Thanks FORDF250HDXLT that link to changing gears help alot!!! My problem is that being retired and drawing a pension I cannot afford a new rv and truck too!! even thou my truck is 14 yrs old it just turned 80k and I have taken very good care of it The only problem that I have had with it is the trans went out so its got a new factory rebuilt trans in it. Since we are travelling the country and will be living in this rv we want something confortable. i'm seriously thinking of changing to either 3.73 or 4.10. I'm sure the the rv (sandpiper 356rl) is stable but I do worry alittle about cornering and some curves on interstate can seam sharp even when not towing at highway speeds

 

Too much for that truck IMO. I just weighed my truck this weekend and with 1/4 tank of fuel and a 351 I was at 6160lbs. Look for a smaller camper, you'll be happier. With my old 2005 f350 crew srw psd I was pulling a 35' 5'er at 12,5k and I wouldn't have gone much bigger and been comfortable.

 

Of course the RV dealer says your truck will tow it, they want to sell you an over priced camper. A 14,154lb trailer is TOO MUCH WEIGHT for a pickup to safely tow. Not just your F250 but even a F350 dually it is TOO MUCH.

Your truck(97 Supercab,7.3,3:55s,4x4,) has a GCWR of 16,000lbs. That means the truck, the trailer and your load(in truck and trailer) should NOT exceed 16,000lbs. And your truck(empty) weighs at least 7,000lbs. So that means you cannot tow more than 9,000lbs. And that is NOT taking into account for YOU, your wife, dog, cloths, etc.

NOW. the HIGHEST GCWR pickup in 97 was the DRW F350 PICKUP(7.3,4:10s) rated at 20,000lbs. But a dually weighs about 500lbs more than a SRW(but they never made a 4wd dually so the numbers are not exact). So, that would leave you with a towing capacity of 12,500lbs. Which is STILL less than the 14,145lbs the camper you are currently looking at. And again dont forget YOU, wife, dog, clothes,etc.

So AGAIN, 14,145 is TOO MUCH to safely tow.

AKA, find a SMALLER camper.

 

I knew someone else would eventually agree with me an chime in on this.

I understand you are working with a limited budget so you can't afford both an new truck and the trailer. Unfortunately, if you can't afford the proper tow vehicle, you can't afford the trailer either. Sorry to be such a naysayer, but that's just the way it is. You need to find a smaller trailer with a gross weight of no more than 10,000 lbs. That should be plenty large enough for 2 people.

To be honest, 14,000 lbs is even pushing it for the newer Super Duty F-350s. You are getting into the territory of needing one of those custom tow rigs that's built on an F-450/550 chassis.

 

Thanks all for your replies, comments and opinions. I think after I looked in my owners (I should have done this in the first place) that the weight is not so much the problem but the 3.55 rear. according to the owners if my truck had the 4.10 rear it would have 20,000 GCVWR vice the 16,000. And thinking about the 5th wheel it has a GVW of 14,154 but dry weight is 10,000. I can not see where I will be putting 4,000 LBS worth of gear in it, pushing it maybe 2,000. Now that brings the trailer weight to around 12,000. I am seriously thinking of changing from the 3.55 to 4.10 and this would put my truck at 20,000 GCVWR. Now if I am figuring right with all the gear that I am planning on carring in the truck and trailer this should but me right at the 20,000 GCVW or just below. Any opinions or comments?
Also since my truck is a 4x4 will I have to change the front diff. to 4.10 too? Can just the gears be changed or does the whole diff need to be replaced?

 

Yes. you would need to change the front gears too. No need to change the WHOLE diff.

You need to know how much you and your truck weigh before you doing anything. Go will truck up w fuel , you, wife, figure 400lbs for a 5th wheel hitch and go weigh the truck. From there you can figure out how much you would be able to tow

 

And here is what happens when you are overloaded.
Truck weighs about 6500, trailer about 5000 and tractor 11,000. So 22,500 and the trailer has brakes on all 3 axles. The truck could not control the load
This was at 40mph

 

Too much trailer for that truck, don't do it, trust me. I've been there and done that. I got a trailer that I "will be fine" towing according to the dealer and wind up having a miserable time pulling it. You'll get the trailer and hate to tow it and be looking for a new truck after one season. In the back of your head you'll be wondering if you loaded too much in the trailer and where the limit of the truck is. There will be other trailers out there that come along, just find a smaller one.

If you REALLY want some critical input, ask the guys on RV.net lol

 

Thats nucking futs DieselBrad! Thanks for posting those photos. Is, I mean, was that truck a 1 ton?

 

loox like a f2 7.3.

a new super duty can tow it "safely". hell, even the older truck is prob safe with the right braking equipment. but just cuz it "can be safe" doesnt mean the driver knows how to be safe. most people can barely manage to drive their trucks unloaded.

 

The picture really looks like the tractor was loose and crept forward leaving the front of the truck light and unable to steer or apply the brakes.

i deal with towing heavy trailers on a daily basis. I defiantly dont endorse over loading. But we have to remember that ford tow ratings are simply suggested tow ratings. They are suggested in order to provide a decent towing capacity without much warranty work. Depending on your location, the only legal issue could be how much you registar your vehicle to weigh.

At what point do we stop suggesting bigger trucks??? We could just say that we should all own class A trucks. Even then, im involved with class A rigs moving hundreds of tons. With that much weight, it doesnt matter how much braking you have or how heavy duty the truck is, it comes done to driver ability and skill.

Im not looking to prove points or pick fights. Im just speaking from experience. I feel like driver capability is much more important then tow rating. And 12,000#'s if not more should not be a problem for a PSD F250 if the driver is capable of towing it.

 

Yes. That is a F350, 4:10s and a 5spd. She was slowing down w the brakes and down shifting when things got out of control. The chains SNAPPED upon impact sending the tractor into the back of the truck and shearing off the left spindle.

 

Is that a F150? pics kinda blurry but those could be 15" wheels.

 

It is a F350. Unless they started putting dana 60 and powerstrokes in F150s

 

Okay, I'll put my 0.02 USD worth in.

Right out of the owner's manual, 1997 F250 SC 4X4 w/ a 7.3, 3:55 gears and either auto or manual trans were rated at 16,000 lbs CGWR (truck + trailer + gear) and 9,800 lbs trailer weight.

Now, if you're going to tour the Good Ol' US of A, you might be unfortunate enough to encounter at least one very over-achieving law-dog with a portable set of scales. When it becomes apparent that you're an overload, you're not moving from that site. At least the 5th wheel isn't, until you've returned with a legal capacity truck. That would spoil any vacation.

As far as that dealer saying it will handle that load, the dealer would tell you that his grandmother will wash the new rig every Wednesday for you, even on the road, if that's what it took to make the deal. I do not trust dealers as far as I can throw 'em.

I'll make a suggestion; find a suitable 5th wheel that weighs no more than 8,000 lbs w/ water & propane on board. Less strain on the truck and your nerves. You'll still be legal, too.

My brother's tow beat includes Interstate 680 where it cuts through the south end of Fremont. He gets at least one tow a week that was an accident due to an overloaded RV rig of some configuration. Overloaded 5th wheels seem to be the majority, though followed by overloaded cabover campers.

I hope I didn't come off too strong but I cringe when I see someone endanger themselves, their families and other drivers just for the sake of "Look what I can tow (sort of)" and believe me, I see it every weekend that I go camping with my family.

Once again, sorry if I came off a bit strong there. I just want you to be safe, that's all.

Ray