HamRad
Bakersfield, CA, USA
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Joined: 01/28/2002
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I recommend the 450. We have a 2002 450 with the 4.88 rear end. Thought I'd take a big hit with the mileage but turns out not to be a big hit. When towing I get between 10 and 11 mpg. With diesel prices today it sure hurts to fill up but we bought the thing for towing and not great mpg! We tow a 35 ft 5th wheel and weight on it normally runs about 13 to 14 thousand.
With this set up we have plenty of room for loading and hauling our current rig without worrying about going over any of the weight limits. And even though the 2002 does not have the TOW/HAUL feature on it it still pulls great. Most of the time I'm able to use CC. It never starts the 'hunting' process like my 250 would.
You're going to have a slightly stiffer ride with the 450 than you would with the 350. But for me it was well worth the sacrifice.
Good luck and happy travels.
HamRad
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MCR500
Central Calif.
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Joined: 04/24/2004
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RE_Todd wrote:This is where I get confused. My understanding is the F350 TowBoss has a 17,800 lb tow rating, regardless of truck load, provided I don't go over the 13,000 GVWR for that truck (BTW, 1 of us is 200 lbs  ). So, if the truck weighs 9K full of fuel (my SRW is 8800, wife and I, full fuel and normal load, including hitch), that leaves me 4k for pin weight, plus 17,800 on the trailer weight (total, pin and axles).If I'm wrong, someone explain it in K.I.S.S. terms for me.
Todd, my 05' F350 in sig has a 13,000# GVWR, and a 23500# GCVWR. Truck alone, full of fuel, hitch and me(nothing else), weighed 8540#.
When hooked to WW in sig(trailer loaded with all stuff for 7-day trip, full water, and all bikes except 1) my truck weighed 13120#, 4580# of PW, trailer at 16160#, 24700# total rig.
With your setup, you will be hard pressed to stay in an F350's GVWR, but if you go with the Towboss option(which raises GCVWR to 26000#), you should be within that rating, no prob.
I don't know what kind of FW you pull(sounds about like mine), but the decision is yours on how "legal" you want to be.
Back in 05' the F450 didn't exist in its' current form, as it does today, so I did't have that option. My 05' was one of the first del. into Cal.(Nov. 04"), and the Towboss option wasn't available until early 05', or I would have purchased it. Sounds like it may be a good option for you, also.
One thing to remember on the F450 with those 19.5"? wheels; while they are rated for a good amount of weight, and should last a long time, they don't air down worth a DARN, so going to any place that requires airing down will be a challenge. Last time I was at Pismo, I pulled a guy out with an F450/WW setup who was REALLY stuck. Asked him if his tires were down, he said "Yes, to 20PSI." Had no sidewall flex/bulge at all. FWIW. C-Ya!!
04 WW 3705 SLC All the options!!
05 Ford F350 CC DRW 4x4 6.0 w/ power"enhancements"!
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Capt Skup
Southern Maryland/Nantucket
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Joined: 05/14/2004
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I have towed a trailer with a pin weight a hair over 5,000lbs and the truck handled it just fine. The 2008 F-450 "pickup" has a rear axle rated at 9500lbs, the Dana 110. That same axle in the F-450 cab/chassis is rated at 14,500lbs with the same tires/rims/brakes. Difference between the two trucks is the leaf spring packs. The pickup version are longer and I think have 4 leafs, compromise for softer ride. Stock cab/chassis springs are quite stiff and truck ride can be painful when unloaded. Price difference for me when purchasing my truck between a F-350 Lariat Tow boss and the F-450 Lariat was about $2,000. The 450 was well worth the difference. The 4.88 axle ratio is no longer offered in new production 450 pickups, though there is probably still job 1 and 2 still to be found on dealers lots. I have crossed the scales at 32,500lbs GCWR and the truck handled the load just fine, returning 8+mpg on the flats.
Capt Skup
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2008 F-450 Lariat 4x4
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Capt Skup
Southern Maryland/Nantucket
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That indeed is a bummer with the 450. No more rides out on the beach at OBX or Cape Cod. The 19.5s sidewalls are way too stiff for beach travel. I have seen a 450 with Super Singles. Tread must have been over 12" wide, truck looked great. Wonder what the weight rating are on those, and they still looked like 19.5s not 22.5s. I am still waiting for Chrysler to give us a Wrangler with the 3.0 TDI., or even a 4.7.
