Ford 250

[DaveTN]

Looking at a used 250 crew cab (2011). Anyone have one and like it? Dislike it?

[Tumble Weed]

I know I do like my 2002 f250 7.3L.
Do a car fax on it, also theres a total loss data base to check
USA goverment to check.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by DaveTN

Looking at a used 250 crew cab (2011). Anyone have one and like it? Dislike it?

Not enough info for a definitive answer. 4x4 or 4x2 drivetrain? 8' bed or shorty bed? Gas or diesel engine? If gas, is the rear axle ratio 3.73 or 4.30?

Assuming it has the diesel engine, then it's outstanding. You'll love it as long as your intended use includes towing a fifth wheel or gooseneck trailer that grosses less than about 10,000 pounds, or a tandem axle travel trailer (TT) that grosses less than about 12,000 pounds. If it has the 6.2L gasoline engine, then it's underpowered for towing much of an RV trailer, and it will get awful gas mileage when towing.

But even the diesel has limitations. The F-250 has a GVWR of 10,000 pounds, which limits a fifth wheel RV trailer to a hitch weight (a.k.a kingpin or "pin" weight) of around 1,700 pounds when the truck is loaded to the common traveling weight of 8,300 pounds. 1700 pounds max fifth wheel or gooseneck hitch weight converts to a max wet and loaded trailer weight around 10,000 pounds. The diesel drivetrain can easily pull more weight, but the suspension and other parts of the truck cannot haul more hitch weight without being overloaded - especially if your truck is the heaviest version with diesel engine, 4x4 drivetrain and 8' bed.

A common misconception is that a 2011-up F-250 diesel can pull a mountain with no problem. True, it can probably pull that mountain, but it can't haul the hitch weight of that mountain without exceeding the GVWR of the F-250. So if you need to tow a heavier trailer, then skip the F-250 and go for the F-350 SRW, or better yet, a 2011-up dually.

[DaveTN]

It is gas, 3.73 ( which I honestly don't understand), 6.2L, short bed.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by DaveTN

It is gas, 3.73 ( which I honestly don't understand), 6.2L, short bed.

GVWR is still 10,000. GCWR is 19,000

CrewCab shorty 4x4 gasser will probably weigh around 7,900 pounds when wet and ready for towing - with driver, passenger(s), tools, jacks, bedliner, 5er hitch, and a full tank of gas. That leaves 2,100 pounds for max hitch weight, which is a 5er of not more than 12,353 if the 5er has the typical 17% pin weight.

But in the case of the less-powerful drivetrain of the gas engine, hitch weight is not your limiter. The 19,000 GCWR is your limiter. 19,000 minus 7,900 truck weight = 11,100 max trailer weight.

And if loaded to the GCWR, you'll be the slow-poke in the right lane when climbing any steep grade, such as a big hill or a mountain pass. So the practical limit is a wet and loaded trailer that weighs less than about 10,000 pounds.

With a trailer that weighs less than about 10,000 pounds, you'll have a good match of truck and trailer. You'll burn a bunch of gas when towing, but you should get there without burning up something in the drivetrain, and without blocking traffic on steep grades.

The above max trailer weights are estimates, based on estimated wet and loaded truck weight. To get a better estimate, load the truck with everything that will be in it when towing, go to a truckstop with a truck scale, fill up with gas, then weigh the wet and loaded truck.

The 3.73 axle ratio means the driveshaft turns 3.73 revolutions for every time the rear tires turn one rev. With the 4.30 ratio, the driveshaft would turn 4.3 times for every tire rev. The difference is leverage. The 4.3 ratio means you can pull more weight than with the "longer legs" of the 3.73 ratio. The difference in gear ratio is about 15%. So at 70 MPH you would have engine RPM of around 2,000 with the 3.73 ratio, but 2,300 RPM with the 4.30 ratio. Look up the horsepower and torque curves of your engine, and you will see that the engine is making more power, and probably more torque at the higher RPM, so it can pull more weight without struggling. So the GCWR is higher with the 4.30 ratio than with the 3.73. With the 3.73 it's 19,000, but you add 3,000 more pounds for 22,000 with the 4.30 ratio.

(With the 4.30 ratio, GVWR (hitch weight) is your limiter, but with the 3.73 ratio, the GCWR is your limiter for matching trailer weight to tow vehicle capability.)

