The One-Ton Stunner
Five decades later, the most common pickup truck sold to retail consumers is no longer a two-door cab with one big bench seat and a six-foot-plus box.
A Victory & Reseda review of the 2023 Ford F-350 Super Duty
When I was a kid, a pickup truck was a much simpler vehicle.
You had a regular or single cab that sat up to three people. You had a choice of a short or long bed. If you owned a full-size pickup truck, you still had a choice of “size” between a half-ton, a three-quarter ton, or a one ton. Let’s not forget the choice of two-to-three trim levels to boot!
A pickup truck buyer bought one for work or for recreation. The latter meant sliding a camper into the bed for a week out in the wilderness.
When they select a much more capable pickup truck, they get a more robust frame, suspension, and engine choices – including diesels. However, they retained the same exact cab and box design as the half-ton models.
Things were so much simpler then.
Five decades later, the most common pickup truck sold to retail consumers is no longer a two-door cab with one big bench seat and a six-foot-plus box. It is now a four-door crew cab that seats five-to-six people depending on the front seat design with just a five-and-a-half-foot box. You now have four sizes of pickup trucks, ranging from small “compact” SUV-based models to stump-pulling, dual-rear-wheel “one-ton” monsters pulling beyond 30,000 pounds from a fifth-wheel.
Well…guess what? After 13 years of working with vehicles of all sorts – including heavy duty pickup trucks – I finally got a one-tonner to work with.
And, it’s a Ford F-Series Super Duty!
What made the Super Duty such a game changer was the fact that it was developed as a heavy-duty pickup truck when it split from the F-150 back in 1998. This set the stage for other manufacturers to distinguish their heavy-duty pickups from their half-ton full-size models.
For 2023, the Super Duty received a new cab, bed, and cabin design. The design became more aligned with the contemporary F-150, albeit larger overall. The critical pieces of the F-Series Super Duty remain the same, including the high-strength military-grade frame and the core lineup of drivelines.
For 2023, the Super Duty lineup gets a new “smaller” gasoline engine. That, along with more power across the board. Updates also include new exterior and interior elements. The latter now mirrors the current F-150, with its larger infotainment screen driven by the Sync 4 system.
The King Ranch tester is a big machine, but at its largest configuration. This single rear wheel F-350 rode on a 159.7-inch wheelbase. The Super Duty’s Crew Cab is joined by a six-and-three-quarter-foot bed.
It is also powered by a 500-horsepower 6.7-liter High-Output PowerStroke V8 diesel. This massive motor laid down 1,200 pound-feet of torque. Rounding out the driveline is a 10-speed TorqShift automatic and a four-wheel drive system with a two-speed transfer case.
For this particular configuration, the capability numbers are very impressive. The maximum conventional towing rating is 27,000 pounds. By using a Fifth-Wheel or a Gooseneck hitch, the maximum towing rating is raised to 31,800 pounds. To fill the six-and-three-quarter-foot bed, the payload rating is good for 4,439 pounds.
Normally, you do not have to worry about fuel economy when you’re driving a big pickup truck as this F-350 powered by a mass of low-end torque from a turbodiesel V8. However, I did accomplish an average of 18.3 MPG. That was achieved with plenty of highway miles without any loads or trailering.
To ensure that the load and towing are managed properly, the suspension travel is much longer. Between the Mono Beam up front and the solid axle on leaf springs in the rear, the ride quality is as smooth as you will get in a one-tonner. You will get some feedback over rougher surfaces, but not enough to bounce you off of your seat. One must remember that you do not drive a one-ton heavy duty pickup truck for just cruising, even though some may actually do so.
The steering system is a hydraulic unit – not an electronic one. There is plenty of softness on center and you cannot adjust the effort and weight for it. However, you might just find how nimble it is when it comes to wiggling your way into a parking spot.
All four wheels have ventilated discs to stop this 7,400-pound-plus machine. Braking action is decent, tending towards the softer side at the pedal. You cannot lightly touch the pedal to stop this truck. Stops are surprisingly short in normal and panic situations.
Getting into the King Ranch’s cabin, you get treated to the finest in “cowboy luxury.” There are reminders of the namesake ranch inside and out. Including the “brand” on the center console armrest and upper seatbacks both front and rear. The two-tone “Java” leather combination is welcoming and expected in a “cowboy luxury” pickup truck.
The front seats are multi-adjustable and have some additional padding and bolstering. This tester was equipped with the Max Recline option – something I thought about testing out, but I skipped doing so.
In any adjustment, the front seats will be firm, at first. You will settle in after some time behind the wheel. Rear seat room is very spacious, with lots of leg and head room back there for adults. I completely appreciate the power-deployable running boards making getting in and out very easy.
The Super Duty’s cab does not overwhelm you with a mass of tech goodies. The infotainment touchscreen offers wireless smartphone mirroring increasing your options in sound playback. Bang & Olufsen’s Unleashed audio system pipes solid sound through 18 speakers throughout the cabin.
The 12-inch digital instrument cluster is clean and customizable. As is the head-up display. Together, critical information is available without distraction. The overall driver’s layout is just simply superb – exactly what you expect from a Ford pickup truck.
Of course, the F-Series Super Duty is all about presence and command of the land it stands upon. The King Ranch trim elevates this to further make the statement of its position on the “food chain” of trucks. This is evident in chrome front grille with LED headlamps all the way back to its chrome trim piece in-between the LED taillamps.
Accessibility to the bed is done with a pair of steps on each side of the truck, along with corner steps on the bumper. The side mirrors also extend to compensate for the width while trailering.
To complete the King Ranch’s exterior image, no one can deny the tastefully designed 20-inch alloy wheels and the LT275/65Rx20E Bridgestone Dueler all-terrain tires. That, plus, the Rapid Red paint job over a gray-ish lower trim looks too sharp for words.
There is a price to pay for all of this luxury and capability. My 2023 F-350 Super Duty King Ranch tester came with a sticker price of $95,165.
When you get into the 2023 F-350 Super Duty, you have lots of choices to make. Do you want single or dual rear wheels? What about a six-and-three-quarter-foot bed or an eight-footer? There are two gasoline engines and two diesels, as well. Then, you can choose from three cabs, six trim levels, and rear- or four-wheel drive. All of this, starting from $45,015. Pricing for the 2024 F-350 has jumped to $46,015.
When get into a one-ton heavy duty pickup truck, you have to respect it. You have to respect its capacities and capabilities. If you have a proper use for it – such as hauling heavier items from the farm or worksite, as well as towing a trailer to the RV park – the Ford F-Series Super Duty is one of a few choices to do the job.
Last year in Los Angeles, an old friend of mine asked which heavy duty pickup truck he should buy to haul his RV with a. fifth-wheel connection. It’s a good question, because, frankly, all four one-ton pickups can equally do the job when properly equipped. Right now, the Ford F-Series Super Duty is in the lead. Obviously, you want to go with a leader. Therefore, it’s the Ford!
DISCLAIMER: Vehicle provided by the Ford Motor Company
All photos by Randy Stern