Silerback 33RL & 2001 F-250

Thank you all for the good advice and suggestions.

I'm a Farrier at the racetrack so my truck currently has a Stonewell shoeing pack cover and equipment in the bed so weighing the rig at this time is not possible.

I have access to a Ford F-450 to pull and relocate a trailer so I can always do that and then make some decisions about the truck.

We intend to travel for about two years and let the three grown children settle down in an area before we buy our next home. After that we'll likely pull the trailer 2-3 months at a time to visit the son or daughter that is not in our immediate area.

JDJ

jdjimenez wrote:

ependydad wrote:
Your estimate of 7,000 pounds of a wet truck weight might be a little conservative. But, even still- if your GVWR is 8,800 - that means that you only have 1,800 pounds of payload available to you.

This payload needs to carry the pin weight of the camper- which is advertised *dry* at 2,015 pounds. Which means you're already over before adding 1 option on the order sheet, never mind anything the dealer adds (propane, battery/ies) nor anything personal in it.

The 2,015 pound hitch weight is approximately 19%. Once loaded up, you're likely look at 20-21% pin weight of your actual loaded weight. And, as was mentioned- since you plan on full-timing it, that'll likely but you close up to the camper's GVWR which is 14,000. That means, you'll likely have a pin weight of 2,800-2,900 pounds which puts you at a truck weight of 9,800-9,900 or a full 1,000+ pounds over GVWR.

So it looks like if I attempt to pull virtually any 5th wheel I will be doing so illegally.

JDJ

There is no legality (that I know of) that applies to the truck's gross weight rating. However, from reading a few posts by lawyers and law enforcement folks (at least as far as can be validated from, "I'm a lawyer/LEO")- it sounds like your liability *can* increase in an overloaded situation in case there is an accident both civilly and legally. In a case like yours where you're very likely at or already over with dry weights, I'd be concerned if something ever happened.

I personally choose not to tow overloaded. I bought an expensive truck to go with my expensive camper, but I'm within all of my ratings even at my heaviest weights (and have truck stop scale tickets to prove it).

I'll likely take my lumps- but I would be willing to guess that lots of people with 3/4-ton trucks (250/2500) are over one or more ratings - especially those who are pulling bigger rigs. Most of the time this is OK. It all comes down to the driver, their experience and background.

--

Anyway, I think the best first step is to load the truck up like you imagine that you would for travelling (wife included) and take it to a scale. That'll tell you exactly what you can carry for the hitch weight. And then from the hitch weight, you can extrapolate the weight of a camper that you can tow to stay within your ratings (divide the (GVWR minus the wet truck weight) by .2 will give you an approximate pin weight that you can carry).

camperfamily wrote:
Adding air bags won't change your legal weight. That stays the same at 8800. It also won't change the axel or tire ratings. I don't THINK there is much difference to a F350 for that model year - maybe just springs. The 350 SRW were rated at 9900# GVWR and 20,000 GCVW.

Lots of people tow over limits with these and other trucks. The toughest challenge is facing a problem or emergency ahead. Will a 250 be able to steer away and brake at maximum force while maintaining control? I don't want to find out when someone comes out in front of me. As a parent I always picture a child running out or looking up at me through a side window as I helplessly try to avoid a collision.

Good luck with your decision. Exercise your good judgement.

I think biggest difference is axles. F250 and f350 have different ratings.
OP 2001 f250 gvwr is 8800 fawr is 4250 rawr is 6084
My 2002 f350 gvwr is 9900 fawr is 5200 rawr is 6830

I pull my signature 5er with a 2001 F250. I have, over the years, made a few mods to the truck. A 6.0L tranny cooler is a must. You are in So Cal only a couple hundred miles from John Wood. He is in Holtville near El Centro. He builds Tow Master trannies for the 7.3. With that trannie and his billet triple disc torque converter the old truck will be good for many years.

a64armt wrote:
We are going through a similar situation now, getting a 2008 F250 ready to tow a 5th wheel.

Depending on what the other upgrades you have planed will cost, you might be at a point where selling/trading your truck for a same year/newer used 1 ton might be a viable or more cost effective option. In the end, I decided to upgrade since we like the SRW ease of parking, driving etc and fuel economy & taxes, but it was tough and we almost made the move to a DRW 1 ton. I just hope we don't buy a 5er and then 2 months later decide to step up to a larger truck, I will be quite mad at myself.

I suggest you price out the upgrades and make sure it is what you want to do.

OJ

While the 2008 F250 does have slightly more capacity than a 2001, here is what we have done to prepare our truck.

