Newbie here.
Looking to buy a pick-up to tow a yet to buy 2019 Montana 5th wheel. Trailer has an dry weight of 13,000 lbs and a hitch weight of 2540 lbs. According to the factory specs it looks like the 11.500 lbs GVWR short box SRW 4x4 F350 has a usable load of 3950 lbs while the long box with the same GVWR has a greater useful load of 4450 lbs. I would have thought the long box should have lower useful load simply because it is a longer truck and would be heavier. At any rate can I can get some feed back as to what the actual empty weight of 2019 F350 6 1/2' box SRW 4x4 is ?
Thanks

Ken

 

GVWR minus payload capacity.
11500 - 4450 = 7050 LB truck
11500 - 3950 = 7550 LB truck

cab conf / wheelbase / gas or diesel / bed length / options - will all change the payload

 

Ken, if you're looking at the towing specs posted by Ford then be aware that those cargo numbers are for a bare bones truck. The lowest trim with no options. Every option you add will deduct from the cargo number. The 6.7L diesel alone will deduct around 800 lbs. My truck has a cargo capacity of a bit over 3,100 lbs.

Don't look at dry weight of the trailer. Focus on the GVWR of the trailer. That will be a better gauge of how heavy the trailer is.

Before you buy a Montana trailer you might want to read this thread: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...right-now.html

 

Take a look at the KZ Durango 2500 or Gold series. Both are rated for full time and the owners love them for being well built without being over priced. If I ever get the mortgage paid off, I plan to replace my Cougar with a Durango 2500. Since it isn't a mass produced RV, dealers are harder to find, but probably worth the trip.

 

At least on my 2018 one of Fords options was for a 14,000 payload, rather than the 11,500 (note top right entry).

 

Those numbers are for Regular cab XLs.

A CC SRW 4x4 Diesel will have between 3200-3700lbs of payload depending on trim.

Most lariats are about 3300lbs. My 2017 XLT is 3700lbs but it didn't come with the 5th wheel prep.
My 2005 King ranch was 3640lbs.

 

Is that a gas burner? 4x4? Crew cab, long bed? All those add weight - and eat up the available payload.

 

The OP asked about F-350 CC SRWs, not duallys or F-250 6.2Ls. Long box only pulls ~200lbs of payload, basically the additional 14 gallons of fuel and like 50lbs of metal. I have yet to see a F-350 with under 3100lbs of payload in any configuration.

 

what is the GVWR of the 5th wheel. Go by the wet fully loaded weight, not the advertised dry weight. It will never be that once you own it.

Then take that max weight and figure at least 20% for the hitch/king pin or amount going into the bed of the truck...the payload amount.

Then buy the right truck for the job.

At least a F350 with the 11, 500 rating on it. Gas will be lighter and have more payload then a diesel. For long term or extended towing I go ahead and upgrade to dual wheels.

 

That sticker is a Dually, at 14,000 GVWR. And just so you know, you don't have 14,000 lbs of payload, you have a GVWR of 14,000 lbs. Payload on that truck, depending on how it's equipped is in the 5200 lbs and maybe on up to 6100 or so.

 

You are correct, I mislabeled it as payload when it should have been GVWR. My payload is 5352 pounds.

 

Don't go off of that 5352lb number. As it says - that is the fully loaded capacity with everything including people loaded to the truck. You would have to calculate backwards from everything you add to the truck to figure out what your legal pin weight capacity is.

Use the formula Senix posted of 20% of the GVWR of the 5th wheel as a starting gauge as to what to expect. How you load the trailer and where you put things will affect that (if you fill the basement with batteries for boondocking power you can expect that pin weight to be higher, for example).

If you are cutting things close on capacity with an SRW truck then bounce up to a DRW. If you are doing any extended trips regardless I would suggest a DRW no matter if your pin weight is way under the capacity. They are just more stable trucks to pull with all around. If you are in the territory of overloading the DRW trucks then you may want to look in to a class 6 or class 7 (Sportchassis makes a nicer converstion of a Freightliner M112, for example, and you can build an M112 all the way out to a class 8, though the Sportchassis are "lighter" and nicer riding).

The weight ratings you should never exceed on a truck are the rear axle weight capacity and/or the tire weight capacity (for a DRW add up the 4 rear tires, a SRW just the 2). Which ever number (tire total or axle) is lower is the ruling number. This will likely put you over the GVWR of the truck, if you load your rear axle to close to/at capacity, but a lot of people do it and are fine. Though, the big question is what happens in an accident - is an insurance company going to make a stink about being over a particular weight rating, GVWR or otherwise? I wouldn't want to find out. Best to play it safe and stay within all of them.

 

I believe that I can go off that 5352 number. I can load it with myself, my bride and my dogs - and lots of feathers - or lots of bricks, and/or a camper. Anyway I chose to load it that is what Ford says I can (legally) place on it.

Allowing 4k pounds of my 5th wheels 16K loaded weight (25% - not yet achieved) still gives me ample allowance for me, my bride, my dogs, my grill w/ propane, and a few tools (maybe 700-750 pounds). With the knowledge (that I may be lightweight) I load my fifth most heavily toward the front. We're only recreational campers, not full timers.

As long as I leave my mother in law behind I'll be OK.

YMMV.