# Looking To Upgrade From Expedition To Crew Cab



## Couvgrizz (May 19, 2010)

I am looking at upgrading from our 5.4L V8 Expedition to a F250 or F350 crew cab. The Expedition has served us well but I am not comfortable using it to pull our OB on long hauls (longer than 4 or 5 hours). I have found a couple of different options and was hoping to get recommendations.

As I want to pay cash for the truck, my options are a bit more limited regarding miles, year, etc. I have found a 2006 F350 6.0 liter PSD that has 157K miles. It is a single owner and is a Lariat model. I also found a 2003 F350 6.0 liter PSD that has 81K miles on it. It is also a single owner Lariat.

My question is what truck would you purchase/recommend? Both are basically the same price. The vehicle will primarily be used just for towing and some errands around town.

I am not sold on having to have the PSD and have seen a few decent V10 options as well. Any suggestions or assistance is appreciated.

Happy New Year!!


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## willingtonpaul (Apr 16, 2010)

all else being equal, i would grab the '06 every time. the '03 6.0 was a different design in many ways....and with only 81k on the clock, it looks like the '03 sat around a far amount, which is generally not good. there were many good '03's, but it was the first year of the 6.0L, and it's worst when it comes to reliability and warranty claim issues. in general, a later model, high mileage truck that was well taken care of would be a better option. you want one that was worked, it is good for the diesel engine. just as long as it was well taken care of while it was worked. and with any 6.0L, however, there are a few things that will most likely need to be done to the truck after you buy it, to bulletproof it. this will run you around 2k to 3k, or substantially less depending on if you can do any of it yourself. that needs to be baked into the equation.

but first, i would get OASIS reports for each truck. with the VIN, a local dealer can help you with that. these reports will give you an idea of the warranty claims history of the trucks. also, can you get service histories on them ? this is important as well.

as for the V10, it is a great option. arguably the best engine ford has ever built. it can easily go 200k with good maintenance. i think no matter which way you go, getting OASIS reports and service records are key. i bought my '06 6.0L that way, and it pays to have these records.


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## ORvagabond (Apr 17, 2009)

My son went to the F350 with a V10 and swears by it. Tows a28 foot trailer up hill without a lot of downshifting. Gas milegae solo is around 13 and only 9 towing.


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## rsm7 (Aug 8, 2009)

Well, owning both a diesel and a V10, I would look for a V10. Dependable, simple and powerful. Just put gas in and go. The diesel is expensive, requires a little knowledge and maintenance, and costs alot more to fix if it fails. The extra power isnt worth it or needed for the average TT.


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

I suspect you could find a nice V10 that's either newer, or cheaper (or both) than the two diesels you are looking at. I'd go that route unless you really want the torque of a diesel or are set on the rattle.








The Diesel will get better fuel economy, but I doubt it will pay off with more expensive fuel, more expensive maintenance and a higher upfront cost.


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## tebow1515 (Jan 4, 2011)

If I was you I would purchase the PSD. Most of all it has lower miles.

good luck


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## Jewellfamily (Sep 25, 2010)

We have had both the diesel and v10 fleet rigs with work. The 6.0L diesels that we have used have had a lot of injector issues and maintenance cost is higher compared to gas. The Ford PSD is powerful, but noisy. The mileage on the v10 will suffer vs. the diesel, but the v10's we have had have been very good reliability wise. You also asked about F250 vs. F350 and I would go with the F250. The F250 ride is better as the rear end isn't quite as "stiff", but should still have more than enough suspension for your camper towing.


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## Joonbee (Jan 18, 2008)

Well it sounds like you have gotten all the good advice, so I can only concur with the gang as usual.

I just bought an 05 King Ranch F250 PSD with 158k. Clean carfax, clean Oasis (although the owner just had almost $4k worth of work done by Ford it wasn't on there). It did find it had a miss when I drove it away and it turned out to be an injector. I replaced it and have not looked back. So far so good.

As the crew above me has said, you really need a working mechanical idea of diesels to make them pay and take care of the "bulletproofing" that willingtonpaul spoke of.

