Order in for 2020 F600/550 w 7.3 Engine

Joined
Mar 15, 2015
Messages
550
Location
Florida
Just finalized a PO for (5) new medium duty Fords w the 7.3.

(2) F600s rollbacks w Jerrdan Beds

(3)F550s w Jerrdan self loader wheel lifts.

Excited for delivery. Currently my entire wrecker fleet is 6.8 V10s. Mostly 550s and have (4) 650s. All w/ 6 speed autos. Looking forward to seeing how the new big block and 10 Speed ATs hold up.
 
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....won't see the F600s for awhiiiiiiiiiiiillllllllllllleeeeeeeeee

Hoping the new F600 can do the job of the F650 in a smaller and less expensive package. Ford probably has killed the 650 platform or at least substantially canbalized their 650 sales.
 
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Imagine it's mostly people who park on private property who don't belong there! Toad (OP)-how did those TorqShifts hold up for you? I've been thinking about getting a newer 1 ton Ford van with one, I was able to get 250K out of an '04 E-350 with the 6.0 PSD before reverse died.
 
Originally Posted by Delta
Kinda neat to see those Jerr-Dan beds make it all the way to Florida, most are made right here a mile from my house!


Jerrdan IMO makes the finest towing and recovery equipment overall. Kilar is probably equal and they are great people but can't provide parts support. JerrDan will have any part I need at my shop in 24hrs.

Dynamic makes equally good stuff and their owner Anthony is first class. However, their beds are overpriced and Anthony doesn't like text or email. Phone calls only. Now the guy will you give you his personal cell and answer your call 24/7 literally middle of night. Great guy. Great ethics. Great service. Just won't email and text and that makes ordering and getting new units difficult today.

So for quality of design, build, parts support and communication Jerrdan IMO is 5 star across the board.
 
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Originally Posted by bullwinkle
Imagine it's mostly people who park on private property who don't belong there! Toad (OP)-how did those TorqShifts hold up for you? I've been thinking about getting a newer 1 ton Ford van with one, I was able to get 250K out of an '04 E-350 with the 6.0 PSD before reverse died.



Yes. Most of my business is PPI...private property impound. Som repo work. A small amount is "good guy" roadside assistance and breakdown towing. The rollbacks F600s are for the good guy towing and transporting cars for my In house operations. The self loaders are all 100 percent impound and repos. Never use a rollback for impound or repo unless you want to die.

Ford's torqshift IMO is hands down the finest medium duty auto tranny ever made. The 10 speed is the same unit w 4 more gears. 100 percent confident. Had a few minor issues in 2011 with the very first units in the field. Ford took care of them and really were just software updates. No biggie.

I believe the Ford unit has far surpassed GMs Allison's and Rams Aisins in medium duty. The Ford unit is overbuilt and super reliable. Run Maxlife ATF with changes. My operation is heavily severe duty. Run my trucks 24/7. Only shut off for service. Fuel them up on my in-house pumps running usually.

I highly recommend the gas engines as opposed to the diesel in almost every application. I run my 650s even w V10s. I got out of the diesels several years ago. Gas 100 percent.

Ram can't hold up. They are a joke IMO. I bought 14 Rams in one PO and second to the 6.4 my biggest ever mistake. GMs new Silverado 4500/5500/6500 isn't a serious entry into the medium duty market. Neither was their old Kodiacs.

There is a reason Ford owns medium duty and work trucks segment.

Before anyone says I'm a Ford fanboy I base it only on real data I've acquired and numbers for initial purchase, resale, maintenance and reliability costs. Uptime. I think the Fords are ugly, have bad interiors from a niceness and space standpoint.... but the interiors don't break like the other manufactures interiors .......and ride rough.

I don't own or drive a Ford currently personally. My daily driver is a Chevy.
 
