Trying to decide, Keep F350 Crew or go Montero

Porvalsh

Observer
Hi All,

I've been lurking for a bit...as I'm sure all 1st time posters do. Love the site and am looking forward to being more part of the community as my family and I get back into BLM style camping/exploring.

I currently own an F350 Crew Cab LWB (8' bed) 6.0L Diesel pickup. I bought it to move with, pulled a 10k lb 24' trailer about 2,000 miles last summer. Its been a great truck but I'm not sure its the right vehicle for my family. I'm debating switching to a Montero.

Goal: Explore Oregon on weekend excursions with focus on finding peaceful areas for camping. (Not necessarily super remote).
Family consists of: Me, Wife, 3 yr old, 2 yr old, 70lb dog.

Wife concerns:
  • Kids Safety, also becoming increasingly paranoid of animals/strangers. ----> Hardshell sleeping arrangement, teardrop, canopy on truck bed, in vehicle, potentially ok with popup tent
  • Some comforts required - for instance our truck is Lariat trim, smooth ride. ---->Vehicle should not be base trim.
  • Would like to use vehicle around town for things like, taking kids to dog park, large shopping trips.. ---->Third row if SUV, If truck, need canopy for dog and built ins for easier transport of good.
  • Would like to use vehicle for family vacations (on-road such as annual Sunriver trip, Skiing, etc). ---->same as above. Have room for stuff, or pull small trailer. Decent fuel mileage, comfort over 3+hr trips
  • Easier to maneuver and park. ---->Probably not looking at expedition EL's or Excursions if we are to make a switch. F350 LWB is massive.
  • Something that will last a long time. Tired of buying vehicles. ---->reliability

F350 Benefits
  • Plenty of room.
  • 20 MPG freeway. 38 gal tank for good range.
  • Lots of miles left.
  • Payload capacity, Towing Capacity
  • Versatility - can daily drive, haul on weekends, tow a house

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F350 Issues
  • Offroad capability of truck - long wheel base can lead to high centering, no lockers. $$ for mods?
  • Size - fear of exploring roads but not being able to turn around. Especially roads on sides of hills where one side it drop off, other is ditch and then uphill.
  • Heavy - 7500lbs without gear, sink in mud, sand , snow? Traction issues?
  • Reliability - Truck does not have EGR delete or stud kit. 124k on stock injectors. Catastrophic failure imminent? Need external oil & coolant coolers?
  • Cold weather starts - very rough starting at and around 40F. Carry generator to plug in truck in cold weather?
  • Expense of modifying - canopy, EGR Delete, Studded, build out bed for gear/sleeping, $3,000+ ?
  • Loud

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Montero Benefits
  • Inexpensive comparatively. Could purchase and have 8k for mods, trailer build, savings, etc.
  • Third row - can carry two more people than truck, albeit not very comfortably.
  • Proven platform for overland, 4x4 trails. (understood this does not mean rock crawling)
  • Reliability - less expensive big failures compared to Super Duty.
  • Quieter on trails
  • RTR out of the box, assuming decent set of tires.
  • Ease of driving, parking, good for wife, in town.
  • Could probably garage whereas my truck does not fit length or height wise.

Montero Issues
  • Sleeping arrangement - probably would have to pull some sort of trailer. Wife is 5'2", might be able to fit in car for sleeping but then where to put car seats? and build a platform?
  • If pull trailer, then teardrop like Moby1? If pulling trailer+gear does Montero have the power over rough terrain?
  • With above, have read some people find Montero is under powered loaded.
  • Dog would ride inside...this is annoying at times because he gets really excited in country settings and starts whining. I hate this!
  • Cannot go hunting and throw elk in back. Cannot haul, unless have utility trailer of some sort.
  • Basically, would need trailer.
  • Gas mileage, with roof rack, not likely to be anywhere near truck MPG. (Offset by typically higher Diesel cost)


I guess my main concern is long term reliability of truck and cost of repairs (blown head gasket, injectors) which is more likely given "dirty" driving conditions and potential intake of particulate and water into combustion cycle. Secondary concern is size (turning radius) and off road prowess.

Since truck is paid for Montero would free up some cash for potential repairs, upgrades, trailer build, however would lose cash in the process of trade-in/purchase. Can't seem to find monteros for less than 9k here in PNW - book out at 7500 retail.


