You may want to take the time and click on the 'see all responses' button and read this whole forum. Basically it sounds like your dealer must not have any type of allotment for this truck. Even with no allotment, I would have thought you'd have a truck in 5 or 6 months.. You may want to start checking with other dealers in your area..
...There is a WHOLE topic in regards to whether or not to invest in a "posi", "limited-slip" option within this truck catagory. I do not remember the number, but I belive it is on page two of the catagories listed. Neverless, let me see if I can throw in my .49-cents worth. A 4x4 vehicle is in reality a two wheel drive vehicle when things get really sloppy. Think back to a car and how easy the ONE tire spins when on ice, snow, or in mud. With a limited slip differential, a series of clutches(depending on model) transfer the energy from the spinning tire to the one with traction. This helps "pull" you out of whatever you are in. A 4x4 operates on the same principle with "open" diffs', with the exception that it has another driveshaft to turn the front differntial. However, the same theory applies to the front differential as well. Before my F250SD, I had a 4x4 ranger. When I bought the truck, it had an open differential. In the winter time, I had to constantly keep it in 4x4 mode because the truck was helpless without it. Even with wieght in the truck, the one tire would spin. That next summer, I had an aftermarket AUBURN Limited Slip installed. The next winter, with this addition, it cut the time I needed 4x4 mode in 1/2!! The reason was I had 2-tires in back that were seeking traction, rather than just the one. With some firewood thrown in back, the right tires(whole-nother discussion) my little ranger went places the bigger trucks got stuck in. Time4family does bring up a good point about the usefullness of a limited slip on boat ramps, and the decreased mileage. But hey, WE didn't buy the trucks with the expectation of getting 30-mpg either!! I have done some checking with people that specialize in differetial accessories, I have been told that the ford SD uses one of two axles in the production, one is a 10.5-axle, the other I believe is a DANA 60. Either way, the limited slip units they install within these are VERY strong and durable. The limited slip does have its limitations though, for example if one tire is off the ground it may require some braking to "engage" the unit more effectively. Of course the ultimate in traction devices is the DETROIT LOCKER. The LOCKER delivers power to both wheels regardless of whether one is off the ground. Of course, for our application, it is $525.00...excluding installation costs. In conclusion, my personal opinion is that every 4x4 truck should come standard with a limited slip differential. Only vehicles like the new Jeep Grand Cherokee have an automatic system that locks the differentials for a "true" 4x4 vehicle. It could make the difference in some situations whether you keep going or call the local wrecker service to tug you out. Does that help answer some questions????
My F250 Super Duty CC Lariat V-10 5sp 4x2 arrived at the dealership this morning! Yeeehaaaww!! Ordered Aug. 28, built Nov. 5, delivered Nov. 11 in Michigan. Excellent and lucky delivery time! VOPC message has changed twice for me this week. Once on Tue. and once this morning. (It said released to carrier, deliv. 11/20 - SURPRISE!) So the VOPC is not stalled everywhere. Paull1 - My 250 SD 4x2 VIN 4th digit is "N" -so much for the 4x4 theory. It'll be interesting when we get this all figured out. There is a tremendous amount of information about dealer allotments in previous posts. It would be worth spending some time and reading back awhile. It is for real and finding out your dealers allotment will answer most of the waiting questions. To contact VOPC, you need #1. Dealer VOPC code #2. Order # DAHLND - It is clear that your dealer has no allotment. Ask to see their weekly allotment report. That'll shake their toupee's. It'll also prove what we're telling you about allotment. Go to Ford-Diesel.com, FAQ's, #2. The ordering process. It has everything you need to know about contacting VOPC. If your order is not serialized and clean and unscheduled, it will say so. Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to drive I go. I'll let you know what side of heaven I end up on and all of the gory details!
several have stated this previously but here it is again. you REALLY need to read ALL messages posted in this forum b4 posting as your specific subject has probably been "covered" previously (many of us are answering to subjects that have been previously posted a number of times). click "see all responses" at the top of this page to display them. if you can't cover them all in one "shot" just placemark where you left off (click on the box just left of the title for the specific message you want to "mark", then click the "Update Placemarks" button just above. next time in? display all responses, then click "Placemarks" (just below). a "list" of them that have been previously "set" will be displayed... then simply click on the one you want (it's a lot easier to do this than it is to explain it).
dahlnd... you may want to check dealers "outside" your area too. a 5 month wait is not only ridiculous, it's ludicrous. read all posts in this forum as there's several references to dealers with excellent allocation & prices.
I have been reading this forum since I ordered my Excursion Limited 4x4. I agree with you-get the limited slip if you can. Unfortunately, you can't get in the Excursion unless you also order the PSD.
The limited slip is avail on the Excursion V-10 but only in 4.3 axle ratio. I don't do enough towing to justify that axle. Does anyone know how much worse the gas mileage is supposed to be on the F-250 SD 4x4, v-10 with the 4.3 as opposed to the 3.73 axle? I don't understand why Ford doesn't offer the LS in a 3.73.
The limited slip is avail on the Excursion V-10 but only in 4.3 axle ratio. I don't do enough towing to justify that axle. Does anyone know how much worse the gas mileage is supposed to be on the F-250 SD 4x4, v-10 with the 4.3 as opposed to the 3.73 axle? I don't understand why Ford doesn't offer the LS in a 3.73.
