There are 4 main reasons that we chose the F350 (1-ton truck) over the F250 (¾ ton) when we were shopping for a truck. The Super Duty line from Ford offer trucks made for hauling and towing heavier loads than a standard F150 (½ ton) truck.
Our first Super Duty was a 2000 F250, with the 5.4 Triton V8 engine. That truck was our first vehicle larger than a ½ ton truck, and seved us well to tow our travel trailer.
Our next upgrade was to the 2005 F350 diesel Super Duty. This Lariat trimmed truck was luxury (for it’s day) combined with comfort and capability. That 6.0 PowerStroke was certainly not without issues (after issues after issues), but was impressively powerful when it was working correctly. Why we sold our diesel F350:
After being plagued by 6.0 Powerstroke issues, we wanted away from the diesel engines and all the emissions additions. We opted for the new F350, with the gasoline powered 7.3 Godzilla engine. It turns out it’s not without it’s issues either:
Oil analysis results:
But the reason we wanted the 1-ton over the ¾ ton is due to a few key advantages that this truck offers.
Reason 1: Payload Capacity
Our F350 has nearly 4000 lbs of payload capacity. This amount will vary based on the configuration of your truck. Each truck payload is unique. The more options/features you add, the less payload left for hauling “other stuff”. Gasoline trucks benefit from less engine weight than the diesel counterparts - typically allowing for higher payloads in each truck size segment.
Reason 2: Bed height
Believe it or not (check the specs to be sure!) - the F350 actually has a lower bed height than the F250 in many configurations. This is because manufacturers know that 1-ton trucks are often used for towing/hauling heavier loads, including 5th wheel and gooseneck trailers. These type of trailers are best towed by a vehicle that isn’t super tall, and does not create possible “impact points” between the trailer and the bed rails.
Reason 3: Axle ratio
Our F350 was available with the 3:73 axle ratio. This is the ratio we desired for our combination of towing, highway speeds, and hauling loads. It still gives us the tow capability we need for our 5th wheel trailer, while not sacrificing as much MPG as the 4:30 or 4:10 ratio. But it does give us more capability for towing and hauling than the 3:55 would.
Reason 4: Towing capacity
Our F350 is the SRW (single rear wheel) and not a DRW (dually - dual rear wheel), so our towing capacity is lower than the DRW version of a F350. But, it is higher than the F250 SRW truck. Always refer to the towing guide from the manufacturer.