Cargo capacity question

[Nwcid]

Originally Posted by Buzzardbait7

Thanks for all the info. We have not yet committed to a 5er yet. Based on what we are looking at, going to be tough keeping it under 14,000 pounds especially with load restrictions. Plus I have a 27 gallon fuel tank so would need to boost that. Considering an Alliance Paradigm 310RL but may have to upgrade truck. Disappointing.

Keep in mind that adding a 50 gallon fuel tank to your truck will eat up roughly another 400lbs of payload.

Ultimately, 3/4 ton trucks are not a good combination for hauling 5th wheels.

[TXiceman]

A 3/4 ton truck can be used to pull a 5er, BUT you have to watch the weights. Folks new to towing just look at the maximum tow rating for a truck and think.....Well I now have a truck and I can tow anything. The dealers are no help and all they want to do is sell a trailer.

Had a guy come in here the other day with a 3/4 ton short bed, big fuel tank in the back and towing a 38 foot Big Horn. Poor little Ram was dragging his rear end....headlights pointed at the sky.

Ken

[Camp CA]

Originally Posted by Buzzardbait7

.............. looking to buy a 5th wheel but have a question on capacity. Sticker indicates 2179 pounds cargo capacity which sure doesn’t seem like much............

You might be surprised how much actual carrying capacity you need,,,,we carry ~1600 lbs on our fifth wheel.

[Cumminsfan]

IMO 3/4 ton diesels are great for TT's near 10,000 lbs or more. Not so good for over 10,000lb 5th wheels. I was out a week ago at a state park in a pull thru site and the guy behind me had a pre 2019 Ram 2500 CTD SB towing a Montana High Coutry 5th wheel. It looked like a standard RL 34' model. He left before we did and like a member of the weight police (LOL) i checked out his truck as he pulled by. It was sitting nice and level so I'm guessing he had Timbrens or bags under the rear of the truck. Anyways people pull decent size 5th wheels all the time with 3/4 ton diesels, just tour any large RV Park, and we rarely ever hear about a 5th wheel RV wreck. Doesn't mean it's right but it still works until it doesn't I guess.
I don't have an issue with going over the trucks GVWR by a couple 100lbs (BTDT), but I'd have a hard time being over by 500+lbs even though it's probably not hurting anything I'd still be thinking about what if all the time.

[Persistent]

Ford Towing Guide

https://www.fleet.ford.com/content/d...owingGuide.pdf

[Buzzardbait7]

So the consensus seems to be that the 250 may be marginal - or below - so I’ve looked at a 350. The payload on the 350 I’m looking at is 3255#. That still seems low for pulling 15,000 pound trailer like the Alliance. I don’t see us traveling with full water tanks or prep for boondocking. And won’t be carrying much in the TV other than 2 adults. It’s surprising to me that I’m only picking up around 700 pounds moving to a 350. Looking at a 2020 f350, extended bed, diesel.

[kdauto]

Originally Posted by Buzzardbait7

So the consensus seems to be that the 250 may be marginal - or below - so I’ve looked at a 350. The payload on the 350 I’m looking at is 3255#. That still seems low for pulling 15,000 pound trailer like the Alliance. I don’t see us traveling with full water tanks or prep for boondocking. And won’t be carrying much in the TV other than 2 adults. It’s surprising to me that I’m only picking up around 700 pounds moving to a 350. Looking at a 2020 f350, extended bed, diesel.

I didn't check what configuration you were planning on. In general, a long bed with longer wheelbase will afford you a higher payload. Spec out an 8' bed for fun.

[Bill Nourse]

Originally Posted by Buzzardbait7

It's surprising to me that I’m only picking up around 700 pounds moving to a 350. Looking at a 2020 f350, extended bed, diesel.

The reality is that the 250 and the 350 are the same truck with different door post stickers and a different spring pack. Same engine, same rear end, same frame, same transmission, usually the same tires and brakes, at least where Chev is concerned. If you doubt this, just start checking parts# of the components for each.

