Do New Ford Trucks Suck, or are My Expectations Too High?

[Aggie06]

Did you guys all get the magical 7.3s? Mine has a Banks Stinger kit on it with their prom chip or whatever they used back in 1997 to tune these things and it's pretty fast for a big ass late 90s diesel truck but it's slow as fuck the second you hook a load to it.

I pulled an overloaded 34' 13k GVW 5th wheel camper from Rhode Island to where we live now in Texas with my 7.3 truck and while it made it at no point in that trip was that truck happy and it took 10hrs longer than it should have. Even pulling my old 28' enclosed race trailer with just the SxS and camping gear in it from my house to the old Texplex 60 miles away wasn't fun. It would take forever and a day to get up to a respectable speed with my foot to the floor (60-65) and if you had to slow down even a little bit to let a car merge ect you were back to taking forever to get back up to speed.

A buddy in high school had basically the same truck you’re describing. I remember it being loud and slow, which is why his dad gave it to him.

 

[Provience]

5k lbs maybe was being a little exaggerating, I'll admit.

Seeing as how my 7.3 had a hard time with 10k lbs, there is just no way I'll believe an old carb V8 or I6 would do it without issues.



Pulled 20k or grossed 20k?

Grossed 20k.

Can't think of a reason to ask it to pull 20k that'd be old shitbox MDT territory, which is as shitty as anybody would expect.

Fully admit the new trucks are hugher performers, just wanted to also acknowledge that your examples were hyperbolic

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

What is build date? Shits gone up quite a bit since 21-22

Thank you for sharing the legit stickers

It was built January 19th 2022.


** I did not buy the truck brand new. I bought it in September of 2023 with exactly 60k on the odometer for $55k. One owner immaculate truck that a couple used to pull around their 5th wheel during covid.

 

[06h3]

That was me talking about the window sticker my 97 F250 came with new. Your last sentence is bullshit and the 22 F350 XLT dually 6.7 truck I'm sitting in right now that had a $65k window sticker backs that up.

So you’re telling me I got a 100X better deal buying the 22 vs what I got buying the 97 seeing as I spent the exact same money on both.

You didn’t pay any surcharges? Just because it’s sticker price doesn’t mean that’s what you pay, especially between 2021 and now. Idk, it’s too early to tell if it was a better deal or not. Do you still have your 97? Will your 2022 still work in 2051? Then we will know if it’s a good deal or not.

 

[06h3]

I’ll fix all the arguing. All trucks suck, all brands, new and old. If it has tits or tires it will give you problems

 

[ridered3]

I’ll fix all the arguing. All trucks suck, all brands, new and old. If it has tits or tires it will give you problems

Truth! Just gotta decide which problems are worth dealing with/squeezing, etc...

 

[CarterKraft]

Probably like the OP I have more money than time.

I'm not rich by any means but as a factor of free time vs money I have more money than time, it is really that simple.

Like most of you I have a wet dream of a 9(ish) liter purpose built puller but zero time available to build that truck.

 

[arse_sidewards]

5k lbs maybe was being a little exaggerating, I'll admit.

Seeing as how my 7.3 had a hard time with 10k lbs, there is just no way I'll believe an old carb V8 or I6 would do it without issues.

Have you ever actually attached a parachute of a load to one of these trucks and hammered down at whatever (comically low) speed wound up being the max?

Those sub-200hp engines demand a ton less of the cooling system.

I used to have a seasonal side gig moving boats with an EFI I6 F150. All I did was manually shift into 1st when I hooked up the trailers and then manually bump it into 2nd for the highway (3.08 gears). It never gave a shit, for hours. Yeah I know we're talking flat and not grade but load is load. So if you run it at that load on the grade it'll do the same thing.

 

[JD Mark]

Did you guys all get the magical 7.3s? Mine has a Banks Stinger kit on it with their prom chip or whatever they used back in 1997 to tune these things and it's pretty fast for a big ass late 90s diesel truck but it's slow as fuck the second you hook a load to it.

I pulled an overloaded 34' 13k GVW 5th wheel camper from Rhode Island to where we live now in Texas with my 7.3 truck and while it made it at no point in that trip was that truck happy and it took 10hrs longer than it should have. Even pulling my old 28' enclosed race trailer with just the SxS and camping gear in it from my house to the old Texplex 60 miles away wasn't fun. It would take forever and a day to get up to a respectable speed with my foot to the floor (60-65) and if you had to slow down even a little bit to let a car merge ect you were back to taking forever to get back up to speed.

I had an '00 and '02 7.3. The difference between those 2 stock was significant.

Start playing with injectors and turbos and the difference was yuuuuge.

 

[CarterKraft]

The difference between my chipped '02 7.3 and the '18 6.7 is not even a comparison, like comparing two different things.

Now I have a 3.55 geared 10 speed 6.7 and it's minimal improvement over the '18 6 speed but the flexibility from the expanded gear ranges is even better.