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When I say severe duty we legitimately abuse the trucks. Green lights are drag lights for the drivers. They hammer down all the way when accelerating. Jump curbs. Constantly shifting from reverse to drive without stopping. Spinning wheels.

The abuse my trucks get is unbelievable. Only the Fords can hold up. I've owned every single make of medium duty truck and every engine combo. I meticulously track my service and repairs. Fords are by far the most reliable. Doesn't mean the never break. They do. But it's because of the way my drivers beat on them. (Never buy one of my used trucks). We maintain them well but lord do we abuse them. Lord do we overload them.
 
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Originally Posted by bullwinkle
Imagine it's mostly people who park on private property who don't belong there! Toad (OP)-how did those TorqShifts hold up for you? I've been thinking about getting a newer 1 ton Ford van with one, I was able to get 250K out of an '04 E-350 with the 6.0 PSD before reverse died.



Some data for you right off my computer system.

Ford 6Speed AT / 2011 service entry

Total number of miles since 2011 / 11,755,236

Avg miles per truck per day 238 / per week 1666 / per year 81,634
Avg engine hours per day 18.4 / per week 128.8 / per year 6,311.2

Average before complete rebuild or replacement 236,421 / lowest 9,271 / highest unknown (sell units at 3 years aprox 240-245k miles and many haven't been touched except for maintenance.

Keep in mind these are all in town miles only. Rarely do the trucks see the highway. Abusive drivers full throttle hammer down. Often overloaded. Change the fluid above OEM sever duty due to extreme use / change interval based on data analysis and fluid analysis which was set in 2012 after 12 months in fleet experience .

Fluid Maxlife ATF.

Any other data let me know. My opinion is the tranny lasts the life of the truck.
 
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Originally Posted by ToadU
Average before complete rebuild or replacement 236,421 / lowest 9,271 / highest unknown (sell units at 3 years aprox 240-245k miles and many haven't been touched except for maintenance.


Yea, the 6.8 V10 is pretty bulletproof. You couldn't give me a late model diesel out of warranty. Repair costs will out way any diesel fuel savings. Fuel injectors $500 a pop, fuel pump $1000, turbo chargers, and there are two, $800 each. Heck, even in warranty, go to any Ford truck forum and read about people getting 5 figure repair bills when Ford denies warranty if they find water or contamination in the fuel.
 
Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by ToadU
Average before complete rebuild or replacement 236,421 / lowest 9,271 / highest unknown (sell units at 3 years aprox 240-245k miles and many haven't been touched except for maintenance.


Yea, the 6.8 V10 is pretty bulletproof. You couldn't give me a late model diesel out of warranty. Repair costs will out way any diesel fuel savings. Fuel injectors $500 a pop, fuel pump $1000, turbo chargers, and there are two, $800 each. Heck, even in warranty, go to any Ford truck forum and read about people getting 5 figure repair bills when Ford denies warranty if they find water or contamination in the fuel.



Exactly why My fleet is all gasoline. I can put a crate motor in for the price of a turbo on a diesel. Th gas motors last equally as long, about the same miles mpg. The figures I gave were were for the Trannys. Most of the trucks have an engine replaced before we sell them. Still cheaper than a diesel. I keep a crate 6.8 in stock. Easy to change. We get about 125k out of a V10.
 
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Originally Posted by ToadU
(sell units at 3 years aprox 240-245k miles


Originally Posted by ToadU
We get about 125k out of a V10.


So... the plan is that you put one engine in, and then try to be lucky enough to pull it from service and sell it before it needs yet another one... good plan.
 
Originally Posted by ToadU

Yes. Most of my business is PPI...private property impound. Som repo work. A small amount is "good guy" roadside assistance and breakdown towing. The rollbacks F600s are for the good guy towing and transporting cars for my In house operations. The self loaders are all 100 percent impound and repos. Never use a rollback for impound or repo unless you want to die.


