you need more towing and payload capacity you will well over.

 

The trailer size needs to budge. Heartland makes some great trailers, but you're going to need to think smaller.
1. As you pointed out, Dry weight is not tow weight.
2. With a SRW, you likely have a 3.73 gear ratio. That is going to lower your towing capacity to closer to 10K. Check your owners manual.
3. Another option is a travel trailer that you pull behind. "Standard bed"- I'm guess 6.5' bed? If you are set on a 5er, also look into a slider hitch that allows the hitch to slide back for close quarter backing up.
4. All the above should be considered to keep you and your family as safe as possible while traveling.

Good luck with your search.
FYI - I drive an '01 F350 CCLB that pulls our 12K GVW 5er.

 

Can you link to a new good slider and more details on sliding back for close quarters?

My wife has a turn over ball but never got the 5th wheel hitch

 

I tow a 35’ fifth wheel with our 03 cc 2wd and also with the 04 sc 4wd. It weighs a little under 13k fully loaded. I am a bit over payload and well under axle weight so, I accept that. Both trucks pull and stop perfectly. I have a Pullrite sliding hitch that I love.

Having said that, I would never pull anything heavier with these trucks. Plenty of people do on a daily basis but, not this guy.

Look at fifth wheels in the 32-35’ range and look closely at pin weight. When I’m pulling out fifth wheel, I have nothing in the bed and it is typically just me in the cab. I offload the propane tanks to the other truck along with camping gear etc. (my wife follows in the other truck) to keep weight down. The 2wd offers a better towing experience than the 4wd we own. Smoother and better mpg too. The 2wd however will not get out of its own way on slippery grass or soft soil; 4wd is superior in that regard.

 

look closely at pin weight.

Agreed. IMO pin weight is one of the most important things to know. Trailer builders lie.

 

I have a 15 F250 and i have a 32' 5th wheel and I am almost maxed out. I am going a little longer soon with a 35' grand design. A bunkhouse trailers are very heavy and I would not tow that with my truck. This is a case where you buy the cart you want then get the hose to go with it. If you do decide on a different truck a 15 F350 would work but even then it's a stretch. You would need toe 11,000 payload package with heaver axles and springs. Your registration will be stupid high. I pay over $500 for mine in the bay area.

 

I really don't think you'll have enough payload with that truck. The camper is probably somewhere around 16000 loaded. Just water will be 1000 pounds. So you're talking 3200 (20%‐ 25% of GTW) on the pin plus your family and whatever else you have in the cab. So that's approaching 4000 pounds of payload capacity you need. You need to dig into the specs on the truck.

 

Axle and tires weights are what you are concerned with. Both are fine. GVWR is what the stickers says for buyer comparison. Payload weight is GVWR less the actual weight of the truck. Many RV delivery guys run 250's and pull those all the time. They are commercial and if they get checked it is axle and tires. You have the same Sterling axle as a 350, same brakes, tranny.

 

With a 5er it's the front axle you have to watch. Not the rear.

 

Smaller RV. No way I'd tow 42 feet with a SRW truck. Not enough dog to control the tail.
My 40 foot 5er is 16,300lbs. My F350 dually handles it very well, hardly know it's back there.

 

Not an RVer and nowhere near Cali, so take my ramblings here as you may. Will the truck pull it? Yes. Will you enjoy pulling it with said truck? Probably not. Will it be safe? Most likely a hail no. I pull trailers of that weight a good amount of the time, but again my rig is more like what The Bone has than what you have. Also it's all farm use and rarely over a 10-20 mile radius. The other RVers have given good advice.

 

Such great points and advice, Thank You!

I'll stick on the side of safety and look for a RV in the mid to low 30' range.
We are not against a bumper pull trailer, but prefer the room of a 5th wheel.

I did forget to mention (not that it changes much) the family will mostly be driving in another vehicle with a trailer that will have a substantial amount of our belongings enclosed, and the RV won't be traveling loaded with fresh or waste water.

The "standard bed" or what I consider standard, is a 6.5ft.

