Understanding towing rate for pickup (trailer, diesel, trucks, capacity)
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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
Probably not. That pin weight will be a lot higher once the trailer is loaded. While this is in the realm of newer ¾ ton pickups, one that old has a much lower tow rating and payload capacity. The only way to know for sure is to load up your truck as if you were going on a trip and weigh it by itself. Subtract that number from 8800 and I'm sure you'll find that you don't have enough remaining payload capacity for that 5th wheel. Today's ¾ ton truck have a gross weight rating of 10,000 lbs and can tow lighter 5th wheel trailers. I see some unethical RV dealers advertising some lighter weight 5th wheels as half ton towable, but that's total BS unless you have an F-150 with the 3000 lb payload package, which is a few hundred that were special ordered that way. So be careful when you go to buy because most sales people will tell you anything to make a sale, and that includes telling you that your ¾ ton can pull that 5th wheel. But you really need to run all the numbers to be sure.
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.
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.
Are you serious? The unloaded pin weight is 1484 lbs. You would over gross just about every half ton there is, except for the few hundred F-150s with the optional 3000 lb payload capacity. Installing airbags does not increase your payload or tow capacity, they just smooth things out. It would be insane, not to mention illegal, to tow with even a modern half ton.
The OP's ¾ may be more robust, but it still has limitations that have to be taken into consideration. Like I mentioned in my earlier post, weigh the truck when it's fully loaded. Subtract that weight from 8800 and you'll find that the 1484 lb pin weight will almost certainly exceed the remaining payload capacity of the OP's truck. And that pin weight is for an empty trailer. Load it up for a trip and there is no doubt that the pin weight and the 130+ lb hitch will far exceed the payload capacity. And depending on the rear axle, combined gross weight may be as little as 16,000 lbs. But most pickups run out of payload capacity long before they run out of tow capacity. A newer ¾ ton has a 10,000 GVWR vs 8800 that the OP's truck has. And they will have a higher payload capacity than OP's truck has. Go to any RV forum and you'll hear the same thing. Bottom line...OP would be getting too much trailer for a 1997 F-250.
Put down your CYA data sheets and consider that people in the real world mount 4000 pound dry weight campers on their trucks all the time. Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of 18 wheelers barreling down the roads with 80,000 pound trailers.
Oh yea - the real world. I lose the officials with that.
Put down your CYA data sheets and consider that people in the real world mount 4000 pound dry weight campers on their trucks all the time. Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of 18 wheelers barreling down the roads with 80,000 pound trailers.
Oh yea - the real world. I lose the officials with that.
Those idiots you describe is what makes driving down the highway unsafe for everyone.
Towing a big wind catcher down the highway should be done as safely as possible. Keeping it within the vehicles limits is a good start.
I recently bought my first TT and was amazed that even though it is 1000 lbs(when fully loaded) lighter than my skid steer and trailer it is WAY harder to tow down the highway. I am very glad I did not get a bigger TT and max my truck out like the skid steer almost does.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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I will have to admit... I cross the scales kinda heavy myself...
32,000# - 38,800# on a usual day. Not in a SRW pickup, but often my DRW 4x4 flatbed. I can legally go to 105,500# with my bigger stuff. Live in the mtns with switchbacks. Brakes and a balanced load is important, as trailers can become real PUSHY!
Put down your CYA data sheets and consider that people in the real world mount 4000 pound dry weight campers on their trucks all the time. Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of 18 wheelers barreling down the roads with 80,000 pound trailers.
Oh yea - the real world. I lose the officials with that.
This isn't about CYA, it's about common sense and safety. No way would I ever tow an over-gross load. I've read plenty of white-knuckle stories about just that on an RV forum that I follow. I have no interest in pulling a 5'er, but if I did, I would get a newer 10,000 lb GVWR ¾ ton for the small ones and a newer one ton dually for the bigger ones.
Even if the truck could handle being a little over capacity, couldn't you be in hot water during an accident investigation? I wouldn't take the risk either way.
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