My dad is thinking about getting a 2000 f-250 V10 Lariat Creb cab short bed. (I hope he gets the silver one) Anyway he likes them but thinks its plenty "big" although it still fits in the garage(barely). How can I convince him to get one. Once I drove it I loved it
Does anyone here know the size of the front and rear speakers on the SD CrewCab? Is it 5x7 or 6x8? I tried calling Ford, but customer service people don't have a clue. I tried calling a local dealer, and one of them told me to ask the sales people. Yeah right!
I would recommend calling the manufacturer of the stereo and asking them. You should have that info in the stuff that came with the owner's manual. If I'm not mistaken, the stereo is like the tires in the respect that they are not warrantied by Ford, but by the manufacturer of the equipment.
I suspect many of us are still curious as to your extreme disappointment with your truck purchase. Obviously, you're not happy with the stereo, but how is it doing as far as what you really bought such a big truck to do? What advantage did you see with the Dodge over the Ford?
Just a quick comment about the tow ratings mentioned many posts ago. I've got the 99 tow ratings (not the 2000 that were quoted). I come up with a 13,500 tow rating for the F-250 4x4 CC V-10 with the 4.30 and auto trans, compared to the 13,400 quoted, so the numbers are close. However, it appeared that you were also saying the same truck with a regular cab had the same tow rating. When you order the crew cab, the tow rating drops by 600 pounds. A regular cab F-250 4x4 4.30 auto has a tow rating of 14,100. The 4wd takes away 500 pounds. The 2wd F-250 regular cab V-10 4.3 auto trans has a tow rating of 14,600 (for 1999), which is the highest rating for the Superduty (F-250 or F-350).
Every option you add to the truck reduces the tow rating. The dually has a 300 pound lower rating than the SRW, although if you're towing a heavy 5th wheel, most people will tell you the dually will provide a more stable ride. Remember that the tow ratings we are talking about are for 5th wheel towing. Ford does not rate any of the F-250/F-350 Superduty trucks over 10,000 pounds for conventional towing. All tow ratings over 10,000 pounds are for 5th wheels. Dodge is the same way. It's in the fine print on their website with the tow ratings.
Another thing to remember is that you will never be able to tow a trailer that weighs the max tow rating without exceeding the GCWR. The highest GCWR is the 20,000 pounds. If the truck weighs 6,400 pounds and you have the truck with the highest trailer rating of 14,600, you would be 1,000 pounds over the GCWR before you ever loaded you, your gear and passengers if you towed a trailer that heavy.
When I initially ordered my truck last year, I ordered a F-350 SRW with 3.73 limited slip. When I changed the order to the dually, there was no 3.73 option with l/s. I had to order the 4.30 to get the l/s. I'm glad I did, but I haul a heavy load pretty regularly. The 4.30 will cost you 1-2mpg with the V-10.
I ran in 4wd for a tank and lost about 1mpg. Some of that (maybe half) has to do with my winter time habit of starting the truck about 10 minutes before I leave for work so I can get it warm and don't have to scrape the windows. I don't garage my truck. Winter is definitely here. Lows last night were around zero. Clouds are rolling in, and it is expected to warm up to the tropical mid-20s. I'm hoping for some more snow to play in. Northern Lights were out nice Monday morning.
Right now...with 500 miles on my V-10 4x4 3:73 LS Auto, I am getting about 9-10 mpg in town. I do have a pretty heavy foot. This tank has been strictly in town mileage, I think the thing that hurts me is the fact it is 2-miles to work, 1-mile to school, then 2-miles back home. Probably takes more gas to start the truck than to drive to work. I have been hearing maybe 1-2 mpg difference between the two axle ratios, but major part is your driving habits, auto vs stick, in town/highway, etc... I do have Borla exhaust, Jet performance chip, and K&N filter added on my monster, not sure if it has affected mileage or not. I had most of the goodies installed within the first tank of gas. I am kind of suprised they do not offer a 3:73 LS with the excursion, beings they are almost identical to the SD underneath. You can always have an aftermarket LS put into the 3:73, generally run around $345.00 for a Traction-Lok unit. Installation costs will be about $200-$300. Much cheaper to get from factory if you can. 4:30 not a bad ratio though considering the "TON-age" you are hauling around. Gthilton, congratulations on the new addition!! Do we have the "baby-room" all ready for delivery??? What part of Michigan will the new baby roam? We have family near Grand Rapids...
I saw an article in the Washington Post this past weekend on the Excursion. It stated that 25,000 would be built and 40,000 desired (if they built them). So, that will account for a bunch of the V10s being built but I would think they will have plenty for the rest of us with our SDs. If the Kentucky Ford Plant produces ~1260 trucks/day (per the "Birth of T-Red" article from the Ford-Diesel site; one every 57 seconds, 63 per hour, 20 hours/day), then the Excursions would need about 3-4 weeks of production time if they would do it all at once. We know they're not doing that so they will be cranking out some for us as well. The Excursion is hot but it's not the only hot item Ford has. I'm not sure how many days per week the plant operates. The T-Red article also stated Ford was hoping to produce about 290,000 in 1999. Does anyone know what the overall Ford allocation/product mix is with respect to engine choice (V8, V10, PSD)?
Ordered 10/30, dealer placed order 11/2, DORA rcvd that day (i.e., Vehicle Order Confirmation), status is clean and unscheduled, not serialized. F350 CC LWB SRW V10 Auto 4X4.
