[pac53]

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