I'm interested in hearing from people with a families that have gone through this. What worked for you? Is it even realistic to think I could camp in national park and BLM land with a family?

For those with big rigs, how do you handle turn around situations? Have you ever been stuck due to the sheer size of your vehicle? My truck has a turning circle of 58'. Last time I went out was for xmas trees, luckily had a decent width road and could turn around after 3-4 tries. Last truck I had was a Titan Extra cab pro-4x, much easier to drive around.
 

amgvr4

Adventurer
Welcome to the forum! I love my full size and you would be surprised how capable they can be with very little mods. I have a family of five and our plan is to pick up a roof top tent and mount it over the bed so we have lots of storage and the ability to set up camp fast. Either truck will do the trick, but unless you are trying to do more extreme back country wheeling the F350 should suit your needs very well.
 

Porvalsh

Observer
Cool build thread. What do you weld with?

My buddy was telling me that around here and with family on board, I probably would find I never actually do what he would consider true "wheelin" and I'd be fine in truck. It would be nice to have everything all onboard one vehicle.
 

kris

Observe
I'm with amgvr4. Keep the f350.
We are also a family of 5. Until last year when we bought our f350 we did everything in our wagoneer from road trips to jeep trails. With the exception of some of those trails (Rubicon, Dusy-Ershim, etc) the f350 has been much more comfortable and we've had no issues on what we could bring due to storage in the bed. When the wagoneern was loaded for a week with all of us it was tight and riding close to the bumpstops. If you're looking to do tighter trails that would need better tires and lockers a Montero probably isn't the best choice anyway (nothing against them, but the aftermarket is much kinder to jeeps, toyotas, etc). ;)

You didnt mention where you were but it looks like the PNW from your pic (Edit: Yes you did, Oregon). Going with some better tires, a shell, and rooftop tent or small trailer should take you almost anywhere you want to go.


As far as reliability with the 6.0, they have issues but can be monitored and even prevented. You should have a scangauge or similar monitoring device. They are indenspensible for diagnosing and finding issues before they leave you stranded. There are plenty of trucks going several 100k/mi on stock head bolts and egr coolers. Getting an obd2 gauge setup and doing a little reading on what to look for can do wonders. Stick with motorcraft/racor filters (fuel and oil) and if you eventually have to do an oil cooler do not go aftermarket. HPO issues are also relatively easy to diagnose and are also preventable.

Beyond that there are several forums specifically for the 6.0psd. Find one you are comfortable on and read away.


k.
 
Last edited:

cnutco

Adventurer
Keep your truck and if possible save up for a SUV to toy with later. That is, if your F350 has uses that you need and can't get out of a SUV. If that large truck is not needed then by all means get something that is more practical.

However, I am a little bias. I very much so enjoy my Montero.

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plainjaneFJC

Deplorable
I would ditch the 6.0 They are just no t worth the risk of breakdown if you don't need a truck for towing heavy loads. Montero will be so much cheaper to own and maintain.
 

amgvr4

Adventurer
Cool build thread. What do you weld with?

My buddy was telling me that around here and with family on board, I probably would find I never actually do what he would consider true "wheelin" and I'd be fine in truck. It would be nice to have everything all onboard one vehicle.

Thanks man, I use a Everlast super ultra 205 TIG welder. The bumper was done with a friends Hobart MIG welder. The TIG is so nice in every way except speed. It is a slower process but it yields much better results in my hands. As far as wheeling goes I have done some really tight Jeep trails in Walker Valley with my truck when it was completely stock and it did just fine. It was tight, but with good spotting I made it through without a scratch.
 

east_tn_81

Adventurer
I would kept the F350 . Trucks are so much more versatile. The 6.0 can be a very good engine if taken care of. There are plenty guys on this site and others who run the 6.0. They could give some really good advice. I feel the room for people and gear will quickly max out the suv.
 

snowaddict91

Adventurer
In my opinion with 4 people and a dog the montero will feel really small.
It is 2 of us plus 2 dogs and we have an f250 ccsb and a montero sport so similar vehicles to what you are looking at but a touch smaller on each. I also have a lot of ski trips under my belt with a family of 5 in an envoy XL.
I would keep the F350, add a camper shell for the dogs and gear, and rock on. I occasionally take solo trips with the dogs in my montero sport, and by the end of the trip I'm usually wishing I was in the truck. As long as you are comfortable with your truck, you well get used to its size off road and know its limitations. In my experience most people don't push the limits of their full size even when they go on and on about breakover, departure angle, wheelbase, etc. Plus your kids are only getting bigger.
 

