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Old 10-21-2014, 10:43 PM   #1
pac53
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Ford F-350 6.7 V8 Diesel 4WD SRW CC & LB and Towing Capa

Ford F-350 6.7 V8 Diesel 4WD SRW Crew Cab & Long Bed and Towing Capacity

Forgive the long-winded post, but we are desperate to get some solid answers!

We just purchased our 2014 tow vehicle in May. We want to buy a 5th Wheel and go full-time RVing in about a year’s time. (Yes, I know, we should have done the purchasing the other way around…but, alas, we didn’t – so we’re stuck)

The Towing Capacity posted by Ford says we can tow a loaded trailer at a weight of 15,900 lbs . Boy, did we get a rude awakening when reading the Trailer Life Towing Guide and using some of the on-line calculators. We are actually angry that Ford would so blatantly misinform its customers!

Even the calculators and Trailer Life have different recommended tow weights … one says 9000 lbs and another says about 11,000 lbs. You can’t get a decent full-time rig with “all-season” features even close to that weight.

We are at our wits end and don’t know what to do – Just purchased the truck in May, so trading it in is not an affordable option. Anybody know something we don’t and have options to suggest?

We realize that the rear-axle load is the most critical part of the weight limits ….
QUESTIONS:
We’ve been told that we can put air bags in rear wheel wells to help overcome any sagging issues.
What about drum brakes vs disk brakes on the trailer? Is one better than the other as far as stopping capabilities?
Are wider tires an important factor in stopping?
What is the most critical factor in determining towing capacity? If stopping is the most critical factor then disk brakes on trailer should be a factor in determining the weight of 5vr that one can pull, correct?
Ford has the built in engine brake …Is adding after-market Jake Brake to this Ford F350 effective?

In other words, are there other considerations and options that would increase our towing capacity?
Here are our numbers:
GCWR 23,500
GVWR 11,500
GAWR-Front 6,000 actual: 5200 weighed on scale
GAWR-Rear 7,000 actual: 3820 weighed on scale
GVW 9,020 Weighed at scale with passengers, fuel, & cargo (but no 5th wheel hitch)
Max Tow Rating 15,900

Here are our calculations for a 14,500 lb loaded 5th Wheel:
GCWR 23,500
- GVWR 11,500
12,000 (3,900 lbs less than quoted towing ability (15,900 lbs)


GCWR 23,500
-GVW 9,020 Actual truck weight GVW
14,480 (1420 lbs less than quoted towing ability (15,900 lbs)

Pin wt. for 14,500 lb 5ver (Pin Wt for trailer adds 2900 lbs to back of truck)
14,500 x 20% = 2,900
+ Truck Wt 9,020
11,920 [420 lbs OVER truck's GVWR of 11,500 lbs]
and just 312 lbs UNDER rear-axle limit of 7000 lbs
2900 + 3788= 6688 pin Wt + rear axle wt
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Old 10-22-2014, 08:01 AM   #2
Stripit
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Wow, looks like your in trouble. Your right that your trailer purchases are going to be limited in trying to find a quality full time trailer under your towing available numbers. Not much you can do to alter what Ford has stated as to what they feel that truck can safely handle. I think you need reassess the whole picture. Sometimes we all make costly mistakes and this might be your time ?
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Old 10-22-2014, 08:16 AM   #3
wingnut60
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If you are going to stick firmly with Ford's tow ratings, then your figures are correct. You should have gotten a DRW.
However, there are plenty of 250s towing such fivers, so it can be done, maybe not wisely.
It is up to you to decide. You can't change the ratings no matter what options you add, but you can make it handle the load better.
The MAIN factor in my opinion is the tire capacity--I would NEVER exceed the rated capacity on the rear tires--and that is what is going to cause the main problem. You probably have no more than 3500lbs/tire, leaving you 3180 capacity for passengers, etc., and pin weight. Since you have the truck, do some hard research on possible fivers with lightweight ratings.
If tire capacity is the main setback, you could consider swapping to a set of 19.5" wheels/tires--about a $3000 upgrade. Going over the RAWR would not bother me if the tires were not overloaded.
On the other hand, you might come close to not much more than $3k for a '14 dually....
Look at fiver combos as you travel around--you will see lots of 250/350s towing larger fivers--maybe not right, but done often.

On the other hand, since this is a long-term decision and for full-timing you would not want to compromise on the fiver--maybe you should reconsider upsizing the truck at a loss so you can consider the fiver you both would really want to live in.
Another consideration--if you paid more than invoice for the truck, you were at the wrong dealer. There are several internet sources that will sell at invoice, then take the incentives off.
Sorry that you are in this situation, but almost everyone in RVs has done something similar at one time or another--myself included--and just have to recover somehow.
Best of luck,
Joe
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Old 10-22-2014, 11:47 AM   #4
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We have done that. Truck was important since it was our only vehicle in anticipation of scaling down and living FT in a 5thW. Back in 2005, 5ers weren't as heavy, nor were many standard trucks built to tow much more than 16,000 lbs.

We started with a supposedly 4-Season 40' 3axle at 16.4k. After 10mos, it was more than apparent that with one AC and standard windows in Charleston, SC and snow and cold in the NC mountains, we needed something better for our style of travel.

We traded for a 2006 36' Elite Suite with GVWR of 18.5. We couldn't find a 4500/5500 that would give us much more than 500lbs extra tow rating. So to keep within tow limits, we dumped the Sofa bed and went with lightweight Euro chairs. We never carried extra water or a generator. I scaled down pots and pans, canned food, tools, clothing, anything to keep it light. DH got tired of me saying, NO, to this or that because it will weigh too much. Finally, Ford came out with a F450 in 2007. So we upgraded and filled up.

You are limited, but it's not impossible to find something. If you look at slightly used 4-Season like DoubleTree Suites (DRV after 2008) or even some 3-Season units, you should be okay.

More mfgers are improving their insulation without adding too much weight. Dutchmen Infinity - smaller Excels - Just remember, you don't have to Max it out to be comfortable. And if you're retired, you don't have to stay where Winter is -XX degrees like we do.
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Old 10-23-2014, 01:43 PM   #5
pac53
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More from Ford F-350 6.7 V* Diesel 4WD SRW Crew Cab, Long Be

Ford F-350 6.7 V* Diesel 4WD SRW Crew Cab, Long Bed
Thank you for all the helpful responses. These are the weight recommendations I compiled from the responses from 5 different sites:
Can you tell I’m OCD and obsessed with numbers?...
11,000 1 recommendation
11,850 1
12,000 3
13,500 1
14,500 1
15,000 2
I’ve averaged that out to about 13,000 lbs.

SO, along with the response averages and my calculation results (Assuming that we won’t max the truck out to its GVWR)
I think we will go out on a limb and shoot for a 5er with a
dry weight of 9500-11,000 and/or GVWR under 13,500.
Am I on the right track? I’ll go with the majority answer…
Thanks,
Pam
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