What Would You Do?

[DMas]

Would like a little advice from the group, but don't want to start a war. We currently own a 2003 Ford F350 dually with the notorious 6.0L diesel with a standard 6 speed transmission. I have put a lot of time (and money) into setting this truck up to haul our Lance 1161. It also serves as my daily driver. It has 85K miles on it. One of the reasons for the low mileage is the amount of time it spends in the shop!

Without getting into all of the details, the truck has been unreliable to say the least - EGR, head gaskets and bolts, ficm, hpop, rear wheel bearings, the list goes on and on. Once again, it is in the shop. It died on my way to work last week. Had it towed to the shop (again) and received a call that afternoon that it started and ran fine, No codes had been thrown, everything check out. The tech and I decided that he should keep it to see if he could replicate the condition. So far, nothing.

So, I would just like to start a friendly discussion as to what I should do. I have totally lost confidence in this truck. Most times that it failed, I was fairly close to home - but if this continues to happen on the road, say, in the middle of nowhere, what then? It has happened before and was not pleasant. I could tell some stories.....

Anyway, when do I cut and run? Do I abandon Ford completely and buy a new Ram with a Cummins and a 6 speed? What would you do? I'm open to suggestions. Sorry for the long rant.

[DMas]

Just want to jump in and say thanks to all who responded. It's nice to have all of your experiences to learn from! We will most likely move forward with a new truck, but not sure which one just yet. Time to go shopping!

[dodgerdog]

My thought is ... and this is only my thought.... cut your loses and buy another brand.... chevy or dodge.... whatever fits the bill.... I am a chevy guy myself but I have no dislike of Dodge either.......

[Bedlam]

I share many of the above comments about gasoline verses diesel engines. If I only had a TC, I would only need the gasoline engine. However once I add the 7000 lb trailer and mountain passes to my mix, I am happy to have the diesel.

The little trip we just made to the Pacific coast without a trailer could have easily been made with a gasoline engine powered truck, but it would have worn me out pulling my enclosed trailer last month to the Mohave Desert and back to the NorthWest without the diesel. We have two more long heavy mountain trips planned this year heading east plus one more heading south awaiting confirmation - All of those will welcome the capabilities of the diesel.

[Butch50]

Well now that you brought it up I guess I'll wade in.

I went from diesels back to gas and so far have no regrets. In the past I have owned all of the big three diesels. I have had many Ford diesels including 3 7.3 diesels and one 6.0. the 6.0 was in a F550 that I used to use for pulling a 5th wheel and then hauling a pickup camper. It just always scared me to go some place thinking about this engine and having it quite on my someplace that had now idea how to repair it and just start throwing things at it at my expense.

So anyway I know have a F350 with the 6.2 gasser with the 6 speed auto and am very happy with it. I have towed my 5er that I use to own that had a GVWR of 12,000# and was happy with it towing that much weight. I now have the NL TC in my sugnature and it just purrs down the road without any problems. I average between 10.5 to 11.5 MPG hauling it. The real test well be when we go to Alaska this year.

As far as towing with camper on if the trailer isn't a big huge one I would have no problem towing with it as it has plenty of power. The 6.2 gasser has a trailer towing rate of almost 15000# with the 4.3 and the diesel has a towing rate of almost 16,000# in a SRW. My GCWR is 22,500# and I believe the diesel is 23,500# but some of this is going to be taken up by the diesel engine. My GVWR is 11,200# and the diesel is 11,500# so I have a higher payload than the same truck with a diesel. I towed my 17' boat with the camper on and it had no problem keeping up speed in 6th gear. I ordered my truck and ordered it with the 4.30 axle ratio. My truck is heavy also for a F350 SRW. It is a CC 4X4 King Ranch and it is loaded with options and it scales right at 8,000# with nothing in it. It does need to rev up for hills but that doesn't bother me. I use to live in CO and pulled the backside of Eisenhower tunnel from Dillon with a 72 F250 360 4 speed manual with a 11' TC on it. I would run up the pass as far as I could in 4th then shift to 3rd and then back off a little and let it run up the hill. We always made it. The 6.2 is a happy reving engine and likes to run up (it also sound nice reving up reminds me of my yester years with my old muscle cars). You need to take one of the new gassers for a drive.

