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I had a 2000 F250 PSD that I pulled a 28' fiver that weighed very close to what yours does. I got slightly heavier duty tires and pulled it across country a couple times, i.e., 4,500 mile trips with some of it in the Rockies.
I never had any problems, but I did try to do most of my towing with near-empty fresh water/sewer water tanks. I also had more power with the factory turbo in 2000. I started with a smaller 5er, 22' I think, then traded for the 28' and traded again for a lighter 27'. Its gross was 9-10K, and I tried to travel with it at around 9K lbs. Empty tanks made it possible, not too much weight in the truck.
You'll have less power too, without a turbo, so I'd try to keep the weight down. You'll be on the edge of safety, probably ok if you keep the weight down as much as possible.
We owned many 5th wheels over the years ranging in size from 24' to 40 and hitting the scales loaded at some 18,000#.
What is important with your F-250 also is the axle ratio. You can get the code off your door jam. I would want either 3.73 or 4.10 axle ratio for towing myself.
Our biggest unit, a 3 slide King of the Road with a super slide, some 24', weighed in at some 16,000# loaded for the road. I towed it with a modified 1997 F-350 Dually diesel. The power was turned up to nearly max, the exhaust was modified and in 1997 you had to change the turbo down pipe to get more power. I also added an exhaust brake to the truck which worked great!
The power on the 1997 was increased by a chip. The older trucks did it by turning up the pump. Also of note, I had a manual transmission that I preferred but I remember there was an upgraded chip for the automatic transmissions that year which resulted in better shifting that you might want to check out.
Note, the 5th wheel tow ratings are a bit different than normal load/tow ratings. Try to Google your truck's original Brochure to find that or check with Ford. Again, that axle will come into play so you need to know that.
One last note. Over the years I have found that many manufacturers brag about their load capabilities. I found that the trucks I owned, All Fords, F-1-50, F-250 and the F-350 we more comfortable in stock configuration at about 80% of maximum load. Just FYI.
AND, while not entering the debate about the old Ford Powerstroke 250 being adequate or not; I'll only suggest to the O/P applying caution at taking those trailer "online spec's" as gospel.
There are any number of Fiver towing sites that would be more than happy to answer any queries the O/P might have along the lines specific to his combo. Escapees https://www.escapees.com/& 5th Wheel RV Forum http://www.5thwheelforums.com/forums/ are two that come to mind.
I have a 1997 Ford F 250 Heavy Duty with 7.3 diesel turbo in Great shape. I want to purchase a 2011 Dutchmen Denali Camper fifth wheel. I feel like there will be know problem towing it but I want to be sure.
The Dutchmen,s factory weight is ( UVW ) is 7842 lbs
The GVWR of this trailer is ( 10,560 )
This info is coming from the label on the trailer
The spec's on line say the Trailer's Dry Weight is 7534 lbs
Hitch is 1484 lbs
and this would be a Fifth wheel pull
On the Truck Label on the door it says
GAWR is 8800 lbs
Rear is 6084 lbs
Front is 4000
Will my truck handel this is my question. Thankyou for the help
I can tell you just by looking at the GVWR of the trailer that your hitch weight is WAY more than 1,484 lbs. 20% hitch weight on the GVWR of the trailer (this is what will be sitting on your bed) is over 2,100 lbs. You are pushing the limits of 3/4 ton territory on a truck of that age.
First off, never look at a trailer's dry weight. You'll never pull it dry. Always plan to look at the GVWR. That is your most important number. You also need the GVWR of the truck, not GAWR.
Before you listen to everyone that wants to tell you "Oh my uncle's friend's brother-in-law pulled 30k lbs with his 1/2 ton so you'll be fine", you need to do some math and use some common sense. It isn't that difficult to figure out.
It isn't as much about legality as it is about safety although legality plays a part into it. The truck was designed not to exceed a certain rating. Springs, axle ratio, brakes, transmission gearing, etc... were all designed around a maximum weight rating on the truck. While the truck will likely physically pull more short term, it isn't safe nor wise because it will overstress all of the components on the truck. "Upgrading" the suspension doesn't address all of the other components that would need to be upgraded as well. At that point, you might as well buy a bigger truck. When someone tells you to slap a set of airbags on and call it good, run away. They don't know what they're talking about.
