Buy new F350 or restore older 7.3?

tookstar154

Observer
What shell/camper is that? Really like your setup. Also what kind of mileage do you see with your setup? I've had 2 7.3s and best was 16.3mpg I feel like the guys who claim more are either driving 50 mph everywhere or are bad with a calculator. I average 13.5-14mpg hand calculated.

Thanks man! Shell is a Callen Camper. They were in business for a while, went out of business, and are now back in business. You can find them on Craigslist, down San Diego area. As for mileage, it is hit or miss. Combined, I get around 12 mpg. 10-11 around town, and 13-14 on the highway. Truck has stock gearing in it, so when I end up putting 4.30's in it, it should help bring it to the 14-15 combined range, at least from what I've heard from people who have done it. I will probably put a chip in it at some point, but I'm going to reverse-engineer it sort of. I'm going to do all the bullet-proofing stuff first, bigger intercooler, trans cooler, radiator, exhaust, etc. And then chip it after that. I don't want crazy horsepower, just something to give it a little bump, and help out with mileage a little bit.

My mileage is hand-calculated as well.
 
D

Deleted member 9101

Guest
The dash says 13.1 unloaded currently on my 2017 F350SRW 6.7. I think its off a little bit because of tire size, so guessing I am getting 14.5 right now. I could get 12 in the 6.2 my guess.

I have a buddy that has a 2017 F250, supercrew, STX, 4x4, with 4.10's and he gets 12ish empty and 9ish pulling a 34' camper.
 

BajaSurfRig

Active member
I get between 14.5 and 17 mpg in my 96 F350 PSD (with a FWC camper in the back 4.10's and 285/75r16). I am planning on getting narrower tires for my next set in hopes of bumping that up a little bit. I love my old truck but driving around my new F150 at work is a really nice too. My next truck will probably be a newer F350 with a 6.2 and a rear locker.
 

tatanka48

Active member
i think i am reading into this thread a giant misunderstanding about diesel pick ups

IMHO there are 2 maybe 3 major reasons for buying/driving a diesel

one and first on my priority list is longevity

i have 360k on my clock and haven't found/been aware of any reason not to expect the basic engine (not counting the peripherals) go over 500k before needing tearing into AND i aint gonna live that long ;-)

two is the available torque the diesel provides over what can be reasonably expected from a common gas rig

i can set the cruise control on my 2002 7.3 F-350 and be pretty much assured the engine will pull me on down the road w/o hiccups no matter what is hooked to the hitch systems i'm hooked up to

three is the availability of fuel. if food and services are or will be expected to be present there will be diesel fuel available

and the icing on my cake would be parts availability since that 7.3 has been being used in school busses all over this country as well as all the neighboring countries there will be parts within reasonable reach no matter where i am likely to go/be

a lot of the younger generation are consumed w/ the mystical MPG's where the older folks were primarily interested in dependably getting the job done

with our mixed up economy such as it is it aint MPG's that determine the cost of going down the road IMHO it is the cost of the fuel and the oil companies have inverted their pricing practices and are charging more for diesel fuel than gasoline with more gallons of diesel fuel being refined from a barrel of crude for less cost than is possible with gasoline

i am regularly running into $0.70 differences between the cost of diesel & gas @ the pump which translates to $0.03 - $0.04/mile ± more to drive a diesel than to drive a gas burner IF the MPG's are the same ( my Jeep & my F-350 are darn close w/ 16-18 mpg's average for both )

i now regularly check fuel prices along a projected trip route prior to deciding which vehicle to drive if i'm just running down the road empty

a quick run down to the coast from here is 1k miles± and the difference will buy my food if i eat on the cheap or it will pay for a nice meal for a couple if i take the bridal unit w/ me

figure your MPG's by hand don't just look at the read-out on the dash occasionally

if it is the co$t/mile difference that drives your decisions DO THE MATH SIMPLE ARITHMATIC

