Quote:
Originally Posted by kannon
Diesel power magazine has writeup on 2017 model year F-350.Complete new design.Going to aluminum body and boxing of rear frame should solve flex problems.Heavier driveline,bigger brakes also.Much more.Its the February issue.Jim
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I am on my 3rd F 350, my current is a '15 CC, LB, Dually.
This flex thing I find interesting in that I regularly haul 5500-6000 lbs in the bed of my truck, I drive Interstate to the back ranch roads here in Texas. Some of those times I am also pulling a trailer up to 10,000 lbs.
All I can say is: Flex, what flex, where, when and how 'cause I have yet to see it.
I grew up on a ranch here in Tx and I remember well the ONLY truck was a Chevy/GMC, anything else was driven by 'sharecroppers'.
Uncle Sam drafted me in Jan of '67 and I headed out across the world to make a living and get the hell off that ranch...40+ years later I am back and I needed a ranch truck. But by now I am a multi-displined Engineer and just maybe the Chevy/GMC of old is no longer an answer and the game I play is at the 350/3500 level.
Like the good engineer I am I researched and the following reflects a good six mo:
Chevy/GMC Dealers: Can we help you? Yep, show me you 3500, diesel, dually.............we can order you one! Fine, got a brochure? NO, got one on the lot? NO, know anyone who does, NO. Ended up finding a few 'white' trucks over on some of the big dealer commercial lots, but wife would not even get in it.
Dodge Dealer: They called around and found some at other dealers usually outside of town. I had a big Cummins engine in my RV (505 HP IIRC) and can say nothing bad about it, but the Dodge Cummins is not a commercial grade engine, its made for Dodge and while they seem good and I have friends who have them, they are not the million mile Cummins I had in that RV with 1750 lbs of torque to haul that thing around. Certainly not afraid of buying a Dodge with a Cummins...but one of the things I hate about Dodge is that like a Harley if I hear it I know its a Harley and that is NOT a bad sound, but that Cummins diesel in the tin can Dodge sounds like a cheap truck and the fit an finish really is, wife passed.
Ford Dealer: Well its Texas and yep, got Dually's in stock. The new (as of '11) Ford diesel, made by Ford is state of the art, while the rest are playing with Aluma and iron Ford has a better idea and its 'charcoal briquettes' they make into a block. Its QUIET! Wife loved the fit and finish, the paint (Tuxedo Black) may be one of the best looking paints on the market for anything vehicle. My '15 King Ranch is one hellava nice truck, seats like a Lazy Boy and with 860 lbs of torque, I can go from 0-100 mph faster than this ole Corvette driver can believe, WOW! I load almost 6000 lbs in the bed, throw on a 10,000 lb trailer and I drive the left lane of Interstate with cruise set on 80 mph on I 10 to El Paso...and see mpg in the 10's. The truck never breaks a sweat and if I need to pass, I can make folks eyes get real wide and I go around in a hurry.
So I am on my 3rd one and I trade about 50k miles, never an issue. I did have to reflash computer on my 14 right after I got it, but that was the computer and the software reload fixed it.
3 x F350 and I would buy another one without hesitation...