I decided last month to buy a towable RV to put behind my 2005 F250 PS Crew Cab Short Bed, much preferring a 5th wheel over a travel trailer. First and foremost I crunched the numbers regarding weight to ensure I stayed within GAWRs, GVWR, and GCWR. The last step was today, putting the truck on the Cat Scale in its towing configuration. End result - I can't tow even the lightest of 5th wheels with a reasonable passenger load (truck) and payload (trailer) without going over GVWR on the truck. Even with just me in the truck, and the trailer at empty weight (per published weights which are always low), I go over GVWR on all the "3/4 ton 5th wheels" I have checked (~ dozen). Coachmen Chaparral Lites (for the "1/2 ton pickup") just squeak under the truck's 10,000 GVWR - again just me in the truck. Very disappointing.

The truck is HEAVY - with just me and a full tank, it came to 8,240 lbs on the scale. Once I add in passengers and ~300 lbs for a Pullrite Superglide, that leaves insufficient margin for pin weight.

Guess I am stuck with a travel trailer. All those PS Crew Cab F250s I see pulling 5th wheels down the highway must be running over GVWR. Might be doable with the V10 and regular cab (lower truck weight).

Steve

 

Why stress over it? I'd pick the tt I wanted and that would be the end of it. As long as I'm under 20k I'm not in dot territory. That is all I worry about.

 

I'm hope someone will correct me on this if I'm wrong but I thought the GVWR was meant to determine the size of the payload in the box - not the towing capacity. The 5th wheel towing capacity of your truck should be up around 15/16K plus with a GCWR of approx 22/23K. I don't have the specs in front of me. For my 2011 F-350 the GVWR is 10,800 which leaves me with a 4000lb load capacity in the box with the truck weighing about 7,000lbs. My GCWR is 29,000lbs - 7000lbs for the truck so my 5th wheel can't weigh more then approx 22,000lbs or thereabouts.

 

Yeah, I wouldn't worry about it. Super Duty's are way overbuilt. My F350 (11k GVW) grosses 14,600lbs with the plow and full load of salt. I'm right at my tire ratings, but still under my tag (plated for 15k), so I barely squeak by MNDOT. Check your local DOT regs, you're probably fine as long as you're under your tire ratings.

 

Hi Steve,

Just to make sure I am on the same page. First, thank you for weighing your truck! The truck's GVW is how much the truck can carry and stop. You, passengers, fuel and freight, and yes, many folks do run overweight. My 2002 F350 diesel super cab dually comes in at just under 8,000 pounds with me, wife, and a not quite full tank of fuel, so I don't doubt your numbers. Folks take varying positions about running overweight and I do not want to get into a battle about that.

The point I do want to make is many folks do not run their towables at GVWR. In many towables there is almost a ton of carrying capacity and I am not sure how your are figuring that. For example, we do not full-time, so our campers are never close to the GVW. This might make it possible for you to run a fiver without being stressed.

I also want to suggest that assuming all towable GVWs are low is not necessarily correct. I have weighed a substantial number that run less than their tag. The only way to know this is to actually weigh them. I know this can make you crazy, but I have always suggested folks weigh the towable that interests them, before signing on the dotted line. Naturally this means having the hitch already in your truck, or a buddy who has truck ready to tow. I would, of course, walk away from any dealer who balked at the idea of weighing a potential purchase.

Good luck in your search,

Steve

 

Your truck is rated to tow 15,600 pounds, per https://www.fleet.ford.com/showroom/...5_F250-350.pdf

Basically I would just focus on that. If your pin weight is a little heavy just get some air bags on the rear axle to level it out. You'll be fine.

 

Steve, I applaud your concerns and reps sent.

It seems to me that he weight hanging from your class ?? hitch would be more adverse and harder to control than the weight sitting over your rear axle.

Rest easy and go for the appropriate sized fiver.

 

That means weighing it:

A) with all tanks (water, gas, but empty grey / black water) full.

B) ideally, a reasonably simulated actual travel load.

300lbs per person is a good gross guess.

Note that the nooks and crannies for storage may greatly limit what you can actually store where and thus, overload or unbalance the load.


C) Often, the black / grey water tanks can be full and yet the water tank is full.


So it is best to allow whopping safety margins.


IMHO, most manufacturers overrate their vehicles by at least 10%, especially in the area of brake capacity.

