New 3500 Dodge - sell 7.3 PSD?

[mbrink]

New to this Forum, first post. I have had a Ford F250 7.3 PSD for 17 years. Truck has been 100% reliable and most I talk to say I am crazy to consider selling it. Truck has been a daily driver and only has 143K miles on it. Looks and drives like new. Trucks have come a long ways in 17 years. More importantly, I haul a 3100 pound camper in my truck which has a posted payload of 1400 pounds. Also tow a 7000 pound car hauler behind the camper at times. To say the least, over loaded. That said, I have an exhaust brake and air bags, have towed this combo for years, and never an issue. Plenty of power and exhaust brake is key.

In addition to needing more legal pay load, I am ready for a change. I am considering a
3500 Crew Cab/Mega Cab short bed, Aisin trannisingle axle which have a payload close to 4000 pounds. Thoughts?

How effective is the factory Auto leveler? What other options to consider?

 

[Killer223]

you'll be amazed!!!! the 7.3 are a great truck, but don't hold a candle to the new ones. ford or ram.
I sold my 2000 7.3 with only 32K on it. not sure i could ever go back to those seats. totally happy with both my Cummins trucks.

 

[apgambino]

I have a 15 3500 mega cab SRW with the Aisin and tow a 17k toy hauler. Pin weight fully loaded puts me about 200 lbs. over RAWR. The truck does just fine. I can't speak to a slide in camper, but I know most folks feel better served by a dually in that capacity.

With a 4k payload for the SRW trucks, that is your limiting factor; especially if you are towing the car hauler. At 3100 pounds that leaves you 900 lbs for people in the truck and the tongue weight from the trailer. My guess is the tongue weight of that trailer would legally only leave room for the driver.

Food for thought if your concern is being legal weight-wise.

2015 3500 SRW 4x4 MegaCab Laramie Aisin

 

[Cummins12V98]

The Factory rear air ride is awesome!!!

 

[sag2]

The good news is you Clean 7.3 will bring good money when you go to sell it. You will love the new truck whatever you get.

 

[mbrink]

Test drove a 3500 Alisin CC short bed. Nice truck. Mega cab sure is nice for space, but is long for a daily driver. Decision time.

My 7.3 PSD has been trouble free for 17 years. Only issue was a trannie at 100k miles. From what I see online I can sell it for over half what I paid for it 17 years ago. Not a bad deal......

 

[jgillott]

Test drove a 3500 Alisin CC short bed. Nice truck. Mega cab sure is nice for space, but is long for a daily driver. Decision time.

My 7.3 PSD has been trouble free for 17 years. Only issue was a trannie at 100k miles. From what I see online I can sell it for over half what I paid for it 17 years ago. Not a bad deal......

Don't know if it is possible for you, but could you buy a new one and keep the old 7.3? No comparison between old and new trucks, but if you are anything like I am, I'd miss something I've owned for that long. Besides, as mentioned above, the 7.3L's pull a great resale value. You could always sell it later if you truly don't need/want it anymore.

 

[Missouri Mule]

The 7.3 was the best Intrernational engine they put a ford truck.
3100 lbs is a heavy for a 250. 7000 lb car and trailer should only add 700 lbs on the rear axle. What is gcvw ?
On my Mule I increased the factory gvw/ gvwr from 8800 to 9999 lbs . You pay more for your registraion but your legal. At least in FL they let you do that.
When I bought Mule i had a small utility trailer with a 3500 lb axle. I raised it just in case I got a bigger trailer. As it turned out I bought a Freightliner 60 with 16 ft box. I did use the Mule during slow season, guick runs and watermelon runs wiith trailer( Until the recession. Then Mule once again became the main produce hauler.
A New truck would be nice though. More gvwr and gcwr.