All the numbers I gave back in #516/#517 were for Crew Cabs, except the one example of the PSD with the 4.10 ratio which was a standard cab....one interesting thing is that the V10/auto/3.73 number is 10,400 lbs. vs. V10/manual/3.73 at 10,000 lbs (both 5th wheel towing figures for Crew cab 4x4). But the V10/auto/4.30 is 13,400 while the V10/manual/4.30 is 13,500 lbs (the auto has bigger numbers with the 3.73 but not the 4.30). Why is that?
Well....Gator Ford did pay off my trade in...so everything is A-OK there....now on the new loan...STILL DON"T have the new loan papers that they were supposed to mail me over a week ago. Mike was sending them overnight delivery. Hey...they can take all the time they want...maybe they will forget....probably not....well...no probably about it...I'm sure they will get to me in time. But can you believe this guy Mike....seems to me they would want to get payed for the truck they sold me. It has been almost a month (Oct. 15) since I picked it up. Like I said...at least they payed my trade off!!! So warning lewac...everything else is OK...but Mike is an idiot!!!!! But an idiot in my favor!!!
Judging from the previous postings, it appears that the gas mileage for the V-10 vs the V-8 are relatively close, +/- 2-3 mpg overall. I get the impression that the V-10 may suck up a little more gas in town though. Since I am on perpetual hold at the moment, I am considering going to the V-10. I won't be doing a lot of long distance hauling, just local stuff from time to time, but for the additional $500 it might be worth while having it. Any comments?
Also, anyone been hearing more on Ford holding back V-10's on the Supercab until 2000?
gossamar - thanks for the reply. I don't know why it didn't occur to me to ask before. Anyway I guess I'll be looking at after market options if I need to since my truck has been built and left the plant.
Others - if you are checking status at the VOPC and not through your dealer you may want to try the dealer again. The VOPC computer still says my vehicle is scheduled to be built week of 11/8 and scheduled to arrive week of 11/29. However, I just spoke with my dealer and he said my truck has been built and has left the plant. He doesn't know if its on a rail car yet but he will get another update Tuesday (11/16) afternoon. His report still shows arrival the week of 11/22, which is what the VOPC said up until last weekend.
Who knows...
BTW, I checked both with VIN and order/body/year info. Both methods report the same status.
I think the difference between the V-10 and V-8 are more like 1-2mpg. These trucks are heavy (over 6,000 pounds). My dually 4x4 1 ton weighs over 7,000. The extra power of the V-10 is nice to have. Theoretically, it should last longer since it won't have to work as hard to push the weight around during it's lifetime.
zrust,
The manual tranny ratings aren't listed in my manual (I'm using Trailer Life's 1999 tow ratings book). I'm not sure why the 4.30 auto is rated lower than the manual. One thing to keep in mind is that the manual tranny is more than capable of towing the same load as the auto trans. Ford puts the limit lower because they feel that some of the people who tow heavy may not be that experienced with the clutch and heavy loads so there is a greater chance they will abuse the clutch and wear it out quicker.
Gossamar, I live in Portland, a small town midway between Lansing and Grand Rapids right off the interstate. So I'm within a stone's throw of your family in G.R.
Brutus, others - Ford didn't put their tow ratings in the Super Duty brouchures this year like they did in the '99. Your dealer has a separate guide, "Ford 2000 RV & Trailer Towing Guide" that has this years information.
I have 35 miles on my truck today, but I turned off the mileage computer on my console (Lariat) as when I picked it up with 9 miles it was reading 4.5 mpg. I figured I'd be watching it too closely for no reason. I've heard mileage really gets better and settles in around 5-6000 miles. I have a buddy has a '99 SD V-10 SC and running empty back and forth to jobs (contractor) he's averaging about 16. I'd be ecstatic if I averaged that!
My truck is beautiful. We found one paint flaw on the side of the box. Pretty large grain of something under the paint. We'll see how they'll fix it. What should I expect for remedy? ( I know I won't accept clear nail polish for my 30K! You know, women have nail polish, men have duct tape! and they both have their place, just not on my truck!)
Had my ARE cap put on today. What a beautiful look.
Some time ago there was a post about tracking your truck on the railroad journey. VOPC says that's where my truck is. I go to the mentioned sight, they ask for the last 8 Vin #'s, I enter, they say nothing found. I'm confused. A little help please.
ghilton, you can start looking at the mpg on the computer on the second tank. If you really want to look at it now, just click it to km/ltr. I keep mine on the temp half the time.
They will probably remedy the paint issue with some kind of rubbing compound. Unless it's something really large, they likely won't need paint.
This afternoon, I used about 20% power from a dead stop and had the duallys spinning and fishtailing as I accelerated. Did I mention that there was ice on the road? Actually, I can break traction with the duallys and the auto trans on pavement, but I don't do it very often.
Crazyelvis... we're not having the "pleasure" of dealing with Mike so we're probably not going to get any "free" time. unreal. truck's about a month away from our hands the way we see it. ordered 9/30 so that's about in there with the averages (a little slower than yours, though). haven't seen our config around town but one very similar ('99 with a long bed) parked right next to us in a parking lot (you don't "parallel" park these babies). took up TWO parking spaces. hey. these are BIG "badass" trucks!
Chrispal... wonder if they "found" another truck with your config. I'd cross check the VIN on it right off as soon as you see it & verify the config against your order if the VIN's are a no match. good idea to check the config anyhow, I suppose.
