I'm looking for a 5th wheel toy hauler to full time (work has me traveling a lot) and i'm looking for advice from people who have a truck about my size. Buying a pre-owned trailer. I have a 03' F350 dually diesel 6.0 the towing guide from Ford says that i'd be good with a 5th wheel up to 12,800 lbs or a GCWR of 20,000 (truck weighs about 8000lbs) truck runs great, I keep up with maintenance. This seems a little conservative to me but I don't want to get stuck with a setup that's not right. I see a lot of people on the highway pulling huge triple axle 5th wheels with F350's and I keep thinking they have to be over weight but the setup looks good, no sag and their speed seems good.Of course when ever I talk to a sales guy they say, "oh your truck is fine" etc, etc, etc... So since i'm pretty much living out of my trailer I want to get the biggest I can handle but I want to make sure I'm safe. Any advice or experience from anyone with a similar truck who's already been pulling a trailer? Thanks!(btw, i did look over the "Real Deal" section, looking for some advice conversation, thx!)

clickyYou can look at some of these, what you will find is the dry weight will be under your 12,500 but GVR will be over. Very few TH (even lite models) will have a GVR 12,500 or less. If you watch what you put into it and don't load the house into your TH you will have several to choose from. Good luck in your search.

If your truck has the 4:10 rear-end, then we have identical trucks. My fifth weighs 14,600 loaded and we have over 10,000 miles experience pulling it around the country. We converted to disk brakes on the trailer because I was not happy with the way it stopped. Now it stops with confidence. The truck does an excellent job pulling the trailer, but I am planning on getting a larger trailer in the future and a converted semi tractor to pull it.RTer

With fifth wheel towing it is not how much you can tow but how much pin weight you can put in the bed of your truck before overloading components. Truck weighs 8000 according to you or scales? GVWR is what? 9900? 10,200? If 9900, then you have a scant 1900 pounds of load carrying capacity before exceeding the mfg GVWR.

The '03 and '04 F350 6.0s are rated fairly low at 12,800. They took a significant jump in '05 to well over 15,000 for the SRW and over 16,000 for the DRW I believe due to suspension changes.

Ford Tow GuidesPrior to 2005 the GCVWR on the trucks just stopped at 20,000#. You could add the diesel, no change. Add the 4.10 rear, no change. Half way through the options and upgrades it just stopped at 20,000#.I'm at my 20,000# combined limit and the truck in tow haul, cruise set at 60 mph just drops a gear and runs up the hill.My pin weight is 2,600# on a 12,000# trailer and my GVWR is 11,500# I weight right at 8000# with us and fuel so that leave me 3,500# cargo minus the pin and I have 900# to spare.Good luck and do your own research

5th Wheel with 1 ton truck weight advice needed

25 Replies

mdamerell
Explorer
Apr 22, 2014
TheAmRheins wrote:
OK I just have to ask,what about the guy with the 1 ton and the 7000 lb plate on his truck.It weighs more than that empty.And I have seen them hooked to large 5er's

Often times they just move plate over from their old truck and don't think twice about it. Ran into a guy like that once. Never even dawned on him that his new truck weighed more than 7,000#.

In Indiana the weight of the RV is covered under the RV's registration. My F350 weights 8,000# with us in it so I have it plated for 9,000#. I can go to 14,000# plate before my insurance wants to move me to commercial. The 12,000# the RV weighs is covered by its registration. Since the GVWR on my F350 is 11,500# I've thought of upgrading it to the 12,000# tag just to cover my rear, but have not gotten there yet.

If I had a commercial, ie non-RV trailer I would have to be plated for my GCVWR.

RV Industry has a good lobby.
laknox
Nomad
Apr 22, 2014
sidney wrote:
This thread morphed into a crime :B

Send lawyers, guns and money... the $hit has hit the fan.

Dad! Get me outta this! :-)

Lyle
sidney
Explorer
Apr 22, 2014
This thread morphed into a crime :B

Send lawyers, guns and money... the $hit has hit the fan.
TheAmRheins
Explorer
Apr 22, 2014
OK I just have to ask,what about the guy with the 1 ton and the 7000 lb plate on his truck.It weighs more than that empty.And I have seen them hooked to large 5er's
BB_TX
Nomad
Apr 22, 2014
The sad and very frustrating part is if you google rv accident law firm you get an endless number of listings of law firms who claim to specialize in pursuing RV accident claims. Ambulance chasers? For sure. But no doubt the market is there for them.
Bird_Freak
Explorer II
Apr 22, 2014
avvidclif1 wrote:
BB_TX wrote:
As Dirty Harry said, you've gotta ask yourself a question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?