DividingCreek

Explorer
I have the same truck with a 7.3. I know what you mean about terrible turning radius and fear of driving into a situation where you can't maneuver it, they are huge.
 

mallthus

Pretty good at some stuff
I'd stick with the Ford as well, moving the EGR and stud update to top of list.

My beef with the Montero isn't the vehicle itself. Heck, I've long considered getting one. But they have issues as well, albeit, much like the Ford's, they're avoidable with simple fixes. My point being that I wouldn't get a 5-10 year old Montero to avoid upcoming problems on the Ford...you'll be exchanging one set for another.

I think that you'll find that your decision will need to be driven by the type of exploring you like to do. I see the Montero (and Cruisers/Rovers) being exceptionally well suited to mountain exploration. The Ford is better suited to desert exploration and long distance travel.

If you're not going to use 100% of the F350's capacity, you can improve the ride and the off-road capability with aftermarket springs. As already mentioned, the Ford's load capacity gives you a lot of options including shells, roof top tents, hard side campers and trailers.

Just my 2¢. You'll have fun either way.
 

poriggity

Explorer
Honestly, I'd sell the 6.0, and probably buy an older 7.3 or something with a cummins or duramax. I love my 4 door long bed dodge on excursions off road. There is a learning curve with the size of it, but once you get that down, the amount of room and comfort you have is unmatched. All that being said, you couldn't pay me to keep a 6.0 in my driveway.
 

underdrive

jackwagon
Meh, tents are for hikers, if we're taking a vehicle out there we're sleeping between hard walls and under a solid roof. Assuming all 4 of us are going on the trip that means a hardsided camper loaded into a MDT - said MDT is kinda like your truck but 8ft wide all the way, much taller (22.5" wheels and 4x4 on top of that), and can carry well over 2000 lbs (yes, literally a ton) in fuel alone. Point I'm trying to make is, a huge vehicle is not quite as bad as people often make it to be. So what if you can't turn the monster around on the trail, you drove it in so just back it out. If you can't see well from the driver sear, have one of you steer while the other one rides in the rear as a spotter and navigator - we've had to back our MDT up for good half an hour, I just had the boss hang out on the rear porch and tell me which way to turn the wheel and how much. Obviously takes a bit of practice to properly sync yourselves, but it's well worth the effort. Besides, if you gonna be pulling a trailer, even with a smaller SUV how you gonna turn the whole mess around on a narrow trail?

If family safety is a concern, you can forget the SUV with a trailer or even worse a tent - any setup that requires you to exit your sleeping accommodations and walk outside in order to enter your vehicle and drive off is a liability by default. In our case we have a pass-thru access between cab and camper via cab's rear window and camper's front window, so never really a need to go outside. Our kids sleep in the cab on the rear seat (folds out and lays flat to form a bed) so appropriate measures have been taken to turn said cab into essentially a panic room on wheels. And in case of dire emergency even our lil girl can start truck and drive off - it's a tank of a truck but it's also a straight truck so she can manage it, not so much if there were a trailer dragging behind it.

So yeah, keep your truck, do the required engine mods, and buy yourself a small-ish camper (not a 5000 lbs dual-slideout McMansion) - IMHO that's the winner combination for full-family camping out away from campgrounds. If it's just you and the wifey, a bed cap will suffice, and there are plenty of examples on here of how to successfully set one up. IMHO a midsize SUV is just too small even for two people, let alone a whole family and a dog.
 

super04duty

Observer
I vote for keeping the truck. You can check out my build thread, it's slow, but coming along. I also described thr work I've has done to my 6.0l, I feel it's bulletproof now and never hesitate to jump in and drive it anywhere.
 

JHa6av8r

Adventurer
Throw a pop-up camper in the back and be done with it. You can see my rig in my signature. It's me, wife, 6 year old, and two 20# mutts. I have the short wheelbase but it's a very capable off-road set-up. Your truck with a solid pop-up in the back is a really good family adventure vehicle.
 

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