I am new here, and I am trying to choose the proper Super-Duty for towing a 5th wheel Travel Trailer I will purchase in January 2012.

The 5th wheel travel trailer I am considering is the Keystone Sydney by Outback 325FRE. It is 36.2 ft. in length and 12'4" in height.
The Shipping weight is 10,330 with carrying capacity of 1670#, and the hitch weight is 1625#.

I have spoke with the ford dealer truck representative and the RV Dealer and they both say the new 2012 Ford F-250 CC SB 4X4 with 6.7 PSD Lariat with the PullRite SuperGlide 5th Hitch will do the job.

I just don't want to get this wrong, so I would appreciate you experience.

 

Welcome to fte

I would consider a 350 for the extra suspension in the rear. The 250 often need some additional mods such as a air suspension, as they squat a little more. Since you will likely want your 5th wheel level the added suspension of 350 will help

My .02 cents

 

Yep...just get the 350 and you're golden.

 

Take 20% of the gross trailer wt. That would be more like the king pin that will go against the payload.

 

Would an F-350 SRW do the job with out modifications? I don't want a DRW.

 

The issue since 2008 has been the changing of the rear leaf springs. They have made them more ride forgiving unloaded.

So they sag now easier when loaded.

Air bags may or may not be required on a 350. I think you could get by without them but in the end you may want them anyway to give the proper leveled ride.

 

Welcome, nice to see a new member.

You would be ok with the F250 but like indigo points out, air bags over the rear axle would be necessary. I use them on mine, have had them on my last 2 trucks and I would not ever be without them no matter what truck I purchase in the future.

I would get a F350 SRW (single rear wheel) if I were you and I plan on getting one myself the next time I buy a new truck. The F350 SRW and the F250 are almost identical but the 350 does have a door sticker that would satisfy the DOT if we were ever to get stopped and checked out. The extra payload is a little peace of mind. You can load it with as much heavy stuff as you want and should be within spec. An F250 with a fifth wheel camper can get overloaded pretty easily. The truck weighs about 8K pounds, with the pin weight and all the stuff you carry, 2000 pounds is all you have to work with and it goes quickly. The 350 can have an 11,500 gross weight, giving an extra 1,500 pounds of weight to work with vs. the 250 and the 10,000 pound limit.

The length of the bed is also something to consider. The short bed pretty much requires a slider hitch if you plan on doing a u-turn or jackknifing into a tight camping spot. The long bed eliminates this, giving you more room between the nose of the camper and the back glass of your cab.

I like the short bed and have been towing for a few years so I don't worry about crashing the camper into the back of my truck. It's a choice you should be aware of and consider.

About the air bags, most of us get them for the rear axle (search for it in this forum) and find them to be an extremely valuable bang for the buck. For a few hundred dollars you can level your truck and improve the ride and handling. (while towing) They are very nice to have so in my opinion you should look into them and get them.

If I were you, I would not worry about rear end gears, the 6.7 has plenty of power so I would go with the 3.55 with the electronic locking differential. You could go to the 3.31 if you can get it (I think you can with the 350 but not sure).

I prefer a 4X4 truck, I think it tows better. It's also nice to have.

The factory 5th wheel trailer prep is something that few of us have and most kind of prefer sticking with aftermarket stuff.

Good luck and happy shopping!

 

Yes, I have a 2011 F350 SRW crew cab short box with a B&W fifth wheel hitch in it. I pull a 37'10" heartland landmark. It's dry weight is 12500, and the hitch weight is 2290(I have a full generator setup in the front of the camper with an 18gal fuel tank, so it's heavier than that). My truck sits perfectly level when hooked up to the rv. Most definitely go with the 350 if you're going to do any substantial towing. It's only like $700 ish dollars more than a 250.

 

It may be that you'll be better off with the F-250 than the F-350. The 350 single rear wheel sits a couple of inches taller than the F-250 and F-350 dually. Depending upon the height of your 5'er, it may be more level with the F-250. I think you can get the same rear spring pack as the F-350 on the F-250 if you order the camper option. In addition, you'll get the anti-sway bar with that option.
I'd still plan on adding air bags and upgrading the shocks after getting your new truck, most have found those to be very worthwhile upgrades.
When considering long bed vs. short bed, keep in the the difference in fuel tank size between the two, the long bed has 37.5 gallons and the short bed has only 26 or thereabouts which is less than adaquate when towing and getting around 10.5 mpg.

 

I went with the 350 long bed for a couple of reasons.

1) Additional payload keeps me from worrying about my weights.
2) I installed a 50 gallon auxillary fuel tank which ate up some of the bed space.
3) The more expensive sliding hitch for the 5th was going to offset any savings of the 250
4) I saw a couple of nice shortbeds with big ole dents in the back of the cab caused by their 5th wheels.

I also have airbags installed and they'll probably come in handy some day when this beast gets completely loaded, but I'm pulling a 13,000# 39' fifth wheel and honestly there is not so much sag that I would absolutely have to have the air bags. In fact I went a month without it and had no problems. The 350 is stout.

 

I appreciate all the feed-back and I will config an F-350 SWR 6.7L PSD, 4X4, 6.5' bed (I will be using the Auto-slider 5th wheel hitch), Lariat, 3.55 electronic locking axle, 6 speed auto, O/D/Tow/Haul Mode, Lariat Ultimate Package, Camper Package, Power Equipment Group, Chrome Package, whith Exterior White Platinum Metallic Tri-coat two-tone with adobe metallic trim, and Black leather interior.

The truck comes with 18" wheels and tires, are these adequate?

 

The short bed comes with a 26 gallon fuel tank versus around 37.5 for the long bed which makes it about mandatory to install a aftermarket fuel tank. With the larger tank I can pull my 5th wheel 400 miles. A 26 gallon greatly limits your range or increases your refueling stops. I have 18" wheel and like them plus they are a little cheaper to replace than 20's .

 

Thanks for the info on the 18" tires and wheels, I will consider the long bed.

 

By the that is the exact color of my truck. I chose the same truck in long bed without navigation because the dealer wanted if I remember correctly around $1800.00 more for the cost. I have everything but Navigation and I chose the F250 because of the rear height difference.

 

I just retired, and my wife and I plan on traveking and may change our course during the trip, thus "she" says I need the navigation. What size RV do you pull?