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I agree, finding what you actually want on a lot is tough to basically impossible, and it's why I ordered mine. I have a feeling though that most vehicles purchased in the last few months or more have been ordered rather than bought off a lot... so getting what you actually want is more of a thing now. Still though, when reading through these (and other) forums, the F250 even with the HCTT package seems to be a hard pill for many to swallow... they all just say to get the F350. In my case though, I ended up with a 350 in reality, but it's badged 250 and costs me about $700 less than a 350.
Anyway, you say that the pin weight on your 5th is 2500 lbs, so I would actually have enough payload for it, plus about another 140 lbs for anything else I would want to carry based on my actual, measured weights. As I mentioned above, my truck has a 10800 lb GVWR and after I added all my stuff (tonneau, Bakbox, toolbox, tools, air compressor and tank, BedRug, etc...) to my truck, along with me and my wife, we weighed in at 8160 lbs total. Subtract this from my 10800 lb GVWR and this gives me an additional 2640 lbs to add anything else, so your 2500 lb pin weight would still be within my trucks limits based on the listed GVWR on my truck. Besides this though, being that my truck is the same as the 350 with an 11500 lb GVWR, my truck will still easily handle quite a bit more than it's listed for, because it is simply derated. So the payload would work, and of course the tow rating (20k) and GCW (30k) would still be easily under what it's rated for.
Saying all of this though, I personally wouldn't want to pull a 5th wheel that big and heavy with anything less than a long wheel base 350, or better yet, just go with a DRW, but that's my own personal preference. I know plenty of folks pull even heavier with SRW 250's & 350's, but it does come down to what we are each comfortable with. I would rather be well under weight ratings, and for what I pull, my truck is way more than I need. I just wanted to point out that I think that some packages just aren't all that understood, one being the HCTT package, specifically on 2020+ SD's (and the other the FX4 package, but that's a whole other thread!) Your original comment I replied to: "so if you are looking for a tow vehicle and want a diesel, forget about getting a 250/2500 because they won't have the legal payload required" is an example of this because as I have pointed out, my 250 with a 6.7 would still tow even your camper and remain in the legal payload required. I will also point out that mine is a lowly XLT (although, it's pretty well optioned out) so not having all the stuff like on the higher trims also helps with having extra payload.
Of course, if it works for your situation, then it works. For mine though, with my family, the truck is 100 over GVWR @11,600. Plus I live in Illinois and would have to get D plates and state inspections because the GVWR is over 10,001, so getting the F350 is the correct thing to do, in MY case. As with everything YMMV.
My CAT sticker, Steer 5160, Drive 6440, trailer 10140, GCWR 21740. That was on it's first trip, I would not be surprised if it now weighs more, especially since I added 22 gallons of fuel, or was it 26, can't remember what that tiny tank held. If it were just the wife and I and had a smaller trailer like the Arctic Wolf 261RK, an F250 would be a perfect fit for us. For the difference in price though, if having to get Class D for the extra GVWR, then F350 would still be the right choice, but again, thats because of Hellinois.
Of course, if it works for your situation, then it works. For mine though, with my family, the truck is 100 over GVWR @11,600. Plus I live in Illinois and would have to get D plates and state inspections because the GVWR is over 10,001, so getting the F350 is the correct thing to do, in MY case. As with everything YMMV.
My CAT sticker, Steer 5160, Drive 6440, trailer 10140, GCWR 21740. That was on it's first trip, I would not be surprised if it now weighs more, especially since I added 22 gallons of fuel, or was it 26, can't remember what that tiny tank held. If it were just the wife and I and had a smaller trailer like the Arctic Wolf 261RK, an F250 would be a perfect fit for us. For the difference in price though, if having to get Class D for the extra GVWR, then F350 would still be the right choice, but again, thats because of Hellinois.
