This is going to seem a stupid question to many of you, but here goes. I am looking to buy a 5th wheel camper. I have been comparing the trailer GVWRs to the truck maximum towing capacities using serveral F250 and F350 comfigurations and frankly I'm confused. For example one 38ft. trailer shows a GVWR of 16,195#, a UVW of 12,295# and a Hitch Weight of 2.515#. While both the F250 and the F350 can handle the Hitch Weight easily, the F350 4X4 loaded as possible (according to the Ford Web Site) as a maximun towing capability or 15,000#. Am I looking at this wrong? I have seen a lot of F250 and F350 truck , heck F150s pulling 5th wheel trailers down the road. I know different trailers have different GVWRs, but I just went to the RV Show and there a lot of trailers in the 14,000# GVWR range and I am thinking that you can't need an F450 or better to pull a nice 5th Wheel. Any information on this subject would be appreciated becuase I will buy a new tent before I buy a Dodge.

 

Youre probably looking at bumper pull weight capacities. That said, a 16k lb trailer is a big heavy trailer.. I think the truck is rated to 25k lbs with a weight distribution hitch. Check out this chart. It will explain things better.

 

15K is more likely than not conventional towing, find the 5th wheel towing.

 

Diesel dually with the lowest (numerically higher) gears you can get. The lowest rating with a new 350 dually looks like 20,500lbs for fifth wheel towing. Eventhough the hitch rating is 2500lbs, my 06 250 ext cab lwb 4x4 only had a 2800lb payload rating and my current 350 DRW has a 4995 payload rating. Remember that the payload rating includes passengers, gear, etc... That is a large trailer so get what you should. I mean what is the price difference between a loaded 250 or a loaded 350 DRW or a 450? You seem to be purchasing quite the trailer, match it with quite the truck. You may not "need" something but I'm the kind of person who wants a vehicle rated properly for what I am going to tow, regardless of what people say.
And for all the FTE people, yes I know the srw 250-350 can have similar rated springs.


Edit: I just checked the price difference between f250 Crew Cab 4x4 diesel and 350 Crew cab diesel, almost 2 grand. I bet you could work a deal with a dealer to get a similar price.

 

Thanks, I too feel that this is the "bumper" pull rating, but I have not found a specific rating for 5th wheel/goose neck capacities.

 

check treyspooner65 post

 

You need an F350 for that trailer. Don't kid yourself. And it should be a dually, although you might make a SRW work.

The towing guides don't help you much with the most important rating, and that is GVWR. For that you need to look at the truck specifications, and the trailer specifications. An F250 tops out at 10k# GVWR, and a crewcab truck will weigh over 8k# by the time you load it with people, fuel, gear, and a fiver hitch. That only leaves 2k# for the trailer pin (less than that likely). The trailer you mentioned lists a pin weight of 2,515#, but that is for the empty trailer without options, and without your stuff loaded. Your pin will probably weigh more than 3,000# ready to roll.

An F350 SRW has up to 1,500# more cargo capacity. You have some math to do to know if that is enough. An F250 definitely is not.

Yes, there are a hell of a lot of overloaded trailers on the road.