I was considering swapping the rear axle and equipment with a F350 DRW, and converting it to that for stability mainly, but I'm not saying that is a solution to the weight / overweight of the trailer.
Great advice on the sliding hitch, a pullrite has been on my radar.
A newer F350 DRW is a good thought, maybe something to consider sometime down the road.


I'm guessing that 4.10's are a little better for towing up mountains and low speeds? Cruising at 67mph my rpm is about 1936.
The axle weights and Gross weights are good points, I had been mildly aware of them but had not had them on the forefront of my thoughts.
The Tires are load range E with a stamped max rating of #3750 lbs per tire.

When making a dump run a few months ago, I seem to remember the weight (unloaded, but with 2 adults and fuel) mid #7,000's.

The trucks door tag:

The search will continue, these real bunkhouse models are few and far between!

Again, Thank you for the replies, You are really helping me out.

 

I know you have a 7.3 I have both a 02 7.3 and a 2011 6.7. the engine braking and technology in the newer 2011 makes handling soo much safer. Stuff that I tow with the 2011 I wouldn't tow with the 7.3. 02 is a f250 and the 2011 is a srw f350. I'm not encouraging you to overload but I tow a 43ft toy hauler weighting in at 17000lbs and the 11 handles it with ease, I would never even consider doing it with the 02 I love the 7.3 but the brakes are not designed for today's giant trailers. Smaller trailer is best bet, or a newer truck.

 

Hate to break it to you but the brakes on the newer trucks aren't designed to stop a 17,000 lb trailer either. Any trailers over about 5K should have their own brakes.

 

Thank you, I'll be looking to slide into a smaller 5th wheel or TT. 6.7 drw 350 or 450 would be nice, however 80k isn't something I want to spend on a tow vehicle right now, so the wiggle room will have to be in the trailer.

Side Note: Does anyone know about the 4 holes in the bed of the F250? They appear to be for mounting a 5th wheel hitch (factory mounts?)
My research has yielded zero results on this. The holes are through the bed into a thick metal, looks like a 1/4 turn lock in type of attachment.

 

Thank you, I'll be looking to slide into a smaller 5th wheel or TT. 6.7 drw 350 or 450 would be nice, however 80k isn't something I want to spend on a tow vehicle right now, so the wiggle room will have to be in the trailer.

Side Note: Does anyone know about the 4 holes in the bed of the F250? They appear to be for mounting a 5th wheel hitch (factory mounts?)
My research has yielded zero results on this. The holes are through the bed into a thick metal, looks like a 1/4 turn lock in type of attachment.

Could you post a picture of the holes?

 

Those holes are for the 5.th wheel puck system.

OE Series Puck Mounting System — "How it Works" | Fifth Wheel Hitches by PullRite

The main feature of an OE Puck mounting system are the mounting posts that install into the truck bed hard points (pucks).

pullrite.com

 

I use a 5th to gooseneck adapter, soon going to a Gen Y hitch. I had a B&W Companion once, the jaws didn't lock and took my tailgate out. With a gooseneck it is either on or it isn't.

 

This is strange. I guess the hitch was broken.

 

It would take an awful big 5th to worry about the front weight.

 

No, no it actually doesn't. It's really easy to drop a third of the pin weight in it. Often 20-25%. Sure, with some of the hitches, you can slide the mount back and put more weight in the rear axle. Then watch for overloading that one. Depends a lot on the set up. The OP is on the ragged edge.

 

I have not seen holes like that before. If the PO didn't use it for 5ers, "maybe" it was a gooseneck setup??????????
Does seem strange the center of the hole pattern is behind the axle. Suggestion: stop by an RV Dealer to see if their installers have ever seen this.

