Please help choosing which truck

[BkmDano7]

Hi RV'ers,

Our first fifth wheel and trying to pick a truck with safety as a major factor. I prefer to have a margin of safety in the numbers so I need to figure out if truck 1 will work or if we need to move to truck 2. I am new at this so about to use duct tape to stop my brain from exploding. Below is our trailer data and the 2 trucks we are currently considering.

Trailer:
44 ft Weekend Warrior Toy hauler
Hitch Weight = 3,200 lbs
Dry weight = 14,900 lbs
GVWR = 21,000 lbs.

Truck 1:
2016 Ford F350 DRW 4x4 Crew Cab
XL 172" WB Styleside
6.7L V8 Diesel 6-speed Auto Trans
Extra heavy duty alternator
3.73 Ratio limited slip axle
5th wheel prep package
Towing Capacity per Ford = 23,500 lbs.

Truck 2:
2016 Ford F350 DRW 4x4 Crew Cab
XL 172" WB Styleside
6.7L V8 Diesel 6-speed Auto Trans
Dual alternators
4.30 Ratio limited slip axle
High Capacity Trailer Tow Pkg.
Will need to add 5th wheel via 3rd party rails
Tow capacity per Ford = 26,500 lbs.

Thanks for your time and support!
Dano

[timetogo]

That will be a lot of trailer. I don't know if either will be enough truck.

[Skip426]

Truck 2 , comes close but JMHO. Spec/price a 450.

[Old-Biscuit]

Reality.......

That 3200# number is dry pin based on dry weight of 14,900#

WET pin weight will be closer to 4400# when trailer is loaded.

That is the weight that truck will need to 'carry' (payload)
SO.......
Look at trucks Yellow Sticker on drivers door jam for that trucks payload capacity.
You will need one that has a payload capacity of 4400# PLUS ability to carry your weight, passengers weight, stuff in truck and stuff in bed of truck------roughly 5500# of payload

Truck #1 is going to be close on payload
Truck #2 is going to have much higher payload

F450 doesn't necessarily get you more due to weight of truck

[V3600]

Truck 2 is pretty much what you'd get with an F-450 but that rear end gear ratio is gonna suck down more diesel but it sure will tow up a mountain. Either truck will handle that trailer just fine. Besides, what are the chances you're going to put 7,000 pounds of stuff on board? What you will want to do is go get your truck and trailer weighed and find out for sure. I did. Mine, a 41 footer with a 19,000 GVWR, without toys is 16,640 total with 3,500 on the pin and 13,140 on the axles. My toy is a Harley so that adds around 950 behind the axles. Add in some food, refrigerator stuff and clothes and such and we might be around 18,000. I don't carry much water.

BTW, some folks aren't familiar with toy haulers and pin weight. Unlike a standard 5th wheel, when you load up a toy hauler most all of the added weight (toys) goes in the garage behind the axles, which does not increase pin weight.

[SmokeyWren]

Hi, Dano, and

Originally Posted by BkmDano7

Our first fifth wheel and trying to pick a truck with safety as a major factor. I prefer to have a margin of safety in the numbers so I need to figure out if truck 1 will work or if we need to move to truck 2.
...
Trailer:
44 ft Weekend Warrior Toy hauler
GVWR = 21,000 lbs.

If loaded for bear, count on 4,200 pounds pin weight. Ignore dry weights - you won't be towing a dry trailer.

Truck 1:
...
Towing Capacity per Ford = 23,500 lbs.

Truck 2:
High Capacity Trailer Tow Pkg.
Tow capacity per Ford = 26,500 lbs.

Truck 1 will be barely adequate with very little, if any, margin in the weight numbers. Truck 2 will be a lot better choice because of that high capacity trailer tow pkg with 4.30 axle, which gives you 3,000 pounds more tow rating.

Truck 2 Will need to add 5th wheel via 3rd party rails

Depends on your definition of 3rd party.

The Ford 5er/gooseneck prep pkg is a Reese Elite 25k install kit, but installed at the assembly plant. It's a bargain if factory installed. But since Truck 2 doesn't have it, you can add it, or have any hitch dealer add it.

Smart hitch installers will probably remove the bed to install the under-bed hitch rails. If you DIY, consider doing that.

Here are the parts needed for the Elite 25k prep kit:
2016 Ford F-350 Super Duty Fifth Wheel Installation Kit - Reese

And here's the 25k Elite 5er hitch:
2016 Ford F-350 Super Duty Fifth Wheel - Reese

Your Ford dealer also sells the hitch, so check with them to see if they will beat, or at least match, the ETrailer.com price.

[Cummins12V98]

You WILL be adding air bags to either truck.

The factory pucks are easy to add later, much better than any rail system.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

Truck #1 is going to be close on payload
Truck #2 is going to have much higher payload

GVWR is 14,000 pounds, regardless of whether it has the high capacity towing pkg. So max available payload is around 5,000 pounds for either dually pickup when wet and loaded for towing. With 4,200 pounds pin weight, that doesn't leave a lot of capacity for hauling heavy stuff in the truck, but it should be manageable

GCWR is 31,900 with 3.73 axle and 35,000 with 4.30 axle. So tow rating is higher, but payload capacity is not.

You mentioned F-450 pickup. It has higher GCWR and tow rating than the F-350, but the same 14k GVWR, so it has less payload capacity than the F-350 DRW.

[BkmDano7]

Thank you all for sharing your knowledge. There is so much to learn and I appreciate your help.

I found another truck in the next state up with the high capacity tow package and the 5th wheel prep, so that is our leading contender for now. Hope to never get to the 21K max but wanted to know if we could pull it if we ever did.

For the Reese hitch can you replace the pins with locks so its not so easy for the bad guys to remove?

Thanks,
Dano

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by BkmDano7

For the Reese hitch can you replace the pins with locks so its not so easy for the bad guys to remove?

Put a small padlock in the little tab that sticks out of both sides of the hitch when the pucks are locked into the bed rails.