If you do some research, I would bet that you would find that the overload springs on the 350 are the only thing that makes the 700# difference in weight rating. In reality you could accomplish the same thing with air bags on the 250, you just would not be legal based on the door sticker. I would concern myself with the weight on the rear axle and tire ratings more than the useful load sticker on the door. Tires are the weak link, not the rear end, engine or trans., so DO NOT exceed the rating on the sidewall of the tires.

From a mechanical point of view, a 250 with the proper tires and air bags will do what a comparable stock 350 will. From a legal point of view, not so much.

[kdauto]

Originally Posted by Bill Nourse

The reality is that the 250 and the 350 are the same truck with different door post stickers and a different spring pack. Same engine, same rear end, same frame, same transmission, usually the same tires and brakes, at least where Chev is concerned. If you doubt this, just start checking parts# of the components for each.

If you do some research, I would bet that you would find that the overload springs on the 350 are the only thing that makes the 700# difference in weight rating. In reality you could accomplish the same thing with air bags on the 250, you just would not be legal based on the door sticker. I would concern myself with the weight on the rear axle and tire ratings more than the useful load sticker on the door. Tires are the weak link, not the rear end, engine or trans., so DO NOT exceed the rating on the sidewall of the tires.

From a mechanical point of view, a 250 with the proper tires and air bags will do what a comparable stock 350 will. From a legal point of view, not so much.

Everyone seems to be the expert on this, but there's a lot more going on than comparing part numbers. This is 2022, vehicles are rolling computers. Even if one seems to show the same part numbers for brakes, discs, pads, calipers, axles etc, there may be important caliibration data that has been optimized for advertised payload and GVWR.

Heck, I've been a professional mechanic for 37 years now and even I wouldn't gamble on a 3/4 and 1 ton SRW having only helper springs as a difference. Today's trucks have ADAS, emergency braking, LKA (lane keep assist),stability control, and now more and more HD trucks are self-driving. Yes, will you trust everything to work 100% properly if you're 700-1000lbs over some of the advertised max weights? I wouldn't even fool around with bags on a high end truck, just get the proper one for the job in the 1st place.

Cooling systems are another thing that aren't easy to verify. Some 1 tons may have higher capacity cooling systmes than an equivalent looking 3/4 ton.

Just my humble opinion.

[JIMNLIN]

So the consensus seems to be that the 250 may be marginal - or below - so I’ve looked at a 350. The payload on the 350 I’m looking at is 3255#. That still seems low for pulling 15,000 pound trailer like the Alliance.

Ford markets 18 different gvwrs for the '22 F350 srw...from 10k on up to 12400 lbs many just 100 lbs spread. https://fordbbas.com/publications

More importantly Ford also markets three different rawr from 6340...6780...7230 lb rawrs for the F350 srw.

If you looked at a F350 srw with a low 10xxx gvwr and the 6340 rawr then the payload numbers is as low as the F250 truck.

I would look for a F350 srw with the highest 7230 rawr ....good for 3700-3800 lbs in the bed.

Some owners say their payload sticker is 44xx lbs. There is no F350 srw that can carry 44xx lbs in the bed on the rear axle.
That payload sticker is a gvwr based payload and comes from front and rear axles such as a overhead rack that sits in the bed and on the trucks frame at the front end. Then that 44xx lb gvwr payload can be safely carried.

RV trailers come with a fixed hitch load unlike a equipment trailer that can be loaded to achieve any hitch load needed for a F150 or a F550 size truck.

[Bill Nourse]

Originally Posted by kdauto

I wouldn't even fool around with bags on a high end truck, just get the proper one for the job in the 1st place.

Air bags are a viable option on just about any 250 or 350 truck if you are pulling a 16,000# 5th wheel. A trailer like that will squat a DRW 350 enough that the headlights are aimed high and the truck is not running level. See it all the time. So unless you can hook up and stay level air bags are a consideration. Most all semi's run air bags.