 

My 08 F350DRW has the hitch centered over the rear axle. It was installed by the RV dealership I purchased my 39’ Montana from. My RV has 4 slides with an approximate tow weight a bit over 12k. I never tow with anything in the water or waste tanks. Not only due to the weight, but also the possibility of holding tank failures. Of course, I only stay at camp sites with water & waste hookups. No way I would tow it with a SRW 250.
You also need to monitor your EGT’s closely when pulling. I had a friend purchase a 2012 6.7 SRW to pull a 40’ toy hauler with all options. He sent a rod through the block at 11k miles pulling a mountain highway pass at 70mph. I towed his trailer home & climbed the same pass at 40mph after showing him the extreme egt’s needed to pull it at the posted 70 mph speed limit. He had the engine replaced under warranty fortunately & promptly traded it in for a 350DRW. He also had a pyrometer gauge installed immediately upon delivery of the new truck.

 

I was hoping that the bed hole set up was familiar haha, I'll swing by the dreaded camping world and see if/what they know.

If I understand it correctly, "the evil twin" was speaking on actually mounting the hitch further back, not an stationary mounted hitch that slides.

Interesting point on the Gooseneck hitch, especially that it can be converted on the trailer, my knowledge of that design is basically zero, so I'll look into it more, thanks for bringing it up!

Am I an the "ragged edge" because of the axle weight for the front end, or the massive 5th wheel I initially posted about pulling? 😂

Whatever the RV dealer says about the holes, I'll be sure and post an update, because there has to be someone else out there that has the same question.

 

Looks like some kind of aftermarket 5th wheel puck under bed mount. It’s not installed properly if it’s behind the axle. As for weights I have a properly installed 5th wheel hitch and on my CCLB the weight added to the front axle is hardly measurable. I have scaled it many times and I have air suspension and I don’t have to adjust air up front when I hook up. Out back my air goes from 7psi to 65psi. I would guess under 200lbs. Your talking 2400lbs at 20% for my trailer and the hitch is mounted maybe 2” in front of axle centerline with close to 18’ between wheels. Sure someone with some time could do the math.

 

It's not the weight that is the issue, it's the 42' wind sail that can cause a problem, I would want a dually to tow that for sure. I would rather tow 18K of steel on a flatbed than a 13K 40' 5th wheel.

 

I would tend to agree with you.

 

Went to the Ford Dealer, they did not know for sure what the bed holes could be for, estimated it must be for a aftermarket hitch, but it does not have a brand stamped on it. Also swung by a shop that specializes in trailers and installs, he was confused at the wide spacing of the holes and different spacing, also he did not think there was Any 5th wheel set up that would set in the hole/mounts.
The trailer shop did show me a Anderson Ultimate hitch kit, and underbed flip over gooseneck ball, out the door $2,400 installed. It looks like a nice system. However he says the current mounts under the bed Will have to be removed, whatever I end up doing.

A couple pictures from both front and back of the mount points. I think at this point, I'll probably scrap the system and go with a different under bed setup. That Anderson setup seemed pretty nice.

We have found some 5th wheel's that are closer to the 10k mark, so we should be good on weight!

Front mount point.

Rear mount point.

 

That looks like a pull rite super rail kit.

 

This does look like the same designer made my kit and this one. I have reached out to the Pullrite company for assistance in completing a setup. Thank you for finding that, really good catch!

Hopefully you got some more information on the hitch to save some dough. Ive gone by this rule of thumb for 5th wheels at least. its a GENERALIZATION of course. subtract 1500-2000lbs from the trailer weight. Use that as a starting point because living in a 5th wheel... You'll probably have food, water, tools, living supplies, (pots pans, some water, supplies in general) plus the bodies in the truck. It all adds up. So say you are "technically capped" at 13.1 for hypothetical. get a trailer thats like 10-11.5k in dry weight and start there. People and supplies for living add up.

Also when living in a 5th wheel be prepared:
-They aren't designed for full time living. Hinges, plumping, electrical, will all wear out faster and when you are just in that mindset it wont be as frustrating for all the little annoyances...
-Clothes take up a ton of room. Kids are messy, find a system and stay with it for when you stop to get out. Keep things organized, labeled, and get in a routine to know exactly where everything goes and how it goes. It will save a ton of time...
-Road service, towing etc. 99% most auto insurance wont cover a 5th wheel. Look into a good credit card, good sam, and possibly AAA added writers.
-Maintenance---The truck will be an increased expense. Keep up on fluids and filters and don't forget the transmission, differentials, t-case, etc. Tires-Air pressure air pressure, air pressure.... keep an eye on hubs for the trailer too.