if longevity and torque factor into your equasion get a diesel

if you only drive down the pavement and camp in commercial CG's that are close to metropolitan hubs them there newer diesels wont be too far from dependable resources when you need 'em and a newer gas burner might just cost less/mile for fuel

all this other mumbo-jumbo about 5.9's n 5.7's n 6.0's n 6.2's n 6.7's n i heard's n they say's n i read's is/are all that's really keeping this thread alive

all the above is why i'm still driving/maintaining my 7.3 F-350 (16-18mpg & $0.164/mile given today's diesel fuel price ) and my y2k Cherokee ( 16-18mpo & $0.111/mile @ today's gasoline price ) BOTH PAID FOR

current rant over

T
 

Regcabguy

Oil eater.
Well.. Ford makes about a million F series trucks a year. Out of that number a very small percentage have problems with the electronics. Even when they do it's easy to repair and not that expensive if you do it your self.

Also, the 6.2 cost about 8 grand less than the 6.7. With out figuring in all the other expensive aspects of owning a 6.7 it will take hundreds of thousands of miles for the 6.7 to make financial sense.
I was referring to the new batch of diesels built in the last five years. As my neighbor declared about his new 6.7 F-350,"it's one big computer". We'll see in ten years.The service writers and techs know how well the newer trucks are doing. I would hate coming to work dealing with them. Minor simple repairs are a thing of the past. My 5.9 has lot's of room to maintain it.
 
i think i am reading into this thread a giant misunderstanding about diesel pick ups

IMHO there are 2 maybe 3 major reasons for buying/driving a diesel

one and first on my priority list is longevity

i have 360k on my clock and haven't found/been aware of any reason not to expect the basic engine (not counting the peripherals) go over 500k before needing tearing into AND i aint gonna live that long ;-)

two is the available torque the diesel provides over what can be reasonably expected from a common gas rig

i can set the cruise control on my 2002 7.3 F-350 and be pretty much assured the engine will pull me on down the road w/o hiccups no matter what is hooked to the hitch systems i'm hooked up to

three is the availability of fuel. if food and services are or will be expected to be present there will be diesel fuel available

and the icing on my cake would be parts availability since that 7.3 has been being used in school busses all over this country as well as all the neighboring countries there will be parts within reasonable reach no matter where i am likely to go/be

a lot of the younger generation are consumed w/ the mystical MPG's where the older folks were primarily interested in dependably getting the job done

with our mixed up economy such as it is it aint MPG's that determine the cost of going down the road IMHO it is the cost of the fuel and the oil companies have inverted their pricing practices and are charging more for diesel fuel than gasoline with more gallons of diesel fuel being refined from a barrel of crude for less cost than is possible with gasoline

i am regularly running into $0.70 differences between the cost of diesel & gas @ the pump which translates to $0.03 - $0.04/mile ± more to drive a diesel than to drive a gas burner IF the MPG's are the same ( my Jeep & my F-350 are darn close w/ 16-18 mpg's average for both )

i now regularly check fuel prices along a projected trip route prior to deciding which vehicle to drive if i'm just running down the road empty

a quick run down to the coast from here is 1k miles± and the difference will buy my food if i eat on the cheap or it will pay for a nice meal for a couple if i take the bridal unit w/ me

figure your MPG's by hand don't just look at the read-out on the dash occasionally

if it is the co$t/mile difference that drives your decisions DO THE MATH SIMPLE ARITHMATIC

if longevity and torque factor into your equasion get a diesel

if you only drive down the pavement and camp in commercial CG's that are close to metropolitan hubs them there newer diesels wont be too far from dependable resources when you need 'em and a newer gas burner might just cost less/mile for fuel

all this other mumbo-jumbo about 5.9's n 5.7's n 6.0's n 6.2's n 6.7's n i heard's n they say's n i read's is/are all that's really keeping this thread alive

all the above is why i'm still driving/maintaining my 7.3 F-350 (16-18mpg & $0.164/mile given today's diesel fuel price ) and my y2k Cherokee ( 16-18mpo & $0.111/mile @ today's gasoline price ) BOTH PAID FOR

current rant over

T

Holy ********. Could not have said it better. That’s exactly the reason(s) I bought and will keep my 7.3. Well put.


