Hi all,New to the forum, and RVing. I have a F250 with 1865 lbs of payload capacity. By my back of the envelope calculations, most 5th wheel trailers, even the ones advertised as HT towable, will put me over the limit. What we'd like to get is something like the Grand Design Reflection 28BH (https://www.granddesignrv.com/showroom/2018/fifth-wheel/reflection/floorplans/28bh), dry weight 9000, hitch weight 1545. Fully loaded this trailer will put perhaps 1800 lbs of weight on the hitch, already putting me right at the limit without ~350 lbs of passengers, plus the hitch. Do I need a bigger truck / lighter trailer to be safe? Can I do some modifications to the truck such as air shocks?

Welcome to the forum!This is a subject talked about often on the forum. While you don't give any details of your 250, I's suspect a heavy diesel engine using up much of your class 2 limited payload. Since a FW pin wt is over the rear axle, most use the RAWR/tire load rating, to determine how much FW pin wt can be carried. If you weigh your truck rear axle, with full fuel, passengers, gear, hitch, etc, you will know what is left for FW pin.Example...loaded truck rear axle wt 3500, and RAWR 6100, will leave 2600 for loaded ready to camp FW pin wt.Yes you can add air bags to level the load if needed, but with that FW, you may not need them.Jerry

I don’t believe in exceeding payload and with that RV you will. A nice TT won’t.

Dang, my F150 has #1920 payload according to the sticker... You do have a full float rear end, so a lot higher rear GAWR than I do, so you just gotta do what you gotta do I'd say... I'd pay more attention to the axle rating than payload, so as long as you don't go over that, I don't think you'll implode.. But, it's all up to you what you are comfortable with... Some won't go over payload, no matter what, and other's are okay with it.. Fickle crowd here.. ;)Good luck!Mitch

My thought would be if the dry weight is 9000 lbs., the loaded weight will be around 11,000 lbs. That would put the hitch weight at 2200 lbs., or more, figuring 20 percent hitch weight. If you're over with a hitch weight of 1800 lbs. you'll be over more with the trailer loaded to travel.

MFL wrote:Welcome to the forum!This is a subject talked about often on the forum. While you don't give any details of your 250, I's suspect a heavy diesel engine using up much of your class 2 limited payload. Since a FW pin wt is over the rear axle, most use the RAWR/tire load rating, to determine how much FW pin wt can be carried. If you weigh your truck rear axle, with full fuel, passengers, gear, hitch, etc, you will know what is left for FW pin.Example...loaded truck rear axle wt 3500, and RAWR 6100, will leave 2600 for loaded ready to camp FW pin wt.Yes you can add air bags to level the load if needed, but with that FW, you may not need them.JerryThanks Jerry. Yes, it's a 6.7L diesel. I'll weigh the rear axle I suppose to see where I am on that constraint. It was a bit surprising to me to find this out, since I assumed an F250 that can tow 15k lbs would be able to handle the hitch weight no problem.

F250 payload capacity and hitch weight | Good Sam Community

MFL
Nomad II
Oct 14, 2017
Welcome to the forum!

This is a subject talked about often on the forum. While you don't give any details of your 250, I's suspect a heavy diesel engine using up much of your class 2 limited payload. Since a FW pin wt is over the rear axle, most use the RAWR/tire load rating, to determine how much FW pin wt can be carried. If you weigh your truck rear axle, with full fuel, passengers, gear, hitch, etc, you will know what is left for FW pin.

Example...loaded truck rear axle wt 3500, and RAWR 6100, will leave 2600 for loaded ready to camp FW pin wt.

Yes you can add air bags to level the load if needed, but with that FW, you may not need them.

Jerry
Lwiddis
Explorer II
Oct 14, 2017
I don’t believe in exceeding payload and with that RV you will. A nice TT won’t.
MitchF150
Explorer III
Oct 14, 2017
Dang, my F150 has #1920 payload according to the sticker...

You do have a full float rear end, so a lot higher rear GAWR than I do, so you just gotta do what you gotta do I'd say...

I'd pay more attention to the axle rating than payload, so as long as you don't go over that, I don't think you'll implode.. But, it's all up to you what you are comfortable with... Some won't go over payload, no matter what, and other's are okay with it.. Fickle crowd here.. ;)

Good luck!

Mitch
fj12ryder
Explorer III
Oct 14, 2017
My thought would be if the dry weight is 9000 lbs., the loaded weight will be around 11,000 lbs. That would put the hitch weight at 2200 lbs., or more, figuring 20 percent hitch weight. If you're over with a hitch weight of 1800 lbs. you'll be over more with the trailer loaded to travel.
figgins
Explorer
Oct 14, 2017
MFL wrote:
Welcome to the forum!

This is a subject talked about often on the forum. While you don't give any details of your 250, I's suspect a heavy diesel engine using up much of your class 2 limited payload. Since a FW pin wt is over the rear axle, most use the RAWR/tire load rating, to determine how much FW pin wt can be carried. If you weigh your truck rear axle, with full fuel, passengers, gear, hitch, etc, you will know what is left for FW pin.

Example...loaded truck rear axle wt 3500, and RAWR 6100, will leave 2600 for loaded ready to camp FW pin wt.

Yes you can add air bags to level the load if needed, but with that FW, you may not need them.

Jerry

Thanks Jerry. Yes, it's a 6.7L diesel. I'll weigh the rear axle I suppose to see where I am on that constraint. It was a bit surprising to me to find this out, since I assumed an F250 that can tow 15k lbs would be able to handle the hitch weight no problem.
figgins
Explorer
Oct 14, 2017
fj12ryder wrote:
My thought would be if the dry weight is 9000 lbs., the loaded weight will be around 11,000 lbs. That would put the hitch weight at 2200 lbs., or more, figuring 20 percent hitch weight. If you're over with a hitch weight of 1800 lbs. you'll be over more with the trailer loaded to travel.

I figured same percentage as dry hitch weight, around 17%, and perhaps not loaded to the very limit. At GVWR that assumption would put me at 1900 lbs hitch weight - just over the limit, but without passengers and weight of the hitch itself.
fj12ryder
Explorer III
Oct 14, 2017
I've yet to see a 5th wheel that has less than 20 percent hitch weight. Yours may be the exception, but probably not. Especially as a lot of the added weight will be forward of the axles. Only way to tell for sure is by weighing it.
bluie5
Explorer
Oct 14, 2017
Research the Andersen Ultimate 5th wheel hitches. They only weigh about 40 pounds. If you have a short bed the Andersen will help with clearance too.
stickdog
Explorer
Oct 14, 2017
I suggest you go to a big box lumber yard. purchase 2500 pounds of sand in nice fifty pound bags, load your F250 up drive around for a week with it. If at the end of the week you feel comfortable with it then your good to go with the new 5th wheel. Don't forget to keep your receipt unless you need 2500#'s of sand.
Poppy_s_5th_Whe
Explorer
Oct 14, 2017
Yeah, actually the pin should be more like 20% than 17% for handling reasons. I am also surprised your F250 is only rated at 1865 lbs. Is that from the door sticker? Glad to see you're concerned though. In your planning you would be better served by looking at the gross weights and corresponding pin weights. So in the case of the 28HB you're looking at a GVWR of 10,995 or a pin of nearly 2,200 lbs. Sorry but the old story of smaller trailer or bigger truck may apply here.