00/F250/CC/Lariet/V10/LB/4X4/4.30LS ordered on 10/15 at Garnsey and Wheeler, Greeley, CO. Went to "build date of 12/6" as of today (11/13). Looks like their allocations are fine. Went to "serialized awaiting schedule" yesterday. I assume I'll beat the December 2 week production shutdown, right (unless other things get in the way)?
I just called the vopc and found out my creation was born two days ago! Delivery date is for week of 11-29. I just hope it doesn't get held up in the rail yards. I would go crazy knowing it was ready for delivery and being held up because of a overload at the rail yard. Is that how crazyelvis became crazy? Might have to change my name to crazyjohn if that happens, we'll see in about 2 to 3 weeks. later. John
I've read messages in this and other sites, and this is still unclear to me: Does the limited slip differential have any affect on how the truck performs while in 4 wheel drive?
I've read messages in this and other sites, and this is still unclear to me: Does the limited slip differential have any affect on how the truck performs while in 4 wheel drive?
Yes, the LS diff does make a difference even when in 4wd mode..
Normal diff 4x4= Only 1 front wheel will get power at a given time, and only 1 rear will get power at a given time.. The wheel that will get the power will also be that with the least traction.. (Sounds stupid, but its true). One example is if you've got both right side tires in a ditch.. Sometimes even with 4x4, your still stuck.
LS diff 4x4= Usually only the rear has the LS diff so the result is: Only 1 front wheel gets power at a given time, but BOTH rear wheels will get some torque applied. Its not a 'solid' lock, so both rears will not get the same amount of torque applied to them, but they both will pull for you.. (The one with the least traction gets the most torque) So, in the 'ditch' case above, the rear wheel thats on solid ground is really helpin ya out.
With the engine in the front, 4x4 is helping you even though only 1 front wheel is pulling for you. Look how good most front wheel drive cars in the snow.. Also, that front wheel pulling for you allows the truck to turn when it gets slick..
In the rear, it really helps to have both rear wheels going, thus to get the most out your 4x4, get the LS diff.
Personally, I have no need for 4wd, so I opted for a 4x2, with LS diff.
Was ready to purchase a F350 sc 4x4 158" wheelbase longbed Lariat V10 quite loaded had 3 potential dealers all prices within my liking first dealer upfront says 6 month wait, second dealer says less but long - he only sells trucks -third dealer will sell at invoice but will not give a DORA says no one will - want to buy but disheartened - what do you guys know about the Midwest - where is the dealer that deals and gives the DORA in the Midwest - contacted the dealer in Eureka but he never returned the message
lewac, thanks for the tip. I'll be sure to check the VIN before I sign the paperwork.
I think every thing is ok, though. I just checked the VOPC and they __finally__ updated status "as of Nov 11, your vehicle has left the plant" which is what my dealer told me on Friday. Of course they say estimated week of delivery is 11/29, not 11/22 as the dealer said. It looks like for some reason, the automated VOPC status system wasn't updated all last week.
jraske - looks like our trucks hatched on the same day - hopefully it was a good day at the plant!
The truck was 'released from the plant' on 10/29 to be delivered by convoy carrier (I think this means transport by truck). As of 11/3 (10 days ago) the truck as been 'on the ramp'
Question: Is there a message to indicate when its on the truck/in transport? Is there a message to indicate when its at the dealer site?
Overall, I can't complain yet. I placed the order on 10/8 with a DORA on 10/9, so it was built quickly.
looks like you're going to have to do some traveling to locate good allocation at a good price. btw.. what good is an invoice deal if no DORA? you may want to think about "forgetting" that dealer. not familiar that area of country because we found good allocation/price 250 miles away. a bit of a haul, but not nearly as much as we've done in the past (1,500 miles). lastly, if the searching is disappointing it probably wouldn't be nearly as much so if you opt for another brand as you'll probably always be "kicking yourself" for what "should" have been.
Any dealer should be able to give you a DORA. This is not any type of secret document. You simply are asking for the offical ford order # for a vehicle you ordered.. My guess is that it was just an incompentent salesman you spoke with who said that..
The dealer I went with said it would be at least 12 weeks or so, (he was being very conservative because they don't want to commit to something that they cant deliver). They assured me they had good allotments, and I was convinced of that becaues in my previous months of researching local dealers, I saw that they had a large number of SD's on the lot, with varying configurations, (5.4, V10, PSD, Lariat, CC, SC ..) and those were turning over. He, the salesman, was still VERY SUPRISED that it got built in less than 4 weeks after ordering , but im still waiting for final transport to the dealer.
I think your 2nd dealer choice (truck dealer) sounded promising, how long is 'less but long'?
I was fully prepared to wait 3 months for my truck as it seems like this was an average wait compared to many others..
Also, with the holiday season comming, I would expect a few weeks may get tacked on to that..
From all I've heard, seen and experienced, there are really no competitors for the SuperDuty. Dodge/Chevy/GMC just don't have an equal, especially against a loaded lariat package with V10. So, do you have to have a new truck before March 2000? If so, then contine the search. But seems reasonable that if you order any truck now, you wont get it until middle/late january at the earliest. Another option would be try to find something on the lot. May have to be a PSD as most of the dealers around here seem to have those on the lot.. But the odds of finding 'exactly' what you want is low.
Just dialed in the VOPC for status and got "We are unable to process an automated prior approval". I hope it's just because it's early Sunday morning. Anyone else getting this message??