 

[mbrink]

I have original 2001 brochures from Ford. With my 4wd and diesel, they list the max Payload at 1,159 pounds. That is nuts. You can over load that just with 4 adults and gear for a weekend. That is the main reason I am considering upgrading. I have had a camper since I bought it. The last 3 years I have used a new, heavier slide out camper. Added about 500 pounds. Regardless, overloaded. With both campers on I have also towed a 7000 pound trailer/jeep behind it. Never an issue, but you need to be defensive. A year ago I added an exhaust brake, which was a huge upgrade. Really lets you manage speed on downhills, and save the brakes. Sounds like a new truck is what I need.

Is the standard auto ok, or is the Aisin worth the $2,600?

 

[sag2]

Your paying for the best engine, you might as well get the best transmission.

 

[Tuesdak]

I have original 2001 brochures from Ford. With my 4wd and diesel, they list the max Payload at 1,159 pounds. That is nuts. You can over load that just with 4 adults and gear for a weekend.

Payload rating actually assumes a passenger (Anorexic lightest non-standard number they could pull out of thin air) in every seat with a seatbelt leaving you an additional 1,159 pounds for payload. The assumption you made is robbing yourself of the capacity already subtracted by the OEM. Most American passengers weigh more than the number assumed by OEM's at the 2001 date. So it's additional passenger weight over the OEM number (Say 150 LBS) that comes off the published payload number. For a real number you have to weigh the truck with a full tank of fuel to see what you have left of the GVWR on the door sticker for use adding cargo/passengers. It could be better or worse depending on options and actual passenger weight.

 

[dfb]

I have owned 3 psd trucks. A 95, 97, and 02.. I have not had great luck with the 7.3s. Glow plugs and glow plug relays every year. High pressure pump leaked. Oil galley plug on rear of heads leaked. And what really burnt me was the oil pan washers that leaked!. I'd rather see a rod cone out the side of the engine than see an oil drip on my garage floor. The 02 lariat was really nice. Changed to Ram in 04 ... on my 3rd ram

 

[Lynx0849]

Payload rating actually assumes a passenger (Anorexic lightest non-standard number they could pull out of thin air) in every seat with a seatbelt leaving you an additional 1,159 pounds for payload. The assumption you made is robbing yourself of the capacity already subtracted by the OEM. Most American passengers weigh more than the number assumed by OEM's at the 2001 date. So it's additional passenger weight over the OEM number (Say 150 LBS) that comes off the published payload number. For a real number you have to weigh the truck with a full tank of fuel to see what you have left of the GVWR on the door sticker for use adding cargo/passengers. It could be better or worse depending on options and actual passenger weight.

The 2017 Ram brochure states that it includes a driver and passenger (150lbs each). Not one for every set of seatbelts.

 

[Cummins2014]

New to this Forum, first post. I have had a Ford F250 7.3 PSD for 17 years. Truck has been 100% reliable and most I talk to say I am crazy to consider selling it. Truck has been a daily driver and only has 143K miles on it. Looks and drives like new. Trucks have come a long ways in 17 years. More importantly, I haul a 3100 pound camper in my truck which has a posted payload of 1400 pounds. Also tow a 7000 pound car hauler behind the camper at times. To say the least, over loaded. That said, I have an exhaust brake and air bags, have towed this combo for years, and never an issue. Plenty of power and exhaust brake is key.

In addition to needing more legal pay load, I am ready for a change. I am considering a
3500 Crew Cab/Mega Cab short bed, Aisin trannisingle axle which have a payload close to 4000 pounds. Thoughts?

How effective is the factory Auto leveler? What other options to consider?

I did, sold my early 99 Superduty, 7.3 just couldn't get the job done well enough in the mountains with a 13K plus fifth wheel. I was happy with truck the truck for nearly 16 years, other then the power. It did a good job towing until I went over 10K.

Traded it for a new 2014 Cummins 3500 Megacab , a few complaints ,but nothing major yet. As far as power there is no comparison with that old 7.3. This Cummins flat gets it done towing.