calling all ford owners

[lucasland]

I'm only interested in a ford. Please tell me what model/ year ford truck you use to haul your truck camper.

I'm looking at this used 2003 f350 dually, but i'm concerned with many negative reviews I've read about the 6.0L Diesel engine

[Kayteg1]

The 6.7l with its 440 ponies is amazing engine.
I cruise at 1700 rpm and it takes real extreme to have it drop a gear and I too have 3.55 differential on my dually.
Seeking 7th gear 😉
Bad news is pricing, but if you can afford - go for new generation truck.
The only thing that annoys me is voice recognition >>> I say 1 bad word and darn thing keeps talking for 2 minutes back, not letting me to say anything.
My MIL is quieter 😉

[sbryan]

I'll chime in even though my Ford is a 2013. Best new vehicle I have ever purchased, bar none. We have owned GMC's, Toyotas, BMW's, Hondas and Lord knows what else over the years. Maybe it was just dumb luck but this Ford beats them all on initial quality and it has been perfect through 4 years so far with no recalls or hiccups.

The OP called all Ford owners so I'll suggest that if at all financially possible look hard at the 6.7 diesel if you want to tow and haul a camper. Otherwise the gas job will give you more capacity. I have the diesel because we haul the camper but also tow 18,000 pounds in a toy hauler. For those who say you need to have a 4. rear end I say pshaw. The 3.55 in my truck has pulled that 18,000 pounds up some very steep grades without breaking a sweat. And the Ford transmission is solid as a rock. I have nothing against Ram or GMC/Chevy - the big three all make good trucks - but this particular Ford has been a delight.

[Kayteg1]

The main issue on 6l are weak head bolts.
When you can bulletproof EGR cooler pretty easy, replace oil cooler every couple of years with a day of work, the head job exceeds truck value.
I was driving with coolant pressure gauge strap to side mirror all the time.
I could redline the truck on freeway ramp and nothing, but then when having a camper and putting heavy load -the pressure would build and it would puke.
Got $4000 trade-in for it with 156k miles and I guess that is what they are worth.

[bighatnohorse]

For the 6.0 diesel: Ford has an "O" ring upgrade kit for the known issue with stand pipe pressure leaks.
Google: Ford 6.0 standpipe

Also, carrying a spare Turbo Hose and Clamp will be a good idea. The turbo hose gets oily after time and slips off. When it happens, the hose clamp comes loose and falls out of the engine compartment.
Google: Ford 6.0 turbo hose

Any used Ford 6.0 should have had the FICM (Fuel Injector Control Module) replaced by now. Check to make sure.
Google: Ford 6.0 ficm hard start

There are many issues with that engine and it is just a matter of time before they manifest themselves.

[Area13]

Love my 2002 7.3. It rides like shiiit and turns tight circles terrible. Basic maintenance, no major issues. Paid for and will last forever,Put my $ towards boats and campers.

[MN_Ben]

I have the 2006 F350 Ford 6.0 Dually Lariat. Crew cab with long box. Not every one is bad. (I did not read all the posts) I monitor my coolant pressure and the difference from the oil and coolant temp. (scangauge) At some point I'm sure I will need to put in an oil cooler. I have saved for it. I ABSOLUTELY love this truck. All the balls and whistles and payload to boot. currently at 105K miles.
Ben
pm me if you want to know more.

[Area13]

SidecarFlip wrote:

OBSPowerstroke wrote:

SidecarFlip wrote:
Navastar had the 7.3 down to a science. When Ford decided to build the 6.0, issues began.

The 7.3, 6.0, and 6.4 liter Powerstrokes were all built by Navistar. Due to the poor reputation of the 6.0 and 6.4, Ford decided to take the motor in house and designed and built the 6.7 that premiered in 2011 and is still in use today.

I'll stand corrected then. Maybe it was the advent of the pollution controls that made it less that reliable.

All I know is my 1997 OBS 7.3 runs like a top and gets 21 on the highway unladen.

21 MPG? Is that hand calculated or the lieometer? 7.3 is a GREAT engine. I get 16 MPG on my well maintained 7.3 unladen highway.

No pollution stuff on mine. Even has a road draft tube.