You need to know the ACTUAL weight of the truck with all passengers, any additional cargo inside, and the fifth wheel hitch in the bed. This matters. You can do a rough estimate to get a general idea at first. You also need to know the GVWR of the truck off the door placard.
Then calculate payload by subtracting the actual weight from the GVWR. That is what the truck can have in the bed. In this instance, if the remaining payload comes out to less than 2,100 lbs, you should not attempt to pull the fifth wheel.
If you absolutely want to know if the load will be within spec, load the camper as you plan to travel with it and take it to a set of CAT scales and weigh it loaded. You'd be surprised as how quickly weight piles on with all of the gear folks load into their camper. Do the same for the truck. You'll quickly figure out the real numbers and only then can you officially determine if the truck is overloaded or not.
I disagree with AE. It is a 3/4 ton truck with the diesel package which is generally more robust than the gas package in terms of suspension and axles.
That trailer would be a very doable load for a modern 1/2 ton truck with trailering upgrades and airbags. Trucks have grown more flexible in some ways but not that much more.
Good E series tires and brakes are necessary however. Trailer brakes of course. If you still come up short, there are many ways to upgrade a suspension.
Consider tow mirrors and a rear facing camera.
I REALLY wish you'd stop giving out this kind of advice on the forums. It is DANGEROUS and for someone who doesn't understand how to tow properly you could be setting them up for disaster. There are VERY few (if any) 1/2 tons that could handle this load safely and legally. Don't buy into advertising hype, but get the real numbers. As many of us have said before, airbags DO NOT INCREASE tow capacity.
From the airbag company websites:
"Will adding air springs increase the Weight Rating of my vehicle?
Answer No. Adding air springs will not change the Weight Rating (GVWR, GCWR, GAWR) of your vehicle. Our air springs simply increase your suspension’s ability to support heavy loads. We strongly recommend that you never exceed your vehicle’s Weight Ratings. Exceeding your vehicle’s rating is dangerous and will void your Air Lift warranty. https://www.airliftcompany.com/support/faqs/
"Does this allow my truck to carry more weight? Absolutely not. Only the vehicle manufacturer can set the GVWR. Even with the air springs, you have the same brakes, axles, bearings and frame stiffness which in part determine the vehicles load capability. The Ride- Rite air helper springs simply allow you to carry the maximum capacity of your truck more comfortably and without suspension sag and the poor handling that comes with it. " https://riderite.com/installation-su...74367720008198
You also have to consider the brakes on the tow vehicle just as much as the trailer. The truck should be able to stop the trailer safely and within a reasonable distance if the trailer brakes fail (and they do). A 1/2 ton truck's brake system is not going to do it.
Wasn't the 97 250 the year it looked just like the 150 just with heavier suspension? The first Super Duty was a 99.
It depends. There were two versions of the F250 in 1997. There was the F250 HD, which is what we know as a typical F250 and still had the older square body that previous F250s/F150s shared and the F250 Light Duty, which is basically a slightly beefed up new body style F150 with 7 lug axles and the 5.4L Triton V8(my friend owns one of these).
1997 F250 HD
1997 F250 Light Duty
The difference is mainly in the frame, suspension, and brakes. Ford wanted something a bit beefier than the F150, but not as beefy as the F250 HD. Compare it to a new Nissan Titan XD. Not quite a 3/4 ton but not quite a 1/2 ton either.
The HD models came with a 10.25" full floating rear axle, a Dana 50 front axle, along with 3" brakes and a larger leaf spring pack. The HD also shared its frame with the F350 1 ton.
The LD models came with a 10.25" semi-floating rear axle, a Dana 44 front axle, along with 2.5" brakes and a slightly smaller leaf spring pack. The LD has the same frame as the F150.
I don't think that light duty F250 was ever sold with a diesel though.
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