They are out there. From a law firm web site:

Collisions Involving Motor Homes and Camping Trailers

A motor home is a heavy brute that is hard to stop or steer under ideal road conditions, let alone wet weather, high wind or an imminent crash situation. If you or a loved one was badly injured in a tangle with an RV, The ****** Law Firm knows what to look for to demonstrate the negligence of the owner or driver.

We will pursue your rightful monetary damages for injuries or fatality for a recreational vehicle (RV) accident. Our firm handles personal injury accidents in Scottsdale, the Phoenix area and statewide Arizona

I am sure this is just one of many.

That's a law firm fishing for business. I asked for an example!

Answer disallowed.
That sounds like the scum type lawyers in Atlanta always advertising about those BIG DANGEROUS SEMI's.
avvidclif1
Explorer
Apr 22, 2014
BB_TX wrote:
As Dirty Harry said, you've gotta ask yourself a question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?

They are out there. From a law firm web site:

Collisions Involving Motor Homes and Camping Trailers

A motor home is a heavy brute that is hard to stop or steer under ideal road conditions, let alone wet weather, high wind or an imminent crash situation. If you or a loved one was badly injured in a tangle with an RV, The ****** Law Firm knows what to look for to demonstrate the negligence of the owner or driver.

We will pursue your rightful monetary damages for injuries or fatality for a recreational vehicle (RV) accident. Our firm handles personal injury accidents in Scottsdale, the Phoenix area and statewide Arizona

I am sure this is just one of many.

That's a law firm fishing for business. I asked for an example!

Answer disallowed.
JIMNLIN
Explorer III
Apr 22, 2014
BB_TX wrote:
JIMNLIN wrote:
...........
Now its true if a truck has been determined to be over its legally registered weight or a axle/tire weight and involved in a at fault accident then the operator can held liable. But for being over loaded above the truck makers GVWR it won't happen/it has not happened.

So, just to make it clear. It is fine to be over the weight ratings as long as you do not have an accident. But if you do, then you can be liable. Only then is it for the lawyers and courts to sort out. :S

Not for using GVWR to determine a trucks payload.
Lawyers and the courts can become involved for a vehicle being overweight from a legal perspective.
A newby lawyer may try to make a at fault liability case for a trucker to be involved in any civil case for carrying weight above the manufacturers GVWR. A judge/opposing attorney/prosecutor familiar with trucking laws would have a field day with the poor rookie lawyer and throw him and his wasted effort case out the door.

Anyhow the OP made a comment;
"I see a lot of people on the highway pulling huge triple axle 5th wheels with F350's and I keep thinking they have to be over weight but the setup looks good, no sag and their speed seems good."
And my reply simply laid it out for him as how it can and is done daily/legally by hundreds of thousands of truckers on the road and some even using a same truck he has and we pull our RVs with.
Me_Again
Explorer III
Apr 21, 2014
BB_TX wrote:
As Dirty Harry said, you've gotta ask yourself a question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?

They are out there. From a law firm web site:

Collisions Involving Motor Homes and Camping Trailers

A motor home is a heavy brute that is hard to stop or steer under ideal road conditions, let alone wet weather, high wind or an imminent crash situation. If you or a loved one was badly injured in a tangle with an RV, The ****** Law Firm knows what to look for to demonstrate the negligence of the owner or driver.

We will pursue your rightful monetary damages for injuries or fatality for a recreational vehicle (RV) accident. Our firm handles personal injury accidents in Scottsdale, the Phoenix area and statewide Arizona

I am sure this is just one of many.

So now we have ambulance chasers. They sure will stay busy with all the hotshot haulers!!!!!

Chris
Me_Again
Explorer III
Apr 21, 2014
donn0128 wrote:
Me Again wrote:

The State of Washington licensed my 8800 GVWR truck to 12K! I pay annual tonnage on that amount and that is the amount legally allowed on the truck in all 50 states. Chris

Just because the state of Greed, ERR Washington licenses your truck to carry 12,000 pounds does not make it prudent to do so. All they want is your money for the unrealistically high tags your willing to pay for your truck.

NO choice! They take tare weight times 1.5 and round up to the next even K. Chris