Yes there are other messages (see ford-diesel.com FAQ #2 for a full breakdown), but who knows if you will hear them before you see your truck. My message has been stuck all week also, and I have the added confusion that mine flip-flopped from "on the ramp" to "shipped via rail carrier" (both as of 11/7). This makes me believe someone entered the data wrong and had to change it. Add this to the message I got this AM and who knows... I am still happy that this whole process will only take 9-10 weeks (I hope) to delivery for a SC Lariat V10. My DORA was processed on 9/20 and I still have a delivery date of 11/21. My guess is that your truck and mine are sitting waiting their turn for the final leg via transport carrier to the dealer. And today's my birthday... One can hope.
Tomorrow I will call the only trucks only dealer that I contacted in Wisconsin and ask about the DORA - his price is within my range - what happens if he too cannot give me the DORA ? If I sign a deal with him will I eventually get my truck? I assume a written signed contract with a Ford dealer in business a long time is a legal document. Is my only consequence a 6 to 8 month wait or can I lose the deal? If I am not concerned with the wait, then does this situation also apply to other dealers who have given me even a better price. I know we all live in America where we expect a fast pace, but is there any other consequence beside waiting to sign a deal with an authorized Ford dealer for a specific price and not get the DORA- I do not want a diesel and I do not think GMC or RAM trucks are unacceptable but I don't want to wait 6 to 8 months and then be told the deal is off - is that my potential consequence? Could use an immediate response from somebody knowledgeable - what do I lose without a produced DORA by a dealer if I put money down and sign a deal?
Tom18... jeez! we're all trying to help you here. have you read ANY of the past posts in this forum? there's several references to dealers with good allocation/price. and on the DORA issue I'm going to refer you to post #18 of this forum which Bess was kind enough to bring forward from the prior forum (#588 of SD cont'd). this original post was done by Dave84 of which even more information is available from the faq at ford-diesel.com. Dave84 took excerpts from there & added some very beneficial thoughts of his own. in essence: NO DORA info? NO DEAL! here's the point: if a dealer doesn't give you the information you request; would you REALLY want to "trust" this dealer for any future business dealings beyond that? we're not dealing with nickels, dimes, here. these are big buck trucks that DESERVE some customer support & respect from these salespeople. there are plenty of dealers out there that will be "square" with you and as aforementioned, at least some of them have been mentioned in this (& archived) forums. perhaps that one dealer with "less" wait will suffice. but how much "less" would you be willing to "live with"? for us, 13 weeks is the MAXIMUM for ANY configuration. why? because there's many dealerships throughout this country that will guarantee a delivery within that time frame & with a good price. hell, where we purchased our truck (Gator Ford) is just one. they will absolutely guarantee a < 3 month wait at $500 over invoice for ANY configuration.
Paull1... we're getting "bad" messages from the VOPC too. looks like the server is "busted". got "clean & unscheduled" on our truck (which is actually "locked in" for build week 11/22). tried again using chassis/order # & got same message as you. as mentioned, the thing is obviously broke. check tomorrow eve as they've gotten it fixed in the past fairly quickly. it worked earlier in the week for us but admittedly we only check it on occasion.
I have picked up some excellent information on this board which has helped me in selecting my vehicle. I just ordered a F-350 cc drw 4x4 lwb psd 4 sp auto. My wife and I are going full time RV'N. I have never owned a truck before and I sure never owned any vehicle that cost 4 times the amount I paid for my first house. I plan on getting the extended warranty (longest term/ most miles) and would appreciate any input on your experiences in pricing/features that you may be familiar with. Thanks to all for your assistance.
I have picked up some excellent information on this board which has helped me in selecting my vehicle. I just ordered a F-350 cc drw 4x4 lwb psd 4 sp auto. My wife and I are going full time RV'N. I have never owned a truck before and I sure never owned any vehicle that cost 4 times the amount I paid for my first house. I plan on getting the extended warranty (longest term/ most miles) and would appreciate any input on your experiences in pricing/features that you may be familiar with. Thanks to all for your assistance.
I have picked up some excellent information on this board which has helped me in selecting my vehicle. I just ordered a F-350 cc drw 4x4 lwb psd 4 sp auto. My wife and I are going full time RV'N. I have never owned a truck before and I sure never owned any vehicle that cost 4 times the amount I paid for my first house. I plan on getting the extended warranty (longest term/ most miles) and would appreciate any input on your experiences in pricing/features that you may be familiar with. Thanks to all for your assistance.
Immaculate 1999 Super Duty F-350, Lariat, 4x4, PSD, crewcab, Single Wheel Drive, Long box, 3.73 limited slip, automatic transmission, PTO, power trailer tow mirrors, full size spare, privacy glass, rear sliding window, luxury leather captains chairs with driver and passenger lumbar support , premium am/fm stereo cassette, CD player, premium sound system, 4 wheel anti lock brakes, electronic shift on the fly 4x4, engine block heater, roof clearance lights, daytime running lights, class 4 hitch, trailer tow package and the 4x4 off road package. This baby is the Rolls Royce of trucks with a MSRP of about $40,000! and the envy of the neighborhood. I factory ordered this beautiful truck and its never been smoked in and I'm its only driver.I have been getting between 20-22 MPG while highway driving and 16 MPG in the city The only reason I am selling my truck is that I trade up every year and its been one year ( It only seems like yesterday my truck arrived from the long stressful wait while it was being built). All maintenance has been done at Freedom Ford here in town including oil changes, tire rotation and fuel filters. Please feel free to email me with any questions you may have. flambert@telusplanet.net asking $32,725
For several weeks my message @ VOPC has been -- "as of Nov.12 your vehicle has a build date,-- week of Nov.8 and delivery date,--week of Dec.6". Should I expect an updated message next week, Nov.15----???????? I would also like to track my vehicle once it is turned over to the rail system. What were the instructions for getting that accomplished??? Please, would someone be so kind as to re-post that information. As always, thanks to everyone for their help and advise. SHOTGUN1: Just a question--- are you decoding your last 8 digits of the VIN NO. properly?? ie. 8 digits suddenly turn into 11 digits when done right on the VOPC system. I'm assuming the same procedure is in effect on the rail tracking system.
