2016 Ford F-650: Quick Drive
It's not every day we get the chance to get behind the wheel of a Class 6 dump truck, but that's exactly what happened when Ford gave us the keys to a chassis-crew-cab F-650 dump truck.
Our super-duper Super Duty test truck — a 194-inch wheelbase chassis cab — came to us with a 10-foot steel dump bed that can carry up to 7 cubic yards of material weighing as much as 11,000 pounds; it has a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,000 pounds, and the driver does not need a commercial driver's license to operate the beast (the truck missed the weight threshold by 1 pound).
Our test truck came equipped with the tried-and-true 6.8-liter Triton V-10 and heavy-duty TorqShift six-speed automatic transmission rated at 320 horsepower and 440 pounds-feet of torque. This engine can be prepped for either natural gas or liquid propane with only a small sacrifice in power.
After ascending three steps to enter the truck, we settled into the driver's seat; the F-650's front seats are fully suspended to help smooth out the punishingly stiff suspension. We have to admit that driving around the streets of Detroit — some of the worst in the country from our experience — in an empty 14,000-pound dump truck isn't ideal when discerning driving dynamics, but that's not what this truck is about. The F-650 is a big, heavy tool designed for carrying monster payloads from one location to another. We could have played with the hydraulic dump bed all day long.
We found the gas-powered rear-wheel-drive F-650, running on 22.5-inch wheels and 6.50:1 axle gears, quite lively around town, running up and down the gears with relative fluidity. Unfortunately, we were not able to run any fuel-economy loops, but we'd guess we were running somewhere around 8 mpg.
The long-wheelbase chassis crew has a starting price around $61,000; our rig was equipped with more than $5,000 options. The dump bed added another $13,000, pushing the total sales price, including destination, to more than $80,000. It's not a bad price when you think about all the extra capability you get when compared to a full-size luxury import sedan that likely costs more.
Ford sold more than 10,000 F-650/750 commercial Super Dutys in 2015, up 5 percent from 2014. This year, Ford is on pace to beat the 2015 numbers by more than 10 percent. And in case you were wondering, these sales are not lumped into monthly Super Duty sales numbers.
Cars.com photos by Mark Williams
Comments
Actually, I want one....just for Sunday rides.
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If it's true that the new Power stroke for 2017 will belch out 500hp/1000 lbs of torque, it would be madness to order this
with a V10 gasser. Unless of course you have energy stocks
in which case this would be ideal for trips to see your mother-in-
law or take the clan to Disney World to feed the gators...
"...it would be madness to order this with a V10 gasser. Unless of course you have energy stocks"
@richardny66
Actually, the V10 makes a lot of sense in a cold place like Detroit. Diesel engines are very sluggish in cold conditions--the gas engine would be ideal for a truck that spends a lot of its service hours parked.
The alternative is to idle that oil burner all day for the sake of making a few short trips. This is not a vehicle that makes long runs like a semi. Short trip driving is what most dump trucks to.
Papa jim is very correct. A gasser in many applications is better suited. A common emission diesel is not very good in stop and go driving or idle conditions. For those that do short trips a gasser is much better suited. Cold weather is a great factor for idling. A gasser will keep temps up while a diesel will struggle to keep enough heat for the cab unless you have the rpms up to 1500. Gas medium duty used to be a good option and it still is. You see UPS trucks with gas engines all the time.
I toll you the best never rest.
So when is the first 3.5 HO Ecoboost getting swapped in?
There's just something awesome about an orange construction truck with white rims. That's one nice looking rig!
I doubt you will see a 3.5 eco boost in those trucks, they will constantly be under boost to just move the heavy rig. Plus the 6.8 has a decent torque curve that can't be match by the 6.2 either. Diesel is a good option but not for around town
Looks like a dump truck, I thought this was a pickup site?
A dump truck with a Crew Cab???
Good news. Brought U.S. jobs back home.
PUTC does cover commercial work trucks...
http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2015/06/chevrolet-gets-back-into-commercial-work-trucks.html
They put a v10 in these because a diesel isn't all they are cracked up to be. Id rather have the cheaper gas engine. they last with basic PM. The diesels also run good hit and mis though. out of 5 one will always be problematic. I see it all the time from so many different places. Diesel tech needs to be improved IMHO. It might not be able to be improved so they need to figure out something else. tons of diesel die hards are switiching to large gas engines due to getting raped on fixing them.
The power ratings are very low on this. the v10 is old by todays standards. I would like to see ford develop a new one with cylinder deactivation and ecoboost tech. If they could boost a v10 and let it run on half a bank of cylinders for low load conditions I wouldn't doubt it would be something people would be interested in having in their current HD pickup.
