Better TC hauler- F350 or F450??
It seems logical the F450 would be better for hauling a heavy (5000 pound plus) TC than a similar equipped F350. After all, you have 19.5's, bigger rear axle (I think), and bigger brakes. What other...
Forum Discussion
SoCalDesertRider wrote:
The 4.88 is not a bad gear ratio at all with the V10, if you're pulling a heavy trailer. The V10 needs to rev high to reach it's power band and to do that at reasonable road speeds, it needs the bigger gearing.
That's true, and for some I'm sure that would work. I rarely tow, and haven't had a need to tow while hauling the TC in several years. There were several things that ultimately made the cab and chassis trucks the least desirable of the available options. Axle ratio, available trim levels, and the amount of time and money to finish upfitting it for TC hauling finally made me rule them out.
After exploring the Ford and Ram 350/3500 options, it appeared to me that some owners of those trucks that had the load capacity on paper still felt the need for suspension upgrades.
Also, no mater how you ordered one of those you couldn't get 19.5 wheels and tires on them, and I know from experience that tires with an all-steel casing (tread and sidewalls) contribute greatly to making a good TC hauler. So in the end, the F450 was closest to my desires in a replacement truck. I also had a generally favorable experience with my previous F450.
I thought my 2010 F450 was a great TC hauler, took minimal suspension improvement, and I thought the ride/cab comfort/noise/etc couldn't be any better. I was wrong about the ride, comfort and noise though. The 2016 is even better.
I couldn't get comfortable the 6.4 engine and the pre-DEF, DPF equipped exhaust system. The truck never left me stranded anywhere, but the regen behavior always worried me because it was erratic and unpredictable. Worrying is not what I want to be doing when I'm on vacation.
:):)