I paid $16,500 on a no reserve auction from ebay. So you can use that as a gauge for what they can be bought for, if you really put in some time and look. For the most part you are gonna be in the upper teens and low $20k area for the 05 or 06 PSD F250 lariats.

Good luck, Jim


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## WYOCAMPER (Mar 28, 2007)

All really good advice here. If you do look at V10's, it is important to note that the 2005-2010 models have higher HP and TQ than the 1999-2004. My '05 F350 V10 has been flawless and does a great job pulling our Outback at higher elevations. Be sure to consider the "next step" as well. If there is any chance of a large fiver in your future, you may want to consider the diesel now and not have to upgrade your truck later.


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## luverofpeanuts (Mar 9, 2010)

If going for a diesel, I'd stick to '06 or '07 for the 6.0L PSD's. F350's are better for larger tongue weights or if you ever want to upgrade to a 5th wheel.

As I personally came from an Expedition when I upgraded to my '06 F250.... I highly recommend checking the rear diff and seeing if any you are considering have a limited slip. Your Expedition most likely did... and if you buy a crew cab that that doesn't... you'll be quite disappointed with it when one of the rear wheels loses traction. This is the same case for any pickup with an open differential in the rear. Also, check the tires on the vehciles you are considering... if they have the Continental Cont-Trac tires on them... they are the worst tires possible...and you'll be wanting to change those very soon if you buy, IMHO.

I love my '06 F250 Crew Cab PSD I plan to upgrade the rear diff as soon as convenient after running as is for the last year and half. I replaced the Conti-Crap tires and it made for a good improvement in traction on slippery surfaces. The diesel seems loud when pulling into my driveway at midnight when it's quiet...or coasting through a state park campground. But it cruises very nicely and pulls my 10K Sydney very very well.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

I came from 3/4 ton Suburban to the F-350 Diesel. Here in the PNW we have some LARGE mountain passes and I'd NEVER NEVER consider going back to a gasser ever again.	I've has the truck 3 years and have zero issues with it.

You might pay a bit more in fuel costs, but when you are going over our mountain passes, you will appreciate the power from a diesel. I very happy with mine and I'm sure you would be happy with one as well.

So in the end, you spend maybe $200 more on fuel costs per year then if you bought a gasser.

OH....and just driving a BIG OLE' DIESEL TRUCK gives you 50 more "man points"....Hahahaha


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## clarkely (Sep 15, 2008)

Oregon_Camper said:


> I came from 3/4 ton Suburban to the F-350 Diesel. Here in the PNW we have some LARGE mountain passes and I'd NEVER NEVER consider going back to a gasser ever again.	I've has the truck 3 years and have zero issues with it.
> 
> You might pay a bit more in fuel costs, but when you are going over our mountain passes, you will appreciate the power from a diesel. I very happy with mine and I'm sure you would be happy with one as well.
> 
> ...


One more thing to think of............... Refueling Stops. An intangible often overlooked........

Most Gas stations are not capable or roomy enough to handle a truck and trailer to refuel, and they keep getting smaller...........

On the flipside, you are a small to normal size combination when pulling into a truck stop........ add a gravity fed auxiliary tank for a couple hundred bucks and you easily have good truck stop range.

Makes your long trips nice as you don't have to hunt for Gas stops that can accommodate you.

Good luck in your decision process....... went from gas to diesel and won't be going back as long as i can continue to afford it.


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## luverofpeanuts (Mar 9, 2010)

clarkely said:


> One more thing to think of............... Refueling Stops. An intangible often overlooked........


A very good point. My ol' expedition had about 28 gal tank or so... the F250 has a 29 or so.. I used to get about 7 mpg towing with the Expy.... I get about 12 in the F250 diesel, with a trailer nearly double the weight. I get roughly 100 more miles between fuel stops...and that's without an auxiliary tank.