I own a f350 regular cab v10. its a great work truck. leaf spring front end is the greatest thing no one makes anymore. truck is stout and solid for being 15years old. I know she will get anything I want done too. long live the big 10!
Fairly lightweight Truck for a Dumper. Nice to see the use of Propane, does not affect power or fuel economy on the Triton. They use them here on some US imported Motorhomes
The power ratings are very low on this. the v10 is old by todays standards. I would like to see ford develop a new one with cylinder deactivation and ecoboost tech. If they could boost a v10 and let it run on half a bank of cylinders for low load conditions I wouldn't doubt it would be something people would be interested in having in their current HD pickup.
I own a f350 regular cab v10. its a great work truck. leaf spring front end is the greatest thing no one makes anymore. truck is stout and solid for being 15years old. I know she will get anything I want done too. long live the big 10!
Posted by: brandon | Jul 12, 2016 2:10:52 PM
I would doubt you will see much FE tech going into a gasser class 6 or higher engine. Including motorhomes. The least amount of tech the better with these types of gassers. Thus why you don't see GM adding MDS on the 6.0L in the HD trucks. They need to be basic and ultra durable. Even though the V10 is a 3V engine, it is a fixed cam. No VCT.
Fords website does show the V10 at 460 tq and not 440 shown here.
Oddly enough I never see gas powered trucks like this unless they are really old. A crewcab like this would be a great city works truck for doing pot hole patching or landscaping.
The biggest problem with single axle trucks is the fact that they can get stuck rather easily under load. you raise the box and all of the weight transfers to the back.
Oddly enough I never see gas powered trucks like this unless they are really old. A crewcab like this would be a great city works truck for doing pot hole patching or landscaping.
The biggest problem with single axle trucks is the fact that they can get stuck rather easily under load. you raise the box and all of the weight transfers to the back.
Posted by: Lou_BC | Jul 12, 2016 5:53:21 PM
I believe only GM offered gas versions up till 2008ish. However since GM got out of medium duty trucks they are completely unsupported by GM. We have a 2007 with the 8.1L. GM no longer supports this trucks and dealers cant even get manuals online through GM anymore. Isuzu dealers can help because they had these trucks labeled under the Isuzu name. The motorhome guys are really screwed with the workhorse chassis.
Ford only started in the gas a few years ago. I have been seeing a few older ones and quite a few newer trucks. Uhaul is getting quite a few of these trucks.
O.K., now go and drive a Freightliner M2, and see how a GOOD medium duty truck is supposed to drive like.
O.K., now go and drive a Freightliner M2, and see how a GOOD medium duty truck is supposed to drive like.
Posted by: Big Bob | Jul 12, 2016 10:34:07 PM
We have 3. They all ride about the same.
My buddy is a lineman for the cable company. He drives a F-450 bucket truck with this V10. He says it's absolutely miserable, gets 6 MPGs, and goes into the shop for repairs all the time.
I can't imagine going up to a F-650 with the same weak powertrain. Ugh...
My buddy is a lineman for the cable company. He drives a Ram 3500 with this 6.4 V8 HEMI. He says it's absolutely miserable, gets 6 MPGs, and goes into the shop for repairs all the time.
I can't imagine going up to a RAM 4500 with the same weak powertrain. Ugh...
I can't imagine a new chebby truck burning up at the Nascar race last Saturday night in Kentucky but it did! Took 2 or 3 cars with it in the process. What bad is it was on national TV for the whole world to see!! WOW!!
My buddy is a lineman for the cable company. He drives a F-450 bucket truck with this V10. He says it's absolutely miserable, gets 6 MPGs, and goes into the shop for repairs all the time.
Posted by: WXman | Jul 13, 2016 12:59:11 PM
6 MPG is really good considering it is a bucket truck and high idles all day. I have to wonder why he bothers calculating fuel economy though. Basic work trucks generally don't get the nicer IP's.
I'd like to get one of these to drive back and forth to work with.
if you owned one you wouldn't be able to afford new tires for it
if you owned one you wouldn't be able to afford new tires for it
Posted by: BankRuptinPA | Jul 14, 2016 2:21:16 AM
No different than a motorhome. I had to put on 6 new tires on mine last year. Of course that was over $3K for tires
The entire discussion about fuel economy in these big trucks will change -- for the better -- if the buying power of the dollar remains stable and truck owners can choose the drivetrain that best meets their demands.
I learned to drive in a one ton IH dump truck back in the 1960s. It had an AMC regular gas V8 and a dual speed rear axle with a 4 speed manual box. It would not win any drag races but I pulled some very big loads with it using an HD lo-boy trailer.
Gassers have a place on the job site. If gas prices stay in line they'll return. All of the phobia about climate and carbon is fading fast. There is work to be done!