Towing mpg reflects that 1-1.5 mpg improvement and empty mpg is greatly improved up to 5 mpg better. (Not exaggerating)

And the $100k truck has the same powertrain as the base model $60k truck...

 

[Pocahontas]

I think the biggest issue is the over complication of things because we can and modeling it we can save .001 cents per unit or it allows .001 mpg increase during ideal conditions.

Variable displacement oil pump running off a belt.

Timing belts in general

Electric fans vs mechanical

Ten thousand sensors and all the components needed to talk to everything else and if they don’t get a signal or the right signal back it won’t start or go into limp mode.

If I had all the money in the world I would throw a compound 12v into an alumiduty with the 10 speed. Strip out 90% of the wiring and bull shit have a truck that won’t rust out and will run on trash fuels all with relatively modern comforts, ac, pwr windows/locks

 

[CarterKraft]

We already have a bunch of threads where we shit on new vs old...

We have several members that went old to new and couldn't be happier, anyone have a success story the other way?

 

[YotaAtieToo]

We already have a bunch of threads where we shit on new vs old...

We have several members that went old to new and couldn't be happier, anyone have a success story the other way?

Old guy at work sold his ~2015 ram 1500 and picked up a bare bones 93 F150 300/5speed. He was pretty happy with it since he could actually fix it himself. He just recently "upgraded" to a 95 ram 1500 that's a total cream puff. Said he wasn't digging the no ac through the 95*+ July we had

But that's not towing anything.

I'm debating selling my 16 and just planning on using my 97 for road trips. Will it be better? No, but I'm not going to sell the 97, and if I keep the 16, the 97 has no purpose. I know it will be fine with my pop up and a rig on a trailer. But not sure it will like my gooseneck loaded at all.

Power shouldnt be an issue, but brakes is a concern. I have the 99-04 F550 axle from 06h3 that I plan to use the knuckles and brakes from. Then maybe add an 05+ rear.

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

You didn’t pay any surcharges? Just because it’s sticker price doesn’t mean that’s what you pay, especially between 2021 and now. Idk, it’s too early to tell if it was a better deal or not. Do you still have your 97? Will your 2022 still work in 2051? Then we will know if it’s a good deal or not.

The 97 is in the driveway right next to the 22.

And see my below comment.....

It was built January 19th 2022.


** I did not buy the truck brand new. I bought it in September of 2023 with exactly 60k on the odometer for $55k. One owner immaculate truck that a couple used to pull around their 5th wheel during covid.

 

[YotaAtieToo]

So the 6.7 psd is now 13 years old?

How many guys said "these will be scrapped in 10 years" when they came out?

Will they still be around in 30? My guess is yes. Not sure how all the fancy screens and shit will hold up, but I'm betting they will still be driving.

 

[CarterKraft]

So the 6.7 psd is now 13 years old?

How many guys said "these will be scrapped in 10 years" when they came out?

Will they still be around in 30? My guess is yes. Not sure how all the fancy screens and shit will hold up, but I'm betting they will still be driving.

And the first gens are getting really cheap.


IMO the electronics aren't at risk of going away. There is too much money in keeping these "old" trucks running.
They're already swapping instrument clusters from new to old.

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

So the 6.7 psd is now 13 years old?

How many guys said "these will be scrapped in 10 years" when they came out?

Will they still be around in 30? My guess is yes. Not sure how all the fancy screens and shit will hold up, but I'm betting they will still be driving.

My 2019 F550 XL service truck doesn't have the fancy screens or radio and came with a rubber floor and vinyl bench seat. Truck went 200k without problems and was in like new condition until the CP4 blew up. Replaced that and it was good to go again. No doubt in my mind that truck would have gone another 200k relatively trouble free had that bitch not slammed into it totaling the truck.

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

And the first gens are getting really cheap.


IMO the electronics aren't at risk of going away. There is too much money in keeping these "old" trucks running.
They're already swapping instrument clusters from new to old.

I think the aftermarket parts suppliers will eventually come out with replacement screens, modules ect for these trucks if the manufacturer stops making them. There are too many of these trucks on the road for the aftermarket to let those kinds of potential sales figures pass them by.

 

[Provience]

We already have a bunch of threads where we shit on new vs old...

We have several members that went old to new and couldn't be happier, anyone have a success story the other way?

I'm still happy to have gone from late 90s to late 70s.

Sure, it's not entirely "new" but I lost fuel injection, a/C, o/d and the like. Didn't miss the o/d until having a 75mph commute. It still does it just fine, but I'm going for the od swap mostly for entertainment.

I've driven enough newer things that it still exceeds my "worth it" especially when I'm rare to never towing over 7k lbs.

 

[arse_sidewards]

IMO the electronics aren't at risk of going away. There is too much money in keeping these "old" trucks running.
They're already swapping instrument clusters from new to old.