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## GO WEST (May 25, 2009)

Agree, I feel the most uncomfortable moving my camper about a "car size" gas station. Tough stuff. I have looked at a few diesels with the aux. tank hidden under a shallow toolbox giving around 55 gal more fuel and I thought, wow that would be awesome to have maybe 80+ gals of fuel. Buy when it suits you for a better price less often in a bigger station. All pros.


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## egregg57 (Feb 13, 2006)

I have had a 2004 F-250 V-10, and now a 2005 F-350 PSD. The gas mileage on poster listed was pretty much right on the money. The truck was rated for about 14MPG highway. Though I seldom got the 14. I averaged 7 MPG towing. That did not include too much for hills.

The PSD I have now is averaging about 15.5 highway, and the lowest MPG I saw was towing, running through Mass and New York over hill and dale heading to Iowa, and that was 11.6. Once into more level terrain I was at about 12-12.5MPG.

I have the FX4 suspension with Rancho shocks and the truck rides like a limosine. (In fact because it is a Lariat, it has all the bells and whistles, leather etc. and that's what my wife calls it!)

I really liked my V-10. We just didn't have the room with the extra Cab and with a growing teenager and two dogs that love to go camping I needed to do some thing. It took 6 months to find the right one.

Willingtonpaul brings up good points and has helped me a bit through a couple of issues I have had with the F-350. Those have been the loss of my EGR Cooler and the replacement of my EGR Valve.

I would highly suggest, almost emplore you, to get the Oasis report from the dealer. See if the EGR Cooler/Oil Cooler has been replaced and see what other maintenance has been done to it.

The PSD's are super trucks. BUT they need attention beyond that of a gasoline engine. All things considered... would I go back to the V-10 over the Diesel?....

No

Eric


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

clarkely said:


> One more thing to think of............... Refueling Stops. An intangible often overlooked........
> 
> Most Gas stations are not capable or roomy enough to handle a truck and trailer to refuel, and they keep getting smaller...........


I think that is a issue on your side of the country. Honestly, out here I can get into 85% of the stations that offer diesel...with the 35' Outback attached.	We simply have more space and filling up has never been an issue. Truth be told, the first year I had the diesel I did worry about it, but I then I simply remembered back to where I was going (from past years) and where the stations were.

I have a 30 gallon tank in my SB F350 and towing I get about 10MPG, so I have about 250 miles under my belt before I start to think about fueling up.	I had app's on my iPhone an iPad that also tell me where the next location is that has diesel. Worked great when I drove to Michigan to pick up my Outback at Lakeshore.

If fueling up still has you worried (which I hope you no longer are concerned about)....take an hour or so and play with Google Maps. You probably have some favorite campgounds....maps you travel plans and then look about 200 miles out.	Then find the fueling stations in that area. You can even jump down to street level to really see the station and how much space it has.

Here is a great example of a location Courgizz might actually pass through. This is one of the two station in Stephenson Washington...blink twice and you've past the city. See how they cater to larger vehicles?


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## clarkely (Sep 15, 2008)

fuel stops never had me "worried" but on the east coast form Florida to Quebec they can be a problem for a GAS vehicle ..... a lot of gas stations don't even sell diesel and everything is crammed in as land is a premium.... some examples.

Local typical Gas station Two rows of pumps and NO ROOM for 59 foot combination to maneuver to get to actual pump.....









Fuel Stop I got into a tight spot on a trip to Florida .... Stop is right off rte 95 in Selma NC - previous two stops were worse so we continued to here....... where we now had to fuel.









Now the Fuel stop is like this









Easy in easy out Truck stops







Heck on our return trip from Maine to Pa we didn't refuel....... everyone was good to go, so we stopped for one potty break.....

I am merely listing an Intangible that may only be an EastCoast thing........... by no means do i worry about it, but it is often overlooked as it is a PIA on the East Coast.... I have pulled trailers of some sort for twenty years, and i dont mind tight spots with non moving trees







but we have a lot of in patient people zipping in and out why you try to get into a tight gas station.....

I like your West Coast Gas Stations







lots of room!!

Have a good winter,
Clarke


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