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T-10 Parabolic
North Carolina
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Joined: 01/21/2004
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To satisfy your wife get the 450 Lariat or King Ranch DRW... T-10
2005 King Ranch, 350 DRW. CC, 8' bed, 4X4 6.0 PSD
2004 Jayco Designer Medalion 31rls
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jim.mcgallan
Edmonton,Alberta, Canada
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I have the Lariat F350 dually you are looking at with the tow boss and the whole shot including navigation. Mine is a V10 with 430 rearend.. The diesel will only pull 500 pounds more than this one acording to fords specs.. If your fiver is going to 17000lbs+ you will need the F450 as the pin will be too much once the truck is loaded and you will be over the tow rating for the 2008's..I would have bought the 450 but I did not want diesel and they only come in diesel unless you go with the chasiss cab.. Good luck
Jim Mcgallan
2008 F-350 6.8l V10 4X4 CC LB 4.30 gears, Lariat loaded with/Nav.
2007 Dutchman Northshore 320TS-M5
1 beautiful wife (25 years) and 2 adorable collies
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MadMav
Colorado Springs, CO
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Joined: 03/12/2007
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The F350 will be plenty of truck, but it's up to you.
The pin weight is only 2300#s empty, and at 20% of gross will only be 3400lbs. Well within the 350's capacity. The F350 is a more capable daily driver too and will get better mileage empty.
Mav
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Maverick
'08 Dodge 3500 SLT Mega Cab Dually, 6.7l/6 speed. Oh yeah!
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blt2ski
Kirkland, Wa
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I personally would take the 450. A couple of reasons, the BIGGEST, is the turning radius is smaller for a given WB for the 450, due to the front axel having a 54* turn of the tire, vs about 45-50* for the 350, about 8' less turning radius for a crew cab model with a 170 or there abouts Wheel base! That is the BIGGETST factor for me.
As far as teh two boss goes, the 19.5" tires are the same diam as the 17 or 18' rimed tires as on the 350, just more capacity. From my expreience, they WILL NOT last 3x as long as a typical LT tire on the 350, they will last about the same amount. "IF" you drive the miles a yr as I do, typically 25-30K, you will be able to cap the steel cased tire on the 19.5" tires, and get twice to three times as long this way, ie up to 7 yrs use vs just one tread, ie original for the LT tires. "SOME" LT tires, such as an all steel case Good year unisteel, are able to be recapped. Reality is an LT can be capped, but do not do as good longevity wise from my experience.
Brakes typically last long on a 450 than a 350 too.
Otherwise, they are different animals, in that the frames are different, axels springs etc. Unlike going from a 250 to a 350 SW to a dually 350, they are pretty much the same rig from the frame up, other than suspension and to a degree the axels too. but NOT always.
Marty
05 Chev CC D/A LS Dooley
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surveyorjp
Missouri
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Joined: 09/05/2005
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RE_Todd wrote:
Not Chevy or Dodge though. Love the Cummins, but don't see where they have a long bed quad cab available with it.
Yeah, long bed quad cab is available. Also can get a Dodge 4500 or 5500 quad cab with a pickup bed installed by an upfitter like Dustytuu (I think that's his user name). That would be plenty of truck to haul a BIG trailer! But, they don't have a long bed with a Mega cab. That is only available aftermarket also. See www.megacablongbed.com for that option.
I am sure this won't sway you, since you are set on a Ford. I just wanted to be sure you had all the info correct.
2005 Surveyor SV-291 Tows smooth as silk!
1995 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie SLT 4x4 5.9L V8 low miles, It ain't pretty, but it's paid for!
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SoCalDesertRider
SanDiego, CA, USA
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I agree. The Dodge 4500/5500 cab/chassis would be my choice, with my own home made work body on it. 
92F350 CrewCab 4x4 351/C6
LoadNGo service body
69Bronco ATC250R CR500
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