The 100k buy in creates the economic incentive to develop replacements and workaround for all the broken shit the OEMs no longer supports.

 

[Provience]

The 100k buy in creates the economic incentive to develop replacements and workaround for all the broken shit the OEMs no longer supports.

Even a $15k buy in

I've been pretty tempted by some of the sub $10k early 2000s trucks out there, but they aren't "enough" of a jump and I dont need any more capacity

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

Even a $15k buy in

I've been pretty tempted by some of the sub $10k early 2000s trucks out there, but they aren't "enough" of a jump and I dont need any more capacity

Better brakes, better transmissions, better axles, better ride, better interior fit/finish and noise reduction and the all important A/C.

Do you bring a portable shower and several changes of cloths with you when you drive so you can freshen up after being in your non-ac truck for even 5min, or do you walk around all day soaked in sweat?

:Sent from my android phone while I sit outside on my shaded deck with a fan blowing on me in nothing but shorts sweating my fucking balls off typing this message.

 

[Aggie06]

We already have a bunch of threads where we shit on new vs old...

We have several members that went old to new and couldn't be happier, anyone have a success story the other way?

Most people I know that have done it end up in a newer vehicle after a while. There is a honeymoon period where the older truck is awesome, but then they realize they’re dealing with older truck problems.

I’m at the point of not wanting to spend free time working on my DD unless necessary. I already spend enough time working on old equipment.

 

[CarterKraft]

The 100k buy in creates the economic incentive to develop replacements and workaround for all the broken shit the OEMs no longer supports.

They aren't $100k and your constant claims they are is disingenuous.

 

[CarterKraft]

I can imagine for sure that no truck payment would be a huge tada moment.

But that call from your wife that so and so is wrong, overheating, buzzer buzzing etc. and I have to get home from work at 7.30 then go figure out how fucked it is to make plans for the rest of the week really blows..


The trans went out a month a go in my mom's '19 explorer so new shit isn't a certainty.

 

[Provience]

Better brakes, better transmissions, better axles, better ride, better interior fit/finish and noise reduction and the all important A/C.

Do you bring a portable shower and several changes of cloths with you when you drive so you can freshen up after being in your non-ac truck for even 5min, or do you walk around all day soaked in sweat?

:Sent from my android phone while I sit outside on my shaded deck with a fan blowing on me in nothing but shorts sweating my fucking balls off typing this message.

I walk around all day soaked in sweat. Not much for A/C outside where the work happens

 

[YotaAtieToo]

I'm still happy to have gone from late 90s to late 70s.

Sure, it's not entirely "new" but I lost fuel injection, a/C, o/d and the like. Didn't miss the o/d until having a 75mph commute. It still does it just fine, but I'm going for the od swap mostly for entertainment.

I've driven enough newer things that it still exceeds my "worth it" especially when I'm rare to never towing over 7k lbs.

There is a lot less diffence between a 1970 and a 1990 than 2000 and a 2020, or really even a 2010.

Heck dodge didn't change anything at all in those 20 years

The last sentence is the key. When you get to 10k lbs and over, the newer stuff is just flat out impressive. Anyone saying a 2000 truck will tow 10k or more almost as good as a ~2010 or newer just hasn't done the same trailer with both because it's not even comparable.

Which was the original point a few of us were trying to make since a bunch of guys were saying all new stuff is just trash.

Carter had a good point about shops being full making stuff seem like junk. I've tried to make the same points about F series trucks. There is just so many out there, of course you're going to see a lot of them broken.

 

[Ebs]

Y'all squabbling over minor details like engine and transmission reliability and skipping important new stuff like power tailgates and 360 cameras.

 

[arse_sidewards]

Y'all squabbling over minor details like engine and transmission reliability and skipping important new stuff like power tailgates and 360 cameras.

Backup camera is pretty sweet for hitching up.

 

[06h3]

Not to derail but 1) I feel the OG pirate was much more “tough” or “stupid” you pick…but if the pirates from 2005 saw how we are talking about creature comforts and shit they would all call us pussies and run us off the forum.

2) you guys can call me retarded….. some probably already do.

But I have contemplated buying a rear ended 6.7 (starting to get cheap, definitely significantly cheaper then when I got my F550 4 years ago) and swapping the motor, trans, t case, fuel system and cab over. I already have swapped in 05+ F550 axles that are rated at 7k and 14, 706 lbs plus the steering box that pulls the crazy angles. The chassis’s didn’t change much from 99 to 16. Given I have a stretched truck, I know it handles the load great and my truck is a toy not a daily, and I am a sucker for miserable projects it’s crossed my mind multiple times. I think the swap is cheaper because finding an F550 6.7 is much more expensive then a fucked up 250//350, the 550 is derated, and stretching it seems like a bigger PITA to me. It would be a DCR before first start up though.