full-width bed-toolbox I would need to bring it with me). Even though my Chrysler road service is good for 7 yrs/100K miles, I'd just as soon change the tire and get going myself.
I called around and got preapproved for a combo truck/truck camper loan rather than just a truck loan. I immediately got on the phone to my dealer and asked if it would be possible to add a couple of options without losing my place in line (as if it really matters). So, I added the Camper Package and the power trailer tow mirrors. Considering the weight of these campers, I considered adding the duallys, but I really didn't want the 4.30 ratio.
I'm in the market for a new truck camper and am open to suggestions. My price range is around $20,000, but I could go a little higher if it was something I really liked. It's got to be able to handle cold climates, since it will likely get some winter use in Alaska. I've heard good things about Bigfoot, Lance, and Fleetwood. LIke I said, I'm open to suggestions.
Congratulations ! Hopefully I will be making the same move North here soon. I've applied for a job at the pipeline pumpstations that a friend there has recommended me for. (That is if I can pry the wife out of South Texas) Anyway here are a couple of sites to check out.
http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/
http://www.shastaind.com/
http://rvusa.com/
http://www.rvamerica.com/dealers/index.htm
http://rvamerica.com/AllSeasonsRV/jayco.htm
I know a lot of people up North who own the Jayco brand and like them. There's a lot of different brands in use in Alaska so just be sure to tell whoever the manufacturer is that it will see use in Alaska and will warranty it for such conditions. That should cover you.
Someone on another website said that he has a 99 F-350 Crew Cab 4x4 diesel and his camper certification is only 1,800 pounds. Remember, we are talking cabover campers that go in the bed and impact the GVWR, not trailers or fifth wheelers that will be towed. The majority of the campers I have been considering are in the 2,500 - 3,000 pound range. Granted, I will have a Supercab and a V-10, which will increase my payload capacity over his truck, but it's unlikely that I will be able to keep the total payload under 9,900 with a camper that size.
Ford indicates that the remaining payload after the weight of the truck itself is 4,186. So, the total camper weight (including options and contents of the camper tanks), the weight of my gas, the weight of my gear, as well as my weight and the weight of my passengers all need to be less than 4,186. I see the potential for some problems in the future if I am exceeding that weight on a regular basis. At the very least, I suspect there might be some handling problems.
So, with this information weighing heavily on my mind, I changed my order this morning. I opted for the F-350 with the duallys. This increases my payload capacity by 1,100 pounds, so I can haul any size camper. I also added the camper package and the power trailer tow mirrors. This increased the dealer invoice price of the truck by about $1,500 to just over $30,000.
I found out that the truck came standard with the 3.73, but not in the limited slip. The limited slip is going to be essential in Alaska with the duallys, whether driving on back streets with heavy snow or driving down that muddy road to the river. The potential to get stuck is too great to risk not having the limited slip. The sacrifice is that I had to go with the 4.30, which will probably cost me 1-2 mpg and will lower my top end speeds. Then again, it's not like you're speeding along in excess of 70 on too many of the roads in Alaska. The advantage of the 4.30 is that it will increase my combined vehicle weight to about 20,000, I believe. That will ensure that weight won't be a factor when I eventually get a boat to tow.
I have no idea how much this will further delay my order. I may get moved to the back of the line again. I've also heard that duallys with the Lariat package have taken the longest to get. The saga continues.....
Are you saying that you can not get the 3.73 with the dually? 2wd or 4wd? I guess when I order mine I will have to go with an open diff., then install a air locker or something. The 4.10 and the 4.30 would be way to low a gear for my needs at the moment. The only way I could go with those ratios would be to order a F-450 or F-550, then install a two-speed axle. That would be great 6sp and 2sp, cool, then a aux. overdrive, boy I am going to be shifting a lot.
