First time caller! We just recently bought a new F250 7.3L auto 2WDSB Club Cab thinking we could tow just about anything. Now I have just found out that our Brand new 03 F250 only has a max payload of 2400# AND WE HAVE JUST ORDERED A fIFTH WHEEL THAT HAS A PIN WEIGHT OF 2300#.
I need to loose some weight and drive without fuel and passengers to tow this fifth wheel. What is the best solution. We love our truck and could trade it in for a F350 with a max payload 3500#, we could just forget about the trailer and cancel the order for now but this is the best time to order one. Our truck is supposed to have the trailer package but I was told that only added rear sway bars. Could we have the rear springs upgraded to the F350 Ratings? How come the CHEVY payloads are higher?

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 09-Jan-03 AT 08:55 AM (EST)]First Off, Welcome to FTE! You'll find all the info you could want about your truck and others. On this topic there will be many opinions and some based on experience others based on Ford's specs. One way to figure out exactly how much payload capacity you have left in a "wet" truck is by filling it up with fuel and whatever cargo you'll be takin on your trip. If you are taking people just add their weight to the amounts later. lol. You take your truck to a weigh scale, out here landscape companies have them to weigh there outgoing materials. I don't know about your neck of the woods. Subtract that weight from your GV** something weight(someone will give you the specifics in a minute. That gives you how much payload you have available. Personal sidenote. I've hauled 3k lbs of various landscaping materials in mine and it wasn't resting on the helper springs. In no way do I recommend this, but just to mention that I didn't break anything, or experience any ill effects. Like I said others will be here soon to give you the specifics of the calculation. Good luck

Edit: I need to learn how to spell....

 

My $.02 worth

That sounds like a pretty big trailer that you have ordered.
Generally it is recommended that pin weight should be around 10-15% of total trailer weight. If your pin weight is 2300# at 15% of the total weight, then the trailer weight would be somewhere over 15000#.
I believe your new truck has a recommended maximum trailer weight of 13700# so you will be over limit there as well.
While the payload goes up with the F350, the maximum recommended trailer weight actually goes down to 13600#.
Judging from my own experience towing a 30 ft Prowler 5th wheel, I believe the truck will handle the load but Ford is building in a safety factor to cover product liability lawsuits.

 

These trucks are very de-rated on what they really will haul in the bed. The reason you lost a lot of payload is the extra weight of the crew cab and PSD. Legally, you know what the numbers add up to. The F350 won't have anything more on it except 265 E rated tires, and those are an option on a 250. The sway bar is a good idea as well as air bags to level your load.

Yes the 350 will give you another 1100 lbs GVWR than a 250 but its "on paper" for the most part. I bought the 350 'cuz I wanted that "paper". You have to decide if you want that too.

 

>Could we have the rear springs upgraded to the F350 Ratings?
>
There are several things you can do to help your F250 tow better. However, none of them will change the GVWR of the truck. If you plan on RVing through Canada (or some US states) be prepared to get stopped and drop the trailer until you can come back with a "properly" rated truck for the load. Is the 2400# pin weight from the trailer specs or did you calculate it from the trailer's GVWR? If the number is from a spec sheet, you should count on the REAL number being slightly higher.

>How come the CHEVY payloads are higher?
>
They aren't- in fact, they are lower. The 2500 = F250 and the 2500HD = F350 SRW. About the only area where GM has Ford beat is in GCWR.

>That sounds like a pretty big trailer that you have ordered.
>Generally it is recommended that pin weight should be around
>10-15% of total trailer weight.

That range of pin weight is for "tag along" or "bumper pull" trailers. Fifth-wheel trailers carry 20-25% of their weight on the kingpin.

 

I think most people would recommend an F350 dually for that heavy of a 5er. That makes the weight of the trailer at least 10,000 lbs. Is this the loaded weight or the dry weight?

 

The Fifth Wheel is a 3295rRK Montana with a dry weight of 10,300# and max GVWR OF 14,300# but should be around 11,500# when being towed.

 

>The Fifth Wheel is a 3295rRK Montana with a dry weight of
>10,300# and max GVWR OF 14,300# but should be around 11,500#
>when being towed.

That's a lot of trailer. I would recommend an F350 dually if you can stand the additional width at the rear. My parents have an F350 dually to tow their 5er which is loaded to about 12,000 lbs and it tows like a dream. I'd say that your 5er is seriously overweight for the F250. Things you need to take into consideration that count as payload are passenger weight (people and pets), fuel, and any aftermarket or additional accessories such as running boards. This adds up quickly.

 

Thanks for all the reply's. I just wanted to note that the F350 frame is spec'd at 6.0 section modulas and the F250 is 5.6 so there must be some strength differences in the frames. I think it is more than just a paper rating for the payloads. Anyway thanks again. (PS: I have been finding all this spec stuff on the computer under a ford site with about 60 pages of info.)

 

My truck is over loaded with my fiver on it. it is only rated at 2087 pound hitch dry weight. and a gross of about 12,500. Thats a bit more trailer than you should haul with your truck. sorry dude...