Yeah, fortunately for me in MS I didn't have to worry about all the complicated plates and such. I did however end up with a "B16" tag instead of the regular tags, which is a state issue instead of county issued tag and good for up to 16k lbs. Being that my truck is rated at 10800 lbs and my camper is only 6000 lbs, I may go up to a B20 next year when I renew just to make sure that everything is in line. Also, when I ordered my F250 I had my insurance company quote me a price and while I did not get an exact amount she did tell me that even the F250 with the 10800 GVWR was significantly less expensive than a 350, so I am saving some there monthly too. I did briefly think about going with a 350, but I kept in mind that I will likely never tow more than 9000 - 10000 lbs max, and would rather stay with something in the 7000 - 8000 lb range, so even just a regular 250 would have been fine for me. Anyway, I saw in your other thread that you went with a 6.7 350 LWB, nice choice! Hopefully you won't have to wait as long as some of the others here. Good luck!
Thanks, Dealer said about 9 months is what they are seeing. Could be sooner, but not going to hold my breath. Gives me 9 more months to enjoy my F150 though. Also time to fix up some rust on the F350. The better in shape it is, the more it will be worth and easier to sell.
And that's really what I'm trying to figure out. Is 10K a real number or a made up number. If made up, how do I calculate the real number so as not to exceed it.
The real numbers that the DOT actually uses and cares about are your axle ratings, tire ratings, and if you are under 26,000 lb total weight truck + trailer unless you have a CDL, RVs and Farm use vehicles are exempt from this law. The factory GVWR is simply Ford's rating and has no legal value other than allowing Ford to deny a warranty claim or get out of a lawsuit if they can prove that you were over that weight.
Thanks for all the great info so far. Next question:
I saw a chart on another post that shows the rear leaf spring ratings for various setups.
F-250 3 leaf - 6,340 lbs 3.12 in
F-250 4 leaf - 6,340 lbs 4.71 in
F-350 5 leaf - 7,230 lbs 5.15 in
My vehicle has the 4 leaf setup as part of the high capacity tow package. Does that 4th leaf really not add any extra value?
Of course it does, but being a F250 it can’t list the same ratings as a 350, so they just derate it. I actually have 5 leafs on mine because I have the HCTT package and the camper package. So the 5th leaf is actually just a helper spring.
The real numbers that the DOT actually uses and cares about are your axle ratings, tire ratings, and if you are under 26,000 lb total weight truck + trailer unless you have a CDL, RVs and Farm use vehicles are exempt from this law. The factory GVWR is simply Ford's rating and has no legal value other than allowing Ford to deny a warranty claim or get out of a lawsuit if they can prove that you were over that weight.
Misinformation here. The GVWR is used for Registration purposes, and is Legal. 34 states use the GVWR for registering trucks. Many of them check that the vehicles are properly registered too. In IL if you have a B truck plate on an F250 or 2500 or higher, you will get pulled over eventually and fined. In this state they ARE cracking down on under registered trucks.
Thanks for all the great info so far. Next question:
I saw a chart on another post that shows the rear leaf spring ratings for various setups.
F-250 3 leaf - 6,340 lbs 3.12 in
F-250 4 leaf - 6,340 lbs 4.71 in
F-350 5 leaf - 7,230 lbs 5.15 in
My vehicle has the 4 leaf setup as part of the high capacity tow package. Does that 4th leaf really not add any extra value?
The springs are using smaller leaves in the 4 vs the 3, thats why the same weight rating. The more springs in a pack, the stiffer the ride when unloaded, but the better the ride loaded.
I put *some* faith in these numbers, but you have to consider.... the weight rating is not the same while cruising along the interstate as it would be say, on a really bumpy, twisty, up and down dirt road full of ruts and potholes.
I wonder which # is the one that makes it to the payload ratings and stickers? You know it is the lowest one.
Same thing as when I take my 370z around a clover leaf at 70 mph, although the speed recommended, (oops, speed limit I mean), was 20. They design for the lowest common demoninator/worst case scenario. In my sports car, I consider the number what you would use if the road is covered in ice. In the truck with a 5,500 lb camper on the back, I use 5 under the limit as my guide. Sometimes lower.
Then you have people like my cousin. Just load it up until the wheel wells rub the tires, then take a bit off and go. lol.
Where the two lines cross, that is where you get in trouble.
Unless your're a commercial driver, I wouldn't fret a ton over it, unless you're waaay over.
The springs are using smaller leaves in the 4 vs the 3, thats why the same weight rating. The more springs in a pack, the stiffer the ride when unloaded, but the better the ride loaded.
