my dream truck (almost)

[P.Services]

if it had four wheel drive it would be the perfect truck, i can get by with 2wd though so im trying to pull the loot together and see if i can make the deal happen. he doesn't want to come off 27k but i think he will move a little more now that i let it sit a few more weeks. im looking for 25.5k

check it out and let me know what you think

http://www.commercialtrucktrader.com/medium-duty-trucks/find/listing/2003-FORD-F450-92763766

[stuvecorp]

Just curious, why do you like that dump body? Save up and go with a 550, that extra payload is important.

[TXNSLighting]

very nice! 450's are plenty atleast for me they would be.

[P.Services]

Just curious, why do you like that dump body? Save up and go with a 550, that extra payload is important.

i want a tall body like that so i can haul 10 yards of mulch and then i want to build a aluminum cover for it so it can be used as a chip truck. i just dont see the use of the drop side boxes, they are so short you end up building 2x10 wood sides that look like crap. the tool box behind the cab is also a great added feature.

[Supper Grassy]

that truck is sweet

[lawnspecialties]

'03 6.0L's are a very risky purchase. :nono:

[J&R Landscaping]

i want a tall body like that so i can haul 10 yards of mulch and then i want to build a aluminum cover for it so it can be used as a chip truck. i just dont see the use of the drop side boxes, they are so short you end up building 2x10 wood sides that look like crap. the tool box behind the cab is also a great added feature.

Not sure off hand what the truck weighs empty but with it being a crew cab and all that, its gonna draw off the payload. Prolly has a 15000 gvw. Not quite sure it would hold 10 yards legally, but capacity wise that bodies great!

[mybowtie]

Some of the early 03's had the 7.3. Thats a awesome motor. I wouldnt buy if its a 6.0..............:usflag:

[PlatinumLandCon]

Some of the early 03's had the 7.3. Thats a awesome motor. I wouldnt buy if its a 6.0..............:usflag:

+1! The 7.3 was amazing late in its life.... hell, even in the 90's it was pretty solid. Early 6.0's are risky, 05-07 ones are MUCH better.

[Gravel Rat]

The 2003s are hit and miss. I own a 2003 F-450 I'am having the turbo replaced but that is the way it goes. I will NEVER go back to a underpowered NOISY 7.3 PSD. The 7.3 can't hold a candle to the power the 6.0 has. The 6.0 does get better mpg. You need to wear ear plugs driving a 7.3 PSD truck.

You fix all the 6.0s common problems and drive the truck it will be fine. My F-450 2wd regular cab weighs 9300lbs empty it drives like a sports car.

As for buying a F-550 there really isn't much difference your only gaining 2500lbs in gvw. The F-550 with the 19,000lb gvw has the same brakes as the F-450. The S110 rear axle in the F-450 is a heavy rear axle your not going to bend the axle housing. You can run timbren rubber springs to help with the load carrying capacity.

As for 2wd trucks a 4x4 really doesn't do anything. These trucks are so heavy get into anything soft they sink like a rock in water. Once the rear duals sink your done. I have a tru trac limited slip in the diff of my truck I can go into places a 2wd shouldn't. Run a good traction tire one that howls like h*ll on the highway :laugh:

[P.Services]

its a 6.0 but has never had any engine work done so it must be a good one.

[TXNSLighting]

yeh it sounds like a good one then.

[mag360]

The 2003s are hit and miss. I own a 2003 F-450 I'am having the turbo replaced but that is the way it goes. I will NEVER go back to a underpowered NOISY 7.3 PSD. The 7.3 can't hold a candle to the power the 6.0 has. The 6.0 does get better mpg. You need to wear ear plugs driving a 7.3 PSD truck.

You fix all the 6.0s common problems and drive the truck it will be fine. My F-450 2wd regular cab weighs 9300lbs empty it drives like a sports car.

As for buying a F-550 there really isn't much difference your only gaining 2500lbs in gvw. The F-550 with the 19,000lb gvw has the same brakes as the F-450. The S110 rear axle in the F-450 is a heavy rear axle your not going to bend the axle housing. You can run timbren rubber springs to help with the load carrying capacity.

As for 2wd trucks a 4x4 really doesn't do anything. These trucks are so heavy get into anything soft they sink like a rock in water. Once the rear duals sink your done. I have a tru trac limited slip in the diff of my truck I can go into places a 2wd shouldn't. Run a good traction tire one that howls like h*ll on the highway :laugh:

We knew the 6.0 would get you sooner or later. I'm starting to think I'd rather go back to early-mid nineties trucks. They have problems too but are cheaper to fix and cheaper to buy. What did that turbo run you?

[Snyderserv5060]

Just wondering are you firm on getting a crew cab truck? I am asking because I am just about to finalized with a deal on an 01 F550 PSD. While its a single cab (my other F350 is a CC) and has a bit more miles on it... its got a 7.3, 4x4, and all aluminum dump bed on it. We came to a price around 10-12k for the truck.