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TexasSixSeven

Observer
While you’ve ridden in one I drive one. No they do not get substantially better mileage than a 6.2. Unloaded they get 2-4 mpg better, and loaded they get approximately the same mileage. Maybe 1 mpg better if they’re lucky. That’s not substantial.

16 mpg out of a 6.7 with any kind of load is just a pipe dream. Between myself and good buddies we have at least 6 17+ 6.7s. Everyone is stock but me. We all get the same ************ mileage, just mine does it on 37s.
 

Chorky

Observer
I think I'll chime in with some cents of thoughts.

I like what tantaka48 said above. There are certainly some advantages to both routes. Personally, I would never get a newer truck than a 97 7.3 (at least right now). Here is the reasons why. As most have already said before, it's relatively simple, wide range of parts availability, updated/upgraded parts for common known issues, and cost. Sometimes I actually wish I had a IDI-T instead. Now granted, I searched for 2 years for my truck. Yes, 2 years. But I found a primo truck in excellent shape right at KBB price. You can say it was a gift from above. Since I've owned it I have done significant work. Check out my build thread if you wish. It still comes in at quite a bit under cost for a new factory truck today, with lots of things that a factory truck doesn't have. Plus, I can work on it easier. From my experience, the whole 'computer' talk is still a valid one. If a computer fails, though they are becoming more and more reliable, your stuck. Usually, if it is some sort of mechanical failure, you can still limp to a shop somewhere close by. Because the older trucks have been around a while, they have a huge market with tons of parts and 'toys' available to allow you to build it as you wish basically. Many like the last generation of 7.3's however, I actually prefer leaf springs up front due to a future plan of making the front suspension loose, but backed by air bags, for utmost in flexibility. Point is, newer trucks don't have the aftermarket backing them as much yet as they haven't been around as long, and many designs don't allow for such modifications. THey also, as you know, have a good track record, being strong runners after 20 years.... Yes, they don't have all the nice comfortable fancy interiors, but sometimes less is more. That being said, you would be hard pressed to put a heavy camper in one of these older trucks, or for any 1-ton series of trucks in general. Many people say they will haul a 3K plus camper, and possibly off the road, but that leaves zero room for a safety margin, and more than likely they are over the weighted capacities for tires, truck, and axle. Then again, no matter what truck you have, if your hauling a 3K camper then your probably sticking to places with roads anyway and need a dual rear.

Now, my dad recently bought a new Ram 3500 (single rear) along with a 13K or so travel trailer (OutdoorMfg.). I have driven it a fair amount, and I will be honest that it is a super awesome truck! It's quiet, it handles really nice, has some pretty cool comfort features, and is all around pretty awesome. It also hauls significantly better than my truck, but I would imagine it should since it has 20 years of updated research and development! But, he has that stupid DEF fluid which is terrible, does nothing good for the environment like it supposedly does, and is a huge annoyance of having to fill up. He, also, can only haul a little over 3K in the bed, and tow only 2K more than me (legally) and stay within a fair safety margin. So honestly, in my opinion, one would need a Class 5 or 6 truck if they safely and seriously want to haul a super heavy camper and tow, within reason. Being over the sticker weight is one thing, since most axles support quite a bit more than advertised. But being overweight on the tires, that's something entirely different in my mind. But, at about 70K for his truck, he would be looking to spend over 100K total to have the same goodies in his truck that I have in mine where I'm already at half the cost of his truck (or abouts), with a bunch of cool stuff.

That being said, the one huge advantage these newer trucks have over the older ones is brakes. Now considering safety, and even just drivability, this is hands down this is (or should be) the biggest single topic of discussion between new and old trucks, in my opinion (aside from cost). I will say the one major gripe I have about my truck, that I really cannot fix without major modification, is the brakes. I don't like having crappy brakes, and they are pretty crappy. Not terrible, but bad enough to make for potential issues in an emergency situation, or being super careful on a steep downgrade whether on or off the highway.

