In search of a better truck for towing the M6060 and folding cutter.

[biketopia]

Pictures or it didn't happen right?

@biketopia, thanks for emailing all those documents over earlier in the week.

Here's the red beast! I took the photo this morning and I will say that the metallic flake looks better in person. The first owner had the windows tinted, but also had an awful strip added across the top of the windshield. I'll be removing that for sure.

I asked the dealership if they'd "throw in" the Ford 2-5/16" gooseneck trailer hitch kit since the truck is set up with the factory gooseneck prep, but I'm not overly optimistic. I'll most likely order the B&W kit which is nicer anyway, and I'm a B&W fanboy. Another plus is that the conventional receiver on the truck is a 3" variant and I already have a B&W tow and stow 3" hitch that I bought for the M1078. A big appeal of this truck is that other than a gooseneck hitch kit, I don't need to buy anything else.

https://www.ford.com/product/hitch-kit-gooseneck-27500-lbs-gtwr-p2852522034

https://www.etrailer.com/Gooseneck-Hitch/Ford/F-450+Super+Duty/2024/BWGNXA2061.html?VehicleID=202466219

View attachment 149333

It's a great-looking truck, an old work buddy has the same color, and pops in the sun! Sure thing on the documents, hopefully, they were/are helpful! If you need anything else, you've got my info. I wouldn't immediately pull the brow off the windshield, drive with it for a bit. I do it to all my cars, it helps with sun glare, especially rising and setting. How they did yours might be a little further down the windshield than I typically go, but might be ok.

Those trucks were built for exactly what you are going to do it with it, tow and tow heavy. Stay up on your maintenance with the 6.7, and use Ford oil and fuel filters and your own flavor of oil. If it has a drain plug on the trans, do a drain and fill with the correct Ford ULV fluid every so often and you should have no transmission issues. Another maintenance point often overlooked is the crankcase filter. I think Ford changed it to more of a screen versus a filter on the early 6.7s. The early ones never got changed and eventually, they pushed the silicone out around the upper oil pan area. Trans has to come out and front cover off to reseal the upper pan. If it seeps, get that covered under warranty.

Last thing, the front valance, we pull those off pretty much all of our super duty's. Either they are removed when we install a plow mount, or they get ripped off in the snow or catch a parking stop. We've seen no issues with removing them however I assume it's there for mileage so maybe there is a slight gain to having it.

 

[Lil Foot]

Not usually a big fan of red either, but that is a good looking beast!
Look forward to hearing some performance reports.
Congrats!

 

[McMXi]

Not the direction you anticipated but sounds like you’ve done your due diligence as far as alternatives, etc.

Glad you found one you’re pleased with. Looks like a great truck

Thanks! I was thinking about buying a new (used) Super Duty in two to three years which I mentioned in another thread, but my needs/wants changed sooner than expected. When I started this thread, my thought process was that I need/want a truck this year to tow 20,000lb, and keeping the cost around $30k or less I'd be sort of ok with only using it a few times a year having no other purpose than to pull a trailer or haul gravel/dirt.

The problem with not being able to try a truck and trailer combination means that you have to rely on the experience and advice of others. Would the dump trucks that I was considering make for a good experience towing 20,000 lb? I have no idea, so it came down to the risk factor and knowns vs. unknowns. Although this F-450 is close to the most expensive option, it also comes with the least amount of risk and is much more of a multi-purpose choice. Not only can it tow a 30,000lb gooseneck trailer, but it would make for a nice roadtrip vehicle.

Talking with my friend in Hawaii who owns Advanced Towing & Recovery, as well as input from a neighbor with three Super Duty models with 6.7L engines, my pilot friend who works with four other pilots who all own new Super Duty 6.7L trucks, input from experienced members here, and looking at Super Duty specs, it all pointed in the direction of a third generation F-450.

Time and use will tell if this was a good decision, but I do feel that this is an informed decision.

 

[McMXi]

Not usually a big fan of red either, but that is a good looking beast!
Look forward to hearing some performance reports.
Congrats!

I've owned a few red/orange vehicles in the past including a Ford Fiesta, Toyota truck and a Ford Mustang Cobra SVT. I didn't part with any of them because of the color, but yeah, my favorite colors are typically silver, gray or green. I absolutely love the color of Kubota tractors and a Super Duty in Kubota orange would be awesome!

If I'm modifying or fixing something, I always think about what it would take to fix a mistake or make a change. Some features such as a panoramic moonroof and a plethora of others can't be changed, but paint, or at least the outside of a vehicle can be altered. Companies offer vinyl wrap and decals, and a good paint shop can do all sorts of magic depending on the budget.