At least one truck maker is notorious for rust damage to frames that sharply reduce towing capacity.

Salt damage is something that need to be carefully checked.


I normally use a thumbnail that a good tow (easy handling, no problems stopping at all, etc.) is something south of 25% lower than manufacture rated.

Likewise, a good tow is when no axle is close to 15% of their gross weight, and the load is evenly distributed, with weights within 10% of each other measured at the trailer wheel (on a multi axle trailer), and within 5% of each other on the same axle.

That is assuming that the load inside the trailer is well centered over the axle, with no large weights at the outer ends of the trailer or corners even if it is statically balanced.

 

Having just gone thru this looking for a new 5th wheel, I can tell you it can be quite distressing.

Here is what I ended up doing...and you have done some of it already. Me the truck and full of fuel I come in at 5100 front axle, 3160 rear axle=8260.

I also have the 10K package.

Then I took my axle ratings, this is really important. You don't want a broken axle. So I have 6K front axle and 6100 rear axle. You can find this on your door pillar, drivers side.

So based upon that, I knew a little wt would transfer to the front axle, but I didn't factor that into my thoughts...leaving me a little buffer if I needed it.

So 6100 minus the 3160= 2940 I could potentially put on the axle.

At this point I know it will be a hitch and 3 more adults at least. So 150 lbs x4=600 leaving me with 2300 lbs.

Now as I was looking at 5th wheels, keeping in mine my 5th wheel tow rating of the truck and no more than 2300 lbs, I found one coming in at just over 1900 lbs...according to the sticker..we all know about stickers.

But I figured it would be slightly more and then also some would transfer to the front of the truck as well.

I also called my DMV and found out I can register for a higher Gross wt if I choose too.

So end result is I pick my trailer and get er on the scales..so here is the result:

As you can see I still have 340 lbs on the rear in the end. Also the wt on the ticket is fully loaded minus ice box items only.

 

Let me add this..I carry a copy of the ticket in the glove box as well.

Two reasons..so Ford can't say I exceeded the 23K that they say total gross is and my license is only good for 26K.

 

Nice looking camper, Senix!

As others stated, make sure you're under the axle weights and you should be fine.

Your truck should have a max GCWR of 23,000 lbs. Subtract your 8,000 lb truck and you should have capacity to tow around 15,000 lbs.

And how do you figure you'd be over GVWR? I just did some looking and the first camper I pulled up has an 1100 lb pin weight. What's wrong with this?

Assuming three adults and your 5th wheel hitch you should STILL have 1200 lbs left!

 

Take a look in your manual it will say something along the lines of 15k lbs max 5th wheel trailer weight. And a pin weight of 1-2k lbs

 

You are confusing GVWR with GCVWR
GVWR Gross Vehicle Weight Rating - What you truck can weigh with passengers AND payload (what is in the bed)
GCVWR Gross COMBINED Vehicle Weight Rating - What your TRUCK and TRAILER combined can weigh.
With your truck,,,, pick your trailer,,,, really, unless you buy some monstrosity,,, the majority of fivers should be just dandy

My 96 F350 weighs in @ apx 7300 (just had it on the scales) and when we weighed the combo I was @ 16,800 ,,,,

 

His truck with nothing in it but him only has a payload of 1760 lbs. Subtract the 300 lbs for his hitch and he is down to 1460. Say 2 more adults at 150 lbs each and he is down to 1160. Assuming 15% pin weight for a 5th wheel, he is looking at being able to tow a 7700 lb trailer with that kind of payload.

The thing to remember is that Fords gcwr is not a legal number and has no bearing on anything other than possibly warranty stuff. He could be way under Fords gcwr but way over his gvwr. Just me personally, I don't care one bit to exceed Fords number but I recommend staying under the legal numbers even if the truck can safely handle much more.

 

But many of the 5th wheel trailers I've looked at have ~1,100 lb pin weights! I agree 15% is what's suggested but it all depends on how the trailer is built.

I think we can both agree that the axle weight ratings are the real ones to watch here. He should have a 6,100 lb rear axle and an empty weight of around 3,000 lbs on that axle.

So assuming you can handle 3,000 lbs pin weight safely, as that's what the axles, wheels, tires, and suspension are rated for, he could tow a 20,000 lb trailer! This would put him WAY over the max GCWR which is recommended for this truck.

I'd say find any 15,000 lb or less trailer and go fer it!