I am considering full time RV in couple years. Looking at getting Open Range 397FBS. GAWR is 14,000 lb. Hitch 2590. UVW 12,965. The truck I'm considering is Ford 350 or 250 with 6.2 liter gas 4:30 axle, crew cab, 4x4. It may be 2017 before I purchase. I'm considering if this will work instead of diesel. I read so much about diesel repair costs and will be on fixed income, that's why I'm leaning to gas. Any advise from others that have gas trucks and how they perform. Now I have Chevy 2500 with 6 liter gas and tow bumper pull RV.

 

Don't think I would pull that weight with a 6.2? I pull close to 11K loaded and not sure I would go higher. I have 3:73s so maybe the 4:30s make a huge difference.


Regardless of the engine, the pin weight is too much for the "rated" payload of a 250, especially a diesel. Get a 350.

 

If your full timing it add at least another 2,000 lbs to that gawr. Amazing how much weight our personal stuff adds.

 

We pull with a DRW 6.2 4x2 SC with 4.30 gears, our trailer runs between 15700 and 16000 loaded on the road with 3200 to 3400 in the pin. We don't fulltime but spend 7 to 11 mouths on the road, the rest of the time we spend at our homebase in a small town next to a COE lake in Nebraska. We travel with other rvers with diesels and we don't have any problems keeping up with then on the open road or grades. Things change when you aren't on a long weekend or vacation you learn to slow down enjoy the open road.

Denny

 

Thanks everyone for sharing your experience and wisdom. I again looked at 2015 Open Range 397FBS becouse it's the heaviest RV I'm looking at. I read now that dry weight is 11905. Hitch 2285. Cargo weight 4380. I know dry weight is unreliable but if I add cargo weight to that I get 16,285. So am I learning this trailer may weigh 16,000 lbs when loaded. On the Open Range site it shows GAWR 14,000 lbs. I thought GAWR is total weight allowed for this trailer loaded. It appears I still have a lot to learn on weights. I may also need to wait till I get closer to purchasing before considering gas or diesel truck. I still hope to stay with gas becouse of diesel repair costs as I will hope to put over 100,000 miles on my tow vehicle. Now I have 2008 Chevy 2500 with 6 liter gas. It's rated for 9500 lbs towing but not sure if that's bumper or fifth wheel. I'm towing Open Range JT287RLS. The GVWR is 4275 lbs. Not sure of actual weight but truck pulls OK. When in Texas Hill Country the truck knows it's pulling as I need RPM's. I'm familiar with gas engine rapping out and don't mind as long as it's within spec. I guess trailers change weight year to year and that's why I'm getting different numbers. Maybe between now and when I purchase, a gas engine will be available. I still like the 6.2 liter Ford with 4:30 axle. If I need a F350 I have no problem. Before my Chevy I owned a 1996 Ford 350 with 460 engine and 4:10 axle. I could set the cruise pulling my 29' Terry RV then.

 

Martin, not sure how much you have read regarding 250 vs. 350 but their really isn't much.


The 350 has an overload spring standard where the 250 doesn't UNLESS you order the camper package. With that package there is also a rear sway bar. The 250 has a max GVWR of 10K.


Beside s that? The GVWR sticker on the door.


Depending on your registration rules where you live, you may pay more for registration for the 10K+ GVWR.


S

 

Martin, how do you like the 6.0 Chevy??

I towed with a 6.0 Chevy 4.10 gears for about 100,000 miles, then got switched to a 6.2 Ford, 3.73 gears. 78,000 on the Ford now. My opinion, the Chevy towed much better. Lots more bottom end power, didn't have to rev nearly as high. Sorry in advance for stirring things up.....

 

Change the gears in your truck to 4.10 or 4.30s then you'll have some bottom end grunt.

 

The older 6.0's had better towing power curves than the newer 6.2's. A state that all gas engines are in, as developing more low end power normally means using components that lower cruising MPG. Using transmissions with more gears (lower start allowing for faster and higher RPM climb) is the way to counteract that so it's the best of both worlds. Sadly, I think all of us are enthusiasts that enjoyed a time where cars buzzed while their big brother trucks had that low end V8 gurgle sound that was just powerful as they turned 2,000RPM and made full power. It's hard for us to accept that now our trucks buzz too. Went from a 5.8L with 4 speed auto, to 5.4L V8 with 4 speed auto, to 2.3L I4 with 5 speed auto (ranger). Considering buying a new SUV to keep until it falls apart (drove my 5.4L Expedition to just shy of 150K until it got totaled ), and it will most likely be an I4 or a V6.