I would have preferred the 3.73, but I'm warming up to the 4.30. It won't be noticable on the Alaskan roads since there are few places you will be able travel at high rates of speed. I certainly shouldn't have any problems climbing through any of the mountain passes with a load. The biggest noticable difference will probably be the mpg when empty. On the other hand, when I've got a load, I might actually do a little better in that category.
I have to admit that I was a little surprised to find out that a SRW F-350 was not capable of carrying any truck camper out there and remain within the acceptable GVWR. Obviously,a lot of people do it anyway.
Do you think that Ford might intentionally lower the F-350 SWR GVWR so people might not be inclined to make an ambulance out of it? Or maybe to reduce possible law suits from rollovers (ie. tall campe on single wheels is less stable) by inexperienced drivers?
Just thinking,
Ryan
I have the 4.10 Limited Slip Axle on my order sheet, Option # XF2 I intend to pull a 5th wheel Travel Trailer home and wanted the limited slip for being back in icy road country. I can relate to the need for pulling a boat. I will have to pull mine back to Homer after I get a slip in the Small boat harbour after I am back up there. I can say with confidence that "Caveman" is a good brand of slide in camper. I know two guys up north that have owned them for years.
My dad pulls a 35 foot fifth wheeler with his 97 F-350 Powerstroke and feels the 4.10 is essential for that type of load. He's put over 30,000 miles on his truck already, most of it with a trailer in tow. He says that he loses a little gas mileage and top end speed with the 4.10 when driving empty, but he likely gets better gas mileage with a load, because the truck isn't working as hard with the load as a truck that has the taller gear.
Unfortunately my dad has a 2WD, because Ford wasn't making the dually with 4wd at that time. He lives in Eagle River, but parks the truck in Ohio during the winter. As you know, a 2WD pickup is pretty worthless in the winter in Alaska. It's even worse with a dually. There is no way I would have changed to a dually if I could not get 4WD. I'm glad Ford decided to offer the 4WD dually with the new SuperDuty trucks.
Airwolf,
I think you're exactly right about Ford setting the limits for liability purposes. I'm not sure the ambulance application applies, because they specifically say that the truck is not to be used for that purpose. However, the center of gravity issue becomes more important as the weight increases, so I suspect Ford identified their GVWR with that in mind. I also think it has something to do with the warranty. I suspect that alot of pickups with campers are over the GVWR, so I'm sure the trucks can handle more than the GVWRs identified by Ford.
For me personally, the duallys seemed to make sense since they offered it in 4wd. I started thinking about all of the dirt roads I use to get to my fishing places in Alaska. They are muddy, but none are too narrow that I couldn't get in with my dually. Plus, anywhere you can get your truck camper into, you can get a dually into. The big advantage of the dually will be on the highway with the camper on. The ride quality and stability should be a lot better than a SWR.
I have to admit that I was a little surprised to
find out that a SRW F-350 was not capable of
carrying any truck camper out there and remain
within the acceptable GVWR. Obviously,a lot of
people do it anyway.
To find out what size load you can carry call you local Ford dealer and ask him to pull the invoice for a truck that is out fitted close to what you want. Some where on the invoice will be the curb weight of the truck. This is just the weight of the truck as shipped from the factory. Take this weight and subtract it from 9,900 (for a F350, or 8,800 for a F250). This is how much weight the truck can carry and still be under the GVW. I asked my dealer to do this before I order my truck and we came up with 3100lbs. This was for a F250 4x4 extend cab V10, auto and power stuff package (607).
If your dealer doesn't want to pull the invoice he should also have a work book that lists every option that is available. You can then go though this and get an idea of how much your truck will weigh.
This was the way that I was told to find out what the cargo cap. of these trucks are, if I am wrong please correct me.
As for light weight campers check out Lance they have some that are around 1800-2600lbs.
Joe
Joe
The payload capacities for the 98/99 Ford trucks is on the web at:
www.fordvehicles.com/worktrucks/sup_weight1.html
It identifies the remaining payload capacity for the vehicle you mention as 3,165 for a short bed and 3,075 for a long bed, so the numbers match the info you got from the dealer. Remember that the 3,100 pounds is not the size camper you can tow. The 3,100 pounds includes the weight of you and your passengers, all your gear, your gas and the contents of the tanks in your trailer.
