I spent some time at the local Ford dealer this afternoon talking with the salesman, looking at the F-450, checking out the ridiculous level of luxury and features in the cab, the cameras all over the place, the heated and cooled seats, the 12" display, etc. I took it on a very short test drive which was revealing in terms of handling but didn't really show off the 500 hp/1,200 lb-ft that the engine claims. It's not practical to show up with a 20,000 lb trailer and hook it up for a demo but that would be helpful. 
It's a gorgeous truck and possibly way too nice for me. Part of me would like to find a good towing truck that's half or third of the price of this one given my intended use and likely low mileage per year. This 2024 F-450 Lariat would only be used 6,000 miles or less per year unless I sell the '02 F-250, and then I still wouldn't want to use it in the winter months. If it were a daily driver (not that I drive daily) it might be an easier pill to swallow. At the current selling price it's just too much of everything.
I noticed some staining in the cloth of the headliner at the top of the A-pillars which was odd. I asked the salesman to have someone check on possible issues. My first thought is that the gigantic moon-roof was left open and rain got in, or possibly the drains that run inside the A-pillars froze or were blocked causing water to seep in. I don't know, but it was odd and gave me some cause for concern. This truck came from Canada, so I took photos of the underside of the truck and it looks fine. There's some corrosion on the cheap exhaust tubing that Ford uses, and the differentials had some surface rust, but overall it's in fairly new condition.
I don't know where this road leads, but knowing what you don't want isn't such a bad thing.
It's a gorgeous truck and possibly way too nice for me. Part of me would like to find a good towing truck that's half or third of the price of this one given my intended use and likely low mileage per year. This 2024 F-450 Lariat would only be used 6,000 miles or less per year unless I sell the '02 F-250, and then I still wouldn't want to use it in the winter months. If it were a daily driver (not that I drive daily) it might be an easier pill to swallow. At the current selling price it's just too much of everything.
I noticed some staining in the cloth of the headliner at the top of the A-pillars which was odd. I asked the salesman to have someone check on possible issues. My first thought is that the gigantic moon-roof was left open and rain got in, or possibly the drains that run inside the A-pillars froze or were blocked causing water to seep in. I don't know, but it was odd and gave me some cause for concern. This truck came from Canada, so I took photos of the underside of the truck and it looks fine. There's some corrosion on the cheap exhaust tubing that Ford uses, and the differentials had some surface rust, but overall it's in fairly new condition.
I don't know where this road leads, but knowing what you don't want isn't such a bad thing.
Last edited:
