Your truck thoughts

[tuffr2]

Pre 2011 Ford put a 6.8 litre V10 engine as a gasoline option in their heavy duty trucks. That might be something to look at.

[IronCobra]

Originally Posted by 1bigmess

Did you read the info, or is this just shooting from the hip? I'm gonna speculate the latter.

Honestly I didn't. I just assumed... Yeah. We were at a camp ground with horrible WiFi and couldn't open your like. Sorry

[1bigmess]

I appreciate your honesty. And I know what it's like to suffer with poor campground internet access.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

Pre 2011 Ford put a 6.8 litre V10 engine as a gasoline option in their heavy duty trucks. That might be something to look at.

The V-10 gasoline engine is still available in 2016 F-450 and F-550 chassis cab trucks.

6.8L V10 Gas Engine
• Free-breathing 3-valve-per-cylinder induction system
• 362 horsepower; 457 lb.-ft. of torque
•Standard on the Super Duty® XL and XLT F-450/F-550 chassis cabs. Not available with Lariat trim, which comes standard with the diesel engine.

Here's one I built and priced on Ford.com:

2016 Chassis Cab F-450 XLT SuperCrew 4x2
• 6.8L 3-Valve SOHC EFI V10 Engine
• Wheelbase: 176"
• Rear Wheels: DRW
• TorqShift® 5-Speed SelectShift® Automatic Transmission - O/D
• 4.88 Limited-Slip Axle Ratio (4.10 and 4.30 ratios available with diesel engine, but not with the V10.)

Payload: 9,325 lbs
Towing: 17,700 lbs

Base MSRP: $44,520
+ Destination: $1,195
= Total MSRP: $45,715

2016 Ford Chassis Cab - Build & Price.

The dealer's fleet manager can have the new truck shipped through an upfitter of your choice with no additional destination (freight) charges to have a bed and 5er hitch installed. Endless variety of beds and tow bodies available from about $3000 for a plain and simple flat bed to $18k or more for a gee whiz fancy tow body such as an 800-toolbox tow body.

Plan ahead and order your chassis cab towing machine at least two months before you must have it.

So if you want a gasoline-powered truck that will easily tow an Arctic Fox 27-5L that has a GVWR of 13400, then a new F-450 chassis cab with the V10 engine would be a perfect match. It's plenty of truck for that trailer, but not too much truck.

[Terry Jay]

Originally Posted by SmokeyWren

The V-10 gasoline engine is still available in 2016 F-450 and F-550 chassis cab trucks.

6.8L V10 Gas Engine
• Free-breathing 3-valve-per-cylinder induction system
• 362 horsepower; 457 lb.-ft. of torque
•Standard on the Super Duty® XL and XLT F-450/F-550 chassis cabs. Not available with Lariat trim, which comes standard with the diesel engine.

Here's one I built and priced on Ford.com:

2016 Chassis Cab F-450 XLT SuperCrew 4x2
• 6.8L 3-Valve SOHC EFI V10 Engine
• Wheelbase: 176"
• Rear Wheels: DRW
• TorqShift® 5-Speed SelectShift® Automatic Transmission - O/D
• 4.88 Limited-Slip Axle Ratio (4.10 and 4.30 ratios available with diesel engine, but not with the V10.)

Payload: 9,325 lbs
Towing: 17,700 lbs

Base MSRP: $44,520
+ Destination: $1,195
= Total MSRP: $45,715

2016 Ford Chassis Cab - Build & Price.

The dealer's fleet manager can have the new truck shipped through an upfitter of your choice with no additional destination (freight) charges to have a bed and 5er hitch installed. Endless variety of beds and tow bodies available from about $3000 for a plain and simple flat bed to $18k or more for a gee whiz fancy tow body such as an 800-toolbox tow body.

Plan ahead and order your chassis cab towing machine at least two months before you must have it.

So if you want a gasoline-powered truck that will easily tow an Arctic Fox 27-5L that has a GVWR of 13400, then a new F-450 chassis cab with the V10 engine would be a perfect match. It's plenty of truck for that trailer, but not too much truck.

Interesting, but SmokeyWren, have you ever driven to or from Alaska? Going from memory, the Taylor Hill is 10%+ in places. Some grades in the Yukon are not marked, but are steep. The Glenn Highway has some substantial grades, especially around Caribou Creek Depending on route choices, hitting 4,500 feet is not out or bounds, a number of times.

A torque of 467 is impressive in a gas engine, but is in ha-ha land compared to the 900 ft/lbs in current diesel.

