Truth is if I’m paying the big SuperDuty bucks I better actually get the SuperDuty truck I actually want 🛻

That was the conclusion I came to looking at the Ford website and pricing models out. The difference between a MSRP $53k and a $60k truck ain’t going to break the bank. It’s just a number that will be deducted from my savings account that has been earmarked for specifically this purpose, and getting the right truck will both make me happy and ensure I have a reliable ride. It’s not like I’m going to have a car payment, unless they force me to finance it, but then I’ll retire the note soon after it clears the bank and have the bank charge it back to dealer.

I tell myself, just bite the bullet, and pay the extra for the extended cab, 7.3L Godzilla gasser (for reliability over the 6.8L) and the FX4 off-road package (for the skid plates and rear locker so I don’t break stuff or get stuck in the snow). I know it’s not a real off-road package, but those adds I think are essential for winter camping, and I’m not going to off-road a SuperDuty — beyond the state truck trails. Going to do gasser, just because the gasser will be better for cold starting while camping, better on the hills, more reliable for shorter trips, and cheaper to maintain. Diesel is more desirable if you do regular, long towing. For the most part, most of the trucks I’ve looked at 3.73 axles so fuel economy is going to be same on 3/4 ton or 1 ton. But I really do not want the fancy trims, as they get expensive and it’s just more crap to break or get muddy. I like dashboards with needle gauges and small screens. Hopefully, I work the dealers, based on all the research I’ve done on how to get the best deal, and it will become out to be mostly a wash, and be a hell of a lot nicer once I get a cap then a 20-year old Honda Civic or for that the now retired Big Red.

God willing, it will be my truck for the next 10 to 15 years, which makes the difference a few hundred dollars a year. And it will be nice, even if it does have a bit of thirst. But that’s an excuse to not drive it too much, keep the miles off it, and keep riding my mountain bike and city bus to work. And if I do need a commuter vehicle, I am sure I can find a ratty old 20-year old Honda somewhere that is good on the gas, while my big-assed SuperDuty sits parked burning no gas.