Currently own an 04 Expedition 4x4 w/ the 5.4 and TTow Package. My towing is listed below. I am going to buy a truck either a SuperCrew 5.4 4x4 or an F250 Diesel in the next 9 - 12 months. I am looking for opinions on which way to go, and why. I know the diesel would be my best bet, but I drive allot in traffic, in the DFW area. The manuverability of the 1/2 ton would be appreciated. We have purchased 500+ acres of land and several times per month spend time out there, working and playing. 4x4 is a must.

Every few weeks - Pull a 5000+ lb flatbed trailer/water tank about 30 miles.
Every month or two - Pull flatbed (12mpg) or enclosed cargo trailer (10 mpg) 400 - 500 miles.
Once a year or so - Pull our 28 foot travel trailer (7mpg) 400 - 500 miles. I use a Reese Dual Cam Distribution Hitch and Sway Control. We would like to be able to pull this trailer to the CO mountains once a year, but I am not willing to do this with the Expedition. It would probably run up the grades in 2nd gear at 35mph.

The Expedition has done all this (except the CO mountains) with no real issues. It does drink allot of gas and I think I am wearing out things much faster...

The Diesel would be great for towing and would get better mileage with solo driving both to work and out to the ranch. I don't think the mileage vs cost of operating would ever catch up though.

Thanks
JS

 

You need the F250 Diesel for what you do,after you get some miles on it the mileage will come up.A clip kit will inprove it also if your not happy with the way it runs.I've been around the diesels and if I had a big trailer to tow that's the only way to go.You may have to do more for a diesel for up keep,but for the power it's worth it.You will feel the difference in towing.That's my 2 cents

 

I agree, the diesel is the best bet for sure. With that much towing, you want the 100k warranty on the drivetrain, and your resale value will be much better on the diesel. Plus in traffic, everyone will just move out of your way I live in san diego, and people move out of the way for my new 6.0 I just got. But in all reality, diesel would be worth the extra money in the long run. Resale, value, mpg, its worth it.

 

Get the F250 SD diesel. You won't regret it.

 

An F-150 can pull anything an Expedition can. Would a Superduty with V10 or PSD do it better? Sure, but I doubt you'll ever break even on the fuel economy vs. purchase price. Unloaded, the 5.4L F-150 should do better than the V10 and only slightly worse than the PSD.

I'd wait for the light duty desels before replacing your Expy.

 

If you don't want a diesel, at least get a Super Duty with a V10. Gas mileage is awful, but that's the only alternative to a diesel in my opinion.

I've recently driven about 10k miles and have been from coast to coast. The vast majority of travel trailers of that size I saw were being pulled by Ford, Dodge, and GM diesels and hardly ANY were being pulled with a 1/2 ton. There were some being pulled with V10's, Hemis, and GM 8.1's though - and the occasional Tundra or Titan.

On my trip, I was in the CO mountains. I was running flat out in 4th at 70 mph up a long straight hill around the 9k foot level - and I was passed by a Dodge 2500 crew cab with a Cummins, towing a 4 wheel car trailer with a Ford Escape on the back of it. I was essentially unloaded - all I had was my luggage in the back, and my truck is about as light as a F-150 gets.

 

Thanks for all the input guys. I am going to be looking to purchase in about 9 months. Right now, I am probably looking towards a 2006 Chevrolet/GMC w/ the Duramax. I really like the Ford better, but it just seems like the 6.0 L is plagued w/ problems - and it is not really a matter of if, but when.

The GM has its problems too, but they don't seem to be more related to the injectors and the transfer case. A new updated transfer case is about 1200 and there is a 200000 mile warr. on the injectores.

It is really the lessor of two evils... I once swore I would never own another GM product...

 

See how the Ford 6.4 pans out after the initial issues before you pull the trigger. I really like the Cummins the best out of all the diesels, but the Dodge trucks themselves are junk in my opinion.

 

Check out my sig and you'll see that I was in the same place as you.

Personally I am waiting on the half ton with a diesel in it to arrive...until then I have more truck then I need. Pulls my TT like a shadow.

Shoot me a PM or an email since you are in the DFW area and I can tell you more about my towing experiences and why I went to a PSD.

 

Yep, the way I see it:

Ford: Great truck, decent/crap drivetrain (7.3L was decent, but mated to the decent at best 4R100, 6.0L crap mounted to torqshift).

Dodge: Crap truck, great drivetrain.

Chevy: Decent truck, decent drivetrain.

Either way it goes, if you need a diesel, you better look into a manual transmission, as you're likely to "use" that diesel a little too much, and none of the automatics is really bulletproof.

 

What's wrong with the Allisons?

I think GM has the best heavy duty truck right now.

 

Personally I don't agree nor disagree with you here but my opinion is that GM's just don't look right. Just glad the new models will have the new 1500 style interior...the almost 20 year old plastic bland interior was getting really, really old.

The thing that kills me the most about the GM HD's is the fact that MOST of the HD's come with 16" wheels and they look reallly funny on those big trucks. The reason is simple. Smaller means more torque and power ratios.

To me the perfect truck would be this. Ford Body, Cummins engine and Allison tranny. THAT would be the perfect truck.

 

It probably has more to do with it being easier/cheaper to find the E rated tires it comes with in 16" sizes.

It's an automatic...

Seriously though, I have a friend who kept nuking the Allison in his Duramax 2500 until he traded it in on a 6 speed model. No problems now. Sometimes people just need to row their own for it to be reliable. I sometimes wish the 5.4 V8 came with a manual in the F150...

 

My brother in law has a 03 GMC 3500 crew cab dualie with a 8.1 gas engine and an Allison - great truck but the gas mileage is AWFUL. He gets about 8 mpg in daily driving with no towing, just a utility bed on the back with his tools (he's a general contractor).

 

RollingRock has it right!! The thing is to get is a Ford chassis with a Cummins engine matted to an Allison trans!

Perfect truck!

Mitch