Right a F-550 vs a 3500? Your kidding right? With that weight of course the F-550 will pull better. Try a Ram 5500 and tell me that it didn't pull 40000 pounds very well.

 

I was thinking the same thing. You MUST compared apples to apples. This means BOTH trucks should be the same weight class, same gear ratio, same type of tranny, similar wheelbase, etc.

Now for something no one has mentioned yet.... some 6.4L F-550 are getting cracked radiators from the front frame torquing under heavy loads. This is happening to some service trucks at our local Deere dealer.

 

i have looked at the f-750's with the cat/cummins and the 3000 series Allison. i was actually leaning towards that since i know a cat guy that has all the computer stuff for cats and can easily turn the motor to anything i want. and for the allison trannys they are worlds better then that junk chevy uses. if all this emissions junk didnt make the motors so unreliable it would be so much easier.

 

MDL...I've been hotshotting cars in Texas for 8 yrs. I put 650k on my 2001 Dodge before it laid down. That's hooked to a 53ft haul trailer 95% of the time. I am now driving a 2006 3500 Dodge. My advice is to visit a car auction right after a sale and see what is being driven in the transporters parking lot. I have no doubt you'll see mostly Dodge trucks. The only modification I made to my '01 was a 4in exhaust. In my opinion, if you squeeze more power from the motor, it won't last as long. Not to mention the added stress on the rest of the drivetrain...trans, rearend, even u-joints. I looked at the link for the sleepers. No way I could get comfortable in one of those. They're only good for shorter guys. I've spent many nights sleeping in the reclined driver's seat. I wouldn't consider an f-750 unless it had a cummins and even then the fuel milage won't be as good as a Dodge. My brother went the Ford route for a while. When his f-450 and f-550 weren't in the shop, he's get 5 or 6 miles per gallon. He finally bought a Freightliner with a detroit 60 series and gets 8/9. But his insurance is way more expensive than mine even though we both have clear driving records. Insurance on car haulers is a killer. I think my next haul truck will be a dodge 4500 or a 5500.

 

well the first question i was woundering is do you have a class A. if not your limited to a 26,000lb total load. so if you buy the ford f550 wich if it is 4x4 4 door it is rated for 19500 truck weight and it can tow up to 33000 with the autotrans. but you need to relize the trucks weight we have a 2door basic dump truck regualer 3yard dump body and it comes off the scale at 10200 with a full tank and are 4 door cab and chasis with an empty utility body was 12000lb. average car weights what say 3500lbs so you can only haul about three cars the forth car would put you at 14000lbs and a 4 car trailer if i remeber right is around 4000lbs so your over weight. sense your so limited because of weight and every thing else your better off with saving the 10,000-15,000$ with the cost of a 450/550 then plus the cost of a body just buy a 4door 1 ton and put a goose neck in be cause thats what your limited to. you also need to keep in mind to is dot and staties watch you guys alot be cause of theft and all so they will check every thing just make sure your truck rating and trailer rating isnt over 26000lbs, i got poped with a 1ton hauling an empty 12ton backhoe trailer and because of what the truck weights and what the trail was rated for i was to high on the gvw and got a ticket and had to get a driver or a tow. so its not as easy as pick the truck i would be more worried about weights. that ford is junk. if it has a torqueshift tranny dont waist your time are 2 fords get a new tranny a year from towing 15k-18k daily we have even gone through 2 apeaice 1 year and 1 truck has 44K and the other 60K for milliage and the down time to get the trans from the factory and in stalled was any where form 1-2.5 weeks. my buddy plays this game and a round here if you haul steady as a owner operator he would put in his pocket around 1200$-1500$ aweek after fuel and bills and thats 6, 10-12hr days. he also only gets about 2 years out of a truck a little over 100k a year so if you get down time because of motor and tranny issues and ford awsome backorder list every part is on you have made no money. so buy a bottom of the barrel truck no options save on weight and money put more in your pocket and less into the truck remeber you'll only get about 2years out of the truck and you'll have to pay off a $35,000+for a 1ton or the stupid $52,000+ tag for that king ranch 550 and the so i would watch your weights buy the dodge and run as many hours as possible its not hard work but easy to sink.

 

I went with the Dodge 5500 with the manual trans. and exhaust brake. I had to have the rear overloads removed, and the springs re-arched to aviod killing me, and tearing up my utility box with cab-over Arctic Fox camper. The ride is really harsh, even with a 16, 500 lb. weight. I also don't care for the darting and wandering that goes with a this truck, most likely due to the nature of the front axle on the 4X4. My advise, drive them both before making a decision.

 

Have your front end alignment checked.. mine did the same thing turned out it had to much toe in, it was causing the front tires to wear as well..

 

Buy a Sterling. Thats how they were going to market the 32k limit. This truck is the same as the Dodge. Dodge didnt want the hassle of CDL 26k laws


http://www.truckpaper.com/listings/d...4BDB382381A44D

 

Buy a Peterbilt and get a real truck . Cummins builds the PX-6 engine . It also has an Allison automatic.
http://www.peterbilt.com/med325.1.aspx

 

I dont believe they make the sterling anymore, there all dodges, my Buddy's 09 4500 just dropped a turbo at 6000 miles.

 

you do the math. Its all about overhead

http://www.truckpaper.com/listings/d...BA328F5CD0451D

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2008-...1%7C240%3A1318

 

If a turbo should go bad on the Ford, twice the chance as with Dodge since Ford runs two, you will be out of service for awhile! They have to pull the cab off the Ford to change the turbo. I know a guy who sells tow trucks and he's selling a lot of the Dodge chassis cabs to his smaller duty customers because they have heard about the Ford turbo issues

 

I know of a local farmer who hauls hay and a skidloader all the time, he had a one year old Ford one ton 4wd that was in the shop every other week for a week at a time. He finally got sick of it and went to a gas Ford 3/4 ton. No way would I drive a Ford and put up with that. My father in law just traded his Dodge diesel in for a new Ford diesel (he was worried about Chryslers future) any way we'll see how it holds up. He's already complaining about the mileage.

 

Here is the best answer i've read. Your investor guy may be rich but he isn't going to like being upside down essentially on a truck that is logging lots of miles. That truck is part of your pay if you realize it or not.

I'd figure out how much you are going to be pulling from each auction and decide if you just need a 3500. But I'd certainly save the cash on a dodge and just go aftermarket with the front seats if needed...

 

If you get the ford you'll want to be relaxed when it breaks down on the side of the road. Everyone of our work trucks (ford) are just plain crap. Been in the shop alot and the employee's don't want to drive them but have no choice.