Ford. The oil changes are much easier 
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F350 or Ram
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BrendanC
$100 site donor 2024
i would lean towards a gasser unless you’re towing non stop. the 7.3L ford is an incredible driving experience. i’m partial to the 6.6L gasser from GM however.
I had the 7.3L Godzilla and I wasn't impressed. I'm at around 5200 ft above sea level and tow the Ike twice a year. I got tired of the motor screaming rpms and shifting all the time. The downhill was awful too.
BrendanC
$100 site donor 2024
twice a year is a pretty good trade off for the upfront and maintenance/up keep costs. there is absolutely zero reason to daily drive a 3/4 or 1 ton diesel pickup if you aren’t working it. asking for emission issues.
Yea it would have done the job, but I was getting a bigger camper that the F350/7.3L wouldn't handle. MUCH less maintenace than the diesel though.
A buddy of mine bought an F450 he says it’s a better turning ratio than the F350 and a much smoother ride and it was only a few dollars more if that’s true. Plus, it’s the same size as the F350.
Zee09
$200 Site Donor 2023
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I'd like to know how old that F350 was as that may shed light on that story unless he test drove two new ones.
The F450 has the wide track front axle, thus the tighter turning radius. Handy if you have a large 5th wheel
. Some states tax them higher though because they can call the commercial vehicles.
I daily my 2500 6.7 and have had zero emissions related issues. I don’t even tow (yet) and drive around 16k+ miles per year. My average regen is about 650-900+ miles between regens, usually.
And the F350 has a higher payload than the F450...
The DEF system on my ram is remarkably simple and robust if you don't put the wrong nozzle in the wrong tank. On my truck the SCR and DPF are separate and can be serviced/replaced individually if needed, unlike Ford's giant telephone pole log unit.
There's a tank. There's a module (in the tank) that consists of a pump, a level sensor, and a heater. There's a (heated) harness between that module and the injector. There's an injector in the exhaust pipe between the DPF and SCR. There's a module and two NOx sensors. When there's a problem it's:
- Injector is crusted over - remove, clean, and replace.
- Injector is burned out. Replace.
- Pump, heater, or level sensor is dead. Remove module and replace.
- NOx sensor is bad. Remove and replace.
BrendanC
$100 site donor 2024
Yet. DPF’s need heat to clean themselves. there will be permanent build up after a while.
I hear this frequently. How much additional maintenance does the diesel really require? Is the pesky 15k fuel filter interval and 100k CCV filter interval really a burden? Oh, and two coolant systems to drain and fill every 5-10 years vs one (ford and gm). Drain a water separator every few oil changes? Fill a DEF tank at the pump every 3k-5k miles?
I'll agree it's less but is it really MUCH less?
Because the curb weight (depending on equipment) can be lower and the class 3 14k gvwr limit is same for 350 DRW as 450. Obviously the 450 is derated on gvwr. Different people have a different level of care when it comes to ratings and a different understanding of the class 3 truck 14k cap.And the F350 has a higher payload than the F450...
There's this nifty process called an active regen where the DPF gets really hot and cleans while you drive.
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I do a lot of highway driving, B1S3 (dpf) egt’s around 680-760 cruising, and use a scan gauge for monitoring. I can watch the soot decrease on highway drives, via scan gauge, as the truck is in passive regen. I don’t anticipate issues because of the highway mileage and have not noted any signs of frequent regens, prolonged regens, or excessive dpf soot loading. I did have one or two regens occur at about the 350 mile interval but that’s it.
I believe it was at the beginning of 2023 when he bought the F450 Dooley. They were both test drove at the same time so I’m assuming 2023.
The 2025 Rams loose basically all passive regen because they moved the SCR in front of the DPF. So the regen distance will decrease and they will most likely have more DPF problems with the DPF behind the SCR vs in front of it.
There isnt a physical level sensor. DEF level is monitored exclusively by an ultrasonic level sensor since it can freeze during the winter.
I would say go with the Ram. Now this is my opinion, i have personally owned Ram trucks for 14 years and drove Dodge before that. I much prefer Ram's interiors, layout, switchgear etc. To me it's simpler (SLT trim) and much easier to use. In contrast, i have been running Ford trucks for work, primarily F150s for nearly 20 years. Garbage. Poor interior layout, over complicated rubbish.
I cant comment on HD gas trucks but as for drivetrain, pick your poison. The Ford does have a refined engine and smooth shifting transmission. This is both the previous 6 speed and new 10. Look under the hood and figure out which one you are comfortable working on.
A good friend has a 2022 F350 SRW Tremor with the Powerstroke and 10 speed. It is a nice truck and does him well on his farm and cattle business but he says the trucks capabilities and towing abilities really do not exceed his old miled out, deleted 2011 Ram 2500. In fact the 2011 has a better exhaust brake.
Good luck with emissions on either make. Its all hit or miss.
I cant comment on HD gas trucks but as for drivetrain, pick your poison. The Ford does have a refined engine and smooth shifting transmission. This is both the previous 6 speed and new 10. Look under the hood and figure out which one you are comfortable working on.
A good friend has a 2022 F350 SRW Tremor with the Powerstroke and 10 speed. It is a nice truck and does him well on his farm and cattle business but he says the trucks capabilities and towing abilities really do not exceed his old miled out, deleted 2011 Ram 2500. In fact the 2011 has a better exhaust brake.
Good luck with emissions on either make. Its all hit or miss.
Correct. As I said. There's a level sensor.
Isn't the Ram body & frame from 2010? At least that's what I read on YT comments. 2017 & above was a ground up new frame/body. I'm partial to Ford. I can't get the truck camper Ram that split the Frame out of my head but I'm sure there's more to the story & that was a very heavy camper.
