My brother had to spend some big $$ to get his F650 XUV to ride nicer than my SportChassis. He ended up having the suspension completely reworked with the entire truck put on air.

He has driven my SportChassis with the MBZ motor and he said it is much better performance than his F650 with the C7 motor. He keeps looking for upgrades that would add a ton of HP to the C7. He hates that motor in his truck. He has even considered putting in a powerstroke or something which would be a mistake.

So you got the MBZ motor with 1,000ft/lb's of torque and how many HP?

330hp 1000tq the also have a 410hp available but to go from the 330hp to 410hp is like 22k, the 300hp were like 860trq.

FL70 is the much older truck no?

The FL-50,60,70 mediums were concurrently called Business Class for a while in the late 90's and early 2K range. Then they dropped the FL and it became the Business Class M2 with the more streamlined cab. The Sportchassis is the M2 built specifically for conversion. You could order the same truck and equip it exactly the same as the Sportchassis they sell to converters.

The benefit of the FL is the service network. Every dealer and their parts department is open 24-7 and they're all along the interstates. Plus, if you buy a Cat engine, you can get those serviced at any Cat dealer, also open 24-7.

My preference is for the purpose-built truck. The Ford and GM use the same cab as their light-duty pickups. Compared to a FL/KW/Pete/Int'l, there's much less overall room, especially headroom. You see many of the Ford/GM's with bubble roof extensions. If you have an air-ride seat, you'll need it. If you're over 6', get used to smacking your head. Plus, you sit with your legs out in front like a pickup. In a medium, you're sitting upright, as you would sitting in a chair.

The interior is one of those chocolate/vanilla things. The service availability is a tangible asset. That is a big deal for us as we have trucks in 5 states and if they aren't on the road, we're losing $$. It's a rare occurrence though. It's not like we have a fleet of OTR tractors with 1MM+ on them. These things are exceptionally reliable. They're not even broken in until 80K+ and I've never had an expensive service issue under 400K- they'tre usually done before that anyway. We maybe have a couple of unexpected issues a year.

If you equip it properly, there is no bad choice. If you buy a used C&C that used to be a delivery truck, don't expect the same performance & comfort as a purpose-built toy hauler.

As far as comfort, the Ford s I've driven seemed very pleasant. It's pretty much the same stuff under the cab, regardless of the name on it. Ford doesn't make anything but the cab. Neither does anyone else. If you buy equivalent leaf-spring or air-ride chassis', they're going to be virtually identical in comfort and capability.

Ive Got An 08 F450 4wd That Tows A 50 Hustler That Weighs 21000 On The Trailer. I Have Good Brakes On The Trailer And Have Had No Issues Whatsoever With The Performance Or Safety Of My Combination.

Is it a fifth wheel or conventional trailer? How far do you tow it?

After reading some of the launch ramp problems with the medium duty conversions, I'm leaning toward the F450 with four wheel drive! Especially if it ows a Hustler 50 PY without a problem.

I can assure you, it's a marginal setup in perfect conditions. When the weather turns bad or something unexpected happens, you'll spend those brief seconds wishing to God you had more truck.


If you wait long enough, someone will happen along and tell you exactly what you want to hear.

There have been more than a few people on here that have owned multiple combinations of boats and rigs in that weight range that have in almost all cases said there's a tremendous difference between the 450 and the medium.