Electrojake

Pictures with the camper loaded on it. Keep us posted!

Planning to do a major trip on a brand-spanking-new vehicle can be a courageous act in itself. BTW, what's the estimated wet weight of the slide-in your going to carry? <Sorry for the slight OT post but, eh...> Thanks, -Ej-

That's incredible! Makes me feel like the highway robbery Chris Christy is committing here in Jersey isn't really that bad. With a garage full of motorcycles, 3 cars, and two light trailers in the yard, registration time here is costly and annoying. And yes Sir; the initial registration fee (11k-12k#) is for 4 years ($703) non-refundable even if you sell, and then it's $182 per year every year thereafter. . . And we won't even discuss the battering we all take on insurance here in the NY/Metro area. I have teen age kids on my policy too. <ouch!>

1.) Agreed; GVWR is a matter of legality, not build quality or capacity. Thanks for the back-up on that. 2.) Off topic but... I had planned to wait until early 2016 to order my new Super Duty but now it looks like I may very well (get stuck) with a 2017 model. <sigh> BTW: Where's the "Bash the 2017 Super Duty Before We've Even Seen It" thread located? I need to vent. Just kidding. Thank you blwnsmoke for the up-date! Regards, -Ej-

The 3500HD Dually was a company "work" vehicle as is my current 07 F-250, 142" WB, gas 4x4. I got the Dually as a hand-me-down from someone (I assume) that actually needed the beast due to the nature of their work. Since I'm a manager in the Engineering Dept, and I seldom carry more than a set of prints and a calculator yet I frequently run the full length of the state. Access to cars-only highways, tunnels & bridges was critical. Hence the extreme under-registering. And if memory serves me correctly, it was actually registered at 6600 pounds, not the 8600 I mentioned earlier. In January 2007 I was issued the F-250 pick-up which I'm currently driving and have since put over 100,000 miles on it. The only thing I ever had to replace were the front Auto/Lock hubs. While not nearly as comfortable (or fast) as the old Chevy, the Ford has been incredibly economical to run. No problems ever! Not so much as a rattle, shimmy, or a check-engine light in 100k! Sorry I'm so long winded here. I guess it's a noob thing. -Ej-

Years ago I had a 3500HD Chevy dually truck registered at a mere 8600# so it would be "legal" to run on the Garden State Parkway. The only caveat is that if you get pulled over by a Trooper at an inspection stop you had best NOT weigh in over 8600# As info, the initial registration fee in NJ for a new 10,000# vehicle is $555. For the higher weight of 11,400# it's $703.00 <ouch!> I called my insurance company for a quote and they simply told me that 10k# and over is commercial (even if it's for private use) and the truck couldn't be put on my existing policy. -Ej-

Topic Update... I did an on-line chat with a Ford truck rep and she told me that the "GVWR package" that I select when building the vehicle is nothing more than me choosing what's printed on the left door-jam sticker. 9800# 10,000# 11,400# This will of course greatly affect insurance & registration fees so selecting a lower GVW will save you money over the life of the vehicle, albeit limit your (legal) hauling capacity. Here in Jersey going over 10kLb on a non-commercial vehicle is quite punitive. Additionally, a number of insurance companies (like mine unfortunately) will NOT insure (private) vehicles over 10kLb. This simple step in "package selection" is therefore extremely critical when ordering a new vehicle (unless of course yours is strictly a neighborhood cruiser and will never see an actual payload). <wink> Regards, -Ej-

If I may pester the forum for one last (noob) inquiry. . . When ordering an F-350 SRW there are three possible GVWR package choices: 1.) 10,000 GVWR 2.) 11,400 GVWR 3.) No selection at all. How does selecting item 1, 2, or 3 as listed above affect the build (or price) of the vehicle I am ordering? Why is there even a choice? I've ordered new vehicles before and GVWR is usually something that is "stated" by the manufacturer, not chosen by the customer. Thanks in advance for educating me on this stuff.

Thank you for the clarification. The commentary that is churned out on some of those generic truck-lover forums seems to be a bit too emotional to be very useful. If the 2016 Super Duty is simply a carryover from last year then I am very pleased. That is exactly what I want. I look forward to making a purchase in the coming months. My first Ford too. Glad I found Blue Oval forums! And thanks again for your comments, -Ej-

I'm interested in buying a new Super Duty. I've owned 9 new Toyota's and 2 Chrysler products over the years but this will be my first FORD. Naturally I was curious so I started to scour the internet for info on American made trucks. Some of the blog & truck-forum comments I've come across (specifically concerning the Super Duty) need clarification. I figured this forum was my best chance at getting the facts and disposing of the nonsense. Here is a sampling of the confusing statements I have seen discussed on various forums... 1.) The big changes for FORD Super Duty are now slated for the 2017 model year, "not" 2016 as some had expected or hoped. 2.) The 2016 Super Duty will be made of aluminum, NOT steel. Is this true? And if so, is aluminum better? 3.) Ford closed the Louisville truck plant in April for major re-tooling. You can’t order a 2015 anymore because of this plant closing. But... you can order a 2016 model from the dealer. Seems odd, if not impossible, since the plant retooling is for the proposed early release of the 2017 design. So now I'm interested in ordering a new (2016) Super Duty but where (and how) are they going to build it? Obviously, not in the Louisville, KY facility. Should I be concerned that my new truck is going to be a collection of surplus 2015 parts that were pieced together in a Venezuelan sweat-shop and then banded with a 2016 VIN number & door tag? From browsing all this crazy talk on the forums I get the feeling that this is simply a tumultuous time for Ford, and a bad time for a first-timer like me to make a purchase. Thanks in advance for any comments on this, and sorry for the long-winded post. -Ej-