Community Forums

blueridgedog · 04-10-2021, 08:47 AM

So some folks in another thread helped me spec this out.

2021 F350, 7.3 gas,camper package, 11,500# GVWR package, 5th wheel package, camera for 5th wheel hitch and other options not related to towing/hauling (Lariat/Lariat value/roof lights/5th wheel hitch - that I don't need atm, locking diff).

Anyway, I few up to ND and picked it up Thursday and drove 23 hours home to Va over two days.

I weighed it after filling it up. 4,200 front, 3,260 rear leaving 4,040 pounds of payload (more when I remove the 5th wheel hitch). Plenty for the 2,400# slide in I am looking at (dry weight). Has head room for water/batteries/propane/gear.

Tire pressure for that rating was 60f 80r. That is what it had in it on the lot. That pressure gave a bit of over steer and made the rear way too active oven small bumps (hot pressure was 67/88). For the unloaded trip home I droped it to 50f 60r. Front steering was better and the rear settled down. 80 psi cold in the back was way to much unloaded.

The engine has some shocking low end torque. I had the cruise on 62 through most of West Virginia and it climbed most of the hills/mountains in 10th at 1,500 rpm. The engine also has amazing power if needed. I pulled over to check some of the electronics at a truck inspection pull off and had 80 yards to speed up from a dead stop to merge back on...I hit 70 before the merge.

I got 15.3 mpg at 65. 14.1 at 77. Average for the trip was 14.6.

The transmission also downshifts aggressively for deceleration when using cruise.

You can tell it is a one ton, but if the road is not bad, it is civilized. Even at 60psi in the back, bumps will jump you.

Happy Camping!

tuffr2 · 04-10-2021, 11:05 AM

Very nice and thanks for posting your thoughts on the truck. Holding 10th gear is really good going up those WVA mountains. That kinda was surprising to me.

Anyway - nice Lariat silver truck [emoji106].

Tim_T · 04-11-2021, 07:27 PM

Blueridgedog,
I also have a 2020 7.3L F350 with recommended pressure of 60/80 PSI loaded.

During the winter I reduced pressure in the tires to try to improve the unloaded ride. I found that if I lowered the pressure to 50/60, the TPMS would light up. I took it to 60/70, solved the tpms problem, and stopped experimenting.

Now that the weather is warmer, the tires are heating up a lot more, pressures are up, and the truck is bouncy. Maybe I need to play around with pressure a bit and figure out where the light triggers.

Once you put your camper in the back, it'll ride fine at full pressure. Mine is happy with the pin weight of my trailer.

And yes, that torque curve is great. I love the sound of a moderate load too.

xc-mark · 04-12-2021, 03:10 PM

With a long bed you will have room for a tool box/fuel tank. With a gas motor it has to be plumbing with a pump but it is possible. Nice truck! One of the guy I work with said he has a very similar truck on order. surprising payload amount!

CAMPER70 · 04-12-2021, 07:19 PM

Thanks for the post on your new F-350 with the 7.3L gas engine. I'm loking at that truck so I can upgrade to a fifth wheel at a gvwr around 15,000 lbs. I only want an XLT with the upgrade for heated seats. I would order the 4.30 rear for max towing ability. Ihave been wondering where the payload might come in around. I am surprised the Lariat had that much payload.

Tim_T · 04-13-2021, 07:35 AM

Camper70,
Start at the page 6 of the super duty spec sheet https://media.ford.com/content/dam/f...Tech-Specs.pdf

My truck is a crew cab, long bed, SRW, 4x4, 7.3L gas, lariat ultimate with a few more options thrown in. I have 11400 gvw. the spec sheet would put me at 4390 payload capacity. The sticker on my doorframe says 3859. So I lose 531 pounds for the combination of options I have. I have not weighed the truck and done the math Blueridgedog did.

It looks like Blueridgedog has a supercab, short bed, SRW, 4x4, 7.3 gas, lariat VALUE, plus a few items with 11500 GVW. The spec sheet puts that truck at 4120 payload. His math puts him at 4040 capacity, or 80 pounds less than the spec sheet.

Blueridgedog, what does the sticker in the driver's door frame say for your payload capacity?

