BryanTuvell

We have an 01 F250 4x4 PSD, I agree diesels aren't for everyone and the debate is always maintenance cost of diesel and additiona cost upfront compared to high fuel usage (mpg) of the gas engines with less life longevity.
Our application has me on the highway 50 miles a day, and tow about 8000 lbs (every weekend) like it is not there. Mine is 3.77 limited slip, 1700 rpm makes 65 mph.

23,000 miles on ours, non towing mileage mid 17's and towing about 14 mpg.
I personally think the 4.10 rear would be a bit over kill unless you are close to capacity towing.

Good luck and let us know what you get.
Bryan

Cignificant

I knew this would turn into another Ford vs Chevy debate..

Since I've been shopping for the past week, here's my view. First, I'm not brand loyal - I've had a 4WD Bronco (hated it), and now a 1500 Suburban (love it). The only reason I'm moving away from the Burb is that is is way underrated for my Cigarette.

I brought a Chevy 3500 Diesel Crew Cab Diesel home last Thursday night to show the wife. I liked the interior, the Diesel is much quieter than the Ford, rode great. The thing that turned me against it was the mirrors. I backed the truck up to my trailer and I could not see the trailer or boat due to the fender flares. When I talked to the dealer he indicated that a lot of people had the same complaint and that Chevy was re-engineering the mirrors. He said they could bolt on some trailering mirrors, but I don't like the way they look.

I spoke to the mechanic that works on all my vehicles and he said to go with the Ford. He owns one (pulls a 42' race trailer with it), so he may be biased. Maintenance wise, he says the PSD is almost maintenance free, other than oil & filters. (Yes, I know they hold 4 gallons of oil.)

The Ford is rated higher in towing capacity for a ball/hitch trailer by 500 lbs. (12000 vs 12500). It "feels" like a bigger truck. I even drove the Chevy onto the Ford lot and parked them next to each other - it just looks beefier.

In short the Chevy is a nice truck - I'm not putting them down. But I think the Ford F350 PSD Crew Cab is the way I'm going.

Brad

I went through a similar search about a year ago. I ended up buying a leftover 2000 F-350 PSD Crew Cab short bed. This is the first truck I have ever owned and have been very happy with the quality and performance of the truck. I normally get 16-17 MPG and 10-11 when towing. I have pulled my Cigarette from South Carolina to South Florida three times with no problems what so ever. If I were going to buy another truck I would think hard about whether I wanted a dually or not. It’s great when towing but a pain in the ass when parking.