Ownership Verified: 1995 Ford F350 XLT - Powerstroke Diesel

That thing just screams America :lol:

I think you should keep it red though - not too sure about the bedliner...
 
It's partly a matter of cool, partly a matter of cost and practicality. I like the matte black look for the body, and bedliner will cost literally 1/4 of what it costs to respray the entire truck with paint. And the paint will end up getting scratched up not too long after.

After all, it has 4WD for a reason. :D
 
Last edited:
Nice truck, I like.

One question tho, wouldn't painting that behemoth flat black in the middle of Texas turn it into a portable oven fit for baking all kids of goods, including humans?
 
That's because his reference is the 2004/2005 Mercedes brochure. I don't think he checked the copyright date.

To turn around a particularly annoying point, how do you Germans get so little power out of such a large engine? :p

My reference is the almost-contemporary engine, as I stated introduced in 1998 (1997 according to some sources). Here's an example of the slightly smaller 6.4l one producing 205kW in a 1998 truck: http://www.truckscout24.com/search/...ake=26&mid=10&page=1&AllowNext=1&language=eng
The bigger brother in the ..33 models was 7.2l and 240kW.


No, not the later OM926. This would be the predecessor to the OM926 and it wasn't very good. I'm sure Mercedes would love to forget they ever made it.

I'm sure your infinite wisdom can supply me with details then?
 
My reference is the almost-contemporary engine, as I stated introduced in 1998 (1997 according to some sources). Here's an example of the slightly smaller 6.4l one producing 205kW in a 1998 truck: http://www.truckscout24.com/search/...ake=26&mid=10&page=1&AllowNext=1&language=eng
The bigger brother in the ..33 models was 7.2l and 240kW.

All of which is nice, but again is the apples-to-sheetmetal comparison. You have but to look at the disparity between the exact same diesel engine's power outputs in the States at that time versus what they made in Europe. For starters, low sulfur diesel wasn't mandated here until 93 and ULSD wasn't in general circulation until 2006. Had a definite effect on state of tune - lots of 'powerful' Euro and Asian diesel engines came over here only to be cut off at the knees by the operating environment and have specs far lower than they show in other markets.

I'm sure your infinite wisdom can supply me with details then?

No, because after spending several months back in the 90s driving a box truck with the Merc engine in it for work on a regular basis, I have actively tried to forget the entire experience. It was awful. It also blew up quite often.

Nice truck, I like.

One question tho, wouldn't painting that behemoth flat black in the middle of Texas turn it into a portable oven fit for baking all kids of goods, including humans?

Thanks. Yes, that has been pointed out, but others have tried it here and apparently the material also provides significant insulation. In addition, bedliner does come in many colors, of which white is an option, and which is not an uncommon color selection to reject heat. The state troopers here drive black cars with white top surfaces, for example (though not bedlinered - yet).

Failing all that, it is getting a remote starter and has a powerful air conditioning system which can also resolve that problem. :p
 
Last edited:
All of which is nice, but again is the apples-to-sheetmetal comparison. You have but to look at the disparity between the exact same diesel engine's power outputs in the States at that time versus what they made in Europe. For starters, low sulfur diesel wasn't mandated here until 93 and ULSD wasn't in general circulation until 2006. Had a definite effect on state of tune - lots of 'powerful' Euro and Asian diesel engines came over here only to be cut off at the knees by the operating environment and have specs far lower than they show in other markets.

We can sum up then that Euro engines are fine but US fuel sucks.

No, because after spending several months back in the 90s driving a box truck with the Merc engine in it for work on a regular basis, I have actively tried to forget the entire experience. It was awful. It also blew up quite often.

How are we supposed to compare it if all we have as reference is your suppressed childhood memories?
 
We can sum up then that Euro engines are fine but US fuel sucks.

No, because US fuel does not explain the high failure rate common to many Euro medium and heavy truck diesels sold here. A recent case in point is the MBE4000. Complete pile of crap; fuel leaks are common, it drops liners, it doesn't get the claimed mileage, and the heads have to come off far more often than any competing engine. And if that wasn't enough, some German dumkopf designed it in such a way that not only are there oil leaks from the vicinity of the turbo (which isn't an unforseeable problem) but then the idiot put the starter right below it. Yup, starter kills are common. And Mercedes has been proudly promoting it as 'an all-German design.'

Strictly amateur hour. Google 'MBE4000 problem' to find some of the horror stories.

How are we supposed to compare it if all we have as reference is your suppressed childhood memories?

Why, it's up to you to use your Google-fu. Me? I have better things to do than go look up crap that not even it's manufacturer wants to remember they made. Such as 'pulling a replacement steering column at the junkyard.'
 
Such as 'pulling a replacement steering column at the junkyard.'
Ooh, I know this one.

The answer is "Try to do it yourself, cuss a whole hell of a lot because literally the entire vehicle is built around the steering column, and then pay a Mexican to do it for you."
 
Ooh, I know this one.

The answer is "Try to do it yourself, cuss a whole hell of a lot because literally the entire vehicle is built around the steering column, and then pay a Mexican to do it for you."