So all that said, one thing to keep in mind, from my perspective anyway, is I would in no way ever get a Ford newer than the 10th gen truck series. Having been a master tech for them for some years, they always push the envelope with technology and development and spend resources on 'cool' things, which is all well and good, except it makes for pretty big differences from year to year and raises concerns over reliability. Whereas the Ram series, though still having changes, is much more simple, and uses the same basic engine year after year. So given the potential of winning the lottery in the future, I would only go with a Ram. Although, if I could even ever afford it, and if money was not a factor, I would much rather just go with a custom build from Legacy.

So I think what it really comes down to, is how much money you have, and how much you want to modify the truck, and what would you truly use the truck for majority of the time. If you want to just use what comes factory, and have the cash for a new truck, go for it. You'll be happy. But if you want to tinker, and modify it to suite your specific needs and desires, a 10th gen truck or older (Ford) will be best. Either way, I think a super heavy camper is not outside reason of any Class 3 series of trucks.
 
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I haul a 4K camper on my 2002. There’s no doubt it is close to the limit of what the truck can do but it does it. Can I drive it like it’s empty? No way. But with some common sense it handles it fine and I feel safe. To do this required some upgrades but nothing to bad. All in including new wheels/tires I’m at about $6k in camper specific upgrades. Still way cheaper than a new truck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

mtnbiker4evr13

New member
I was in the same boat as the OP's original question. I was driving a ragged out 99 F350 with a 7.3, 250k miles, rusted out rockers, bed, doors big oil leak from the valley etc... and got a job 60miles away. With a kid on the way I bought a brand new 2015 Ram 2500 CCLB with a cummins and manual trans. Drove it for 2.5 years and 85k miles commuting and towing but got to the point where I was unhappy with its towing performance (both of the 7.3s I had owned before would tow circles around it) the monthly payment sucked, and I feared the emissions issues even though it was driven long and hot just as those systems like.

I ended up trading my 2 year old truck in on a 21 year old truck in the form of a 97 F350 CCLB with 150k miles and needed some work. I have put over 30k miles on it and think it was a good choice, yes I work on it here and there.. and it needs body work (darn midwest rust) but I regularly hop in it with my family and drive long distances without a thought. I do miss the comfort of the new truck but I like that we have more expendable money and I can work on anything on the truck. On the comfort end there are upgrades that can be made and without a 5-700 dollar truck payment I can actually do them. If anything I miss my old 99 RCLB powerstroke more than the new truck.

Different strokes for different folks. Did the 2 year old truck do anything my 21 year old one cant....? Not in daily life, but if I needed to legally pull over 12k lbs then it would be a different story. Does my wife like how rough and noisy the OBS is...? Not particularly, but my 3 year old falls asleep within minutes riding in the truck on long drives so that's pretty handy. Plus I can upgrade the engine and exhaust without breaking any federal laws... so there's that.
 

Tohollow

New member
About once a year I get the itch for a new truck... I've put half of the 300k miles on my 2002 F350. Each time I go drive a new one... I think Man this is nice. Love all the gadgets, A/C seats, and such. Then I look at the price again and drive a way with a smile on my face. I paid $10k for it years ago, then spent another $25k (repairs/upgrades) over the years. With: DP tuner, Stage 2 injectors, MBRP Exhaust, S&B intake... it makes plenty of power for me, (pushing the go pedal still makes me giggle). I travel between Tallahassee and Atlanta every week... (and often a route between Tally, Jax, Orlando, back to Tally... before heading home to Atlanta). Doing that in an $80k truck would make me sick.
Needless to say, I am happy with my decision (even if I get tempted by that new truck smell once in a while)... 525780
 

Regcabguy

Oil eater.
Before contemplating a new vehicle I call AAA and see what the insurance is going to run.
Then there's the draconian registration fees in California. I don't know how guys do it here. Two jobs maybe.
 

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