2010 F250 w/ 200k?

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Burnrate

Active member
Joined
May 25, 2017
Posts
26
Hello all

We are in the process of getting a truck and a fifth wheel at the same time.  We are looking at a 2010 F250 V10 Gas with 6.5 bed.  It has a little over 200k miles on it but a new engine and transmission.

I have a few questions that I would like some more perspective on :)

Is the new engine and transmission with an old as good as deal as it seems (for a good price)?

What should we look for on the truck that may be damaged or in need of replacement?  After 200k miles what would be breaking besides the engine and transmission?

I guess I'm just looking for more experiences of people who have purchased similar vehicles and what really needs to be checked on a truck to make sure it holds the 5th wheel well.

Thanks!
 
I have a few random thoughts.

What does NEW mean?  New to this truck, pulled from a wreck with 150K miles?  Rebuilt by a reputable rebuilder or mechanic with a 1 year warranty?  Brand new from the factory with warranty?  Questions apply to both engine and transmission.

The parts that wear are usual maintenance items - tires, brakes, suspension parts, etc.  Check the undercarriage for excessive rust, wear, cracks or bent frame parts.  Mostly common sense stuff.  I would look closely at the tires.  Check the mfg date to determine tire age. Also check load rating to verify they can handle the axle weight ratings.

What size FW are you looking at?  The F250 is a great truck, but it lacks the payload for most mid size or larger FW.  As a general guide without seeing Payload rating for the specific truck, from the yellow label on the driver door latch post, I will suggest 12,000# or lighter GVWR for the FW.  (3000# payload, 600# passengers and cargo = 2400# pin wt --> 12,000# GVVWR at 20% pin wt)  This same truck could handle a huge TT (3000# - 600# = 2400# hitch wt -->19,200# GVWR for the TT at 12.5% hitch wt.)
 
grashley said:
I have a few random thoughts.

What does NEW mean?  New to this truck, pulled from a wreck with 150K miles?  Rebuilt by a reputable rebuilder or mechanic with a 1 year warranty?  Brand new from the factory with warranty?  Questions apply to both engine and transmission.

The parts that wear are usual maintenance items - tires, brakes, suspension parts, etc.  Check the undercarriage for excessive rust, wear, cracks or bent frame parts.  Mostly common sense stuff.  I would look closely at the tires.  Check the mfg date to determine tire age. Also check load rating to verify they can handle the axle weight ratings.

What size FW are you looking at?  The F250 is a great truck, but it lacks the payload for most mid size or larger FW.  As a general guide without seeing Payload rating for the specific truck, from the yellow label on the driver door latch post, I will suggest 12,000# or lighter GVWR for the FW.  (3000# payload, 600# passengers and cargo = 2400# pin wt --> 12,000# GVVWR at 20% pin wt)  This same truck could handle a huge TT (3000# - 600# = 2400# hitch wt -->19,200# GVWR for the TT at 12.5% hitch wt.)

Thank you :)

We are looking at 5th wheels that are at the very most 35' in length an probably no more than 11,000# loaded.  I know a lot of people say to get the trailer first but we need to consider a good deal for the truck and will be able to limit ourselves on the trailer more.  It really comes down to financial constraints.

I've been texting the seller to get more info about the engine age.  I'm just mostly concerned about having to replace the suspension or something similarly big at a bad time (which is pretty much at any time  :p).
 
The seller (a dealer) ended up having no mx records but could only guarantee me that it felt like new ...

I'm going to check out a 2011 F-250 FX4 tomorrow from a private seller.  It's at a pretty good price.  I hope if has the higher axle ratio.
 
Thatd be good to look at. I thought my  2011 F350 was bad at 85k miles. Id just look for a lower mileage truck. Mine was only 28k sticker, but got it lower with trade in. I have a crew cab and long bed wjth FX4. Lower towing capacity but more luxury driving.

Let us know how it goes.
 
Have been looking around :)

I think we are about to make a move on a 2005 F250 XLT with a towing package.  It only has 122k miles and some superficial damage to like the blinker light case on one mirror.  It has 4 types of tires including the spare so I'm going to buy a new set of tires.  Probably something like these Coopers (https://www.tirebuyer.com/tires/cooper/discoverer-ht3/p/tv090000783) since it is a 2WD.

Considering I expect we will get it a couple $k below 10 grand I imagine if there is anything expensive we may need to fix it will still cost less than something more recent and still do a great job.

It's a lot older and has more miles than any vehicle we were planning on considering but it just hits all the right spots and feels really good :)
 
If the truck has a 6.0 powerstroke, you might want to be careful.  They had a bunch of problems, especially after 100,000 miles.  I have a friend who has one and has spent thousands in the past few years on a truck with less than 150,000 miles.  The history of problems is reflected in the lower selling price of the trucks with these engines.

http://www.powerstrokehub.com/6.0-power-stroke-problems.html
 
BigLarry said:
If the truck has a 6.0 powerstroke, you might want to be careful.  They had a bunch of problems, especially after 100,000 miles.  I have a friend who has one and has spent thousands in the past few years on a truck with less than 150,000 miles.  The history of problems is reflected in the lower selling price of the trucks with these engines.

http://www.powerstrokehub.com/6.0-power-stroke-problems.html

Thank you for the info :)  it is a 5.4 though.