No disrespect to your years of experience, but towing to and from Alaska to the Southwest just ain't like Texas. The OP stated an initial preference for gas, and has indicated a growing interest in Diesel. I like to think it is based on comments and the experience of others. Trying to sell him a dump truck engine and transmission just just wont work. On the other hand, were he going from Florida to Dallas, you have the better argument.

[Gordon Dewald]

Originally Posted by Terry Jay

Interesting, but SmokeyWren, have you ever driven to or from Alaska? Going from memory, the Taylor Hill is 10%+ in places. Some grades in the Yukon are not marked, but are steep. The Glenn Highway has some substantial grades, especially around Caribou Creek Depending on route choices, hitting 4,500 feet is not out or bounds, a number of times.

A torque of 467 is impressive in a gas engine, but is in ha-ha land compared to the 900 ft/lbs in current diesel.

No disrespect to your years of experience, but towing to and from Alaska to the Southwest just ain't like Texas. The OP stated an initial preference for gas, and has indicated a growing interest in Diesel. I like to think it is based on comments and the experience of others. Trying to sell him a dump truck engine and transmission just just wont work. On the other hand, were he going from Florida to Dallas, you have the better argument.

Hmm - a good portion of that very highway was built using gasoline engines that had nowhere near the amount of power Smokey described. They all made it to the top of the hill.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by Terry Jay

The OP stated an initial preference for gas,...

I'm a diesel fan. I drove one dragging a 5er for over 10 years. The OP would be better off with a diesel, but if he wants a gas rig that can tow that trailer, then Ford offers it for around $8,000 less than the diesel in the same truck. I'd hate to see him settle on a 6.2L gas engine in an SRW pickup that would be overloaded with the trailer loaded to 13k, when the V-10 is available in an F-450 chassis cab and be a much better choice than the 6.2L gas engine in a pickup.

Yeah, the F-450 is DRW, but he needs DRW anyway to drag a 13k 5er without being overloaded over the GVWR of the truck.

Ford sells the F-350 SRW chassis cab, but not with the V-10 engine. So to get that engine, he would have to move up to an F-450.

I'm not advocating the V-10 engine over a diesel, but I'm advocating the V-10 over the V8 gasser.

Did you notice that 4.88 axle ratio? That axle combined with the 457 lb.-ft. of torque with the V10 engine will provide enough oomph to drag that 13k trailer over any grades on the AlCan highway.

[Highway 4x4]

No one is saying that a gas truck won't tow to their rated load. The diesel just does it better. Just like a DP in a MH is better. But ya got to pay to play. If it's worth it to you and you've got the bucks, then go for it. Before you buy a diesel know what you're in for. The same goes for gas.

[jacknife]

You don't need a dually to pull 13k

[Gordon Dewald]

Originally Posted by SmokeyWren

Did you notice that 4.88 axle ratio? That axle combined with the 457 lb.-ft. of torque with the V10 engine will provide enough oomph to drag that 13k trailer over any grades on the AlCan highway.

I have the 4:88 with the 6.0 diesel. It gave the truck a 33,000 GCVW. We tow a 18,000 5er anywhere we want to go. We are not the fastest but we always get there.

[jacknife]

Based on how mine pulls with a 6 spd auto and 800 lbs of torque 342 gears pulling 14000, it pulls great. You don't need that kind of gearing in the rear with moderrn auto trannys . 410 to 430 if you are pulling really heavy fivers. 373 would be the most you would want in your weight cat. 488 in a gasser your fuel mileage will be crap.

[AK49er]

Thanks again for every ones help and all their advice. I didn't mean to start all this trouble around here! I knew about the 3 valve 6.8 from Ford but thought it was too much truck for us on the 450 platform. I hear that the tranny for the 6.2 is what made that motor the gasser to have. I was hoping someone had the 6.2 towing the weight that I put up and hear their story.


After listening to you folks and reading about the newer diesels with all the latest stuff, we have decided to go that route, if for nothing else, the exhaust brake ability.


Thoughts of DRW, axle ratio, 5er hitch and all else will come down the road soon!


Just be ready when I come calling about those things. Thank-you

[jacknife]

Good call ! No smoking brakes down mtns.

[1bigmess]

Originally Posted by AK49er

After listening to you folks and reading about the newer diesels with all the latest stuff, we have decided to go that route, if for nothing else, the exhaust brake ability.

I really don't think you'll regret the decision. The exhaust brake alone is a great feature for western mountain passes.