 

Towing is not bad. On a windy day or in the Hill Country it likes its RPM's. I called Chevrolet when I first towed becouse I was nervous about RPM. I was told it's suppose to do that so I now let it go to about 3500 or so. On good days it's down around 2300. Without towing it's a peppy truck. I really enjoy driving it. It's the LTZ package with black leather seats and moon roof. Wife says she won't accept a lesser truck so I feel my pocket book shrinking. My truck is a 4x4 so if I swap gears I have to swap transfer case as well. It has 78,000 miles and when I retire I anticipate it to have 90,000 miles. That's why I'm looking at getting new truck when I get new fifth wheel. I get 7 miles to gallon towing and about 11 or 12 on average. On freeway around 60 mph. I get 14 or so.
I have time to shop and compare but I also don't want to be blind when it comes time to buy. Trucks towing ability change fast. Again thanks for all the advise.

 

I read somewhere someone said the F250 and F350 are identical other than on paper. Like you said, something about how it's registered. To me, does not matter. F250 or F350. My wife and even me prefer not to have a duelly if possible. I just want to be safe and legal. Also I'm considering the Chevy 3500 SRW if I go diesel. I read so many stories about Ford diesels having issues. Maybe out of all the trucks on the road it's not that big of deal as far how many trucks are in shop. None of the big three are ruled out. I feel they are all good trucks if built on the right day. Either you buy a lemon or you buy a quality truck.

 

My friend tows a fifthwheel that weighs approx. 14,000#'s close to 10,000 miles a year. He has a 2012 f350 extra cab long bed 4X4 with the 6.2 gas engine and 4.30 gears and he is very happy with it. I actually used his truck to tow my Montana fifthwheel and it gets the job done. I ended up ordering a 2016 crew cab shortbed 4X4 with the same engine and axle ratio. This will be my first gas tow vehicle after having three diesel pickups. The reason I switched, I feel that with the complexity of these new Diesel engines that the gas engine will be the choice for longevity. Way to much to go wrong. If people are having the little quirks go wrong with there diesels that you read about when they are close to new, can you imagine what will happen when it has over 100,000 miles on it?

 

Hedgegog1 I sometimes feel that the Ford F-350 with 6.2 liter 4:30 axle will tow the trailer I mentioned. It is the heaviest of all Open Range that interests my wife and I. I'm now reading this trailer has a cargo weight of over 4,000 lbs. and that brings it to right at 16,000 lbs. I'm still trying to understand how a trailer that has a UVW of 12,965 and GAWR of 14,000 lbs totally weigh 16,000 lbs. I'm confused on these numbers. I have time before I purchase anything but I need to know my weight is matched to a truck I purchase prior to the purchase. When I spend $50,000 / $60,000 for a truck and then $60,000 for a trailer I don't want to then go to a scale and learn it will not match safely. Thanks for responding. I will continue reading and educating myself.

 

Martin K, When figuring the weight of the 5th wheel take the total weight that the manufacture says it will carry (16K), minus the UVW (assuming that they figure the hitch weight and axle weight together) this is what they "claim" the trailer will weigh, but the trailer will weigh more after adding extras and other misc to trailer. Subtract the 2, That will be the carrying capacity of the trailer. I weighed my 5th wheel the day I picked it from the dealer at a CAT scale after loading the truck and trailer with the bare minimum that I would be always having in the 2 (full fuel tank, both LP bottle full, 20 gallons of water in 5th, sewer misc, water hoses and other misc.) Then that will tell you how much weight you have left that can be carried. It will also let you know how it's loaded as far on the Steer, drive axles, you can figure your pin weight then and trailer axles. I should note that you'll have to weigh the truck with out trailer to get Pin weight.

 

I looked up Open Range 397fbs on four different sites. 1. Unknown site. UVW 12,965. Hitch 2,590, Cargo 2,739. 2. MadisonRv.com. Hitch 2285, Dry 11,905, Cargo 4,380. 3. btcamper.com Hitch 2,590, Dry 12,965. Cargo 3,505. 4. Open Range Hitch 2,590, UVW 12,965, Axle 10,375, GAWR 14,000, Gross carry 3,505. NET carry 2,739 Will different trailers of same model have weights that vari like this? Maybe I should just wait till I'm ready to purchase and buy truck and trailer at same time. I was hoping on purchasing truck a little earlier to begin paying it down. I don't want to purchase the Ford gas truck then learn its not compatible with this trailer if I choose it. I also would prefer not to purchase a diesel if I don't need it. As long as it's within spec I do not mind revving a gas engine while towing. I also do not want to be over loaded. Thanks everyone. Keep sending your thoughts and I will keep learning.