Question F-250 or F-350??

Hello out there Supper Duty Fans… I am going to be a new owner of a Supper Duty Diesel truck soon.. I need some help in finding out what F-series I am going to need for what I am planning on doing for the next 5 to 10 years. I am planning on buying a 5th wheel that weighs about 14,000 fully loaded. I want to know if pulling the 5th wheel with a F250 will do just fine, or do I have to get a F350 to do the job.. I know people out there will say if you don’t want to feel that your pulling something behind you, go with the F-350. I really don’t at first want to have to get a 350 if I don’t have to. I need some real help in this area. It will not be a new one either. I am looking at a two to Three year old truck with low mileage. I also want since I have heard the only best about the 6.7L 8clylinder Diesel is the way to go.. I need to know is crew Cab or supper Cab bigger. Should I go long bed, or Short bed.. I need lots of room in the back seating for a pet carrier for two Cats… Please help me figure this out. I know the bigger the Better is always the way to go, but I need to know if 250 will be Just fine for me… Thank you for your help in this matter… Mark

First off, be glad you are selecting a diesel instead of a gas rig. Diesel for towing is the way to go. I have owned 2 different 350's ( dual rear wheel models ) and loved them by and large but, you can't take it through a drive-through carwash, won't fit, except for one brushless one I found and it was scary tight. Now that might not be a big deal to you but at my age, I just don't like hand washing my truck anymore and was always paying someone to do it. Parking a 350 can be a bit of bear at times depending on the parking lot. Having too much truck for towing versus not enough is always better in my opinion. As you can see from my picture to the left I now have a 250 and searching for another 5th wheel myself. With my previous dually I was pulling a 40' foot toy hauler and when loaded it was 16,000 lbs. It was rock solid going down the highway at any speed I wanted to go. I have not pulled a trailer like a 5th wheel with a 250 but I see a lot of folks doing it. Getting a short bed also has some limitations. Both of my dually's had short beds and required a slider 5th wheel hitch otherwise, depending on the nose of the 5th wheel, you will hit the cab when turning so a slider hitch is required and a bit more pricey depending on the brand. Price for a regular non-sliding 5th wheel hitch can be 500 to a grand without installation. A slider hitch can be 3 grand or more. I know this doesn't answer all your questions and hope it helps.

As far as I have read, just as with Ram and GMC 2500 vs 3500 - the only difference is the added leaf and tires - same for Ford F250 vs 350. Please correct me if I am wrong. This would indicate that one might choose F350.

From my research the only difference between my 250 and the SRW 350 is the badge on the side, the sticker in the door jam, and the leaf spring blocks. The 250's get 10k pound GVWR while the 350 gets 11,300. But if you add up the numbers in the parentheses on the 250 it comes out to 11,300. I'm pretty sure the 350 gets 4" blocks in the rear while the 250 gets 2". Its on my list of things to change to get rid of the pre runner look. I looked up part numbers for the springs and shocks just because and they're the same between the 250 and 350.

The engine is identical between the two trucks. So either way you'll be good on power. I haven't done any serious towing but I have forgotten my boat or car is hooked up while doing 70mph down the freeway.

Crew cab is the 4 door. Super cab is just what the extended cab used to be. I can't comment on long bed vs. shortbed as I went shortbed. I daily mine so a long bed was out of the question.

I think for deciding which one it comes down to the overall weight planned. I've looked at some toy haulers and I'll be close on GCWR. At times I wish I had found a 350 just for a little more room.

Dont forget tires. The F350s tires have a higher loaf limit.