New Truck

I'm ready to purchase my first Diesel truck and need some info. and advice please. My wife and I have decided to go for a 2008 F-350 or possibly an F-450. This is going to be my once in a lifetime almost new REAL TRUCK! I plan on keeping whatever we buy for a long time. This truck will only be used to pull a 5th wheel camper and occasional hauling of some antique tractors and autos. It will be a secondary truck for me and will remain garaged most of the time but we'll probably drive it to Church on Sundays just to run it once a week. What advice can you guys give me when shopping for a fairly low mileage used Super Duty? We usually only camp at the beach but with the real truck we plan on going to the mountains some as well. What axle ratio is the best choice for us? Where can I get a list of F-350/F-450 option codes for the 2008 models? Where do you find the options list on the truck itself? How do I know if the truck I'm looking at has the "Tow-Boss" package? What does the "Tow-Boss" package consist of? If we go with a 450 is the 4:30 ratio our best bet? I think the 4:88 would be way over kill for us. How much more will it cost to maintain the 450 over the 350? I assume those 19.5" tires are considerably more to replace than the 17's on the 350? I hate to ask so many questions but this is a huge decision for us. I want to get a truck that will handle anything we ever throw at it and be happy with it for a long time. If you had a choice would it be the 350 or 450?

Thanks,
Michael  

That is alot of questions ha ha, but it is good to be an informed buyer.  I would look into getting an Oasis report on any truck you consider buying.  For me I would get a f-350, but I would use it as a daily driver.  What kind of terrain do you live in?
I will note, my boss has a 2008 f-350 and I hauled a 21k load up and over 6% grades with no sweat.  I believe that truck has 3.55 gears, so I don't know that you would necessarily need the 450, especially if you don't plan on using it much, but don't take my word for it.  Go out there and test drive a bunch of trucks, be sure and get something you really like and will be happy with.  That is about the best advice I can give you.

One more thing to consider, I drive a 2008 550 for work everyday and see about 9.4 mpg, the truck loaded does wiegh about 12,000lbs but that might be a deciding factor in your hunt for a new truck.  Good luck.  

I think we're gonna go with the F-350 and hunt for one with the wide track front axle option and probably 4:10 rear. It will be a DRW,4WD,CC,LB.

If the truck starts the DPF cleaning cycle do you have to keep driving til it finishes? What if it starts this sequence right before you pull in your driveway? Can you pull on in and stop the truck with no problems or will it confuse or harm the truck if it does not finish? I hope to only deal with this til the warranty runs out then it will get a DPF delete and tuner.

Mike  

When I have experienced regen I have been going approx 60mph at a steady speed.  I'm not 100% sure but I think ford re-programmed them so they don't regen unless over a certain MPH.  When they first released them they were the flamethrower, because they would regen even if parked, they don't do that anymore though.