In a roundabout way I'm making the point that if I like everything about the truck except the color, there are solutions other than selling the vehicle, so the whole color thing is medium to low risk. At this point the color isn't a problem for me, but if it ever becomes a problem, there are options.

I do like the color combination of the leather seats. This photo was taken by the dealer and the tan is a bit darker than shown in the photo. I'll try to get a better photo today.

 

[Bmyers]

I've owned a few red/orange vehicles in the past including a Ford Fiesta, Toyota truck and a Ford Mustang Cobra SVT. I didn't part with any of them because of the color, but yeah, my favorite colors are typically silver, gray or green. I absolutely love the color of Kubota tractors and a Super Duty in Kubota orange would be awesome!

If I'm modifying or fixing something, I always think about what it would take to fix a mistake or make a change. Some features such as a panoramic moonroof and a plethora of others can't be changed, but paint, or at least the outside of a vehicle can be altered. Companies offer vinyl wrap and decals, and a good paint shop can do all sorts of magic depending on the budget.

In a roundabout way I'm making the point that if I like everything about the truck except the color, there are solutions other than selling the vehicle, so the whole color thing is medium to low risk. At this point the color isn't a problem for me, but if it ever becomes a problem, there are options.

I do like the color combination of the leather seats. This photo was taken by the dealer and the tan is a bit darker than shown in the photo. I'll try to get a better photo today.

View attachment 149402

That is the same interior I have on my truck. I still haven't gotten use to the parking park, having an electronic parking brake is different. Just use to the old clunk when you would release one.

 

[BBFarmer]

Pictures or it didn't happen right?

@biketopia, thanks for emailing all those documents over earlier in the week.

Here's the red beast! I took the photo this morning and I will say that the metallic flake looks better in person. The first owner had the windows tinted, but also had an awful strip added across the top of the windshield. I'll be removing that for sure.

I asked the dealership if they'd "throw in" the Ford 2-5/16" gooseneck trailer hitch kit since the truck is set up with the factory gooseneck prep, but I'm not overly optimistic. I'll most likely order the B&W kit which is nicer anyway, and I'm a B&W fanboy. Another plus is that the conventional receiver on the truck is a 3" variant and I already have a B&W tow and stow 3" hitch that I bought for the M1078. A big appeal of this truck is that other than a gooseneck hitch kit, I don't need to buy anything else.

https://www.ford.com/product/hitch-kit-gooseneck-27500-lbs-gtwr-p2852522034

https://www.etrailer.com/Gooseneck-Hitch/Ford/F-450+Super+Duty/2024/BWGNXA2061.html?VehicleID=202466219

View attachment 149333

That looks like quite a rig right there brother. What a beaut. Congrats.

 

[BBFarmer]

The early ones never got changed and eventually, they pushed the silicone out around the upper oil pan area. Trans has to come out and front cover off to reseal the upper pan. If it seeps, get that covered under warranty.

Yep. I concur Dr.

 

[RCW]

I do prefer red …..

In the old days, dealers would call it “re-sale Red”.

Not concerned with re-sale. I just like red.

This is my 6th Chevy Silverado. All Red.

Also had a Datsun and a Ford Ranger in red.

Not sure I could find it in a parking lot if it wasn’t red….

 

[McMXi]

I do prefer red …..

Not sure I could find it in a parking lot if it wasn’t red….

I have to say, this Rapid Red is really growing on me! There are at least three different tones depending on the lighting.

I stopped by the dealer this morning to sign some paperwork and then came the big pitch. A manager tried his hardest to sell me a $10k package that included extended warranties, magic potions that protect every inch of the truck, road side assistance, and on and on. I had to say no about 10 times as the price kept dropping, the incentives kept changing, low interest financing options were thrown into the mix, and so on. I really despise that part of buying a vehicle from a dealer.

After that was over, the salesman I've been working with told me that he could drop off the truck at my house which I wasn't expecting, so it's home! Before we left the dealer, he went through just about every feature on the truck. I forgot about the fact that the entire cab, doors, bed and panels are made of aluminum. I also learned that the front track width on an F-450 is about 12" wider than the F-350. No doubt I have a lot more to learn.

Here are a couple more photos to show off the new hauler.

 

[jyoutz]

I've owned a few red/orange vehicles in the past including a Ford Fiesta, Toyota truck and a Ford Mustang Cobra SVT. I didn't part with any of them because of the color, but yeah, my favorite colors are typically silver, gray or green. I absolutely love the color of Kubota tractors and a Super Duty in Kubota orange would be awesome!

If I'm modifying or fixing something, I always think about what it would take to fix a mistake or make a change. Some features such as a panoramic moonroof and a plethora of others can't be changed, but paint, or at least the outside of a vehicle can be altered. Companies offer vinyl wrap and decals, and a good paint shop can do all sorts of magic depending on the budget.

