Looking at a mid profile 5th wheel:

Trailer:
-36 ft.
-Unloaded 10,000 lbs
-GVWR for Trailer 12,255
-Pin weight 1,800 unloaded

Truck:
-6.2 with 3.73
-12,400 limit for 5th wheel
-payload per scale with me and full fuel 3,140 lbs (door jam is 3,253 lbs )

...I will add timbrens and will be close to max payload (once I load the trailer).
...towing flat land in Louisiana 99% of the time and I'm not looking to drag race......am I crazy ?

 

Having had the 6.2 with 3.73 gears and pulled a 41 foot raptor. 12500 empty weight, your truck will do the job. You may not like it, some dont. It will just be a little sluggish and will like 4th and 5th gears a lot. I was pulling the Rocky Mountain states with mine but wasnt getting in any hurry. 55-60 was where I stayed with it. If I wouldnt have thought I needed a dually, I would still have it! Just be ready to buy lots of gas. When the wind came up, I would be down around 6. But overall towing was running 7-8 MPG. Best to you!

 

Sounds like a match to me as you are within spec.

 

The "flat" makes all the difference in the world.

 

My fifth is a tad lighter than yours. Loaded about 10,500 lbs and the truck does fine. I will be upgrading the gears to 4.30's in the next month though.

 

I'm looking at doing the same as you ATP. I got a 2011 350 6.2L with 3.73 and am looking at a 36 foot fifth wheel gvwr around 11,500 though. From what i've read shouldn't be too problematic just don't lay your foot into it all the time . Hard for me as my reasoning is they made the pedal so it can touch the floor and as I don't pay for fuel i'm not overly worried about worse mileage. That being said i'm not a fast driver I just like to get to the speed limit like it was a drag race .

 

Thanks for all the great replies.

I only get 8-9 mpg towing at 65 mph with my current TT.

On flat ground once you are rolling ... It seems its all about frontal drag. My trailer seems to have plenty.

Most reports I have seen, when going from a TT to even a heavier 5th..mileage doesn't suffer as much as you would think. A mid proflie 5th tucked in closer to the cab then a TT, seems to have much less frontal drag from the reports I have read.

Pretty sure this 5th wheel is coming, So I report back in a few months when I get some seat time.

 

What you will find when pulling a TT you have to open a hole in the air twice but with a 5th wheel because of the way it's mounted you only cut one hole through the air.

Denny

 

Well said

 

I vote crazy.

this is coming from a guy who has a 6.2L and 4.30 gears. No way I would go over 7k or 8k max with 3.73. Keeping in mind...that I live at altitude of 5500 ft above sea level where the air is thin.


biz

 

Since you truck is a 2WD, and would only have to do one dif, I would definitely have 4:30's put in right now, and break them in before you get the 5er. You will be MUCH happier with that much weight. Good luck.

 

ATP, I have pretty much the same setup as you. I also travel in mostly rolling hills and flat area of East Texas. Truck will do great. If I bought a new one today, would not change a thing! I did add Timbrens and am very happy with them. For someone who tows 4k to5k a year this truck set up is just fine. Ray

 

Just picked up our Larado 346RD 5th wheel, 10,640 dry and 2230 on pin. We just came back from a 300 mile camping trip, truck pulled great, settled into 5th at 1700 rpm with cruise on, ave 9.3 on flats and 8.5 on good sized rolling hills. I tried just cruise control, no tow haul, and found it unlocks the converter and I was getting RPM, but seemed like I was not gaining speed. Tow Haul coming home, and it kept the converter locked with no slippage. Impressed with 6.2, handled weight fine.

 

Follow up...

Several trips now and including the last one up I55 with a few hills, I can report happy with no issues with my combo. (trailer weights 12,000 lb loaded)

I do feel using manual helps with my towing experience, using 4th and 5th in the hills kept the speed easly above 60 mph. If I let the auto do the work it would drop to 3rd when not really needed.

Now the steepest grade I faced so far, was the I10 bridge going over the Mississippi in Baton Rouge, Pulled up the bridge in 3rd with plenty of power left at 60 mph.

Off the line 1st is plenty low enough with the 3.73 rear due to the low first gear in the 6-speed auto.

Top speed 65 mph, but can easly go over 70 mph to pass when needed, even when locked in 5th manual without down shifting.

 

I tow heavy with the 3.73 and for the guys saying crazy; nah, I don't think so. You want crazy, go tow with a half ton what they rate them at. That's crazy. I was concerned about what I'm towing and was going to spend all the coin on changing out gears to 4.3, but talked to 5-star. They claimed I would benefit way more from a tune. They were absolutely right. I'm now towing with the daily driver/tow 87 octane and it's awesome. I've towed across the country and back with this thing and I maintain 65-70. It's usually in 5th, but in some of the really big grades, I've had to go down to 3rd. No big deal. It's not a race. I average 8mpg overall towing. I'm towing a 40' Big Horn.

I don't think the 4.3 gives you all that much more, because it's just a small bump in rpm's. It still doesn't get you into the power range when ford lets it open up. The power difference with the tune is huuuuge. Seriously. I have a crew cab 4x4 F350 and with the ford tune you don't have enough power to spin a tire on wet pavement. With the tune, you can light em up.