can i pull a 38 ft fifth wheel with 3 slide outs weighing 15k before we put anything in it, with a 2000 F350 7.3 turbo diesel? it is an extended cab with srw.. everyone says yes then i get on a fifth wheel forum and some say no.
HHHEEELLLPPP

 

yes, you can...

 

can you tow it,yes. will you be over the factory rated gross combined weight, yes.

fifth wheel trailer maximum combined weight f350 srw or drw(trailer and truck) is 20,000# and your truck weighs more than 5000#

 

Austin:

Your owner's manual will tell you exactly what weight you can pull with your exact truck as configured from the factory with your truck's specs, i.e., your axle ratio, your cab style, 4x2 or 4x4, diesel, V8, V10, etc. According to the owner's manual, with a 5th wheel, my '02 F250 4x4 crewcab diesel automatic 3.73 axle will officially haul 13,700 lbs. A 4x2 regular cab usually hauls about 300-800 lbs more because of less front axle and cab weight.

 

I was told that someone high up in ford said the tow weights in the book are quite a bit below what they should be, but for liability sake, it is posted at 20k. how dangerous would it be, we are only going to drive about 200 miles a day.

 

The pin weight (should be about 20% of total trailer weight) will put your truck over it's 9900 lb GVWR (7000 lb truck + 3000 lb pin weight = 10,000 lbs, before the trailer is loaded).

It will also be very close to or possibly over it's rear axle gross weight rating of 6830 lbs, as well as the truck's tires' load capacity (3500 lbs on the rear axle empty + 3000 lb pin weight = 6500 lbs, before the trailer is loaded). It's a good idea to keep a margin of safety on your tire's load capacities.

The total trailer weight will put your truck over it's 20,000 lb GCWR by at least 2000 lbs, before you load the trailer (15,000 lb trailer + 7000 lb truck = 22,000 lbs).

My estimation of 7000 lbs curb wieght for your truck may likely be low, could be more like 7500 lbs. My F350 SRW CrewCab weighs 6500 lbs unloaded, but I dont have the diesel engine, which adds about 700 lbs to the truck, and the new trucks generally weigh more than my '92.

I would opt for a lighter trailer, lighter by at least 3000 lbs, or trade the truck in on an F450 or F550. You're in heavier truck territory. That total trailer weight is alot even for an F350 Dually. The Dually will handle the pin weight alot better than your single rear wheel truck though and will likely still be within it's GVWR and rear axle weight ratings, but will still over the GCWR by a significant amout once you load up the trailer. The F450/550 have a 26,000 lb GCWR. The F450/550 also have significantly larger brakes than either of the F350's. Something to think about if you ever have a problem with the trailer brakes or tow in the mountains....

Read the post in the Superduty/Heavyduty forum titled something like 'F350/450 differences', probably on the second page of the forum by now, for detailed towing and payload info as well as axle and gearing info regarding the differences between F350 SRW, F350 DRW, F450 and F550 trucks.

 

I agree with SoCalDesertRider, I would opt for a lighter trailer unless you're willing to get an F450/550. You will probably exceed the GCWR with that trailer by 25% or more.

 

If this is your first 5ver I would go with a smaller trailer. Its not like hooking on top a utility trailer and down the road you go. There are a lot of things to learn about pulling one of this things its not just going straight down the road its stopping, turning corners,backing it up and the list goes on. The dealers will sell you anything but they will not be there when something goes wrong, 38ft is one big trailer.

 

it is 1st fifth wheel but we had a 30 ft motorhome. this should not be any more difficult, should it?

 

Other than backing up, I wouldn't think so. The major concern most of us are sharing is the weight of the trailer. You will be WAY over the GCWR. An F450/550 or a similar class vehicle is really needed for a trailer that heavy. Have you considered a lighter model?

 

Remember you will be About 56 feet long and bend a 1/3 of the way down, and loaded will be close to 17.5K at the very least get a DRW. I pull a 37ft 15k loaded with a DRW and it's not as simple as it looks. Look at my Photos

 

didn't get photos. we will only be going about 200 miles at any one time

 

The best thing you can do is go to weigh your truck front and back with full load of fuel and look at what the dry weight of the pin for the trailer. Fig the % of pin weight from the dry weight of trailer, add 2500lbs to the dry weight and refig the pin weight using the same %( the newer trailers are pertty well balanced it will be close) look at the ratings of your tires, add the rear axle weight and pin weight, add rear tires ratings and if the axle and pin wieght is more than 75% of this weight its more than you want. When you are going down the road and hit dips in the road the trailer will drive down on the pin and flex the tires, that makes heat, I don't think I said that right I guess it transfers weight to the pin. I run my work truck F350 CC SRW with 5240 on the rear the max is 6830 and 5240 is a load thats without a trailer. As far as will your truck pull that trailer it will. Before you jump into this thing try to drive down the highway and look for a truck pulling a big rig and look at the tires lots of flex. It only takes 10 to 20 miles to heat up a tire. In the end it's your call, if you buy the trailer you will have a DRW within a year. Bin there done that.

Later Denny

 

i want to thank everyone for their advice, you have literally made me a nervous wreck, now i don't know what kjnd of camper to buy, i want a good one, well built. i have been in some while looking that are light weights and they are just that, would be ok for a weekend or a 2 week vacation but i wouldn't trust them to live in. now i don't know what to do.

 

Are you a full-time RVer?