This is IMO

[Farmerjon]

when we got our diesel it was 2002 and our 87 f250 460 was not as reliable as it once was.After another problem that had the truck down for a week we decided to get another truck because our backup to the 87 had died (a 79).
DWs search was for a F250 or F350 stick shift SC LB 4x4 V10 or we could go with a diesel, DRW wasn't on our list.
We are farmers we haul very heavy loads a t times, in the bed and/or in the stock trailer, 16ft flatbed or 24ft GN flatbed.
She found the truck we have now and I decided we could live with the training wheels if the price was right. The dealer came down a long ways to meet our price.
We didn't know we would decide to start Truck camping again a few years later. Before we got the camper we were very impressed with the diesel and the DRW.
Much better stability. And then when we got the TC it was just perfect.
We still use the 87 to haul with when we have the camper on or for some reason the other truck is tied up. Also use it for our dirty work and it is the backup in case we have a breakdown.
We could live very well with a gas engine. But then we used to haul A camper and trailer a 6cyl and then a 283 and then a 360 and we went slow but were content.
The diesel puts a grin on my face every time we use it.But the gas can do any job it does, I won't go back to gas or SRW .

[jimh406]

Dreaded dual post.

[jimh406]

DMas, I'd buy a gasoline vehicle if I had it to do over with. Anyone can work on a gasoline truck. All parts and performance mods are readily available anywhere. Yes, I'd change the exhaust and air filter for my gasoline engine. Gasoline trucks do much better for short trips and maintenance is less with less oil and they typically aren't turbocharged.

Unless you are hauling heavy all of the time or plan to be high mileage or longer distances, you don't "need" a diesel. Based on watching the diesel prices over the past 7 years, I don't come out ahead compared to gasoline on fuel costs vs improved mileage. It is cool to have a very long range though. The initial cost is much higher and although you recoup some of the cost, you won't recoup all.

With a TC, the other advantage is that gasoline engines typically weigh a little less. Still, I do like the sewing machine like precision of a diesel. I was looking for a gasoline but was open to diesel with this truck. The smooth acceleration is cool.

[billtex]

DMas wrote:
Does anyone else want to weigh in on the "gas" versus "diesel" discussion? This is not the first time this has been said to me - been hearing it since I bought the truck. "You'd be better off with a gasser." What do you think? Gasser over a "new" diesel?

Well...rzar is right...you don't "need" a diesel to haul 3000#-5000#...and a gas motor will leave you with more payload if that is an issue.
However, there is a lot to be said for the performance of a diesel; torque, mileage, range/tank.

We really enjoy our diesel truck...but we also tow a large TT (see sig) in addition to hauling our TC around sometimes with our Classic Whaler behind. For those that haul a TC and tow something behind (boat, bikes, snow machines, etc) well then the diesel really becomes attractive.
For a lighter TC with no towing...a gasser is fine...

So the answer is gas vs diesel? It depends...

B

[DMas]

Does anyone else want to weigh in on the "gas" versus "diesel" discussion? This is not the first time this has been said to me - been hearing it since I bought the truck. "You'd be better off with a gasser." What do you think? Gasser over a "new" diesel?

[RZAR66]

If all you haul is a TC, get a gas engine from one of the Big 3. There is no TC out there that requires a diesel engine to haul. If you absolutely want/need a Diesel I would recommend the Dodge. If you do buy a Dodge with a Cummins just be aware that 2012 is that last year they don't require Urea.

[sleekcrafter]

The term bullet proof has been coined for a marketing phrase. There is much more than just the EGR delete. Many trucks get more problems as they are serviced, by tech who are a little heavy handed. Not to say they don't know what they are doing, but are careless to the fact that other stuff gets broke in the repair process.

[JoeChiOhki]

If you want to stay with Ford, go with an older Ford with the 7.3L Diesel vs the 6.0, while nothing's perfect, the 7.3L was their last well known dependable series. The 6.0 line had nothing but problems and that which came after are still fairly young technologically.

[DMas]

I guess this would be a good time to add that the truck is paid for and "bulletproofed". "Bulletproofing",by the way, only solves one issue - the egr. It does not remedy the turbo, ficm, hpop, or fuel injector harness, which is the current suspect.

This truck has been 10 years of fixing one thing, and having another go wrong. Seems like every time I think I have fixed everything that could wrong, something else pops up. So the idea of fixing it again doesn't sit well.

I have every confidence in my mechanic, also. It's an independent shop, not a dealership. He has told me all along that the 6.0L is a "disaster". It's all that he works on - I never see a duramax there, and rarely a cummins.

[Lantley]

sleekcrafter wrote:
If the truck is paid for... I would bullet proof it. I know Brian from BTS has bought many orphan 6.0 and 6.4 trucks. There are known weak points in these trucks, and he can make a solid 450 HP truck out of them for under $4500. I have the 7.3 much better out of the box, but the 6.0 can out do me when fixed! I've got the BTS 4R100 after the second transmission failure. My point is if you want to keep it, it's going to be an investment, much cheaper than new truck payments.

You do make a valid point that it can be fixed. But $4,500 cash goes a long way towards a vehicle that does not need bullet proofing to make it reliable.
It should have been bullet proofed at the factory from day one :h
However much to my dismay bullet proofing is a $4500.00 option for the OP.