Hey then you'll be fine.

In this day and age it's much more common to see individuals that haven't even pulled a lawn mower trailer before and then jump all the way to a 40' fiver on their half ton truck.

 

Lol I'm an ex owner operator. I drove a otr truck for 13 years and heavy haul.

Good grief...talk about down sizing. Same here about trying to caution you in case you've never pulled a lawn mower trailer. You've got ample practice and really just wanted to know if your truck can do it. Hopefully we've been helpful.

 

BTW, I agree with all of superrangerman's to-do list for your truck. Since you're thinking about air bags, I'll throw out another option. I got new springs from "Eaton Detroit Springs" just a few years back for my F250. They build to order using factory specs and are reasonably priced. They will likely have factory style helper springs, bolts, and brackets for your truck in case you'd like to go that route. I ain't knocking air bags, I just don't want one more thing to adjust and think about when I'm on vacation.

 

The 7 lug F-250's were re-badged F-150 trucks (aka "Heavy Half"). Heavier springs and tires, but half-ton chassis and drivetrains nevertheless. I think the highest axle ratio available for the 5.4L engine was 3.73 and the transmission is light duty no matter what the dealer told you.

I purchased a new truck in 1999 and was really torn between the F-250 Light Duty (as it was called) and the F-250 Superduty. I ended up with the Superduty and the V-10 engine pulling a 30' fifth wheel. Even then I eventually ended up changing out the rear end gears from 3.73 to 4.30 to better handle mountains and headwinds.

I can't imagine trying to pull a 30' fifth wheel behind that truck. The first time you get into a 20 mph headwind you will very much wish you were in something different. Also the brakes and suspension on the half-ton platform aren't up to the task of hauling, and especially stopping, that size fifth-wheel.

 

The LD F250/F150 7700 had 7 lug, 4.10 axles and I believe a heavier rear frame, which were different from the standard F150's. On the scale, mine was 5600 lbs., so 2100 left for cargo. I don't recall the axle ratings specifically, but they were much higher than the 7700 GVW in relation to other Fords I have owned. But as others have said, highway pulling will be the biggest issue. With a tall slide-in camper and 3k Uhaul cargo trailer, I was in third and sometimes second gear on I80 against the wind, dropping to 35 MPH on some inclines. From Laramie to Rock Springs, WY. we averaged 6 MPG. We went from Wyoming to New England and back with that truck/camper combo, and (with air bags) had no suspension issues with that load. But adding on the trailer for the return trip completely changed the equation and was the reason when we got back we traded for a F350 the next week.

 

And the rear discs were larger than the 150's.

 

OK, first of all that F250 is not a "rebadged" HD F150 with a heavy blah blah blah... you've got it exactly backwards. the F150/7700 is the rebadged LD F250 of that period.
second, here's the specs for GCWR:



that should help you decide what you can pull with it.

 

It began at 8K GVW which would be at max. Grew to 12K??? Something on that 19 year old truck is going to blow, break, or burn. Hope not but I would not go far....