Comments
You may want to start checking with other dealers in your area..
Before my F250SD, I had a 4x4 ranger. When I bought the truck, it had an open differential. In the winter time, I had to constantly keep it in 4x4 mode because the truck was helpless without it. Even with wieght in the truck, the one tire would spin. That next summer, I had an aftermarket AUBURN Limited Slip installed. The next winter, with this addition, it cut the time I needed 4x4 mode in 1/2!! The reason was I had 2-tires in back that were seeking traction, rather than just the one. With some firewood thrown in back, the right tires(whole-nother discussion) my little ranger went places the bigger trucks got stuck in.
Time4family does bring up a good point about the usefullness of a limited slip on boat ramps, and the decreased mileage. But hey, WE didn't buy the trucks with the expectation of getting 30-mpg either!!
I have done some checking with people that specialize in differetial accessories, I have been told that the ford SD uses one of two axles in the production, one is a 10.5-axle, the other I
believe is a DANA 60. Either way, the limited slip units they install within these are VERY strong and durable. The limited slip does have its limitations though, for example if one tire is off the ground it may require some braking to "engage" the unit more effectively. Of course the ultimate in traction devices is the DETROIT LOCKER. The LOCKER delivers power to both wheels regardless of whether one is off the ground. Of course, for our application, it is $525.00...excluding installation costs.
In conclusion, my personal opinion is that every 4x4 truck should come standard with a limited slip differential. Only vehicles like the new Jeep Grand Cherokee have an automatic system that locks the differentials for a "true" 4x4 vehicle. It could make the difference in some situations whether you keep going or call the local wrecker service to tug you out. Does that help answer some questions????
VOPC message has changed twice for me this week. Once on Tue. and once this morning. (It said released to carrier, deliv. 11/20 - SURPRISE!) So the VOPC is not stalled everywhere.
Paull1 - My 250 SD 4x2 VIN 4th digit is "N" -so much for the 4x4 theory. It'll be interesting when we get this all figured out.
There is a tremendous amount of information about dealer allotments in previous posts. It would be worth spending some time and reading back awhile. It is for real and finding out your dealers allotment will answer most of the waiting questions.
To contact VOPC, you need
#1. Dealer VOPC code
#2. Order #
DAHLND - It is clear that your dealer has no allotment. Ask to see their weekly allotment report. That'll shake their toupee's. It'll also prove what we're telling you about allotment.
Go to Ford-Diesel.com, FAQ's, #2. The ordering process. It has everything you need to know about contacting VOPC. If your order is not serialized and clean and unscheduled, it will say so.
Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to drive I go. I'll let you know what side of heaven I end up on and all of the gory details!
dahlnd... you may want to check dealers "outside" your area too. a 5 month wait is not only ridiculous, it's ludicrous. read all posts in this forum as there's several references to dealers with excellent allocation & prices.
Is it 5x7 or 6x8? I tried calling Ford, but customer service people don't have a clue. I tried calling a local dealer, and one of them told me to ask the sales people. Yeah right!
so..help?
I suspect many of us are still curious as to your extreme disappointment with your truck purchase. Obviously, you're not happy with the stereo, but how is it doing as far as what you really bought such a big truck to do? What advantage did you see with the Dodge over the Ford?
Just a quick comment about the tow ratings mentioned many posts ago. I've got the 99 tow ratings (not the 2000 that were quoted). I come up with a 13,500 tow rating for the F-250 4x4 CC V-10 with the 4.30 and auto trans, compared to the 13,400 quoted, so the numbers are close. However, it appeared that you were also saying the same truck with a regular cab had the same tow rating. When you order the crew cab, the tow rating drops by 600 pounds. A regular cab F-250 4x4 4.30 auto has a tow rating of 14,100. The 4wd takes away 500 pounds. The 2wd F-250 regular cab V-10 4.3 auto trans has a tow rating of 14,600 (for 1999), which is the highest rating for the Superduty (F-250 or F-350).
Every option you add to the truck reduces the tow rating. The dually has a 300 pound lower rating than the SRW, although if you're towing a heavy 5th wheel, most people will tell you the dually will provide a more stable ride. Remember that the tow ratings we are talking about are for 5th wheel towing. Ford does not rate any of the F-250/F-350 Superduty trucks over 10,000 pounds for conventional towing. All tow ratings over 10,000 pounds are for 5th wheels. Dodge is the same way. It's in the fine print on their website with the tow ratings.
