Got a new tow rig

[Shran]

The old 85 F250 has treated me alright over the years but it's getting to be a fairly clean truck compared to most and I hate to put it out on salty winter roads, plus being carbureted, with the worst heater ever, with the most smog choked engine ever, is not real pleasant at times. So I have been in the market for a replacement.

I bet I looked at probably over a hundred trucks. 4x4, gas, long box, single wheel Ford or Dodge was my requirement. Seems easy enough to find but apparently almost all of them are overpriced (or just out of the budget) or really beat up.

This one popped up on Craigslist. Towing company had it. 2007 F250, V10, auto 4x4. Has some issues, gauge cluster has been swapped, apparently it has been in some sort of accident because the box has been replaced and the cab has a couple big dents in the roof. All mostly minor and irrelevant because it drives super straight, no frame damage and it runs great!

They were asking $6900, I offered $4000 after some inspection and the guy took it without hesistating. Damn, should have offered less! Haha.

I have a nice 85 for sale now if anyone needs one

 

[BLOODBANE]

The only thing I hate about the V-10 is the mpg. I have a F-350 SD dually and the best I can get is 12mpg. that is loaded or empty. My 2001 Dodge 24v Cummins with a 6spd get around 22-23, and will out pull the Ford. The Ford rides and tows nicer though (I need to combine the two). The FORDs are decent enough. I have heard horror stories about the 10's shooting plugs out, but I have never had any issues out of mine. Yours looks like a nice clean truck, that should give you lots of good miles...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The only thing I hate about the V-10 is the mpg. I have a F-350 SD dually and the best I can get is 12mpg. that is loaded or empty. My 2001 Dodge 24v Cummins with a 6spd get around 22-23, and will out pull the Ford. The Ford rides and tows nicer though (I need to combine the two). The FORDs are decent enough. I have heard horror stories about the 10's shooting plugs out, but I have never had any issues out of mine. Yours looks like a nice clean truck, that should give you lots of good miles...

3V's don't shoot the plugs out, they break off in the head when you change them.

Looks like a nice rig for you, nice to miss all the diesel drama altogether and they are much cheaper to buy. Dad updated the lights on his '04 XL to the composite lights like an XLT, made a world of difference at night vs the sealed beams. Wiring was all the same, just have to change the lights.

 

[Shran]

I don't care about the gas mileage, this truck might see 500 miles a year. Maybe. 10mpg would be just fine and dandy, my 460 gets 9mpg empty and around 3 or 4 with a full load. It's just awful overall.

I need to have my buddy look at the gauge cluster. The towing company said some of the gauges didn't work so they swapped the whole cluster without reprogramming it so it reads 125k with a trailer brake controller fault. The guy there said it had 170k, the previous title says 112k, the current title says 217k so who really knows. Not that it matters, at the rate that I'll use it, it'll last forever, I have seen a bunch of these trucks with well over 400k. The interior condition looks like 112k so I'm betting on the low end of things.

Not looking forward to a spark plug change but it's in the works eventually.

This drive by wire stuff is weird. It's really smooth acceleration and the power comes on slow. I like it but it's a big change from the 460 which will push you back in the seat momentarily and then... nothing.