[Cumminsfan]

Check your payload sticker. Upper trim levels can drasticaly reduce it. I looked at a 2011 F250 XLT 4x4 crew with the 6.5 bed. If I remember right the payload was around 24-2500lbs. Tires and rim size will also dictate payload. IMO I would want the 4.30's for towing. If your only towing on the flats, 3.73's could work out okay, but hilly/mtns would be different. Haven't read any good reports on mpg's running empty though. Seems like they were around 16-17 mpg.

[JohnBoyToo]

here's a resource for you :
either here: http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/forum206/
or 6.7L Power Stroke Diesel - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

[DaveTN]

Thanks!

[rabraz]

Not meaning to get in trouble with the tow police but I absolutely love my F250 superduty. The 6.2 Boss is a fantasic engine. A real beast.
I researched and agonized over the whole diesel/gas question for months prior to making my purchase decision and am glad I chose the 6.2. My reasoning was this truck is my daily driver and 80% of my driving is without my trailer. Regular unleaded is cheaper and the overall maintenance of my tow rig is much cheaper than the 6.7 would have been.
My Puma 351THSS loaded for a camping trip the GCW comes in at about 18850. This puts me just under Ford's recommended ratings for my truck. I have the scale slip and both the GVWR and the GCWR are within Ford's specs. I have towed that rig through mountain passes and never seen my rpm exceed 3700 to maintain my normal speed of 55-60. I might occasionally drop into 3rd but for the most part I stay in 4th/5th/6th.
Now my MPG does suffer with the gasser. I average 8.5 towing, 12.5 unloaded. It can get expensive but I figure my overall costs are better than using a diesel rig as an everyday driver.
I know not everyone will agree but I am one happy camper with the 6.2 gas. Now if I were to be pulling a heavier trailer, I would not hesitate to go with the diesel rig and would recommend it to anyone whose anticipated load would be heavier than mine.
Oh, by the way, I did add a set of SuperSprings to my truck. One great product that solved my suspension concerns.
Anyway, that is the short and long of my experience with the 2011 Ford Superduty 6.2.
Wishing everyone Happy Trails!

[jamesrxx951]

I would agree with the 6.2L motor for recreational towing. If this is your daily driver and you tow every now and then, a gasser would seem to make more sense. The 6.7L will get better fuel mileage in either situation but there is expensive maintaince cost. I dont think you would ever recoupe this cost from fuel savings. But, the 6.7L is a brute and does not stop easily. If it is in your budget, get a 6.7L but the 6.2L gasser is not a slouch either.

[elkhornsun]

On a dollars per mile a gas engine will be more economical in the short run and an injector or turbo repair can cost as much as a complete rebuild of a gas engine.

The 3.73 will provide 20% less towing capacity than a 4.10 gearing. This will also affect accelleration and the truck's speed up a grade. You can download the Ford towing guide for the specifics but the 3.73 is a good all around gear but not the best for heavy towing.

Ford also provides as options packages ones for heavy hauling and ones for heavy towing. They are a lot cheaper than adding these capabilities later with after market products. I wouild be looking for a used truck that had one of the tow packages already in place as it affects the book value by only a few hundred dollars.

[jrstout89]

Love my 2010 CC/LB V10.

[rabraz]

One observation I might make is to choose your trailer then buy your tow vehicle. I actually bought my truck with one specific trailer in mind but after the fact discovered that trailer really did not suit my needs as I thought it would. I quickly realized my truck was too light for the campers I started looking at. Matching your camper needs to your truck is not as easy as you might think. Finding the perfect trailer then buying your tow vehicle to match is the way to go if you can work it out to do that. I finally settled on a camper that minimally fits my needs but a lot of research went in to finding the perfect toy hauler I feel my truck can handle.
Of course if you go ahead and purchase the 1 ton diesel dually then you can pretty much have any trailer you want.
Happy Trails!

[myredracer]

We bought an '09 F250 recently and is a 4WD with LB, V10 and supercab. It is totally awesome! Makes our old F150 V6 seem like a toy.

Trying to make sense of the towing capabilities isn't exactly easy. It has a GVWR of 9,600 and when I subtract the weight of the truck as scaled (driver + fuel only) I get an available payload of 1,600 lbs. But the payload capacity on the sticker with tire data says an available payload of 2,701 lbs. Makes no sense yet.

Our truck can tow up to 12,500 lbs but the max. tongue weight is 1,250 lbs which limits the max tow capacity to the 8,000 lb range if a TT had a tongue weight of 15%.

We will be towing a new KZ Spree which is less than 6,000 lbs dry so it will pull like a dream.