Towing capacities

[jonionthespot]

I have an 2001 F250 2wd, crew cab, super duty, long bed, with the 7.3 psd. The owners manual indicates that max towing capacity for this truck is 12,000 lbs. My friend has a 2005 chevy 1 ton dually with the Duramax and has max towing capacity is also 12,000 lbs. My question is if I can only tow 12,000 lbs how are these people pulling 18,000 lb 5th wheels? The owners manual does not state whether the 12,000 is bumper pull, goose neck, frame, or 5th wheel.

[Foamy]

I am not too sure but i am guessing you will find that a lot of these guys are well above what the "factory" rates the towing.

I have seen some 2500 duramax's pulling some of those 37+ foot 3 axle toy haulers. Any truck can pull more than they are rated, but good luck if there is an accident and you are found at fault(if you are or not, they will blame you) because you are above what the truck is rated for.

[realshelby]

Originally Posted by jonionthespot

I have an 2001 F250 2wd, crew cab, super duty, long bed, with the 7.3 psd. The owners manual indicates that max towing capacity for this truck is 12,000 lbs. My friend has a 2005 chevy 1 ton dually with the Duramax and has max towing capacity is also 12,000 lbs. My question is if I can only tow 12,000 lbs how are these people pulling 18,000 lb 5th wheels? The owners manual does not state whether the 12,000 is bumper pull, goose neck, frame, or 5th wheel.

If your truck is an automatic the fifth wheel tow rating is 13,200 lbs. Manual transmissions are rated at 13,100 lbs. As for why the newer trucks have higher ratings, it is because of FACTORY upgrades to the frame strength, spring ratings and mounting upgrades, Engine power, transmission durability, and maybe the most important is the braking upgrades. As an example, my '08 F350 ( F 250 has the same tow rating ) CC long bed 4x2 with diesel, auto, and 3.73 gears is rated to pull 15,800 lbs if I recall correctly. There are quite a few upgrades since the '01 model year that allow a 2,600 lb increase in towing capacity. The 15,800 covers a lot of the fifth wheel RV's out there. Anyone towing a triple axle fifth wheel with a single rear wheel truck is out of compliance. Period. Should they be in an accident, there fault or not, they could be found negligent for towing over the rated capacity of their vehicle. Lawyers would have a field day with this! These very large and heavy fifth wheels is EXACTLY why Ford came out with the F-450 dually package. Some of the F-350 DRW packages can tow more than the 15,800 my SRW does, but for the big stuff the F-450 is the way to go.

[icysmooth]

This is good information for everyone who wants to know

Do you know of a site that this info can be found on,in case someone doesn't have an owners manual?

[realshelby]

Tow ratings can be found on Manufacturers web sites. These are the ones that can be relied on. Usually all you need to do is do a "google" search such as "ford 2008 towing guide". I am most familiar with it. I am sure you can find similar sites for Dodge and GM. Note that conventional towing and fifth wheel towing are always different. Fifth wheel is higher because the load is over the axle instead of behind it. The weight of the vehicle is a factor, that is why they have the different cab designs listed differently. One factor overlooked is gear ratio. 4WD takes away from towing capacity. Wheel/tire size makes a difference, the 20" and larger tires don't have the rim pull torque rating of the 18" for instance. Spend some time researching this on a new or used truck. You will be VERY surprised as some of the ratings. This info will help choose the right tool for the job.

[jonionthespot]

WOW!!!! Thanks for the info, it differs greatly from my owners manual. It is very interesting to see the differences between 2wd, 4wd as well as convt. towing vs. 5th wheel towing. This answers many of my questions and makes me feel better about what I am towing.

[artsamm]

Keep in mind also, if you are conventional towing with a receiver hitch that the factory hitch is in many trucks are not rated too high for "weight carrying" towing. Factory hitch on my 04 f250 is weight carrying of 6000 lbs with a tongue weight of 600 lbs; and weight distributing towing of 15000 lbs with a 1500 lb tongue weight. Therefore a truck with a 12000 lb tow capacity with this hitch Cannot (should not) tow with this hitch unless they use a weight distribution hitch.
Yes. people are going to tow higher, but don't cry if you get into a wreck and your insurance says "nice knowing ya and thanks for the premiums"