Another thing to remember is that you will never be able to tow a trailer that weighs the max tow rating without exceeding the GCWR. The highest GCWR is the 20,000 pounds. If the truck weighs 6,400 pounds and you have the truck with the highest trailer rating of 14,600, you would be 1,000 pounds over the GCWR before you ever loaded you, your gear and passengers if you towed a trailer that heavy.
When I initially ordered my truck last year, I ordered a F-350 SRW with 3.73 limited slip. When I changed the order to the dually, there was no 3.73 option with l/s. I had to order the 4.30 to get the l/s. I'm glad I did, but I haul a heavy load pretty regularly. The 4.30 will cost you 1-2mpg with the V-10.
I ran in 4wd for a tank and lost about 1mpg. Some of that (maybe half) has to do with my winter time habit of starting the truck about 10 minutes before I leave for work so I can get it warm and don't have to scrape the windows. I don't garage my truck. Winter is definitely here. Lows last night were around zero. Clouds are rolling in, and it is expected to warm up to the tropical mid-20s. I'm hoping for some more snow to play in. Northern Lights were out nice Monday morning.
Gthilton, congratulations on the new addition!! Do we have the "baby-room" all ready for delivery??? What part of Michigan will the new baby roam? We have family near Grand Rapids...
Ordered 10/30, dealer placed order 11/2, DORA rcvd that day (i.e., Vehicle Order Confirmation), status is clean and unscheduled, not serialized. F350 CC LWB SRW V10 Auto 4X4.
Also, anyone been hearing more on Ford holding back V-10's on the Supercab until 2000?
Others - if you are checking status at the VOPC and not through your dealer you may want to try the dealer again. The VOPC computer still says my vehicle is scheduled to be built week of 11/8 and scheduled to arrive week of 11/29. However, I just spoke with my dealer and he said my truck has been built and has left the plant. He doesn't know if its on a rail car yet but he will get another update Tuesday (11/16) afternoon. His report still shows arrival the week of 11/22, which is what the VOPC said up until last weekend.
Who knows...
BTW, I checked both with VIN and order/body/year info. Both methods report the same status.
Thanks it may help to show this to my dealer.
I think the difference between the V-10 and V-8 are more like 1-2mpg. These trucks are heavy (over 6,000 pounds). My dually 4x4 1 ton weighs over 7,000. The extra power of the V-10 is nice to have. Theoretically, it should last longer since it won't have to work as hard to push the weight around during it's lifetime.
zrust,
The manual tranny ratings aren't listed in my manual (I'm using Trailer Life's 1999 tow ratings book). I'm not sure why the 4.30 auto is rated lower than the manual. One thing to keep in mind is that the manual tranny is more than capable of towing the same load as the auto trans. Ford puts the limit lower because they feel that some of the people who tow heavy may not be that experienced with the clutch and heavy loads so there is a greater chance they will abuse the clutch and wear it out quicker.
Brutus, others - Ford didn't put their tow ratings in the Super Duty brouchures this year like they did in the '99. Your dealer has a separate guide, "Ford 2000 RV & Trailer Towing Guide" that has this years information.
I have 35 miles on my truck today, but I turned off the mileage computer on my console (Lariat) as when I picked it up with 9 miles it was reading 4.5 mpg. I figured I'd be watching it too closely for no reason. I've heard mileage really gets better and settles in around 5-6000 miles. I have a buddy has a '99 SD V-10 SC and running empty back and forth to jobs (contractor) he's averaging about 16. I'd be ecstatic if I averaged that!
My truck is beautiful. We found one paint flaw on the side of the box. Pretty large grain of something under the paint. We'll see how they'll fix it. What should I expect for remedy? ( I know I won't accept clear nail polish for my 30K! You know, women have nail polish, men have duct tape! and they both have their place, just not on my truck!)
Had my ARE cap put on today. What a beautiful look.
They will probably remedy the paint issue with some kind of rubbing compound. Unless it's something really large, they likely won't need paint.
This afternoon, I used about 20% power from a dead stop and had the duallys spinning and fishtailing as I accelerated. Did I mention that there was ice on the road? Actually, I can break traction with the duallys and the auto trans on pavement, but I don't do it very often.
Holyfield or Lewis?
Shaq or Barkely?
Chrispal... wonder if they "found" another truck with your config. I'd cross check the VIN on it right off as soon as you see it & verify the config against your order if the VIN's are a no match. good idea to check the config anyhow, I suppose.
Delivery date is for week of 11-29. I just hope it doesn't get held up in the rail yards. I would go crazy knowing it was ready for delivery and being held up because of a overload at the rail yard.
Is that how crazyelvis became crazy?
Might have to change my name to crazyjohn if that happens, we'll see in about 2 to 3 weeks. later.
John
Normal diff 4x4= Only 1 front wheel will get power at a given time, and only 1 rear will get power at a given time.. The wheel that will get the power will also be that with the least traction.. (Sounds stupid, but its true).
One example is if you've got both right side tires in a ditch.. Sometimes even with 4x4, your still stuck.
LS diff 4x4= Usually only the rear has the LS diff so the result is:
Only 1 front wheel gets power at a given time, but BOTH rear wheels will get some torque applied. Its not a 'solid' lock, so both rears will not get the same amount of torque applied to them, but they both will pull for you.. (The one with the least traction gets the most torque)
So, in the 'ditch' case above, the rear wheel thats on solid ground is really helpin ya out.
With the engine in the front, 4x4 is helping you even though only 1 front wheel is pulling for you. Look how good most front wheel drive cars in the snow.. Also, that front wheel pulling for you allows the truck to turn when it gets slick..
