 2008 Ford Super Duty pickup. Click image to enlarge |
Review and photos by Michael Clark
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San Antonio, Texas – Have you looked at a fifth-wheel trailer lately? It’s true that even mentioning a fifth-wheel trailer churns up images of retirement and dry desert air. While the general shape of these behemoths has changed little, it’s their ability to sprout additional square footage that sets my mind on ‘Boggle’. Walk inside, and you’ll find a level of posh that eclipses the quality of the square footage that most folks actually live in. Heavy oak trim, major appliances, and slide-out wings. It all has to weigh an awful lot.
I’m about 22 years out on my expected RV purchase, which by 2029 will be equipped with a 200-inch plasma and an attached garage for my Chevy Volt. Of all of the tests that really seemed to matter at this Super Duty launch, it was the 20,000 pounds of fifth-wheel strapped to an F-450 that piqued my interest. What could be more cool than towing something literally larger than my house?
At first glance, the ‘08 Super Dutys appear to have received a light refresh, keeping in line with the 2004 F-150 refinement levels that opened a new tailgate on truck-think. What lies beneath are multiple improvements that shouldn’t be overshadowed by a chrome grille the size of a tailgate.
Behind that grille is an engine story worth telling. Anyone with a mortgage payment knows that the classic three-quarter ton-and-beyond mill of choice is a diesel. The 6.4-litre Power Stroke V8 Turbo Diesel is a clean sheet design. Internals are naturally bulletproof, such as a forged micro-alloy steel crank, with powder-forged connecting rods. The pistons use internal oil cooling jets to prolong the life of the rings.
 2008 Ford Super Duty pickup. Click image to enlarge |
The twin turbos operate in the ultimate marriage of convenience. As engine loads increase, the smaller Electronic Variable Response Turbo spools up first for initial punch. The larger turbo then gets nudged to life around the middle of the torque curve, taking over the boost duties entirely at peak. The 6.4-litre is rated at 350 horsepower, with 650 foot-pounds of peak torque occurring at a lowly 2000 rpm. For those who like to pass gas, there is the base 5.4-litre Triton V8, as well as the 6.8-litre Triton V10 with 362 horses and 457 foot-pounds of torque.
The kicker for diesel supremacy is cleanliness. Specifically, it means emissions levels that are compliant in the stickiest of the fifty U.S. states. To get there, the Six-Four uses high-pressure common-rail fuel injection. Piezo-electric injectors provide multiple fuel injections for the combustion event, which is the crucial first stage for lowered emissions. Exhaust gas recirculation tech dumbs down the nitrogen oxide levels. The white glove Seal of Approval comes courtesy of the oxidation catalyst and particulate filter. The system brings soot levels down to a level expected from a conventional gas engine. The filtering system is self-cleaning, without the need for injected additives to achieve the ultimate tailpipe scrub. Ultra-Low-Sulphur Diesel Fuel (ULSD) is the new syrup that helps the Power Stroke get along swimmingly with Ma Nature.
  2008 Ford Super Duty pickup. Click image to enlarge |
There’s a six-speed manual stickshift for all engines, which is still the coolest accessory that a monster truck can have. The optional TorqShift automatic is a five-speed affair, with the expected Tow/Haul mode program. It follows the common thread of every nut and bolt on the new S/D’s; beefier, stronger. The fully-boxed front frame rails have new drop-down horns, good news for subcompact cars and crash compatibility. Cross members are both welded and riveted to the frame. Longer rear leaf springs help in managing rear axle windup from the diesel TorqueMonster. Dual-piston calipers on four-wheel vented discs translate to quick stops at roadside attractions. Simply put, the new F-Series truck is the quintessential brick house.
There’s no graceful way to get into the back of a three-quarter ton-and up cargo box – until now. The optional Tailgate Step extends out from the gate, providing sturdy footing. It’s the first truck with a staircase; a flip-up grab bar keeps you steady. There’s a stowable bed extender on the goodies list, which can also reverse to keep cargo from bouncing around the box.
Having sent a trailer mirror on a previous-gen Super Duty to a shattered grave, I’m completely sold on the optional PowerScope trailer-tow mirrors. Power-fold meets power-telescope, with three inches of extension on each side. They’re sensibly heated, with large manually adjustable spotter mirrors.
 2008 Ford Super Duty pickup; photo courtesy Ford. Click image to enlarge |
The new interior guts have adopted a ribbed motif that is as over the top as the truck’s payload capacities. F-150-esque touches abound. The instrument panel has an array that borders on Mack or Kenny. Pretty it’s not. It is functional as all get-out, which is the whole point for those that view the Super Duty as their worksite corner office. The size of the coffee cup holders borders on chemical dependency. This is my kind of truck. Forget King Ranch; Canada needs the Tim Horton’s Edition.
The Six-Four easily springs to life, as I line up the mirrors with the 20,000-pound subdivision to the rear. The Integrated Trailer Brake Controller allows for perfect brake balance. Next to it are upfitter auxiliary switches, which conjure up neighbourhood hero images with aftermarket snowploughs. I put the F-450 into gear and apply a throttle dab. Wow, we actually moved. A little more pedal, a little more momentum. I thought the Ford PR swarm was playing a gag on me, expecting to see the trailer parked to the rear as they held their sides laughing. It was still there. It felt like I wasn’t pulling much of anything.
 2008 Ford Super Duty pickup. Click image to enlarge |
The steering, which seemed a little over-assisted in a non-trailered F-250, returned excellent feedback for piloting the rig onto the highway. What I was looking for was any form of frame budge. There wasn’t even a ripple as I accelerated up to the good ol’ American Double Nickel. Braking was decidedly firm and purpose-built. Here’s the scary part; I could see myself doing this. I could see myself enjoying this.
With head-scratches like the Ford Airstream concept vehicle notwithstanding, the one thing that the Blue Oval gang needs not apologize for is their tough truck stance. Texas is Ford country; evidenced by my Interstate observations from El Paso to San Antonio. Every single FI saw was undergoing some form of hauling duress, usually in the passing lane at 90 miles an hour. If Ford can apply these simple, yet brutally effective tactics to the rest of the stable, it should hopefully end talk of ever putting this old horse down.
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