I am not a fan of the 6.0 but if its been trouble free so far its probably a good one. I looked at a 03 F450 6.0 PSD the other day here in MD. He wanted 20k, landscape dump, 4x4, with plow setup. I think it had 90k to date on it. Just wanted to throw my 2 cents in as that price seems high from what I have been coming across in my similar search. However I already have a CC truck so this one can be a single cab and im willing to go with a bit more miles.

Good luck

[P.Services]

i want either a crew cab or a extended cab, im tired of sitting three wide!!! i agree the price is a little high but if i can get it for 25k i wouldnt feel like i got burned. not when a new one is 52k anyways.

[Snyderserv5060]

I dont want to post an ebay link and get in trouble with the mods here but just for reference...

2002 Ford F-450 Crew Cab Flatbed Dump 7.3L Diesel Auto
68,897 miles
$19,750

2001 Ford F-450 Crew Cab 7.3L Diesel Contractors Dump
85,709 miles
$15,650

They are a distance but I just wanted to use them as a price reference, I just feel mid to upper 20's is too much. Ive seen 05+ dumps in that range but again thats just my 2cents

Hope it all works out for you

[P.Services]

you can post a ebay link the mods dont ever remove them, please do

[Snyderserv5060]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2000-Ford-F-450-Crew-Cab-9-Flatbed-Dump-7-3L-Diesel_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ63734QQihZ017QQitemZ270247752714QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2001-Ford-F-450-Crew-Cab-7-3L-Diesel-Contractors-Dump_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ63742QQihZ020QQitemZ300231676824QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2002-Ford-F-450-Crew-Cab-Flatbed-Dump-7-3L-Diesel-Auto_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ63734QQihZ024QQitemZ370058264076QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1999-Ford-F-450-Crew-Cab-9-Flatbed-Dump-Diesel-Auto_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ63742QQihZ017QQitemZ270242297409QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

Just type in F450 or F550 dump and you'll see a bunch for sale. Theres a few listed above all I think under 20k, CC, diesels. Not sure if your looking for a stake body or a solid welded unit.

[P.Services]

yeah i have talked to the guy that owns that company before he just sounded like a shady little snake, those trucks are all old true green trucks. im not sure if thats a good thing or not.

[Snyderserv5060]

Ah, I cant vouch either way but his feedback looks good and he sells a good number of trucks.

Regardless of where or who you get it from I just wanted to mention you should comparison shop around first. Being in the same boat as your are (as ive been looking for about 2 months) I think you can come out with a lot better deal. The other thing for me this this tho... I will put my dump to use a good bit but I am sure it will see most of its real work next season when I push to grow to another level. I am buying with the future in mind but on more of a limited budget as I am putting money into a larger trailer and other things as well.

Any 550's around you for sale? I am going with a 550 for a bit more capacity and all while I am doing it. 4x4 is important to me with where this truck could have to go now and in the future. I kinda wanted a manual trans but was not set on that. While a CC or extended cab would be nice they are a lot harder to locate, as I am sure you've found. Also for me, while a stake body would work I wanted a solid dump bed... but that all depends on what you plan to use it for.

I wont start a brand war here but I love my F350 PSD and have had no regrets about getting it...even with the cost of diesel. I am specifically looking to get another ford for my dump truck. Other than a transmission which was replaced under warranty my truck (knock on wood) has been good to me for the last few years!

[Gravel Rat]

If you are going to pack extra workers with you a crew cab is a must a supercab isn't a nice place to sit.

As for a F-550 crewcab there really is no point if you are running a 9 foot bed because you can't get enough into a 9 foot bed to overload the truck.

If you run high sides it makes the truck too unstable so you take a corner too fast the truck will roll and wallow all over the road.

I haven't got the turbo changed on my 2003 6.0 it will be tommorow and the turbo itself is 1300 dollars and 500 dollars for Ford to put it on. They said 3 hours which is better than 8 hours for me to do it. Plus I need a special wrench to get at some of the bolts.

[mag360]

you can post a ebay link the mods dont ever remove them, please do

One of the nice things about this site. They throw a fit over on the c@fe if you don't advertise for them in the ebay ad.

[P.Services]

ive never been over to that site, lawsite seems to give me my fix.

[stuvecorp]

i want a tall body like that so i can haul 10 yards of mulch and then i want to build a aluminum cover for it so it can be used as a chip truck. i just dont see the use of the drop side boxes, they are so short you end up building 2x10 wood sides that look like crap. the tool box behind the cab is also a great added feature.

Everybody does things different. How frequently do you haul mulch? I like the fold down sides for hauling pallets and attachments. In the past I put two sheets of plywood and can haul 10 yards of mulch out, it may look like a gypsymobile but worked. I worked for a company that had one of those backpack toolboxes and was always a mess and half the time nothing important was in it so it wasn't worth the space it took up. The 550 that is 195000 gvw compared to a 450 with 16000gvw, you do the math. Be careful on older trucks, you can get upside down real fast and when stuff starts wearing out it isn't fun or cheap.

[mag360]

ive never been over to that site, lawsite seems to give me my fix.

It would be a waste of time anyway---lawnsite is the biggest by a long shot.