I can't imagine a new chebby truck burning up at the Nascar race last Saturday night in Kentucky but it did! Took 2 or 3 cars with it in the process. What bad is it was on national TV for the whole world to see!! WOW!!
Posted by: Done | Jul 13, 2016 2:34:53 PM
" GAS HAS ITS PLACE -- And it's not in the back of a pickup truck, next to a grill that's still hot after hours of tailgating.
That apparently is what caused an alarming fire in a truck in the parking lot while Saturday night's Quaker State 400 was underway. Amazingly, a fan who had been sleeping inside the truck was removed with the assistance of track emergency workers who also doused the fire quickly and no one was hurt."
http://www.foxsports.com/nascar/story/sprint-cup-series-what-we-learned-after-kentucky-speedway-brad-keselowski-team-penske-071216
I can't imagine a new chebby truck burning up at the Nascar race last Saturday night in Kentucky but it did! Took 2 or 3 cars with it in the process. What bad is it was on national TV for the whole world to see!! WOW!!
Posted by: Done | Jul 13, 2016 2:34:53 PM
Not bad for GM , it wasn't thier fault. Unlike the burning Fords.
Still a burning chebby on national TV is bad for them. Very bad for them. The chebby shake is they're fault too. Hate to see one shaking and burning at the same time. What the heck!!
Id NEVER buy any frod,,especialy one with krappy engine that spits spark plugs
Read it and weep fordnatics
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/320332-triton-v10-is-worthless.html
Id NEVER buy any frod,,especialy one with krappy engine that spits spark plugs
Read it and weep fordnatics
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/320332-triton-v10-is-worthless.html
Posted by: Chevrolet builds a better way to see the USA | Jul 14, 2016 5:51:22 PM
Wow, took some time on that one did you. 1999 engine. Most people know that issue was taken care of 15 years ago. WOW!
Id NEVER buy any frod,,especialy one with krappy engine that spits spark plugs
Read it and weep fordnatics
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/320332-triton-v10-is-worthless.html
Posted by: Chevrolet builds a better way to see the USA | Jul 14, 2016 5:51:22 PM
My experience with those V10s is confirmed in the title of the link you posted. These engines drop compression on a cylinder or 2 prematurely compared to competing GM engines . Essentially, the v10 wears out in less than have the life cycle of a 6 liter GM engine. Plus, they are way more expensive to replace than a 6.0 liter.
My experience with those V10s is confirmed in the title of the link you posted. These engines drop compression on a cylinder or 2 prematurely compared to competing GM engines . Essentially, the v10 wears out in less than have the life cycle of a 6 liter GM engine. Plus, they are way more expensive to replace than a 6.0 liter.
Posted by: GMSRGREAT | Jul 14, 2016 6:45:19 PM
Hmmmm, you are about the only person to say that. The rest of the world disagrees. There are hundreds of thousands if not millions of V10s out there with well over 300K miles on them and are going strong. There are a multitude of them in emergency vehicles and they hold up great for several hundred thousand miles. In fact a friend of mine is a mechanic for the local UPS center. They run both GM 6.0Ls and Ford. They are replacing 6.0L's at a much faster rate than the Ford engines. But they still have a decent service life for the kind of life they live.
Hmmmm, you are about the only person to say that. The rest of the world disagrees. There are hundreds of thousands if not millions of V10s out there with well over 300K miles on them and are going strong. There are a multitude of them in emergency vehicles and they hold up great for several hundred thousand miles. In fact a friend of mine is a mechanic for the local UPS center. They run both GM 6.0Ls and Ford. They are replacing 6.0L's at a much faster rate than the Ford engines. But they still have a decent service life for the kind of life they live.
Posted by: LMAO | Jul 14, 2016 6:54:46 PM
The environment that these trucks operate in is not normal. Hey, it is what it is.
The environment that these trucks operate in is not normal. Hey, it is what it is.
Posted by: GMSRGREAT | Jul 14, 2016 7:07:08 PM
When it comes to commercial most environments are not normal. UPS does mostly city stop and go traffic and stop after stop while the drivers floor it from stop to stop. Then they have to shut off and restart for every drop. Police are some of the worst. Idle most of the time and when they do go and drive it is full throttle. Ambulance service is about the same. Full throttle all the time and heavy loaded. Your mining environment is likely really rough. Unimproved roads, dusty environment and likely the use of subpar maintenance products for cost saving. One of which are air filters. Intercity transit bus's are mostly E-vans. At least around here. Nothing to get 200-300K on them with original engines and transmissions. Like I have told you many times, we have quite a few GM products and we get about equal use and cost per mile between GM and Ford products. Fiat products do not come close.
