Community Forums

wargle · 06-11-2015, 09:01 PM

I have a 35 ft. Montana Mountaineer. I think the hitch weight is around 1200 lbs. My TV is a 2010 F250 Crew cab, FX4, 6.4L diesel. The truck tows great, but the hitch weight makes it droop several inches. I am looking at adding the Timbren urethane helpers to the rear suspension. They replace the OEM bump stops, have some range of adjustment and don't affect the ride quality when empty.. Has anyone had any experience with these devices?

the_vfox · 06-12-2015, 04:42 AM

You should get the trailer and the truck weighed before you start throwing money at it.

SmokeyWren · 06-12-2015, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wargle

I have a 35 ft. Montana Mountaineer. I think the hitch weight is around 1200 lbs. My TV is a 2010 F250 Crew cab, FX4, 6.4L diesel. The truck tows great, but the hitch weight makes it droop several inches.

You think wrong. That huge 5er has GVWR over 15,000 pounds, so when wet and loaded for a camping trip the hitch weight will probably be more than double your estimated hitch weight. That is too much trailer for an F-250, so you are overloaded, and probably severely overloaded over the GVWR of your tow vehicle.

Yeah, you have enough engine and drivetrain to pull that heavy a 5er, but not enough suspension to haul that much pin weight without exceeding the GVWR of the F-250.

Quote:

I am looking at adding the Timbren urethane helpers to the rear suspension.

I don't know anything about the Timbren solution. The most common way to mask the symptoms of severe overloading is to add Firestone RideRite air bags. Pump up the air bags when overloaded to raise the rer end back up a bit and lower the headlights so you don't blind oncoming drivers. When not towing, reduce the air in the bags to only a few PSI to retain the stock ride.
http://riderite.com/

Bamaman · 06-12-2015, 08:47 AM

Your Montana Mountaineer is more of a mid weight fifth wheel vs. the heavier full size Montana fifth wheel trailers. The limitations of your truck is the weight carrying capabilities of your rear axle/suspension.

If your trailer is a 310RET, your pin weight is about 2300 lbs. (dry) and the total weight is about 11K lbs. (dry.) The Mountaineer 350 series trailers are more like 39' long, and they're somewhat heavier.

I would suggest you take your truck and trailer to a truck scale and get it weighed. Then, you'll know where you stand--vs. manufacturer specifications.

I suspect that your kingpin weight will be overloaded. But with a set of air shocks and light loaded, you might be okay for short tows if the terrain is not too difficult. If you're wanting to tow long distances and into the mountains, dual rear wheels and a 1 ton truck would be much better.

wargle · 06-12-2015, 10:05 AM

The trailer is a 328RLS. Keystone specs are 10,500 lbs. dry wt., carrying cap is 2050 lbs., hitch wt. 1990 lbs, so I was off on my estimate of hitch wt. I estimate the camper is about 12,000 lbs loaded. I have not weighed the camper/truck combo, so I need to do that.

justafordguy · 06-12-2015, 11:55 AM

I installed Air Lift 5000+ air bags on my F250 and with 50psi in the bags it leveled the truck back out perfectly and stops it from bottoming out on big pot holes.

taken · 06-12-2015, 01:55 PM

Just remember that while Wren is correct that you will be overloaded by the sticker, the sticker is in fact, a completely made up number. The F250 is identical to the F350 SRW. The only differences on your model year are an overload spring and a taller spacer block (4" vs. 2") under the rear suspension. Timbrens or air bags will accomplish the same thing as the factory overload will. No, it won't change the fact that you over the trucks fabricated GVWR, but if you are a common sense type that is more concerned about actually being overloaded rather than technically (ie: on paper or sticker) being overloaded, then you will be fine with either bags or Timbrens. Weighing never hurts but whatever the results, they will be under a F350 SRW's ratings which is what you actually have without the emblem or sticker to back it up.

wargle · 06-12-2015, 06:24 PM

Thanks Taken. That's sort of what I thought. I know the truck can handle it, I just wanted to enhance the suspension and I'm not crazy about the steel o'load springs. Happy Trails.

taken · 06-12-2015, 06:33 PM

Happy to help. People get hung up on ratings but some ratings aren't backed by anything scientific like the ones that de-rate a 250. When all the parts are all physically the same but the ratings are drastically different, it gives a thinking person pause.

jesilvas · 06-12-2015, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taken

The F250 is identical to the F350 SRW.

Is that true for all of them? I know some F250s have a 3.73 and so do some 350s, but then some F350 SRWs have 4.10s. So that's kind of a blanket statement that can mislead some others if they don't know anymore than what number badge the truck has?

jesilvas · 06-12-2015, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wargle

The trailer is a 328RLS. Keystone specs are 10,500 lbs. dry wt., carrying cap is 2050 lbs., hitch wt. 1990 lbs, so I was off on my estimate of hitch wt. I estimate the camper is about 12,000 lbs loaded. I have not weighed the camper/truck combo, so I need to do that.

With that estimate, you could have 3k lbs of pin weight. Again, just an estimate based off the lack of true numbers, but possible. Depending on which rear axle your truck has, you are very possibly over loaded.

Remember, Timbren bump stops, air bags, and such, just raise the bed. The rear axle is still carrying all the weight as before, but now it "looks" ok. But, for some, if it "looks" ok, it must be?

taken · 06-12-2015, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jesilvas

Is that true for all of them? I know some F250s have a 3.73 and so do some 350s, but then some F350 SRWs have 4.10s. So that's kind of a blanket statement that can mislead some others if they don't know anymore than what number badge the truck has?

In 2010 all SRW 6.4 diesel trucks came with either 3.31's or 3.55's whether 250's or 350's. DRW 350 6.4's are the only ones that came with 3.73's or 4.10's which has nothing to do with what we are talking about. You're confusing gas gear ratios with diesel. So, as it pertains to what we are talking about... YES it is true for all of them.

justafordguy · 06-12-2015, 07:52 PM

The rear axle will carry the same weight no matter what gear ratio it has because the housing and bearings are the same on f250 and f350 SRW.

taken · 06-12-2015, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justafordguy

The rear axle will carry the same weight no matter what gear ratio it has because the housing and bearings are the same on f250 and f350 SRW.

This is true. The truck might work harder with a more shallow gear but it certainly doesn't affect capacity. The axles are the same too. But as I posted above, the available gear ratios are the same in the 250 and SRW 350. jesilvas was just mixing up diesel vs. gas ratios and DRW vs. SRW ratios.