[JimBollman]

2000 F250 7.3L Power Stroke, 6speed manual, single rear wheel, 2wd. At times I think 4wd would be nice but I added TruTrac positraction and it takes care of most of the problems. Love my truck.

[adamis]

I'm not nearly as educated on the subject as many of the members here but I would venture to put forth that from my anecdotal research, the engines with the bad reputations were often because people were pushing the engine harder than it was designed to do. I'd point out that many of the people on the forums for these trucks fall into the enthusiast category and these people tend to push their trucks hard, either for work, play or through performance upgrades. These people can also tend to be pretty vocal when something does go wrong. The reputation of these engines may very well be deserved but that doesn't automatically mean your going to have bad luck with it.

[bighatnohorse]

Ford increased the payload capacity by 1000 pounds in 2005
If you plan on a 6.0 diesel model, think about nothing older than 2005

[lucasland]

what you think of this one with gas engine

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=412194329

[lucasland]

here is one truck i was interested in

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=452667573

[Tamnative]

I have a 2005 F350 Lariat excab SRW which I bought used 10 years ago.The first thing I did was get an Oasis report from a Ford dealer,at the time they were free you just need the VIN no. This will tell you everything that was done while the truck was under warranty by any Ford dealer.If there were a lot of issues with the engine more research is needed or walk away. If you should decide to go forward the first thing you need to get is a Scan Gauge to monitor your engine. These cost about $125. With this gauge you can monitor the difference between your coolant temps. and your oil temps. This is the telltale sign for an oil cooler that is getting clogged,you don't want to be over 14* difference (AKA delta),This should be taken as you cruise down a flat road at operating speed.If you have your camper on back and are pulling a hill you will not get the "delta" that you want no matter if your oil cooler is new or if it is 10* out,that is normal. You can also monitor the FICM (fuel injection control module) which Ford says should be between 40-50 volts,I think the average is 46-48 volts and If mine went below 46 volts I think I might get a new one. This is one of the things that can kill the injectors.You can also check your EGR or the charge from the alt. and many other things,all you do if program the thing you want to check.
But as said before the most important thing is MAINTENANCE.
I have never used an oil additive or synthetic oil,have sent my oil samples to be checked every 10K or so miles and they come back stating that I could go further on the next change which I never do,I use Delo LE 15w-40 only and have been since I had my 97 7.3. I use fuel additives intermitently.I have had no major problems with this truck.I did take it in for the "Hanging drop of oil" that never seemed to fall just before the factory warranty ended and they pulled the engine and resealed the oil pan. But before the warranty expired I bought the extended warranty that was offered at the time for $2000 thinking what everyone else thought about these engines. And just before that expired and since I hadn't had to use it I took it in complaining about oil leaking between the heads(In reality it was no more than you would see on any engine,just enought minor seepage to collect some dirt) they had to pull the engine again and at this time I had ARP had studs installed (had to recoup some of the $2000 for the extended warranty:)) I would not hesitate to buy another 6.0 if everything checked out ok.They all have there own problems Dodge Chevy and Ford and they all have remedies. If you get one here are a few things to remember:

1: They don't like to be "chipped" if you do you HAVE to get gauges ie;pyrometer etc.Scan Gauge does not have that capability.

2. They liked to be driven/worked,the turbo can rust up if left sitting to long.

3.Maintenance,maintenance,maintenance.

Sorry if this was long but I could go on.

[Reality_Check]

Always love these threads... so many opinions.

I've owned all three makes. I've got no use for Dodge; the trucks tend to fall apart around the motor. Had good luck with the Duramax's overall.

In respect to the OP's question, I currently still have 4 trucks with the 6.0. We have good return on these, but they like to be ran hard. Driving around an RV once in while and going to work or getting bark once a month isn't going to cut it.

Two of these have had the studs done. It seems to be a given and I'm ok with it. Still cheaper than a new 6.7.

I've got no problem with the engine. It's a matter of where you're going to spend money. New payment (most folks) or a repair bill... the ROI for us is still there.

The biggest issue for me is the age of the truck over all (running gear, etc). The 6.0's are getting to the age where I hesitate...the truck has to be in pretty decent condition.

[brholt]

2013 F350 DRW.
6,200+ lb payload at 14.000 GVWR
Ford''s bullet proof 6.2 L

400,000 mile Ford 6.2 liter engines