Advice on tow vehicle upgrade

[Ronnancyjon]

My wife and I are newbies to this forum but have been reading and getting great info. We have a small Microlite 18 ft that we pull with 2010 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. After purchasing a distribution hitch it pulls good, but we eventually want to upgrade to a fifth wheel or a longer TT. We have been looking at different Fords. After research have decided against F150 Ecoboost and have test driven a 2007 F350 6.0 turbo diesel. We've had a Chevy gas dually in the past pulling 30 ft HR, but wonder if this would be a better purchase? It has 113000 miles. The price is pretty reasonable. Should we continue looking? Thanks for your advice.

[whj77372]

There are lots of people who have had problems with the 6.0 diesel that Ford was putting in the F pickup trucks. You should be able to find info on the internet regarding the 6.0 diesel. If you are looking to upgrade to a fiver in the future a 3/4 ton pickup, or depending on how heavy the fiver is a one ton, would be good. I once had a fiver that indicated that it could be towed with a 1/2 ton pickup. I wouldn't do it, even with an Ecoboost. Other say that they do? Good Luck

[drittal]

An 07 6.0 PSD is one to look for. The reputation of the 6.0l means resale on them lower than average. Lots of guys have run their 6.0 stock for many miles, but they are well aware of the shortcomings and foiliables of the motor and maintain it religiously.

Arm yourself with knowledge of what to look for and where to look for it when buying a used 6.0!!! It only has 113,000, but is there something lurking? Lots of info out there.

Also, if it hasn't been bulletproofed and you do decide to purchase it I'd set aside the $$$$ to have it bulletproofed by a competent shop for piece of mind.

They make what I think is about the perfect power for RVing. The torque wars have gone redonkulous.

[Charles Firth]

One of the major problems with the 6.0 was the head studs, I believe Ford changed the head studs in 2007, my son has the 2007 6.0 with 100,000 miles and had no major problems, but he keeps up with maintenance .The diesel loves to pull. My 6.7 loves to also. There are a lot of 6.0 issues reported, but there are a ton of them on the road.

[Major]

I have the 6.7 Power Stroke and have had no issues with it. A very powerful engine.

The 6.4 has fuel mileage issues (too much fuel is used in the particulate filter cleaning process). Also, the 6.4 was designed by Navistar to be a "throw-away" after about 150K to 200K. To rebuild it is not worth the money you will spend (perhaps the final coffin nail as to why Ford went in-house on the 6.7 and ended the very long relationship with Navistar).

As drittal said, the bulletproofed 6.0 is a good engine.

The 7.3 was a good engine and served me well for years but they are just too old and antiquated now.

I don't have experience with the Cummins or Duramax so can't give advice on those.

As for gassers, I'm not a big fan especially pulling a 5er. Heavy RV's will really tax them on power and the mileage will be horrific (compared to a diesel)!

Just my experiences!

[DickiedooFlagman]

We have a 2006 6.0L diesel with 93,000 miles. Works good. We had a number of items taken care of by Ford just before the warranty expired. The injectors function with high pressure engine oil. A Ford shop foreman recommended to change the oil and oil filter every 4K miles, and fuel filters every 8K miles. Change the small trans filter by the radiator each 30K miles, and the internal trans filter at 90K. If you do the maintenance, most likely you can avoid having to change the oil cooler and EGR cooler. You can read more about the 6.0L engine on BulletProofDiesel - Darn-Near Bullet Proof Diesel Products for your 6.0 and 6.4

Can the maintenance for the first 100K of use be documented?

IMHO, the stock head studs are fine UNLESS the engine has/had been chipped for more power at some time in its life.

[mbutts]

Yes, the early (2003-04) 6.0s had big problems. The later years' fixes are thoroughly documented on many Powerstroke websites. Installing a tuner to get 900 HP or neglecting maintenance will definitely cause problems.

I was able to buy mine a couple of years ago much cheaper than other diesel options since many people are afraid of the 6.0's problems.