If you want the 48 gallon gas tank, you have to get the crew cab, long bed. Standard tank is 34 gallons. At 8MPG towing that's an extra 100 miles range. The extra length does cost a little maneuverability in parking lots.

tuffr2 · 04-13-2021, 08:11 AM

Just to add a bit more information I looked at a 2020 7.3 Godzilla F-250 4x4 Lariat with Lariat Ultimate and a few more options like clearance lights. Door Sticker was 2,825 lbs. payload.

A 48 gallon fuel tank would be great. I wonder if it would give the impression the fuel gauge was going down slower.

deserteagle5 · 04-13-2021, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tuffr2

A 48 gallon fuel tank would be great. I wonder if it would give the impression the fuel gauge was going down slower.

Oh, it would!

I used to have an F350/460V8 back when they came with twin tanks. One of the tanks held only like 12 gallons of gas if I remember correctly. Pulling a load, you could literally watch the gas gauge moving down....8 mpg on a 12 gallon tank!

tuffr2 · 04-13-2021, 10:58 AM

When that 460 cu. in. engine was in vouge there were a lot of engines that only got 10 to 12 mpg. My family had a huge Crysler 300 (I think) car with a 383 cu. in. engine. I bet that car only got 10 mpg.

Lol - as a teenager I had a 1968 Mercury Cougar 302 cu. in. engine. Both the gas pedal was 100% floored or the brakes were 100% floored.

I was trying to use all the gasoline I could.

Compared to today - those where the dark ages.

blueridgedog · 04-14-2021, 03:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim_T

Blueridgedog, what does the sticker in the driver's door frame say for your payload capacity?

My calc was with the 5th wheel hitch in the bed, so figure 180# more than what I came up with.

Sticker in the door says 4,126# so close to my calc less the hitch, but my weight was with me and a full tank, so my math is 4,040 + 250 (me) + 280 (fuel) + 180 (hitch) = calculated payload 4,750, but I can work with the 4,126 figure.

tuffr2 · 04-14-2021, 04:30 AM

If the door sticker is 4,126 lbs. payload then that is the payload. Then you get into the truck you subtract from the 4,126. Not add to it - correct?

So after all your stuff and fuel and hitch you have more like 3,500 lbs left.

Still pretty darn good for a SRW truck.

blueridgedog · 04-14-2021, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tuffr2

If the door sticker is 4,126 lbs. payload then that is the payload. Then you get into the truck you subtract from the 4,126. Not add to it - correct?.

Right, that is why I had to add them to the weight to get the measured payload as they were in the truck when weighed i.e. they were payload already in the truck when I got the base wight and resulting payload, so the measured payload was that plus what was in it when I weighed it because they were subtracted by virtue of going across the scale with me. I don't mind living to the sticker though.

kdauto · 04-14-2021, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xc-mark

With a long bed you will have room for a tool box/fuel tank. With a gas motor it has to be plumbing with a pump but it is possible. Nice truck! One of the guy I work with said he has a very similar truck on order. surprising payload amount!

Mine is plumbed without a pump and works fine.

BPTS · 04-15-2021, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tuffr2

When that 460 cu. in. engine was in vouge there were a lot of engines that only got 10 to 12 mpg. My family had a huge Crysler 300 (I think) car with a 383 cu. in. engine. I bet that car only got 10 mpg.

Lol - as a teenager I had a 1968 Mercury Cougar 302 cu. in. engine. Both the gas pedal was 100% floored or the brakes were 100% floored.

I was trying to use all the gasoline I could.

Compared to today - those where the dark ages.

There was a trick to getting good mileage out of a 460. Ford retarded the cam timing 8 degrees on them claiming it was for "emission" purposes.
In reality it was because some old bitty ran her 460 equipped LTD through a convenience store window and sued-claimed the car was too powerful.

When I drove a tow truck the first thing we did with the Ford 460's was to go to Ford and get the timing chain set for a 70 Lincoln with a 429 and swap it out.
Horsepower & gas mileage in a box, literally.
I picked up a 94 crew cab dually 2wd with 22,000 miles on it, did the timing chain swap and that truck would get 16-18 mpg towing a 3500 lb boat.
Without a load on it it was an absolute beast. I surprised quite a few guys in their hot rods with that truck.
Lots of fun when you power brake it on dry pavement and the rear end breaks sideways.
I would still have it but it got rear ended at a red light by a drunk going 60 mph.