The only thing that gives me pause is some damage around the shift lever.  The key reminder beep is stuck always on when the door is open but that's not a big deal.  I just don't know what this metal sticking out of the steering column is:
http://i.imgur.com/h67xATl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/wXWbX6h.jpg
 

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Looks like damage from a thwarted theft attempt????

One word on tires:  If you do not go with the  EXACT  tires specified on the door label,  check the Load Rating molded into the side wall of the tire, and make sure it is more than half of the load rating for the axle, also on the door label.  MUST be an LT tire rating.
 
Burnrate said:
The seller (a dealer) ended up having no mx records but could only guarantee me that it felt like new ...

Now that has to be the truth then if it's coming from a salesman.  :eek: ::) :-\
 
This is getting super hard to find something good!

I've decided to stick with a 2011 or later 250 because of the drastic differences in towing capacity.  We haven't bought an RV yet either so limiting ourselves so much would be a bad idea.

That makes me think though.  A lot of people say buy the RV before you buy the truck to make sure you get a truck that can handle it.  How do you get the RV home without a truck?  Do you depend on being able to pay the person you are buying it from to deliver it for you?  Do dealerships, used or new, generally deliver?

The 2011 and later 250's leave a lot less room for a money buffer.  It is a lot more difficult to find some reasonable trucks for sale.
 
Clean, solid F-250's fetch top dollar here, they are hard to find. Talk to the dealer's lease manager, a lot of their returns go straight to the auction. You might be able to intercept something that meets your needs.
I would suggest a trailer weighing no more than 10,000 lb loaded, that puts 2,000 lb give or take on the hitch. This limits you to 27 or 28 feet depending on the model. If you want more consider an F-350. We have experience with an overloaded truck, it was not pleasant.
 
If looking at late models, definitely look at F350 SRW.  About the same price as the F250 comparably equipped and 1500# higher GVWR, so almost 1500# more payload.  F250 will limit your FW to about 10,000#  F350 raises that limit to about 15,000#.  This will vary based on specific trim line, body style and drivetrain.
 
OP, if you're going with a 5th wheel you shouldn't be considering F250's, you should be looking at F350 SRW at a minimum.  The only difference between F250 and F350 srw is payload and 5th wheel style trailers will max out an F250 in a hurry.  You'll find that you will be overloaded if you go with an F250 and a 12,000lb fiver. 
Also, don't go with a small v8, such as a 5.4 liter, that motor is going to struggle to pull a larger 5th wheel, especially on hills.  Go V10, 6.2 (2011 and up) or diesel. Sounds like you're looking at gas motors, I recommend the 6.2 in the 11's and up. 
 
Burnrate said:
Thank you :)

We are looking at 5th wheels that are at the very most 35' in length an probably no more than 11,000# loaded.  I know a lot of people say to get the trailer first but we need to consider a good deal for the truck and will be able to limit ourselves on the trailer more.  It really comes down to financial constraints.

I've been texting the seller to get more info about the engine age.  I'm just mostly concerned about having to replace the suspension or something similarly big at a bad time (which is pretty much at any time  :p).
I don't think anyone is saying to "buy" the trailer before buying a truck, they are saying to pick out the trailer you want before buying the truck.  It really is the safest way to know you are getting a truck that is a good match for the trailer. 
 
Stewie Griffin said:
I don't think anyone is saying to "buy" the trailer before buying a truck, they are saying to pick out the trailer you want before buying the truck.  It really is the safest way to know you are getting a truck that is a good match for the trailer.

That does make more sense :)

I was just thinking of it in the frame of buying used.  There are so many options and it depends pretty much on the condition of the trailer and a couple of layout requirements.  A specific brand/year/model aren't super important.
 
grashley said:
If looking at late models, definitely look at F350 SRW.  About the same price as the F250 comparably equipped and 1500# higher GVWR, so almost 1500# more payload.  F250 will limit your FW to about 10,000#  F350 raises that limit to about 15,000#.  This will vary based on specific trim line, body style and drivetrain.

Stewie Griffin said:
OP, if you're going with a 5th wheel you shouldn't be considering F250's, you should be looking at F350 SRW at a minimum.  The only difference between F250 and F350 srw is payload and 5th wheel style trailers will max out an F250 in a hurry.  You'll find that you will be overloaded if you go with an F250 and a 12,000lb fiver. 
Also, don't go with a small v8, such as a 5.4 liter, that motor is going to struggle to pull a larger 5th wheel, especially on hills.  Go V10, 6.2 (2011 and up) or diesel. Sounds like you're looking at gas motors, I recommend the 6.2 in the 11's and up.

Thank you for the advice.  We have widened our search to see if something fits in the price range.  We are mostly looking for something a little shorter and lighter though, most of the ones we have looked at have been around 8000# unloaded and they seem to fit a 250 pretty well.  If we can get a 350 for a similar price though it may give us some more room.  It all comes down to budget though.
 
My 08 F50/V-10 has 68K miles and pulls our 36' Montana just great.....5ver  GVW is 12.5K
 
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