Gee, one of the F series PICK UP TRUCKS the FORD FAKERS tell the foolish ford girlies is a F-150. Chevrolet PICK UP TRUCKS IS THE NUMBER ONE SELLING REAL PICK UP TRUCK IN THE WORLD! Ford's actual pick up truck sales may vary from 395,244 to a truthful 134,453 depending on the liar spokesman in the Ford Follies commercial.
Ford, absolute garbage, the least capable, least quality truck ever slapped together: https://youtu.be/2fVSdA1rYKE
Gasser in SOME small medium application make perfect sense! In this case of a dumper it seems perfect! Generally dump trucks are not high mileage trucks, but more run around town. Since these dumpers don't get many miles the fuel economy doesn't matter as much. Additionally the gas engines are lighter than oil burners so they have a higher legal payload compared to diesels. The other two factors in favor are lower acquisition cost and easier to find a dealer to service.
Not if someone wanted to buy a rollback truck and put high miles on it, the diesel is the way to go.
Both types of motors have their pro's and con's but both motors have their place in medium duty trucks.
NO news since Tuesday, looks bad for trucks, especially GM
Ford, absolute garbage, the least capable, least quality truck ever slapped together: https://youtu.be/2fVSdA1rYKE
Posted by: tj | Jul 15, 2016 3:56:42 AM
Hey, even though I completely agree with your comments, let's try and be respectful here.
Ford, absolute garbage, the least capable, least quality truck ever riveted and glued together:
Hooray for the families who've lost loved ones/injured/maimed...so hey GOVT motors, up yours!!! heh heh heh
Posted by: Lionel | Jul 15, 2016 9:23:00 PM
No matter what happens in this case, the families will never forget what had happened to their loved ones. Never. Just ask victims families of Ford's infamous, reckless, irresponsible past.
http://www.autonews.com/article/20160715/OEM/160719876/gm-wins-dismissal-of-some-claims-over-2014-recalls
Nice truck.
only people who don't like v10's must not be very good mechanics. they are easy to work on. easy to find bad coil, easy to swap plugs. if you don't change the air filter on them they do wear out quick. they suck so much air they whistle like a turbo. Gm 6.0 gets high miles regularly but they also go through cat converters far to often. The pipe setup is over a grand and they want you to replace the mass airflow with it or they wont warranty them for premature failure. That's my cost from a supplier. the knock sensors go bad regularly and it isn't a big deal just people don't want to pay. the other problem the GM HD trucks have regardless of the miles is the ignition wiring burns up. pull your column apart and folloew the orange wire bet it has melt marks on it. pull up the under hood fuse panel flip it over. 99% of the time all green on the wires. dash goes bad from both these issues. then they throw tranny codes and send you looking in the wrong direction when its an ignition wire right next to your hand. Just remember all these trucks have issues. fords v10 just has easier to fix ones. oh jeez my spark plug blew out. only every parts store on earth has 5 different style kits that take minutes to install for a life time fix. Mine blew 3 plugs over its life. I still plowed sno with the coil rapping off the hood running on 9 cylinders. probably still had more power than that timing chain stretching 6.0.v8 since it technically is still bigger with 9 cylinders 6.1 liter
Only thing GM hd gasser has on the ford v10 is the engines are a dime a dozen.
brandon,
Good story. Havent seen so many gas powered class 6 trucks. what class 6 GM has a 6.0?
Be sure not to crash that lighning of yours. Ford probably won't support your family when your gone.
Posted by: GMSRGREAT | Jul 16, 2016 8:05:54 PM
@GMSSUCK; already did & lived to tell it...thank you. Crashed into a Toyota Hilux at approx. 55-60 mph (teenage girls/high on meth & ran a red light. Anyways insurance restored it to practically new including a whole new chassis (front left corner had a slight bend).
Lesson learnt; this generation F150 is & was very solid for that period plus, don't take green lights for granted - you might run into an idiot running red lights in 'shaky' trucks...hahaha
I sure hope Ford has the brake master cylinder figured out on that heap of steel. Wait, I wonder if that truck box is military grade aluminum. Anyway, I'm sure it's built Ford tough, which is at best entry level tough. Like assembled with cheap low grade bolts, low quality bulbs, inferior engines etc, etc, etc..LMAO...
Bet folks still miss the people lost in the 20th century.
Anybody notice sales number given? There was 10080 heavy trucks sales that year. Gee must mean fseries is all 150-550 sales
When the long arm of C.A.F.E. reaches out to the heavy duty’s the gas engines will disappear from the 550 up. Maybe the truck makers should take the new increased C.A.F.E. fines as a hint that the consumer does not need full size truck wars with torque monsters that tow/hall max loads to the top of the hill the fastest but rather have full and midsize reliable trucks that will tow/hall a medium size load to the hill top many times efficiently.
Tomorrow makes one week that this article has been on top.
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