Before anyone replies he is talking about 7.3 gas vs 6.7 diesel

 

Yes, sorry i edited it for the Godzilla

 

Hello Ironheadchop and welcome to the forum from N.E. Indiana! My 2016 F350 SRW has a GVW of 11,400#. As an average this truck is close to 8,000#, that gives you 3,400# payload. So with a pin weight of 2,000# you would be fine, with room to spare. My 6.7 Gets about 11mpg pulling my 5th wheel. the 7.3 will probably be around 8mpg. Plus the 6.7 will hold the speed through the mountains with ease. Good luck with your choice.

 

I’d think the 6.7 way to go towing such a big camper. Last gasser I towed with was a 2001 super duty with a v10 and it was so much less capable then the 7.3 diesel I had. Pulling with the gasser there was never enough grunt. New motors far better I’d imagine. In here you might hear a lot of the cp4 pump but I think statistically it’s less of an issue then we make it out to be. Just an observation.

 

All spot on IMO.

 

Realistically, the 6.7 is probably the better choice for torque, which is your friend. Regarding weights, we are a horrible source of information, Consult your local DMV, they're paid to know the legal requirements in that department, we can't predict this.

 

You can't compare a 20 year old gas truck to a new Godzilla truck. Apples to oranges. First of all the Godzilla trucks have 4.30 gears as an option WITH the 10-speed trans and 50 lb/ft more torque. Totally different ballgame. A Godzilla Alumiduty will outpull ANY 2016 and older gas truck hands down.

Secondly I see so many myths regarding fuel economy between the diesel and gas options it's not even funny. I have towed extensively with both and with a big trailer hooked on you'll be lucky to get out of the single digits with a diesel. If you see 10 MPG you're doing great. By contrast the gas engine is going to also knock down 8 to 10 MPG....but it's doing it on less expensive and more readily available fuel.

Thirdly the gas truck will have more payload, and with a family of 5 that will directly translate to more usable trailer capacity.

Lastly the gas truck will save you money every time you turn the key. No additives for the fuel, no fuel filters to swap periodically, no need to buy 4 gallons of oil per service interval, no $35 oil filter, no expensive diesel fuel, no $12k fuel injection system to worry over, none of that nonsense. With a gas truck you get in and drive and do quick, inexpensive oil and filter changes every 10k.

I bought a lightly used diesel because I could not find a lightly used 7.3 truck. I do love the 6.7 and it does pull like a train, but it's already had expensive repairs under warranty and the upper oil pan is starting to leak again now at 102k miles and I question keeping it when my extended warranty runs out. I will likely never buy diesel again.

 

Thirdly the gas truck will have more payload, and with a family of 5 that will directly translate to more usable trailer capacity.

That is a great answer that in the end when you have 5 people and all the crap we can pack makes sense to go that route. But i guess im confused because looking at fords chart it shows the 7.3 having a GCWR of 29k lb vs the 6.7 at 31,800? That is one reason why i was thinking the 6.7 would be better because of the extra 2800lbs it would add to the GCWR

 

never heard of a cdl requirement for towing a rv, as for gas v diesel, these days your best answer is above. the 7.3 is going to do all you need it to do cheaper, the only place its going to "disappoint" is pulling grades and i put that in quotes because everyone thinks they need to be doing 85mph up 7% inclines.

honestly my only gripe towing with a gasser is tank capacity and pump access. unlike diesel pumps where many are set aside for trucker access (giving you an easy setup pulling something that size), you'll be limited to normal pumps which can be a pita.

id ask if you really need a camper that size, our family prefers to camp in a smaller trailer simply as our preference is national parks/forests and the pad sizes are significantly. reservations for trailers that size are limited and highly sought after.

 

everyone thinks they need to be doing 85mph up 7% inclines.

 

I would look at what percentage of towing vs empty driving. If you pull a trailer every weekend, the 6.7 is the way to go. Also where you are pulling it. Mountains? Lower levels? Both? I want a 6.7 and would pick the 7.3 since I don't pull anything that heavy very often. The $10+ thousand you save with the gasser would go along way to add a Procharger or Magnuson blower.
That would level the playing field a lot.

