During the past few days, I drove my daughter's families stuff up from El Paso in a 36 ft Penske truck. We were 23,400 according to the Cat Scale. We made it ... a little brutally slow at times. We chose the the pretty route up through NM, UT, ID, OR, and then WA.A lot of it was nearly the same as we took earlier this year, but we were going as slow as 45 mph up some of the steep mountains. My DW made the comment that the mountains didn't seem so steep in our TC! Obviously we were slow down the mountains as well with not nearly as good as brakes as my F450 with the TC loaded.I don't know what model engine it had, but it did have a regen mode. It also was an International chassis, so I guess some Navistar model. It was also a pretty bouncy ride and pretty loud compared to the plush F450 Lariat.It was a strange feeling to be the guy who was going a mile or two mph faster up a hill to pass. A few times, I passed semis that were going probably 35 mph over the past few days, so I guess it could be worse. I did have to look way down the mountain to see if it was possible to attempt the pass. I pass whenever I want with the F450.Any way, I'm really happy to have the best tool for the job of going up our mountains, and so happy with the choice!

I love my new truck... night and day over my previous 7.3L, and I thought when I bought that one I had the end-all-be-all of trucks. It was an absolute shock to me to have the cruise set the whole way going up Snoqualmie, fully loaded, and it didn't even act like it was breaking a sweat @ 27,000lbs.

Sure a new F450 is a heck of a pickup but you're comparing it with a medium duty carrying lots more weight! Sorry to burst your bubble but if you want to compare apples to oranges, put that F450 up against an air ride Peterbilt with a C15 Caterpillar, 550 HP. I'm quite sure I could drag several F450s with campers behind it up the mountains and not even notice they were there. And thats with 3.50 gears and 24.5 tires.

burningman, you are missing my point. The Penske truck did fine for what it does. However, there are also plenty of pickups that are as slow as the Penske with their TCs loaded. I'm just glad my 2010 F450, which isn't new, isn't one of them!

Jim425I understand what you are saying. You really enjoy the power of your 450.We still have our 7.3 and still pull loads with it and I still enjoy driving it.But wow having all the power and comforts of our 6.7 is really nice. Puts a big smile on my face.I'm not saying it's the biggest most powerful truck on the road. I'm just saying it does all that I want and I understand Jim425 appreciating what his truck can do after driving another truck. I well remember having to use the turn out lanes to let the string of cars that were trapped behind me get by. That doesn't happen anymore and I am glad.

I rented a Penske in September and my wife followed in our '16 Chevy 3500 pulling my boat. Penske experience was the same as you described but the AC didn't work through Arizona and Texas heat! The 3500 got 28 MPG because the Penske was so slow! Like you, we appreciate the TV even more after that experience.

Remembered why I got a F450 with 4.30 gears ... observation.

Kayteg1
Explorer II
Nov 27, 2016
burningman wrote:

Now I can tow & haul with the best of 'em and still get great mileage... for enough money to have kept my old gas truck's tanks full the rest of my life, plus.

Hey, man, but you look good and would you (by a chance) had to rent F450 with 4.30 gears, that would give you good excuse to come back here and start a topic
"Remembered why I got a custom truck with gear vendor ... observation."
Got the drift? :B
burningman
Explorer II
Nov 27, 2016
Kayteg1 wrote:
That brings me to the conclusion that once I spend
$70,000 for new dually
$ 8000 to change to air suspension
$ 5000 for gear vendor
than I can have nice and economical truck for only $83k
No tooth-grinding, no rear squat, taking all the grades at good rpm and no penalty at the pump.

I've done exactly that except older but low-mileage dually. Added Kelderman air ride and Air Lift bags too. Added Gear Vendors. Plus tons of other things to make lots of power.
Now I can tow & haul with the best of 'em and still get great mileage... for enough money to have kept my old gas truck's tanks full the rest of my life, plus. And if it gets crunched I'll get a check for less than half what it would take to duplicate it.
Sometime I think I should get a tent and use my wife's Suzuki Grand Vitara.
It DOES have a better turning radius!
jimh406
Explorer III
Nov 27, 2016
Kayteg1 wrote:
You are twisting what the forum is about.
You want admiration - go to Bible Reading Meeting.
Technical forum is for exchanging technical facts and opinions.
OP painted one side of the story, other members add the rest of the truth.
sometimes myths and misunderstanding, but we are only human.

I'm still trying to determine if you are trolling or serious ...
Vinsil
Explorer
Nov 27, 2016
Kayteg1 wrote:
So I am the old man? Close enough.
But which cloud are you???
I know that explaining law of physics or technical facts on forum often seems senseless, but I know few people will get it... eventually.

It's a joke. But hey, your always right so continue on please. It does provide entertainment.
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Nov 27, 2016
You are twisting what the forum is about.
You want admiration - go to Bible Reading Meeting.
Technical forum is for exchanging technical facts and opinions.
OP painted one side of the story, other members add the rest of the truth.
sometimes myths and misunderstanding, but we are only human.
Farmerjon
Explorer
Nov 27, 2016
All off this because a man wanted to say he appreciates his truck??
jimh406
Explorer III
Nov 27, 2016
mike/kellie wrote:
This topic has really gone around the block in whatever gears you have. Throw in a tighter turning radius than most 3500's and we'll get 3 more pages.

Maybe that's the issue, I should have focused on the turn radius differences. Then, probably someone would say that some car would turn tighter and then they'd explain that we are dumb for not tent camping. :)
mike_kellie
Explorer II
Nov 27, 2016
Jimh, it's nice to have real life experiences validate previous choices we make. And huge props for still moving family around.
This topic has really gone around the block in whatever gears you have. Throw in a tighter turning radius than most 3500's and we'll get 3 more pages.
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Nov 27, 2016
That brings me to the conclusion that once I spend
$70,000 for new dually
$ 8000 to change to air suspension
$ 5000 for gear vendor
than I can have nice and economical truck for only $83k
No tooth-grinding, no rear squat, taking all the grades at good rpm and no penalty at the pump.
burningman
Explorer II
Nov 27, 2016
Number of gears is one thing but I wonder if the overall ratio range is wider, or if the gears are just spaced closer together? I don't have info in front of me but I suspect the extra gears are just for keeping engines in a tighter RPM range within a similar overall range.
What I wish trucks all had is a wider total range. That's what would eliminate the need to order either low or high gears and make the truck good at one thing and not so good at other things.
I imagine in this age of computer controls the factories could safely release such a thing on the public. Most of the clueless public would assume they were always supposed to use all the gears all the time and end up thinking the truck was faulty junk unless the computer makes them use the right ratios and stay out of the wrong ones at the wrong time.
My truck with its add-on extra overdrive (and manual lockup) is like that. When my wife takes the truck anywhere I tell her to just leave all the buttons alone and drive it.