Best 5th Wheel for F-250 Diesel

[Oldelevatorman]

First off thank you for your service. Beautiful truck. The first thing you can do is load it up with everything you take camping; wife, kids, tools, firewood etc and a full tank of gas and go to a truck scale and get its weight loaded. Subtract that weight from the truck's GVWR. That is your payload for towing minus the weight of the hitch. Figure 200# for the hitch, may be less. Forget about tow rating and that 1595 hitch weight number and the door sticker. Take 20% of the trailers GVWR and compare that to your payload numbers. That's the best way to go about it rather than arbitrary numbers or what others have done. Look for a certified CAT scale in your area. Good luck!

[sherri330]

Used this as a guide


And bought this Jayco Eagle 317 RLOK (12,600 GVWR)



We’ve been very happy with our Jayco. The 2year warranty is great. A few minor fixes initially, but our dealership is great to work with. All taken care of and no new problems in over a year.

[fvstringpicker]

Originally Posted by Oldelevatorman

Forget about tow rating and that 1595 hitch weight number and the door sticker. Take 20% of the trailers GVWR and compare that to your payload numbers. That's the best way to go about it rather than arbitrary numbers or what others have done. Look for a certified CAT scale in your area. Good luck!

Yep, you wouldn't want to use some arbitrary number like published hitch weight. Just take 20% of the trailer weight. Just kidding with you man.
On a serious note, he could lose about 100-200 pounds of pin weight by going to an Andersen hitch at 40 pounds. I think Pullright also makes a super light model.

[CWSWine]

Originally Posted by xrated

Old Biscuit wrote:


What about the verbiage contained in the owner's manual of every brand of truck made that states to never exceed ANY of the rated capacities.....which include the elusive CCC...Cargo Carrying Capacity, also known as the payload capacity? You can't just pick and choose which which one or ones that you are going to abide by. Well, technically, you can pick and choose, but you are doing so at your own risk as well as the risk of others.

Where they are getting the AXLE Ratings are law is from the 18 Wheelers commercial regulations. A 18 wheeler has GVWR is determined by the axles ratings and each truck has list of axle and ratings that can be installed on that vin number truck. Changing axles also changes the GVWR. The purpose of this is taxes if the extra payload is not required. The max axles ratings that are allowed on that VIN number is the max GVWR of that truck. So on a 18 wheeler if you install a set of axles that are over the max allowed by the manufacture you would could under your axle ratings but over the trucks max GVWR. That was explained to me by the official that signs off on increasing the GVW on 18 wheelers at the Fleetwood repair shop. Short Answer is 18 wheelers use axle weights to determine GVW but they can’t exceed the max axle ratings assigned by the manufacture or they could be over their GVWR.

Now your Super Duty has a separate GVWR that not tied to axle rating and swapping axles won’t increase you GVWR. Look at the towing guide on almost every page the notes warn you about exceed both the GVWR and GAWR. I guess if you want to pretend that you are driving a 18 Wheeler and use axle ratings that’s your choice.

[TRNewsom]

We have a 2014 F250 4 wheel drive and pull our 2016 40ft Cardinal with no issues pulling or stopping. Have not pulled it on extreme hills though.

[fvstringpicker]

I think the real argument in the 3/4 ton vs 1 ton truck is if the reduced gvwr (per the sticker) on the 3/4 is logical based on the difference in construction of the two vehicles. Hence, is a 1 ton, SRW, really safer than a 3/4 ton with beefed up suspension?

It goes without saying that a 3/4 ton and a 1 ton, with the same engine, transmission and differential will pull the same weight. I don't think its much of a stretch to say the frame on these tow trucks are the same. In the final analysis it comes to how much cargo (pin) weight each truck can handle.

In this respect, most of us are limited to the following information to make that judgement.

1. The door sticker which some believe is bifurcated between the 3/4 and the 1 ton because of laws and registration issues.

2. Judgement based on components used in construction (i.e. but for the rear springs, the 3/4 and the 1 ton are the same)

It probably eases the psychological worry to go with a 1 ton when a 3/4 ton is pushing the envelope on cargo weight. If I trade trucks, I'd go with a one ton for this reason. I would not trade a 3/4 for a 1 ton with comparable drive train expecting a hell of a lot of more towing power and safety.

[Oldelevatorman]

Originally Posted by SkiSmuggs

You can pull anything an F350 can pull because the trucks are the same except for the rear suspension. That 10,000 lb GVWR can be had on an F350 as well, but it is only a paper rating as stated. So the camper package equips the F250 just like an F350. You can add Helwig springs, Supersprings, Sumosprings, Timbrens or airbags which increases payload, but doesn't change the door jamb sticker at all. The Jayco you are looking at should be fine as it is one of Jayco's light "half-ton" (BS) series, but should be fine with a 3/4 ton.
With an SRW, you should be good to 15,000 lbs, but 10-12,000 lbs is even better. Once you get your Jayco hooked up, you can evaluate whether you need to beef the suspension or not. I added Sumosprings to my F350 just to reduce sway in turns.

It doesn't change the sticker and it doesn't increase payload. Can't be done!

[JIMNLIN]

Originally Posted by Oldelevatorman

It doesn't change the sticker and it doesn't increase payload. Can't be done!

Read closer. He says it doesn't change the sticker.
But it will help the suspension carry more weight/payload.
For some unknown reason Dodge didn't installed aux upper overload spring pack on the '03 and up 3rd gen Dodge 2wd trucks. It sags badly with 1800 lbs in the bed over the axle. I use SuperSprings to help the trucks rear suspension carry more weight in a level conditions and still within RAWR.