[floridela]

I have had a 7.3L diesel which was a great motor, but as others say it is old and may not be a good choice. I have had two 6.0L diesels one a 03 which had potential problems with injectors, I didn't but it was documented. I then bought a 05 f250 and it was 9 years of almost trouble free driving. Had one issue with an oil pressure and no start that was attributed to an o-ring. I now have a 2014 F350 with the 6.2L gas engine and the 4:30 rear ratio. It has great power towing my 12,500 lb. fifth wheel. Yes the mileage is not as good as the diesel. I used to get around town 14 to 15 mpg with the 6.0, but now get a consistent 12.0 mpg around town. Towing with the diesel I used to get 11.5 mpg, and now get 8 mpg with the gas engine. Considering the extra expense of owning the diesel with all of the maintenance issues, cost of filters, fuel additives, extra oil, mine took 15 qts. of oil, etc, etc. I just got tired of the extra cost of fuel as well as the cost to maintain the diesel, and I am quite happy with the 3.5 mpg difference in mileage since I don't drive as much being retired. One benefit of a gas engine is that just about any automotive repair facility can work on it. Not so with a diesel, I would always go to a truck repair shop that specialized in diesels, so to get a good diesel mechanic, not every dealer has them. Just my two cents worth, for what it's worth, I'm sure there will be plenty of others with their opinions, just thought you would like the info.

[rovinglion]

I pull my 11,500 lb. 5'er with a 2011 F-350 V10, SD CC gas powered unit with 4:10 rear, for the same reasons. Given all the issues with diesel maintenance and fuel costs, I just went simple. Pulls like a beast in the Adirondaks and Berkshires. Looking forward to trip through the west next year. We'll see how it goes. Only other advice is go as big as you can on the TV. Margin means more safety and less stress. It is supposed to be relaxing afterall.

[Skyliner]

I find it difficult to believe that someone would sell a bullet proofed 6.0 after dumping 4 grand to get it thtat way

I would personally take an ecoboost F150 over a 6.0. If getting an EB F150 avoid anything before a 2013 model. On an EB F150, a prudent buyer would ensure that they do a cold engine start to ensure that there is no timing belt noise (phaser noise) on the cold start.

If I had an extra 10 grand, I would own a 6.7L in a heartbeat but my '13 F150 EB will suffice for now. It does a decent job pulling my Wildcat 27RL.

[rrapidron]

My 2014 ford f150 ecoboost pulls my Flagstaff super lite 27rlws like a champ -have not been in the mountains yet though.

[jnamadison]

I also have bought 2 6.0's because people shy away (read: cheaper). I also factored in potential cost to Bulletproof, and made sure it could haul what the wife is looking at (15k Fiver). We ended up with an 06 Dually with under 40k miles.

So many diesel forums out there that you can read and learn about. Knowledge, maintenance, and acceptance of the engine's shortcomings will leave you with a better experience with the 6.0.

Just for the payload capacity, I'd choose the 6.0 over the EB for the OP's stated purpose of a possible 5ver/Longer TT.

[lswartz]

Wow! After reading the comments I would skip the Ford 6.0. Let someone else take the risk.

How soon do you want to get the 5th wheel? Let that be the deciding factor of when you need to get a new TV. While this is a good time to get a 5th wheel it is also a terrible time to sell you old TT.

I wouldn't mind getting a 5th wheel myself, they just won't fit into the type of camp sites we like. I am afraid to go looking at them as well, might come home with one.

[Major]

Originally Posted by lswartz

Wow! After reading the comments I would skip the Ford 6.0. Let someone else take the risk.

How soon do you want to get the 5th wheel? Let that be the deciding factor of when you need to get a new TV. While this is a good time to get a 5th wheel it is also a terrible time to sell you old TT.

I wouldn't mind getting a 5th wheel myself, they just won't fit into the type of camp sites we like. I am afraid to go looking at them as well, might come home with one.

I fully understand the not wanting to go and look at a 5er; we did, and did come home with one!