Truck size recommendations

[rubberduckie]

Looking to buy a Montana 381TH-HC Stock #204880. Dry weight is 13,610. Will haul with Harley Ultra Limited, 900 lbs in the toy hauler compartment. Looking at Ford truck. Do I need F-250 or F-350? In addition what rear axel gear ratio do I need?


Thanks

[swavescatter]

I think your choice should be F350 DRW or F450. That’s a heavy rig.

What’s the trailer GVWR? Ignore dry weights those are useless.

[tuffr2]

Dude - if you ask if you need a F-250 or F-350 you need to study up on trucks payload.

You need a F-350 with the 8' bed to get the 4,000lb payload.

You will be better off with a dually.

In a nutshell.

250/2500 trucks have payloads of 2,200 for diesel and 3,000lbs for gas powered trucks.

350/3500 SRW trucks have payloads of 3,000 to 4,200 lbs

350/3500 dually trucks have over 5,000lbs of payload. About 5,300 to 5,700lbs.

The rear axles carry the weight.
250/2500 trucks have a rear axle capacity of 6,200lbs
350/3500 SRW trucks have a rear axle capacity of 7,300lbs approx.
Dually trucks have a rear axle capacity of around 10,000lbs.

[Goodspike]

Originally Posted by swavescatter

I think your choice should be F350 DRW or F450. That’s a heavy rig.

I would agree.

What’s the trailer GVWR? Ignore dry weights those are useless.

For a toy hauler I might agree, but otherwise not. My trailer is just under 4,000 pounds, with a 7,000 pound GVWR. The only way I'd get anywhere near 7,000 pounds is if I had Lucile Ball travelling with me. (She collected souvenir boulders.)

https://youtu.be/1HZvFxEn5k8?t=246

[Old-Biscuit]

Dry weights are only good for figuring what tongue/pin weight ratio.

Otherwise ignore Dry Weights cause NOBODY tows DRY
Add in full propane, batteries, options etc

That is why you look at GVWR
Can you realistically tow that full weight?
Can you handle the WET Tongue/Pin weights based on at least the ratio from the dry weights being applied to the GVWR??

IF trailer GVWR is more then truck then get lighter trailer or bigger truck

That Montana 381 is a 17,000# GVWR trailer
Has a Dry Pin Ratio of 24%
Wet Pin would be roughly 4000# plus

That requires a DRW ===350/3500 DRW at least
Not in 250/2500 range

[rubberduckie]

Thanks, not going with a F-450 need to look at smaller lighter trailer.

[BCooke]

450 is not necessary.
But if you look as specs (don't have current by me, in my truck) even if a SRW would work, if you will be towing anywhere but where it is flat I would go DRW.
1st trailer was a Forest River Wildwood Sport with a GVWR of 14k and a F350 crew SRW... Moved to a dually with the same trailer, world of difference.

[Goodspike]

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

Dry weights are only good for figuring what tongue/pin weight ratio.

Otherwise ignore Dry Weights cause NOBODY tows DRY
Add in full propane, batteries, options etc

That is why you look at GVWR

No, again you look at what the actual weight of the trailer will be when you load it up. There's no reason for me to assume I'm going to put 3,000 pounds of stuff in my trailer just because it has a 7,000 pound capacity and a dry weight of 4,000. I'm not even sure what I would do to put that much stuff in a 21' trailer.

Restricting yourself by the GVWR of the trailer merely restricts you to fewer axles and a more flimsy frame.

[mistercee]

Originally Posted by Goodspike

No, again you look at what the actual weight of the trailer will be when you load it up. There's no reason for me to assume I'm going to put 3,000 pounds of stuff in my trailer just because it has a 7,000 pound capacity and a dry weight of 4,000. I'm not even sure what I would do to put that much stuff in a 21' trailer.

Restricting yourself by the GVWR of the trailer merely restricts you to fewer axles and a more flimsy frame.

I'm in the camp that you have no choice but to look at GVWR.

Dry weight of this trailer is 13.6K. Pretty sure even lightly loaded that is pushing DRW territory. Fully understand that most people rarely hit the trailer's GVWR but on the other hand, why would you want to buy and then load up the new camper, weigh it and then say, oh sh*t, I need a bigger truck, sure wish I hadn't bought that 2020 F250 diesel with 2400 lbs of payload.

Given the choice, IMHO, it's far easier (and safer) to base things on trailer GVWR and go from there

[Goodspike]

Originally Posted by mistercee

I'm in the camp that you have no choice but to look at GVWR.

Dry weight of this trailer is 13.6K.

Well I don't know what the GVWR of that trailer is, but it's probably not 175% of the dry weight like mine is (4000 vs. 7000). With that much higher of a weight I doubt there's that significant of a percentage difference between what it's rated to carry and what you might actually carry.

[Old-Biscuit]

Originally Posted by Goodspike

Well I don't know what the GVWR of that trailer is, but it's probably not 175% of the dry weight like mine is (4000 vs. 7000). With that much higher of a weight I doubt there's that significant of a percentage difference between what it's rated to carry and what you might actually carry.

Trailer OP is eyeballing has a GVWR of 17000#

Dry pin is 3200#

DRW territory

Simple........

[Goodspike]

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

Trailer OP is eyeballing has a GVWR of 17000#

Dry pin is 3200#

DRW territory

Simple........

That wasn't the issue being discussed. The issue was whether you go by GVWR or what the trailer will actually weigh once you load it up.

[Old-Biscuit]

[Goodspike]

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

Read posts 4, 8, 9 and 10.

I've not discussed pin weight or size of truck at all, other than briefly agreeing with swavescatter's opinion in post 4.

So . . . .

Trailer OP is eyeballing has a GVWR of 17000#

Dry pin is 3200#

DRW territory

Simple........

Completely off point, irrelevant and non-responsive.