1. The door sticker which some believe is bifurcated between the 3/4 and the 1 ton because of laws and registration issues.

Good point... I would add Fleet Ford Body website show all the mechanical specs for the F250/F350 trucks and from those engineering specs we can see where their the same truck or where a different package makes a difference. Some, not all, folks won't/can't read them for whatever reason and argue the two trucks somehow different even when its pointed out certain packages are the same truck.

[fvstringpicker]

Originally Posted by Oldelevatorman

It doesn't change the sticker and it doesn't increase payload. Can't be done!

Yep, we pulled the 350 (5.7) from my old 94 gmc a while back, bored it .030 over, new flat head pistons, a mild .425 life cam, new valves and of course pistons, a Holly 650 carb and headers. But we couldn't change the hp and torque rating. It can't be done and its all in our mind.

[chunker]

Correct me if I am wrong and I'm sure someone will. Adding suspension enhancements, air bags/helper springs/etc., does not increase a trucks load carrying capacity, it only distributes it. Air bags might level a ride but won't increase the GVWR by 5000# as some state they are rated. I'll possibly add air bags once I get the trailer, not to add to my CCC, but to correct for squat if it becomes necessary. ONLY if it's necessary.

On my previous 5th wheel, a 2012 Ram 3500 CC dually diesel, no suspension enhancements were needed so I didn't put any on. I also don't pretend that my previous F-150 with the 5.0l would have been able to safely tow a 15,000 trailer just because a 5th wheel hitch would have fit in the bed and air bags would have forced the ride height level, and I physically could have made it go forward and backwards.

[Cumminsfan]

All one has to do is walk around any CG or RV park and look at what people are towing and towing with. I see MANY 3/4 ton trucks towing large 5th wheels that are from out of state. Some 1,000's of miles away. JMO but if you're under the RAWR and the GCVWR then there shouldn't be an issue.

[Chris n Erin]

Originally Posted by Cumminsfan

I would look at 5th wheels in the loaded range of around 11,000 lbs. That should put your pin around 2200 lbs.
So pretty much any 5th wheel around 10,000-10,500 dry. I tow a 9000 lb 5th wheel with my 12 Ram 2500. I'm over the GVWR by 200 lbs. I've been right at the GVWR before I added 4 6V batteries up front. No difference what so ever in towing. Running a few 100 lbs over GVWR will not make the least bit of difference in the way the truck handles.
There's also several "1/2 ton towable" 5th wheels that are lower in weight as well.

Question for you Cumminsfan. If I were to purchase a 5th wheel in the loaded range of 11K with a pin weight of 2200 lbs., I would still then have to factor in the weight of Wife, kids & myself plus cargo and hitch weight correct? I have estimated all that to be 1,000 lbs. so if I am understanding this correctly, that would put me at approximately 3,200 lbs. correct?

[Chris n Erin]

Originally Posted by Bamaman

My F250 crewcab diesel has me limited to a mid size fifth wheel. My tow max is 13,200 despite having an OEM max weight suspension with helper springs.

I went for a Grand Design Reflection 323BHS that weighs 11k lbs. with a 2k lb. kingpin weight. I am max'd out vs. The specifications, however I am not experiencing any squat. And at 36 ft. !ong with 4 slides, we have everything we will ever need in a RV. I have had no issues with my trailer other than replacing the kitchen faucet. And we are very satisfied with our choice.

Question for you Bamaman: my stated CCC max according to the yellow sticker is 2,325 lbs. If my GVWR is 10,000 lbs. and I subtract my GVW which is 7,640 lbs. from that, it leaves me with 2,360 lbs. Estimating weight of passengers (2 adults + 2 kids), cargo, and fifth wheel hitch weight = 1,000 lbs. leaving me with only 1,360 lbs. left over for the weight of the trailers pin weight. I am new to this and trying to figure all this out so am wondering how you calculated yours to be 2K lb. kingpin weight? I looked at that Grand Design you purchased and that's a nice outfit. That would suit us fine but I just need to make sure my truck can handle the load, both pulling and stopping. Thanks for your time.

[Chris n Erin]

Originally Posted by JIMNLIN

If your F250 6.7 diesel truck has the heavy service package or camper special package it has the same exact axle/suspension as the F350 srw with the 11500 gvwr/7000 rawr. If it doesn't then it has the same axle/suspension as the F350 srw with the 6340 rawr.
Spend some time on several of the many Ford diesel websites. Those guys live specs and part numbers and know where the difference or the same as lays.


legal limits are axle/tire load limits
Biscuit has it right....GVWR isn't used in any legal sense for how much the truck can legally/safely carry nor will it be used in any civil lawsuit in a court of law. Nor is the gvwr based payload used for any legal issues.
Just stay under Fords rawr/tire load rating.

example how silly the payload sticker can be is Fords F350 srw truck can have a 10000 gvwr (same as the F250) or the same exact truck with a 11300 gvwr. Both trucks are mechanically identical from the ground up..... but the 10k truck has a 2480 lb payload sticker and the 11.2k model has a 3680 payload sticker. Just one example of why the gvwr or its payload isn't used in any court of law or used by dot as the trucks legal load limit.

So my RGAWR is 6,340 lbs. My RGAW is 3,060 lbs. leaving me 3,280 lbs. to play with. How do I calculate what my RGAW will be when shopping for a fifth wheel without physically hauling it to a scale to see if I have gone over my RGAWR?