F450 King Ranch: Owner's Insights

[NioMarvin83]

I'm looking to upgrade to a F450 King Ranch and need some insights from current owners.
2023 Ford F450 King Ranch for Sale (with Photos & Specs) , ND
I'm particularly interested in how the truck handles both on and off-road, as well as its fuel economy. I'm also curious about the reliability of the 6.7L Powerstroke diesel engine and the overall quality of the interior. I'm a regular off-roader and tow a heavy trailer on a regular basis.

 

[65 sporty]

I haven't had to do a lot of work on the 6.7, maintenance is key to making it last

 

[7mopar]

My pockets aren't that deep. But I still look.

 

[Ron Ferrando]

I purchased a 2024 Ford F450 King Ranch in May. I have 4000 miles on it. I took my wife to her 50th class reunion last month and we drove from Crescent City CA. to Ukiah CA. The truck averaged 19.1 mpg using the eco mode. I pull a 36 foot Bighorn and am getting around 12 to 13 mpg depending. I had a 2016 Ford F350 Lariate prior with the 6.7 and never had a problem. Put 100,000 miles on it pulling my Bighorn and the truck was bullet proof. The F450's all come with 430 rearend gears and a 10 speed trans. the Lariate had a 6 speed trans and 331 gears. The new truck out pulls and gets by far better fuel economy. The gearing has a lot to do with the mileage. The Lariate was a SRW the King Ranch is a dually. The Lariate was an awesome trucK!
The King Ranch is a step above; however, you pay for what you get. The King Ranch will cost about $100,000 dollars. It is well worth the upgrade if you can afford it. I have the stock 6.7 powerstroke 475 hp and 1050 lbs of torque. I did not opt for the high output. I was told by the sales manager who I have known for 20 plus years to stay away from the high output diesel because parts are hard to come by if needed. What I have is overkill but I would rather be safe than sorry. As you probably know the King Ranch has a wider body and a much sharper turning radius in the F450. That is definitely true. My new truck will turn much quicker and sharper than the 2016 F350 Lariate. The Blinds Spot Sensor will not work on the new truck if you pull a 5th wheel or gooseneck no big deal the mirrors work fine something ford will have to figure out in the future. More to come later, so far 2024 Ford F450 King Ranch gets an A+. We love everything about it except the price.
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[7mopar]

That's what everyone I talk to says also.
Did you get the thirty year payment plan?

 

[Ron Ferrando]

I was concerned about the the F450's 4X4 capability. I keep my 5th wheel in a building and getting up to it can be a problem at times. I use 4x4 just to make things easier on the truck. Pulling a 16,000 lb 5th wheel up hill 8% grade in the gravel is a challenge especially when wet or in the snow. To my surprise the King Ranch without the locking differential that the Lariate had did it with ease! This blew me away, I expected some slippage, none of that. My new truck weighs just over 9000 lbs. maybe that had something to do with it not to mention more power, simply said, "a piece of cake." I was plesantly surprized. Would I purchase one again? Absolutely! I have had a 6.0 F350, A 6.7 F350 and now the King Ranch. The f450 is by far the best and most techological 4X4 I have ever owned. It won't go off road too much invested for that. I have a jeep that I built over the last 10 years for that. I hope this helps. Did you know that the King Ranch f450 has a built in 2000 watt generator? Don't know how to use it yet but that will come in time. Oh guess what. no hard copy owners manual. Request one in your negotiations. The manual is on the computer in the truck; however, you can't read it while driving, you must pull over and stop to allow that app to become available. Really a pain. The owners manual is $65 extra. When one pays $115,000 for a truck including sales tax, license, and registration one would think that the owners manual would be included, it is not! Negotiate it, good luck and I hope this helps. Ron

 

[Ron Ferrando]

We will be hitting the road again in the 2024 F450 King Ranch. The plan is to head to Coos Bay on Tuesday. Spirit Mountain on Saturday and Seven Feathers on Monday. I will give you an update on fuel economy pulling our 36 foot Bighorn. We will cover about 500 miles. heading up I5 then over to the coast and finally heading back down I5 to Canyonville where seven feathers is located. So far we have traveled about 2500 miles pulling the Bighorn with the F450. There really isn't that much difference when it comes to pulling the Bighorn with the 2016 Lariate F350 or the new F450. Both trucks handeled all conditions with ease. Plenty of power, good mileage considering and so on. One of the reasons for the upgrade is that we may purchase a larger 5th wheel in the future and we want to have the truck that can handle virtually any 5th wheel we purchase. The new F450 will certainly accomplish that task. Another reason for the F450 is that the suspension is such that there will be no need of air bags and so on. I have talked to many RVers that swear by air bags, and I certainly see their point, I just don't want the hastle. The King Ranch is rated at least 5000 pounds of tongue weight or more and the Bighorn's tongue weight is a little over 2000 pounds. If we upgrade there are very few 5th wheels out there that I know of with tongue weight of 5000 pounds or more. I really love the 430 rearend gears coupled to the 10 speed in the F450. That is in my opinion the greatest advantage to the F450. Sure the turning radius is a huge improvement but traveling on the highway have the right engine, trans and diff combo make the F450 in my opinion superior. I can't wait to get on the road. I will give an update when I return,

 

[Ron Ferrando]

I'm looking to upgrade to a F450 King Ranch and need some insights from current owners.
2023 Ford F450 King Ranch for Sale (with Photos & Specs) , ND
I'm particularly interested in how the truck handles both on and off-road, as well as its fuel economy. I'm also curious about the reliability of the 6.7L Powerstroke diesel engine and the overall quality of the interior. I'm a regular off-roader and tow a heavy trailer on a regular basis.

Having owned a 2004 ford f350 6.0 diesel, 2016 ford f350 6.7 diesel lariate and now a 2024 King Ranch 6.7 diesel 475 Hp and 1050 lbs of torque, I can honestly say that I have never had a problem with any of them. Keep it stock and do your regular maintenance and the truck will out last you! My new King Ranch is costly; however. You pay for what you get! I have 4000 miles on it and get around 19 mpg when in eco mode. I think that it will even do better when fully broken in. My 5th wheel weighs 16,000 pounds. The F450 King Ranch is over kill; none the less, I have the beast that will pull safely any 5th wheel on the market. Larger brakes, pay load, turning radius and wide body make for a comfortable and safe towing experience. The 450 is by far the best tow vehicle I have ever owned. Would I do it again? Absolutely! The 450's are hard to find, keeping that in mind jump on any opportunity to own one. I shy away from used diesel trucks, the last three I have owned I bought brand new and took care of them and they all lived up to my expectation and the King Ranch has already exceed my expectations. My buddies that wanted more power for what ever reason chipped theirs. They have had nothing but trouble. Keep them stock and well maintained and you will soon agree that your purchase was well worth it. In my opinion (500,000 miles) the 6.7's is the best diesel motor coupled to the 10 speed trans, and 430 differential combination the market has to offer. DO NOT tamper with the factory specks! They have so much power and torque who needs to increase either one? My King Ranch will pull 40,000 lbs stock who in their right mind needs more? You can't go wrong with the 6.7 and the ford tranny is bullet proof and in my opinion equal to the Allison. Never had a problem! Overall I give the powerstroke a solid A+ having owned them for the past 20 years. Good luck Black Jack

 

[7mopar]

I am still pulling the 33 ft. tt with the 06 F250 with the 5.4 gas. Been over the continental divide a few times. If i don't push it does ok. One soon learns what truck lanes or for. The 8 mpg isn't desirable, but it is what it is. I still need to cross the scales to see what it weighs. I am pretty sure the weight is close to being maxed out.