Actually, the F-trucks in this era have an easily accessible steering column. :D However, Manuel Llabor might still be involved - I'm still not fully recovered from my recent motorcycle crash.
 
Last edited:
Very nice, and a screaming deal too. Makes me miss my 1995 F-350 Crew Cab, I dont miss fuelling it though, the diesel is a much better match than a 351.

The only learned advice I can offer is that if you're going to be going down any really rough/potholed roads at speed, it helps to have a decent amount of weight in the bed, otherwise the back end will hop around like crazy with those huge leaf springs and try and jump off the road.

Also post up some pictures of the suspension flexing, if I recall correctly, the frame had more travel than the suspension.
 
It's going to get bedlinered. :D
That's going to take a fuck ton of bedliner. :lol:

I've seen a few Jeeps, Broncos, Blazers, etc sprayed with the stuff and it can look pretty cool. Though in most cases, up here anyway, you know they bedlinered everything to hide the fact that half the truck has already rusted away.

Also post up some pictures of the suspension flexing, if I recall correctly, the frame had more travel than the suspension.
DSCN3143.jpg


Hey, one way or another it'll flex. :p
 
DSCN3143.jpg


Hey, one way or another it'll flex. :p
This is the manliest flexing picture I've ever seen. I don't know why. I can't think of any reason why that's anything other than terrible. But it's just... Better. Somehow.
 
and a functional trailer brake controller under the dash.

a what? does it have a pneumatic/hydraulic brakesystem for trailers??? never heard about a trailer brake controller in the car itself. here trailers tend to have a braking mechanism in the trailer tongue (black rubber is a master cylinder)

76.170.30.jpg
 
a what? does it have a pneumatic/hydraulic brakesystem for trailers??? never heard about a trailer brake controller in the car itself. here trailers tend to have a braking mechanism in the trailer tongue (black rubber is a master cylinder)

76.170.30.jpg

It has an electric brake controller. While such systems as you picture above do exist (most notably on the absolutely awful older U-Haul car transport trailers,) it is far more common here for a trailer to have electrical brakes, powered (and modulated) by the tow vehicle itself. Here is an explanation of the system: http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4885424_do-electric-trailer-brakes-work_.html

There are also some electro-hydraulic hybrid types here. The pure hydraulic surge system pictured above is most common on boat trailers due to their submersion. Most other types that can be legally pulled by an F-350 are electric, most anything bigger is pneumatic.

That said, there are optional kits for an F-350 to provide pneumatic brakes for a trailer, but I don't have those. I do have the "gooseneck" or "fifth wheel" hitch and brake/lighting controls as well as the more common 4 pin controls down by the bumper/frame hitch. Basically, in addition to this it can haul this:
ford-truck-and-trailer-0051.jpg


In fact, that's pretty much what my F-350 was used to do by the former owners - when it wasn't going on highway trips with the family loaded up inside, it was hauling a bunch of horses in a large horse trailer all over the state. At 70+ mph. :p

The reason we in the States don't have the "slow caravanner" hatred the Brits seem to? You're looking at it. This is what we use to move large caravans. They don't have a problem holding at the speed limit. :D
 
Last edited:
You miss the point about caravanners in Europe compared to the US. What is different isn't so much the vehicles as the demographic of the people who want to tow their home behind a vehicle.

Over there it is seen as a normal recreational pastime harking back to the days of the pioneers and new territories. In Europe it tends to be practised by elderly and/or beige people who have no idea how to drive and are in no hurry while they are doing it. See the samples portrayed in the TG Caravan Holiday for surprisingly accurate examples.
 
This may be so, but then you see a UK carvanning magazine go and rate a gutless wonder of a Kia "caravan towing car of the year" or some such nonsense. :p This does not help. :p
 
Never heard of "give the people what they want"?

My point stands. Caravanning magazine written by beige people for beige people recommends a beige car. No point in mentioning things like torque as they would think it was simply a massive spelling error. The readers of caravan magazines over here wear knitwear with loud patterns and zips, keep budgies as pets and have combovers. And that's just the women.
 
Not to mention how 90% of all caravans are loaded incorrectly, with a defective (as MWF stated, mainly due to age) nut connecting the weel to the seat. I wouldn't mind professionals driving their correctly loaded, properly maintained trailers faster, but I'd have a big problem with gran and gramps driving their unevenly loaded caravan with malfunctioning brakes any faster than their asthmatic KIA can provide. So in a sense, it's a safety measure :)
 
most notably on the absolutely awful older U-Haul car transport trailers,) it is far more common here for a trailer to have electrical brakes, powered (and modulated) by the tow vehicle itself. Here is an explanation of the system: http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4885424_do-electric-trailer-brakes-work_.html

how, why are those better?
i don't see the advantage... in normal driving, i guess there isn't much difference? but the system i posted always has the right amount of brake pressure applied without any manual adjustment (don't want to overbreak a trailer), and the main advantage is when going downhill. you can just put the car in 2nd or 3rd, and let it roll. the trailer will press against the tongue and brake itself just enough to keep the same speed as the car. with the electric system the trailer will just speed up the car? and you'll constantly have to press the brakes
 
Last edited:
Top