2011 F350 PS or GMC Cummins

[SP01715]

I just got back from the San Diego Auto Show, and IMO the Chevy gives you the most bang for your buck. Both the Ford and Chevy were very nice, but the top of the line 1 ton dually was a little less than the Ford, and IMO a little nicer. I love my current Duramax 2500, but the new 3500 will be my next truck. Out of the box with 397hp and over 750 lbs of TQ with the Allison tranny.
I will never buy another Chrysler product again. Not only did I get screwed by them, but after spending time on the Jeep forum I can't find anyone happy with them. They have a oil pump with a design flaw causing engine failures on 05 and 06 Wranglers and they are doing nothing about it even though it is causing engine failures. If a company won't stand behind their product what good are they?

[Great Asp]

I have a 05 PS F250 w/ 170K miles.

The interior is still great, so is the paint, motor runs fine.

I really want a 2011, but the fuel urea thing is bothering me. The torque on the 2011 is monster.

E

[RICK LAKE]

Allan A. Allan I work of GM for 25+ years. They have finally gotten there issues fixed with the Duramax and allison transmissions. We have no failures with STOCK running trucks. We have had failures with modified diesels with broken and bent rods and damaged piston ring lands. GM have gotten wise to the after market tuner along with Dodge and Ford. If they find out you modified the performance of the truck, they can and in 1 case cancel the warrantty on it. Unless you have 2 PCM's for the truck you can't install and remove the calibration numbers with a tuner. The PCM stores 10 calibrations. The other thing is running biodiesel in the truck. We have found that no more that a 50/50 is safe for the injection pump. Biofuel does not have the same power output the #2 diesel does from the pump. You can install and exhaust system if you want but GM has an after burner tube on the back of the truck. Changing oil is the most important thing. The new diesels have a tank with this new fluid that help reduce emmissions. The tank to fill cost about $70.00 and will last for about 1-2000 miles of normal driving. The big 3 are all going to do this within the next year. I like the screw on trans filters for the Allison tranny's. Easy to change and just add fluid to top off. Even with heavy duty hauling, the new fluids are holding up to about 75,000 miles before changing. Rearend fluids I would change at 50K if hard towing or high speed driving. Transfercase gets the same at 50K miles. Injection pumps, injectors, and glowplugs have all been improved and have very little failures unless major abuse is found. I know the air in air out story of the motor, stay with the stock filter, it does a better job of keeping crap out of the motor than K&N. See will be surprised at how fast this 2.5 ton truck is when driving. Put a large trail on the backend and it rides like a caddie, smooth and soft. I am sure that Dodge and ford have about the same to offer but GM's is quieter too. That has been tested in truck and car mags. Get some back issues of trailer mags and they have done the testing every year. SHOP hard for the best price. Rick L. PS fully loaded K3500 diesel just went for $58,000.00 OUCH. I paided 26,000 for my truck in 2000. with a sbc.

[Mdman352]

I have owned upwards of 43 Ford diesel trucks in F-350 & F-450 configuration for the past 30 years for my landscape company. The best motor was the 7.3 turbo. Although the 6.0 has had problems we never experienced any problems with the head gaskets.
When the twin turbo came out, i test drove one and the mileage was terrible so I ended up buying an Obamalet crewcab single wheel truck that listed for 60K. NICE truck!!!. it got 16.7 mpg all day long around town and 22.9 on the highway. after 2 years i found myself needing a new truck so I tried the Fords again. Since the engine option is now about 8600k over the gas motor and the price of fuel is about he same the numbers do not work. you really have to want a diesel. The Ford gas truck, F-350 got 8.2 on the highway in my test loop and the diesel got 12.2mpg. Not real encouraging. I went down to the Obamalet dealer and got into a 3500 regular cab with the Duramax and went out for a drive. Pulling away from a light the trans went into second gear whereupon i nailed it and promptly broke the rear tires loose. I drove back to the dealer and bought it. It lives its life plowing snow, has a 2 yard salt spreader mounted on it for 4 months of the year and pulls a 20 Haulmark car trailer when needed and is a daily driver. the mileage is around 15.6 with the spreader in the bed. This truck pulls like a raped ape!!! I drove the Dodge but could not get a good feeling about them. They were priced WAY below the Ford and the Obamalet. In my opinion, having driven Fords for most of my adult life the new Ford trucks are much cheaper "feeling". They are priced about the same
Now....
about the urea as an exhaust treatment:
The material costs $19.00 per 2.5 gallons and a 5 gallon fillup is supposed to last about 5000 miles according to the dealer. GM and Ford are using this system and Dodge will follow in 2012.
Using biodiesel is fine except it eats up rubber lines. we have had to replace the rubber with plastic lined hoses. No issues with lack of power and the bonus is the exhaust smells like McDonalds french fries.
No one hates the idea of Government Motors more than me but I would buy the Obamlet and never look back.

[Mark IV]

Originally Posted by Mdman352

Now....
about the urea as an exhaust treatment:
The material costs $19.00 per 2.5 gallons and a 5 gallon fillup is supposed to last about 5000 miles according to the dealer. GM and Ford are using this system and Dodge will follow in 2012.

DEF (hi-grade urea 32.5%, de-ionized water 67.5%) costs depend on where/how you buy. PACCAR (Peterbilt/Kenworth) sells a 3 gallon jug with spout locally here for $11.65 per jug. Buy it at the pump or in 55 gallon drums or 275 gallon totes and the cost is much less.

All DEF is API certified so brand does not matter, there is no "proprietary" DEF so Motorcraft works as well in a GM as in a Frieghtliner.........

[Mark IV]

The urea (DEF, Diesel Exhaust Fluid) is no big thing. You use 2-3 PERCENT DEF to fuel so for every 100 gallons of fuel, you use 2-3 gallons of DEF. DEF is NON specific, all is the same so buy it where you want. Ford is providing DEF no cost during warranty.

Tuning the engines for DEF allows much of the emissions cleanup to be "downstream" of the engine thus allowing increased power, better economy and a MUCH wider powerband and "sweet spot".

I talk to guys with class 8 tractors on DEF that have seen 10% increases in fuel economy and believe me a trucker will KILL for 10 percent!

[gsharapa]

Go drive the new 2011 Ford with their new 6.7 diesel (Ford designed and built themselves) and I think you will sell yourself. I drove a friend's back in July towing a 24ft trailer and Cobra cruisin at 75mph and didn't even know the trailer and car were back there. Great fuel economy, power and it's so quite compared to all other diesels. Ford hit a home run on this one....