In the rear, it really helps to have both rear wheels going, thus to get the most out your 4x4, get the LS diff.
Personally, I have no need for 4wd, so I opted for a 4x2, with LS diff.
I hope this helps.
I think every thing is ok, though. I just checked the VOPC and they __finally__ updated status "as of Nov 11, your vehicle has left the plant" which is what my dealer told me on Friday. Of course they say estimated week of delivery is 11/29, not 11/22 as the dealer said. It looks like for some reason, the automated VOPC status system wasn't updated all last week.
jraske - looks like our trucks hatched on the same day - hopefully it was a good day at the plant!
to be delivered by convoy carrier (I think this means transport by truck).
As of 11/3 (10 days ago) the truck as been 'on the ramp'
Question:
Is there a message to indicate when its on the truck/in transport?
Is there a message to indicate when its at the dealer site?
Overall, I can't complain yet. I placed the order on 10/8 with a DORA on 10/9, so it was built quickly.
The dealer I went with said it would be at least 12 weeks or so, (he was being very conservative because they don't want to commit to something that they cant deliver). They assured me they had good allotments, and I was convinced of that becaues in my previous months of researching local dealers, I saw that they had a large number of SD's on the lot, with varying configurations, (5.4, V10, PSD, Lariat, CC, SC ..) and those were turning over.
He, the salesman, was still VERY SUPRISED that it got built in less than 4 weeks after ordering , but im still waiting for final transport to the dealer.
I think your 2nd dealer choice (truck dealer) sounded promising, how long is 'less but long'?
I was fully prepared to wait 3 months for my truck as it seems like this was an average wait compared to many others..
Also, with the holiday season comming, I would expect a few weeks may get tacked on to that..
From all I've heard, seen and experienced, there are really no competitors for the SuperDuty. Dodge/Chevy/GMC just don't have an equal, especially against a loaded lariat package with V10. So, do you have to have a new truck before March 2000? If so, then contine the search. But seems reasonable that if you order any truck now, you wont get it until middle/late january at the earliest.
Another option would be try to find something on the lot. May have to be a PSD as most of the dealers around here seem to have those on the lot.. But the odds of finding 'exactly' what you want is low.
have you read ANY of the past posts in this forum? there's several references to dealers with good allocation/price. and on the DORA issue I'm going to refer you to post #18 of this forum which Bess was kind enough to bring forward from the prior forum (#588 of SD cont'd). this original post was done by Dave84 of which even more information is available from the faq at ford-diesel.com. Dave84 took excerpts from there & added some very beneficial thoughts of his own. in essence: NO DORA info? NO DEAL! here's the point: if a dealer doesn't give you the information you request; would you REALLY want to "trust" this dealer for any future business dealings beyond that? we're not dealing with nickels, dimes, here. these are big buck trucks that DESERVE some customer support & respect from these salespeople. there are plenty of dealers out there that will be "square" with you and as aforementioned, at least some of them have been mentioned in this (& archived) forums. perhaps that one dealer with "less" wait will suffice. but how much "less" would you be willing to "live with"? for us, 13 weeks is the MAXIMUM for ANY configuration. why? because there's many dealerships throughout this country that will guarantee a delivery within that time frame & with a good price. hell, where we purchased our truck (Gator Ford) is just one. they will absolutely guarantee a < 3 month wait at $500 over invoice for ANY configuration.
Paull1... we're getting "bad" messages from the VOPC too. looks like the server is "busted". got "clean & unscheduled" on our truck (which is actually "locked in" for build week 11/22). tried again using chassis/order # & got same message as you. as mentioned, the thing is obviously broke. check tomorrow eve as they've gotten it fixed in the past fairly quickly. it worked earlier in the week for us but admittedly we only check it on occasion.
Immaculate 1999 Super Duty F-350, Lariat, 4x4, PSD, crewcab,
Single Wheel Drive, Long box, 3.73 limited slip, automatic
transmission, PTO, power trailer tow mirrors, full size spare, privacy
glass, rear sliding window, luxury leather captains chairs with driver
and passenger lumbar support , premium am/fm stereo cassette,
CD player, premium sound system, 4 wheel anti lock brakes,
electronic shift on the fly 4x4, engine block heater, roof clearance
lights, daytime running lights, class 4 hitch, trailer tow package and
the 4x4 off road package. This baby is the Rolls Royce of trucks with
a MSRP of about $40,000! and the envy of the neighborhood. I factory
ordered this beautiful truck and its never been smoked in and I'm its
only driver.I have been getting between 20-22 MPG while highway driving
and 16 MPG in the city The only reason I am selling my truck is that I
trade up every year and its been one year ( It only seems like yesterday
my truck arrived from the long stressful wait while it was being built). All
maintenance has been done at Freedom Ford here in town including oil
changes, tire rotation and fuel filters. Please feel free to email me with
any questions you may have. flambert@telusplanet.net asking $32,725
I would also like to track my vehicle once it is turned over to the rail system. What were the instructions for getting that accomplished???
Please, would someone be so kind as to re-post that information.
As always, thanks to everyone for their help and advise.
SHOTGUN1: Just a question--- are you decoding your last 8 digits of the VIN NO. properly?? ie. 8 digits suddenly turn into 11 digits when done right on the VOPC system. I'm assuming the same procedure is in effect on the rail tracking system.