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Old 11-30-2009, 11:03 AM   #4
LindaH
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Spokane, WA/Brenda, AZ
Posts: 45
Re: New to this! 5th wheel with a F250?

Quote:
Originally Posted by jpws
will be towing it with an 08 F250 6.4L Diesel.
Here is the 2008 Ford Towing Guide.

You don't give any detail about the exact configuration of your 3/4-ton truck, but based on the above guide, the 2008 F-250 6.4L diesel has a GVWR ranging from a low of 8,800# to 10,000# (Page 6) and a GCWR of 23,000# (Page 19). Your truck has a published tow rating which ranges from 15,200# to 16,200# (Page 19).

There are a couple of things to keep in mind:

1. The truck's published tow rating is for a basic truck with no option, no gear, a partially filled fuel tank, and only one 150# driver. Once you add options, gear (including the fifth wheel hitch), what you should actually be towing will be something less.

2. Dry weight on a fifth wheel is a meaningless number because it does not include any manufacturer-installed options and certainly no dealer-installed options (or owner-installed options if buying used). The *real life* dry weight of any RV is almost certainly to be more than its published dry weight.

Besides which, even if the dry weight of the fifth wheel was exactly the same as its published dry weight, you're not going to be pulling an empty rig are you? I imagine you're going to fill up the propane tanks, put at least some water in the fresh water tank, load it up with food, cooking utensils, food, clothing, toiletries, bedding, etc., etc. -- not to mention whatever it is that you're going to be carrying in the garage.

The Keystone Fusion website doesn't list the GVWR of their toy haulers (shame on them), but if you take the dry weight and add the carrying capacity, you should come close (approx. 16,300# as wingnut60 stated).

I don't know what your loaded truck (full fuel tank, all passengers and gear) weighs, but if you weigh your loaded truck and subtract that weight from the truck's GCWR, that will tell you the maximum amount of loaded fifth wheel weight you should be carrying. Subtracting the truck's loaded weight from its GVWR will tell you the maximum pin weight you should be carrying (assume 20% of the fifth wheel's GVWR as a loaded pin weight, or around 3,200#).

Even if you squeek by on the GCWR (not likely, since, if you fill your fifth wheel to capacity...16,300#...your loaded truck would have to weigh no more than 6,700#), you'll certainly be over on the GVWR.
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LindaH
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2007 Dodge Ram 3500
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