In a roundabout way I'm making the point that if I like everything about the truck except the color, there are solutions other than selling the vehicle, so the whole color thing is medium to low risk. At this point the color isn't a problem for me, but if it ever becomes a problem, there are options.

I do like the color combination of the leather seats. This photo was taken by the dealer and the tan is a bit darker than shown in the photo. I'll try to get a better photo today.

View attachment 149402

I think that metallic red looks sharp.

 

[Botamon]

Every truck my Dad ever owned - always a 3/4 ton 4x4 Ford - was Candy Apple Red. Here's one of them....my Mom picking apples, using the truck as a platform. The David Brown's FEL is holding up a branch that was about to break due to the weight of the apples. Pennsylvania, 1972.

 

[NorthwoodsLife]

Congratulations on a beautiful beast truck!

 

[dirtydeed]

Saweet truck!

Enjoy.

 

[McMXi]

Saweet truck!

Enjoy.

This might come as a surprise to some, but I looked under the hood for the first time this afternoon. For whatever reason I didn't take a look during either visit to the dealership. The engine oil and filter were supposedly changed by the dealer last week, but it looks like the oil is on the low end of the acceptable range, and I plan on adding a bit of coolant once I figure out what it takes.

It's remarkably clean under the hood given the 17,000 miles and one year of ownership. Not sure as to why that is to be honest. Perhaps the dealership cleaned the engine compartment, or the first owner only used it on nice days. Either way, I was more than pleasantly surprised.

 

[NorthwoodsLife]

This might come as a surprise to some, but I looked under the hood for the first time this afternoon. For whatever reason I didn't take a look during either visit to the dealership. The engine oil and filter were supposedly changed by the dealer last week, but it looks like the oil is on the low end of the acceptable range, and I plan on adding a bit of coolant once I figure out what it takes.

It's remarkably clean under the hood given the 17,000 miles and one year of ownership. Not sure as to why that is to be honest. Perhaps the dealership cleaned the engine compartment, or the first owner only used it on nice days. Either way, I was more than pleasantly surprised.

View attachment 149505

View attachment 149506

Star Wars electro hyper thrust tech. LOL.

17,000 miles is still within the long term break in period. I assume that the engine is the 6.7 diesel?

 

[McMXi]

Star Wars electro hyper thrust tech. LOL.

17,000 miles is still within the long term break in period. I assume that the engine is the 6.7 diesel?

Ha! Yep, it's the 6.7L H.O. model which is heavier than the standard 6.7L engine. There is no gas option in the F-450 models, the non cab & chassis models that is.

 

[NorthwoodsLife]

Ha! Yep, it's the 6.7L H.O. model which is heavier than the standard 6.7L engine. There is no gas option in the F-450 models, the non cab & chassis models that is.

I had the base 6.7 diesel years ago in an F250. Power was amazing!!!

I think that that engine needs 10 or 12 quarts of oil. The HO unit may be more. IDK. I would suggest that you check the level after it is warmed up.... But check the owners manual.

 

[jyoutz]

I had the base 6.7 diesel years ago in an F250. Power was amazing!!!

I think that that engine needs 10 or 12 quarts of oil. The HO unit may be more. IDK. I would suggest that you check the level after it is warmed up.... But check the owners manual.

I just changed the oil in my Cummins today: 12 quarts. I’m sure the powerstrokes take 12-16 quarts

 

[Lil Foot]

This might come as a surprise to some, but I looked under the hood for the first time this afternoon. For whatever reason I didn't take a look during either visit to the dealership. The engine oil and filter were supposedly changed by the dealer last week, but it looks like the oil is on the low end of the acceptable range, and I plan on adding a bit of coolant once I figure out what it takes.

It's remarkably clean under the hood given the 17,000 miles and one year of ownership. Not sure as to why that is to be honest. Perhaps the dealership cleaned the engine compartment, or the first owner only used it on nice days. Either way, I was more than pleasantly surprised.

View attachment 149505

View attachment 149506

Wow, I thought my '03 6.0 had a lot of crap under the hood.
Mine takes 15.5 qts with filter.

 

[McMXi]

I just changed the oil in my Cummins today: 12 quarts. I’m sure the powerstrokes take 12-16 quarts

Yes, 15 quarts according to the owner's manual, which is the same volume as my '02 with the 7.3L.

I found the owner's manual online, and can also access the manual on the 12" display in the center of the dash. A lot to learn and absorb for sure.

https://www.fordservicecontent.com/Ford_Content/vdirsnet/OwnerManual/Home/Index?Variantid=9723&languageCode=EN&countryCode=USA&buildtype=web&div=f