 

The cdl thing is 26k combined in most states. Rvs are exempt. All other trailers are not. Most heavy utility trailers come with 2x 7k axles and have a 14k gross rating (ON THE TRAILER REGISTRATION) You combine that with whatever your REGISTRATION for your truck says. If it’s over 26 combined. There is your cdl requirement. On DRW f350 and 450s they can be registered at 14k combined with any NOT camper trailer is hooked up you are your limit at 12k trailer. That is the rub that causes all the confusion. It’s a pain in a$$ but 99.96% of the time nobody knows or cares, including state patrol. But you never know

No LEO knows or cares what Fords website or brochure or door jamb sticker says. Same with the trailer. They won’t even look. They will look at registration and it’s the only legally enforceable thing. All the truck and trailer stickers are clearly labeled “recommended” thus have no legal foundation. Arguably a point that could be referenced in a serious negligence case but I’ve never seen proof.

 

12-14k dry weight or is that GVWR?. I recommend towing no more then 80% of a trucks max capacity unless your just going across town with the load...IF your only towing a few times a year and want to use the truck as a daily driver, I would recommend an F250 2024 7.3l Godzilla and not the 2025.. For the 2025 model year ford went cheap on the gas engines.... The 2024 will have the M275 axle with a light duty version of the 10r140.. The 2025 F250 will have the 10.5 ford axle in it and a heavy duty version of the F150 trans.. A 10r100..
No matter what you buy, IF YOU PLAN TO KEEP IT FOR 20 YEARS, BUY FROM A DEALER THAT HAS THE LIFETIME POWERTRAIN WARRANTY ON THERE NEW AND USED STUFF..

 

Why get the 250 over the 350? Wont my payloads be less with the 250?

 

You can easily tell if a SRW Gas F250 is a heavy duty F250 or a light duty one just by looking at the center cap on the rear axle... IF the center cap looks like it sticks out way to far its heavy duty. IF if just looks like a normal center cap then its a light duty F250.

 

Actually you can still get the 10r140 behind the 7.3l for the 2025 model year, but only in the Tremor package..

 

Also I just noticed the F350 7.3l still has the 10r140 behind it while the F250 7.3l has the 10R100 behind it.. F350 would be the way to go for heavy towing

 

Im actually a little jealous of you... I live vicariously through others buying a new Ford SD... I coud afford to purchase a new truck but just cant justify it.. It would just be an expensive yard ornament. My 02 F250 runs and drives great and does everything I need it to do... I only put 600 mile a year on it. Post some pics of what you get so I can drool over it, please.

 

Fueling up strikes a cord with me! Good grief fueling up my 24 gas boat is a pita enough! Pulling a 40 ft camper and fighting through the gas pumps. I don’t even want to think about it.

 

I tow a 36’ 5th wheel at 12,000 pounds with a 2016 F350 dually with a 6.7L PowerStroke. I had a 2005 F250 diesel prior to that. I’d never go back. The power of the 6.7 along with the stability of the dually make towing a pleasure, rather than a chore.

 

Up until a year ago I was pulling my 32ft gooseneck flatbed with a F250 6.2L gasser, downshifting on all the hills and always having to watch my rear axle weight. Then I switched to a F450 6.7L diesel dually. No more downshifting. No more having to watch my rear axle weight. Just put it in drive and go. It is a pleasure to tow now. It has yet to downshift on any hill on the interstate. With my experience towing with a gasser, no way would I go with anything less than a diesel to pull a fifth wheel over 40ft. (My gooseneck including the tongue is about 40 ft) With the standard 4.30 gears in a F450 it is built to tow. Don't forget that towing a fifth wheel has all the aerodynamics of a brick going down the road.

 

i daily drive my DRW F450, better brakes and much better turning radius than a 350 SRW.
go drive both before you make the call.

 

I have never driven a 450 but saw several videos comparing the turning radius of the 450 and the 350. Much better is an understatement; the 450 has a 45 degree turning angle versus 36 degrees on the 350 (current production models). I want to say that translated into almost 8 feet tighter turning radius on the 450.

 

To make my point more clear, just because I can make a 6.2L F250 gross over 30,000 lbs with a gooseneck doesn't mean it was fun. It was more like work. I am sure I can make a 7.3L pull an over 40ft fifth wheel too, but it won't be fun. After all, isn't fun what you are looking for with a camper. Now I can gross that same 30,000 lbs just cruising down the road without having to work at it. BTW I was maxed out at 30,000 lbs with the F250 and actually was over weight on the drive axle. That was with the old 31ft trailer which was 1000 lbs lighter than my current 32ft trailer. Now I can gross as much as 40,000 lbs and am licensed accordingly to keep things legal. Plus I have a class A non-commercial drivers license to allow me to drive with that much weight. Note the "Not for Hire" magnetic sign on the F250. I can't put that sign on the F450. I have to put it on the trailer.

