Does anyone have experiences with the 2004
F450? I have an opportunity to buy one and am trying to decide.
Turns out Roger Rittenhouse gave good advice about checking out the GVR.
My current truck, a 1989 F250 with a 460 engine and a 4.10 axle pulls my trailer
and all the weight ratings are good, but the trailer, a 23' 4 horse gooseneck
modified stock has a pin weight of 2020#. I need the 4x4 because, although
we don't get a lot of snow we do have winter here and good steep
mountains. The 4x4 pickups have sides that are too high for the gooseneck,
so I need to get a flat bed. Flat beds weigh 800-1300#. A chassis
cab (and even the new pickups) now weigh some 1500# more than my 1989, but the
GVR's have not changed. Anyway, even by upgrading to a 350, I'd be
overweight if I stick to single rear wheels.
So....I know that duallys aren't good in snow (my
neighbor has slid into the ditch right before my eyes). The question
is (because 450's only come in duallys), can a dually handle snow better when it
is under load, hitched to my trailer?
Has anyone ever taken off the outside duals?
How safe is that? What's involved?
A 450 has a 4.88 axle ratio. My 250 with the
4.10 gets 8-10 mpg? If the 450 is new, can I expect at least that or am I
looking at really dismal mileage?