Here's a screen shot for the rear leaf springs for the 2022 F250, F350 and F450. According to the Spec Guide, the springs on the SRW F250 and the 350 measure 66.3" long and 3" wide. The only difference is the thickness of the leaf pack, which is then based on how many leafs are actually in the pack:
As I mentioned, I have 4 leaves, plus the auxiliary leaf on my 250, so a total of 5 leaves. I just went and measured the width on mine, and they did measure 3" wide. Also, when measuring from the pad to the top plate as noted in the guide, mine does measure just over 5" thick. What's interesting though, on this guide, they note that the 250 with a 5 leaf pack has a rating of 7,230 lbs, however on the sticker on my door jamb it clearly states 6,340 lbs. Also, looking at the 350 with 5 leaf pack it notes that all diesels have a 7230 lb rating, which is the same set up as on my truck... So, it does appear that the leaves are actually all the same size on each model, meaning the springs have the same capabilities, but the 250's are simply derated.
Here's a screen shot for the rear leaf springs for the 2022 F250, F350 and F450. According to the Spec Guide, the springs on the SRW F250 and the 350 measure 66.3" long and 3" wide. The only difference is the thickness of the leaf pack, which is then based on how many leafs are actually in the pack:
As I mentioned, I have 4 leaves, plus the auxiliary leaf on my 250, so a total of 5 leaves. I just went and measured the width on mine, and they did measure 3" wide. Also, when measuring from the pad to the top plate as noted in the guide, mine does measure just over 5" thick. What's interesting though, on this guide, they note that the 250 with a 5 leaf pack has a rating of 7,230 lbs, however on the sticker on my door jamb it clearly states 6,340 lbs. Also, looking at the 350 with 5 leaf pack it notes that all diesels have a 7230 lb rating, which is the same set up as on my truck... So, it does appear that the leaves are actually all the same size on each model, meaning the springs have the same capabilities, but the 250's are simply derated.
I'm still trying to figure out why I have an overload leaf or auxillary spring on my truck. I have a F250 7.3L without camper, without snow plow pkg, without heavy duty towing. Only thing I can come up with is the fifth wheel prep pkg somehow adds it although I don't see any reference of that in any documentation.
Misinformation here. The GVWR is used for Registration purposes, and is Legal. 34 states use the GVWR for registering trucks. Many of them check that the vehicles are properly registered too. In IL if you have a B truck plate on an F250 or 2500 or higher, you will get pulled over eventually and fined. In this state they ARE cracking down on under registered trucks.
If you have to register weight, the gvwr may matter. DOT goes by axle ratings and Oklahoma doesn't do weight licensing, so 00t444e's response is correct here. It looks like the OP is from Oklahoma. Some states may hunt you down for money making purposes, but with DOT you are legal.
Misinformation here. The GVWR is used for Registration purposes, and is Legal. 34 states use the GVWR for registering trucks. Many of them check that the vehicles are properly registered too. In IL if you have a B truck plate on an F250 or 2500 or higher, you will get pulled over eventually and fined. In this state they ARE cracking down on under registered trucks.
You are confusing the registration with the legal limit you are allowed to weigh, they are not always the same, yes in most states you pay registration fees based on the factory weight rating, or what class of truck it is 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton or 1 ton, however that doesn't matter to the DOT unless it is a registered commercial vehicle, even then your factory GVWR isn't important you just pay more to register it at a higher weight. We had our 1 ton dually trucks registered at 18K where I used to work at, even though the factory rating was several thousand lbs less than that.
I'm still trying to figure out why I have an overload leaf or auxillary spring on my truck. I have a F250 7.3L without camper, without snow plow pkg, without heavy duty towing. Only thing I can come up with is the fifth wheel prep pkg somehow adds it although I don't see any reference of that in any documentation.
That chart is not accurate, but still doesn't explain why you would have additional springs. The 5th wheel prep doesn't add any springs. What options do you have? Camper pkg would give one additional leaf, but aso would include a rear sway bar and be on your window sticker. Tremor package includes 5 leafs (2 more than standard F-250). The high capacity tow package is only available with the diesel, so it's not that, but it does include the 5 leaf pack.