 

we keep upping the ante and you'll be towing in a 379

 

The F450 is a truck, forget the pickup nickname. One thing nobody mentions is that it takes more turns of the steering wheel to make that tight turn. On my slow turning tractor, I put a steering knob on it. Pretty hard to do that on a highway vehicle, but I would if it never hit the highway.

Nobody is going to accuse a F450 of being a sports car, but it sure is solid going down the road. I love my F450.

 

So if the 450 is good.....550 better?

 

Or is the F600 even better??? The F450 through F600 are pretty much the same, just heavier duty and rated for heavier weights.

F450 pickup 14,000 lbs GVWR Class 3 All those with pickup beds are rated as class 3. Ford derated ..........the F450 pickup to keep it in the pickup class.
F450 chassis cab 16,000 lbs GVWR Class 4
F550 chassis cab 19,500 lbs GVWR Class 5
F600 chassis cab 22,000 lbs GVWR Class 6 (up to 26,000 lbs)
Class 7 up to 33,000 lbs GVWR
Class 8 up to 80,000 lbs GVWR

One of the things that doesn't seem to get mentioned much is the 10 lug wheels on the F450 and up which allows them to run 19.5 truck wheels. Any wheel sizes ending in .5 are truck wheels. Semis run 22.5 and 24.5 wheels. Box trucks sometimes run 19.5 wheels. The larger wheels allow the the bigger brakes on the F450 and up.

Here is a pic of the door plate info on my F450 showing a GVWR of 14,000 lbs, however, if you add up the axle weight ratings, they will add up to 15,900 lbs, which would put it in class 4 if not derated. Class 4 gets into commercial territory. My insurance would have been higher in class 4. The 14,000 lbs GVWR package is even mentioned on the window sticker. The 9900 lb rear axle rating is higher than the total rating on my old F250 that I previously used to pull my 32ft Gooseneck trailer. I could make my old F250 pull that trailer, but I had to work at it. However, I could never get around that lack of rear axle payload. That is no longer an issue.

 

Is your F450 a dually or cab and chassis?

 

All F450's are duallies. Mine is a pickup which is derated to 14,000 lbs to keep it in the class 3 pickup class. Chassis cabs(no bed) are rated 16,000 lbs class 4.

 

You'll be happier with the 6.7 no doubt. I pull a 13k ish 35 foot TH and almost always see 11-12 mpg. I don't do 80 up the mountains, but I could. By comparison, my friend with a gas 2500 gets 6-8 mpg pulling a smaller, lighter trailer and is in 3rd gear up grades.
Fueling is another issue. I have seen guys filling their truck with 5 gallon cans at stations because they can't get their rig to a gas pump.

 

This was fun, we kinda got off topic , Ironheadchop didn't want a dually He was trying to decide over gas or diesel. My advice would be drive both, Have bus with 7.3 gas (school bus) its a power house but with great power comes great responsibility, and the component's that have been bolted to have fallen short causing many breakdowns, radiators coolers failing taking out trans and then head job, Bluebird thought its gas and they didn't need the systems that the 6.7ISB HAD. So I'm thinking you have the choice of getting gas at any place, or to getting fuel when you can, which isn't as big a deal as it was 20years age. Your bank account is the other factor which can you afFord 6.7 powerstroke is a great engine still has flaws and issues don't be fooled , So if you are putting your daily driver to work on the weekend every so often get 7.3 if your truck for more regular towing and as a daily driver then get 6.7 just remember tire wear, they both will smoke'm as singles

 

I love my dually f450 for all
The stated reasons. My 2006 took effort to tow and drive. My 450 is effortless. So towing it’s night and day better. But I’ve come to really miss the SRW shortbed. I had to buy a f150 to fill that void. If I could go back id of went f350 srw. Will be the last diesel truck I own so I’m stuck with her now for the long haul but she doesn’t get driven unloaded. She to big to run kids around in town and such. Just my situation.