Justin
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gallery/displaythumbnail.php?&photoid=9313&.jpg
http://members.lycos.nl/dukesofhazzard/dukeslogo.JPG

2002 F-350 SC LB 4X4 6SPD PSD. 3.73 gears. 2.5" leviling kit. K&N air filter. Rhino lined Bed. Prodigy trailer brake controler. 35x12.5x16.5 BFG A/T. 16.5x10 ultra wheels. pop up gooseneck hitch and firestone airbag spring helpers. Reese fifth wheel hitch for my new toy hauler. Superchips microtuner.

As of 1/05/03 Single and looking Any single females around?? (hey I gotta do what I gotta do)

 

Hey REKEPPEL,
Where did you find this spec stuff? Could you post the website. Thanks.

 

>... I just wanted to note that the
>F350 frame is spec'd at 6.0 section modulas and the F250 is
>5.6 so there must be some strength differences in the
>frames. I think it is more than just a paper rating for the
>payloads.


Is the section modulus higher for all of the cab types. I was thinking it was only different on one type.

Matt


2002, F250 SD, SC, 8' Bed, V10, 3.73 LS, Arizona Beige, ICI Stainless Step Bars, Truxedo Tonneau, Prodigy Brake Control, Flowmaster 40

 

>The Fifth Wheel is a 3295rRK Montana with a dry weight of
>10,300# and max GVWR OF 14,300# but should be around 11,500#
>when being towed.

Does that dry weight include options like AC, awnings, etc.? Regardless, I'd really recommend getting a dually for pulling that heavy trailer.

 

 

okay, so this is my first time here. Enjoyed the information about this payload carrying capacity of the F250. Brings alot of questions to mind and you are all going to be shaking your heads over what I am going to say...chuckle out loud or to yourself but when you point at me and say " you got away with it but it don't make it right" think about how tough the F250 really is. That having been said...in '93 I bought a '90 F250, 460 V8 Lariate (sry 'bout the spelling). I decided I want to live in a 5th wheel for a few years and have some comfort while doing so. Never having owned a pick-up or the inteligence god gave a kid growing up on a farm, I found a 5th wheel for sale at McChord AFB. It was a beaut! 40' 1984 Holiday Rambler with a fwd bedroom/bath, washer & dryer (I didn't know they made them that small...good for a single guy fresh out of the Navy), stove, sink closets, rear living room. Well I decided to up and go get it. Saw the owner at the site, gave em the check and well...How do I hook this up? Um I think you back up and put this here, then flip this handle up and push here this way...ok, seems to be right (she said). well to be short n sweet to the point, as I inched fwd...the green horn jumped out of me and thus began my first lesson into towing with a 5th wheel...My truck still bares the dent from the fifth wheel landing onto the bed rails....much jacking later and I was back at it only this time I studied the hitch mechanism and rallied to the task! I drove the next hundred miles to my house up north and stayed for about 8months learning all I could about the 5ver. Then came the day to head south to Phoenix Az. I decided to stop at the truck scales and weigh myself....can I say it didn't mean much, just that I had weighed it and now knew I had 17K on the 5vr dbl axle and I think 6 or 7k on the rear axle of the F250 and about 4 or so on the front axle....well as you can see I'm not a real quick study of what I was doing then as I'm vaguely familiar with what was vs what the pros here are saying....um...overweight I was. figured I was ok an that the truck was ok too. Off I went! Made it to Phoenix in 2 days, $300 in fuel, and Not one night in a hotel room. Never had any issues...um except that gas station in Redding...good thing that holiday rambler was built with those non-spinning steel wheels on the rear end...tore that black top up getting out of the station from what my rearview mirror let me see...That Holiday rambler really lived up to it's name! well after a year of fine living I decided to move back up to Washington st. and well it was off again...only, my garden shed...10'x12', sll wood with flooring and joists, came with me. It fit very nicely in the living room and the length of the walkway thru to the bedroom allowed a very nice fit for the 2x8x10s 6of them...yessir, nice steady floor to park my harley on...no, I didn't bring it with the 5vr. Well, again it ws uneventful 2day drive, except that gas station in Redding....don't understand why they have it built on a slope like that...new set of marks on the pavement...nearly the same place as the old ones I spotted as I was leaving and remembered to gun it to pull the trailer thru it. driving was a breeze...then I got behind a Semi thru the pass...Grants I think...and it ws doing all but 10 mph. I know this because as it pulled into my lane passing another Semi I had to actually step on the brakes. took 15 min to pass the other semi and another to muster the speed to do 15mph to pass the semi that slowed me down. by the time I was at the top I had hit 30mph in 3rd (automatic...love that I didn't have to shift just that it was also good to keep it in 2nd pulling up and slow over the pass to the top). Well it is a long story...but I use my F250 for everything from hauling wood to gravel...Never have bottomed out on the rear springs and that 5th wheel never so much as made it ride high in the front end. Overloaded? yes, probably alot more than "just". has never broken down. Run spec tires and orginal wheels...tune ups come once every time it shows hesitation in throttle response...um, twice now as I remember. Did I get away with anything? Perhaps but I seriously believe they underrate the truck to keep people from trying to do the overload it on purpose thing. Just on F250's story in life.