Let's talk full size pickup

[RickBlane]

I am looking for opinions on which full size diesel pickup of the F250/F350 types I should be looking at.

So far I think some other specifications are ….. 1994-1999, extended or crew cab, 4x4, manual trans (auto ok), 7.3lL diesel (or equivalent).

The year range is based on cost and availability. If you like something outside that year range or if you like a particular year in or out of range please let me know what and why. I understand there are some years to avoid, I would like opinions on that also.

I have no predisposition for any manufacturer, all opinions are welcome. If you know of any weakness in any recommended (yours or others) trucks please post them.

Is there any BOV advantage or disadvantage to dual rear tires other than load capacity?

Is it better to add a fuel tank to the bed or have a couple of 55gal drums standing buy to toss into the bed when needed? I plan on having saddle tanks in addition unless I learn better.

This would be my daily vehicle, but I don’t go far or often unless going camping or fishing. No daily commute to the office. It will be used for heavy loads and towing on occasion. So I don’t need to compromise BOV utility for PC or commuter practicality.

[kawalekm]

I have a 2005 6 speed diesel Ford 350 4X4. We test drove both the Ford and the Dodge and the misses didn't like the bumper ride of the Dodge. I suppose that means the Dodge has a more robust suspension, but, you have to keep the misses happy! Overall the Ford has been a good, reliable truck and gets 20-21 mpg on the highway. Though it has 4 wheel drive, I haven't replaced the street tires it came with, so its performance off road is not the best. But, I don't really think its the truck, its the street tires.

It is BIG though. Mall parking is an experience all in itself. I suspect that having dual wheels makes parking even more dicey. We don't have a 5th wheel trailer, so it never appealed to me. I bought the truck because I wanted a diesel more than anything else. I love the way the diesel performs on the mountain grades I routinely drive. If they had made a 150 sized truck with a diesel I would have bought that instead. I think biodiesel will be the fuel of the future, so I'm planning on replacing everything we own with a diesel some day!

[mike82934]

The company truck that I drive is an '03 F250 with the 6.0, and I really like it. We've had very little trouble with it other than a problem with the turbo (which happened when it was brand new with less than 10000 miles) and a few injectors going out. It now has about 150,000 on it and is still running great. That said, a lot of guys within the company who have the same truck have had A LOT of problems, ranging from ECM problems to injector problems to transmission problems. I think the deciding factor is how you take care of it; I let it warm up for at least twenty minutes in the morning, which nobody else does, and I don't push it too hard or drive like a leadfooted maniac in general. Doing that has seemed to keep me from having problems.
I've also driven the 7.3 on occassion, but didn't care for it. The reliability seems quite a bit better, but it feels gutless and slow compared to the 6. It might actually have more power, but I always felt like it was struggling to keep up when pulling a heavy load or a steeper hill.