My point was that it just never occurred to me that a one ton didn't have the capacity to haul any size truck camper. I figured a one ton without duallys could handle just about anything. I hadn't done any research. Once I started doing research, I learned different. By changing my order from SRW to DRW, I increased my available payload from 4,165 to 5,300. Now I can carry any size camper.
1) The reason I got the Ram when I did is exactly what you ahad said a couple of posts up - Ford didn't make a 4x4 dually until now, and a conversion (Centurion, etc.) was $5000.
2) Don't forget those payload ratings on the Ford page are for base engine and transmission with XL trim. A Powerstroke drops that payload big time, as does the upper trim levels with all the extra insulation and creature comforts. My Ram's payload just from the engine is reduced 500 pounds compared to the same truck with the 360 V8.
Like I said, I didn't do my homework. I always planned to put a camper in the bed. That is why moved up to the 1 ton from the 3/4 ton I have now. I guess I figured that since I had seen the 3/4 and 1 tons towing those big fifth wheels, I figured a truck camper would be a piece of cake. Of course, the reality is that I was comparing apples to oranges.
The figure that mattered for my intended use was GVWR. Trailer towing is dependent on tow capacity. Duallys inrease max payload (GVWR), but don't increase tow capacity. If I've got a heavy camper on the truck, I can still tow a heavy trailer as long as I don't exceed the GCWR. That won't be a problem for what I plan to tow.
I would have managed with the SRW I had originally ordered. I just would have ended up with a lighter camper. In some respects, the SRW would have been preferred. I'll be interested to see how well the duallys do in snow and mud when the truck is empty. I suspect it will do just fine with the 4WD, limited slip and A/T tires. Regardless, my real use for the truck is for camping, fishing and winter sports. Getting the toys through the mountain passes and to the river is why I need the big truck. The duallys make sense for those purposes.
River Ford in Needles, CA. I live in Vegas so it'll take a couple of hours driving to get it. No one in Vegas wants to deal. The drive is well worth it!
Day 187 Mroffshore is no longer being held hostage!!!!! Exactly 6 weeks and 3 days on the reorder it came in Wed. f250 lariat cc, long bed, auto desiel. To sum it up awsommmmmmmmmmme! It is everything I expected and more. I feel like I'm in a tank that handles like a well engineered truck! Hunter green is a nice color and a good choice. It looks like a dark teal. All the options came in as ordered. Only one disappointing situation. I ordered the trailer tow pkg. not realizing when I reordered the truck that does not mean a hitch. Someone dropped the ball on the hitch. I pointed out to the dealer that the first truck had the hitch and my second truck did not. There was nothing they could do because technically I did not pay for the hitch. I did tell my dealer I wanted the hitch months ago, I guess they forgot to add it on the reorder. Now I have to take it to a camper store and pay much more for the hitch bracket. I guess you would call it a class 4 hitch. I was not happy about that.
I will say this, these trucks are awsome, and I would not own any other! I also had the spray in liner done today and it looks great. Man does this truck turn some heads, everyone loves it!
I can't thank Brutus, professor Rich, rite3, pworange,kcram and anyone else with input, for all your help, sincere suggestions and info! You guys helped me get through the long weeks and also built my knowledge and understanding of the desiel and the new truck line tremendously.
Any suggestions on the tow hitch? Towing small boats and trailers from time to time and may need to move a Ford tractor front loader with a brush hog that rides on a 6 wheel flat bed. I would like to get something installed next week. One placed recommended a 10,000 to 14,000 with the weight distributer ect. Priced at $370 installed and about $240 for the next size down which was rated 6 or 8,000 lbs. I can't remember exactly I'll check again on Monday. Thanks again!
Mroffshore