New Big Dog on the block

ShinerBock wrote:

Rangerman40 wrote:


I actually own an F250...... Just don't like the way Ford is going about this. The only way they can compete with RAM is to derate a larger vehicle to fit within the class 3 specs instead of making the F350 a more capable truck.

So would it make you feel better if they just they just took the F450 badge off and replaced it with an F350 badge? Although I would have to ask what would be the difference between doing that and what you are saying since they both have the same outside dimensions? Is it because one badge says 3 and the other says 4, and you wouldn't be the coolest kid on the block unless you had a 3 on the side of your door?

The number on the door does not mean a thing when it comes to a set standard that manufacturers have to abide by. There is no law on the books saying that all 350/3500 trucks must be with X towing or X payload. A manufacturer can give of their models any numbers they want. Hell, tomorrow Ram can slap a 1500 badge on the side of their 3500 trucks and call them 1500s from now on. There is no law stopping them from that nor is their is their one saying certain model numbers have to mean certain tow limits which is why Ram is able to give their 3500 a tow limit that used to only be pulled by medium duties.

If you have a problem with this then do you take issue with Ram on it's 1500? Ford and GM both have 150/1500s rated to tow over 11,000 lbs. You would have to get a Ram 2500 to be able to tow that kind of weight in a Ram because their 1500s are not rated to tow that much. You basically have the same scenario here where Ram has to get a higher numbered truck to tow what GM and Ford can with their lower numbered truck. Now, you may be telling yourself that a 1500 shouldn't be towing that kind of weight and is a better job for a 250/2500, which I would agree. Well, maybe Ford thought the same thing with a 350/3500 light-heavy duty truck towing 30,000 lbs so they derated their medium duty F450 to do it.

Also if you really want to get into it, some F450 chassis/cab variations have a 16,500 GVWR which makes them a class 5 truck. I wonder if those guys driving those F450s get mad because they don't have an F550 badge on their class 5 truck? Heck, you can even option to have your F350 derated to 10,000 GVWR which technically makes it a class 2B three quarter ton but with an F350 one the door.

It's just a fact of life and marketing that people get hung up on a model number and name. There are probably those that purchase a GM or Ram because they are convinced 1500, 2500, 3500 is more capable because the number is higher than 150, 250, 350. Surely a 1500 can tow more than a 450.