I just had to look up those types of tow trucks - a rollback is what I know as a flatbed. You must have some crazy stories for impounds.
crazy2.gif


I know the tow truck operators here who have AAA contracts use Fords as well - I rarely see Chevys. Last time I got a tow from AAA was a tipsy tow and my car was behind a self loader F450 gasser. They used to be big UD Nissan Diesel fanboys but they stopped importing those to the US.

The ones in San Francisco who have city contracts to tow away cars parked in red/bus zones oddly enough are almost always Dodge 3500/4500 CTDs.
 
Originally Posted by mrsilv04
Originally Posted by ToadU
(sell units at 3 years aprox 240-245k miles


Originally Posted by ToadU
We get about 125k out of a V10.


So... the plan is that you put one engine in, and then try to be lucky enough to pull it from service and sell it before it needs yet another one... good plan.



Yes. Exactly. Here's a crazy tidbit. I can buy brand new auto loaders for $68k and change. Drive it 3 years. 240k miles later sell for $50-55k.
 
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Originally Posted by nthach
Originally Posted by ToadU

Yes. Most of my business is PPI...private property impound. Som repo work. A small amount is "good guy" roadside assistance and breakdown towing. The rollbacks F600s are for the good guy towing and transporting cars for my In house operations. The self loaders are all 100 percent impound and repos. Never use a rollback for impound or repo unless you want to die.


I just had to look up those types of tow trucks - a rollback is what I know as a flatbed. You must have some crazy stories for impounds.
crazy2.gif


I know the tow truck operators here who have AAA contracts use Fords as well - I rarely see Chevys. Last time I got a tow from AAA was a tipsy tow and my car was behind a self loader F450 gasser. They used to be big UD Nissan Diesel fanboys but they stopped importing those to the US.

The ones in San Francisco who have city contracts to tow away cars parked in red/bus zones oddly enough are almost always Dodge 3500/4500 CTDs.



Rams a nicer cab and more room for the driver. They just don't hold up. If you really abuse the truck they can't hold up. Also they cost about $5k more new.
 
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Rollbacks is a southern term. Past the Mason Dixon everyone calls them flatbeds.....sorry.
 
Originally Posted by Donald
Who needs to be towed with all these tow trucks? Really old people driving into post offices?


You speaking from experience?
 
Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by ToadU
Average before complete rebuild or replacement 236,421 / lowest 9,271 / highest unknown (sell units at 3 years aprox 240-245k miles and many haven't been touched except for maintenance.


Yea, the 6.8 V10 is pretty bulletproof. You couldn't give me a late model diesel out of warranty. Repair costs will out way any diesel fuel savings. Fuel injectors $500 a pop, fuel pump $1000, turbo chargers, and there are two, $800 each. Heck, even in warranty, go to any Ford truck forum and read about people getting 5 figure repair bills when Ford denies warranty if they find water or contamination in the fuel.


Much of this info is not accurate as far as cost of the things. There is also physically 1 turbo on the 6.7.

And yes I will agree that the 6R140 is the most reliable transmission in the light duty/medium duty truck market
 
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Originally Posted by mattd
Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by ToadU
Average before complete rebuild or replacement 236,421 / lowest 9,271 / highest unknown (sell units at 3 years aprox 240-245k miles and many haven't been touched except for maintenance.


Yea, the 6.8 V10 is pretty bulletproof. You couldn't give me a late model diesel out of warranty. Repair costs will out way any diesel fuel savings. Fuel injectors $500 a pop, fuel pump $1000, turbo chargers, and there are two, $800 each. Heck, even in warranty, go to any Ford truck forum and read about people getting 5 figure repair bills when Ford denies warranty if they find water or contamination in the fuel.


Much of this info is not accurate as far as cost of the things. There is also physically 1 turbo on the 6.7.

And yes I will agree that the 6R140 is the most reliable transmission in the light duty/medium duty truck market


One thing I know is my costs. What isn't accurate? I can tell you how long a set of wipers lasts in service.
 
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