Supurb advice on the trailer living. I'll take it!
We won't be traveling much at all, except initially. Good thought on the towing, we have the AAA rv premium just in case.

 

Hopefully you got some more information on the hitch to save some dough. Ive gone by this rule of thumb for 5th wheels at least. its a GENERALIZATION of course. subtract 1500-2000lbs from the trailer weight. Use that as a starting point because living in a 5th wheel... You'll probably have food, water, tools, living supplies, (pots pans, some water, supplies in general) plus the bodies in the truck. It all adds up. So say you are "technically capped" at 13.1 for hypothetical. get a trailer thats like 10-11.5k in dry weight and start there. People and supplies for living add up.

Also when living in a 5th wheel be prepared:
-They aren't designed for full time living. Hinges, plumping, electrical, will all wear out faster and when you are just in that mindset it wont be as frustrating for all the little annoyances...
-Clothes take up a ton of room. Kids are messy, find a system and stay with it for when you stop to get out. Keep things organized, labeled, and get in a routine to know exactly where everything goes and how it goes. It will save a ton of time...
-Road service, towing etc. 99% most auto insurance wont cover a 5th wheel. Look into a good credit card, good sam, and possibly AAA added writers.
-Maintenance---The truck will be an increased expense. Keep up on fluids and filters and don't forget the transmission, differentials, t-case, etc. Tires-Air pressure air pressure, air pressure.... keep an eye on hubs for the trailer too.

 

Looks like you got plenty of legal advice and all worth the read. Now real world, I had two 7.3s then 6.0 now 6.7. I shutter at that the thought of pulling over 10k with 7.3. You’re going to be holding up traffic everywhere you go. Even semis. Avoid hills. You won’t run that setup long I promise. Three trips and you’ll be making payments on a 6.7. Don’t dump too much money in that 7.3! Sure anything can be done. Best of luck.

 

Nonsense, my 7.3 tows 10K easily. I can run 80 uphill on the Interstate and not even downshift. Even with a stock 7.3 I can tow 10K and keep up with traffic easily. Sounds like you have only driven 7.3s that weren't running right.

 

Load your truck up with the wife, kids, dog and a full tank of fuel and get it weighed. Make a note of your GAWRs and GVWR. Then calculate what capacity you really have available. When you look at trailers, the only number you can believe is the trailer's GVWR. Once loaded for a long trip, expect to be pushing that. Up to 25% of the trailer's actual weight may be resting mostly over your rear axle. The published empty trailer weight is without batteries, propane and who knows what else so the manufacturer can show how light it is! And don't forget about the weight of the hitch you decide to go with -- that can be another couple hundred pounds.

 

I have been towing a 2011 keystone cougar 28’, weighs 8k dry with my 2005 f250 6.0 for about 6 years on trips in Northern California and that is about as heavy as I would want towing over any pass in California especially in the summer. On flat land you would be fine with a larger trailer but once you hit any of the passes the truck would struggle.

 

I just don’t understand this. Both of our trucks pull and stop our fifth wheel perfectly, even when towing up and down steep grades. Granted, we keep everything tip-top. We have no problem keeping up with the speed limit and accelerating up hills when needed. Plenty of reserve power.

 

13 f250 crew 4x4 regular box 6.7, all stock.
I bumper pull a 33' (38' overall)ft jayco with a bunkhouse slide, kitchen slide, and dinette slide. Sleeps up to 10. Hitch weight is 900lbs, towing weight is 9500-10000k. Has more than enough room for my family of 4 and guests. Doesn't have the high ceilings and some of the fancy 5th wheel stuff. Truck pulls it great. I added rear f350 springs and blocks, and overload springs so the truck now has a rake. I still use a weight distribution hitch to help with the windy conditions.