F350 drew or F450

We had the same question. The 2017 f450 pickup has a slightly
larger diameter rear axle than the f350 pickup if you look in the specs. Ford went with
a new rear axle in their super duty for 2017 but their spec diameter
seems to increase with the model ranges from 350 on up to
the chassis cab 550. It would really be worth a look at the
chassis cab 450 and 550 if you are going to haul a truck camper
and a larger trailer. Those trailer tongue weights can put you
over your rear axle rating fast. Your actual cost in a chassis cab might be less even with putting a nice flatbed on it with boxes. You could get leather, nav and such if you
like. Just watch for that rear axle ratio. Maybe go for the 4.30,
but interestingly the GVWR and frame thickness gets downgraded
in some of the Ford chassis cabs when choosing something other than
4.88. This will affect licensing and your insurance.

Either a F450 or F350 will carry a truck camper. In some years, the F450 with 4.30 gearing is much more capable of high loads and has bigger brakes. You can find the towing guides here. http://www.fleet.ford.com/towing-guides/

In the 2017, things seem different. It shows a truck camper payload of 4510 for the F450 vs 5010 for the F350 crew. Also, only a 700 lb advantage for the F450 for fifth wheel towing.

It would be interesting to see the difference in how the 2017 F350 vs F450 turns, but otherwise, they are pretty close. The 4.30s will probably still tow a bit better, but at the cost of MPG.

Assuming the deals are still better on the F350s, I think looking hard at the F350 makes sense.

The truck campers I am looking at are in the 5000 lb range. So, which features are more important to consider?

I would probably go with the 450 to be able to carry the camper. Also, something to consider are the commercial tires that the 450 uses. Not every tire shop sells/services commercial size tires.

HMS Beagle wrote:
I haven't heard of many Dana 80s breaking.

Mine broke on 1999 F450.
When I bought the truck it was low on diff oil, so that might be due to some neglect.
Those things don't break often, but when they do, it comes with huge price tag.
Rebuilding at the time exceed the truck value.
I settled for used one for $5500 installed at Reno Ford.

Can't tell you about the new F450/F350's. But will tell you my 2008 F450 turns a tighter circle than my Wifes Audi. It's amazing how well it can turn. Now my 2002 SD, not so good Al, not so good....

Boatycall wrote:

In addition, since they have larger rims, they also increased the size of the brakes all the way around.

Straight from the Ford specs, the F450 and F350 brakes are identical for 2015.

I think the main reason to get the F450 is the wheel cut and turning radius are greatly improved. While the rear axle is heavier, I haven't heard of many Dana 80s breaking.

I just picked up new F350 dually and it is lot of truck.
Put my 5000 lb camper on it and it barely touched overloads.
I order mine with 3.55 differential for fuel saving.
Sure if you plan to pull 5th wheel over the mountains a lot, the F450 with stronger differential might be better for those short moments.

There are several huge differences in the 2015+ F450's vs. F350's. Ford back in 2008 put the Dana110 rear end and 19.5 tires on 2008-2010, but then went back to the Dana80 on 17's through 2014. Why they did this I'll never know, because all they did at that point was to put in 4:30 gears and call it an F450.

The 2015+ F450's have a rear axle rated @14k just on it's own, and the 19.5 tires that can hold it. Dana80 on 17's is rated @10k per Dana's spec.

In addition, since they have larger rims, they also increased the size of the brakes all the way around. I had an F350 and traded up to the F450 and I can tell you the difference in loaded ride feel is tremendous.

That being said, I needed the F450 because of the weight of the camper I haul+trailer tongue weight of 1,000lbs. You won't need an F450 for just a 5'er or 'normal' camper. However, if someday you decide to ditch the 5'er and get a BIG camper, consider the extra few bucks now on an F450.

I'm on a learning curve about trucks at the moment, so I won't bother to give an (uninformed) opinion. Here are a couple videos though which might be of interest.

5000 lbs loaded in an F450

2017 F350 vs 2016 F450

IMHO the GVWR of the F450 does not increase in proportion to the strength of its components, which is why the payload capacity is actually LESS than the F350 DRW. Not sure why Ford plays this numbers game, except maybe to help keep the cost of licensing and insuring the truck down somewhat, to make it more attractive to buyers.

Compare the axle ratings for the two trucks, and the empty/curb weight of the two trucks. I would expect FAWR+RAWR-CURB for the F450 to be at least 1000lbs more than the F350 DRW. Maybe I'm totally off my rocker here but that is what I would expect.

Probably either would do the job for you, but I feel that the F450 with its heavier components would do the job longer.