Air Lift 88398 LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate Air Spring Kit with Internal Jounce Bumper $374.65
Air Lift Company 25870 Wireless One (compressor) $316.87
Heavy Duty Bilstein Shock Absorbers (Front & rear) $307.80
FRONT Sway Bar (1 1/4" diameter) $200.95
REAR Big Wig Sway Bar (1 5/16" Diameter) $340.95

These items will have to be done for almost any truck to prepare for a 5er, but some used models might include these items (or equivalent).


PullRite 0841 Super 5th SuperRail Mounting Kit - 16K/20K Load Capacity $429.17
Hensley BD3 Hitch (used) w/adapters $1270.00
5th Wheel/Gooseneck 90-Degree Wiring Harness w/ 7-Pole Plug $111.94

Wow, don't know what you plan on towing with that F250, looks like you may have bought the wrong 250/2500.

The only item in your list that I have added, is a full set of Bilstien 5100 shocks. Only because the ones on the TV at the time were the factory originals at 255,000 miles and they still did a decent job.

Other than that factory stock suspension, and I don't even engage the factory overloads with my 2K pin.

Adding air bags won't change your legal weight. That stays the same at 8800. It also won't change the axel or tire ratings. I don't THINK there is much difference to a F350 for that model year - maybe just springs. The 350 SRW were rated at 9900# GVWR and 20,000 GCVW.

Lots of people tow over limits with these and other trucks. The toughest challenge is facing a problem or emergency ahead. Will a 250 be able to steer away and brake at maximum force while maintaining control? I don't want to find out when someone comes out in front of me. As a parent I always picture a child running out or looking up at me through a side window as I helplessly try to avoid a collision.

Good luck with your decision. Exercise your good judgement.

jdjimenez wrote:
One thing I'm concerned about is being legal and not voiding my insurance in case of an accident.

If air bags are added after market does the 8800lbs GVWR LEGALLY go up or is that a gray area?

JDJ

Air bags do not add anything to manufacturers GVWR, you got some very inaccurate advice from that e-mail or anyone else telling you that. However, GVWR is not a legal limit. The legal limits are your axle ratings, tire rating both of which can not be exceeded per federal DOT regulations. Your registered vehicle wieght is also a limitation in some states, but you just a write a bigger check to get a bigger number up until you need CDL wieght restrictions (typically 26,000# combined). If you load/carry up to the axle ratings you will be over your GVWR with a FW setup, but that is not illegal, might cause you some warrenty issues but with a 2001 I don't think that would be an issue.

One thing I'm concerned about is being legal and not voiding my insurance in case of an accident.

If air bags are added after market does the 8800lbs GVWR LEGALLY go up or is that a gray area?

JDJ

a64armt wrote:
We are going through a similar situation now, getting a 2008 F250 ready to tow a 5th wheel.

Depending on what the other upgrades you have planed will cost, you might be at a point where selling/trading your truck for a same year/newer used 1 ton might be a viable or more cost effective option. In the end, I decided to upgrade since we like the SRW ease of parking, driving etc and fuel economy & taxes, but it was tough and we almost made the move to a DRW 1 ton. I just hope we don't buy a 5er and then 2 months later decide to step up to a larger truck, I will be quite mad at myself.

I suggest you price out the upgrades and make sure it is what you want to do.

OJ


While the 2008 F250 does have slightly more capacity than a 2001, here is what we have done to prepare our truck.

Air Lift 88398 LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate Air Spring Kit with Internal Jounce Bumper $374.65
Air Lift Company 25870 Wireless One (compressor) $316.87
Heavy Duty Bilstein Shock Absorbers (Front & rear) $307.80
FRONT Sway Bar (1 1/4" diameter) $200.95
REAR Big Wig Sway Bar (1 5/16" Diameter) $340.95

These items will have to be done for almost any truck to prepare for a 5er, but some used models might include these items (or equivalent).

PullRite 0841 Super 5th SuperRail Mounting Kit - 16K/20K Load Capacity $429.17
Hensley BD3 Hitch (used) w/adapters $1270.00
5th Wheel/Gooseneck 90-Degree Wiring Harness w/ 7-Pole Plug $111.94

Thank you for these suggestions, they have also been printed.

JDJ

We are going through a similar situation now, getting a 2008 F250 ready to tow a 5th wheel.

Depending on what the other upgrades you have planed will cost, you might be at a point where selling/trading your truck for a same year/newer used 1 ton might be a viable or more cost effective option. In the end, I decided to upgrade since we like the SRW ease of parking, driving etc and fuel economy & taxes, but it was tough and we almost made the move to a DRW 1 ton. I just hope we don't buy a 5er and then 2 months later decide to step up to a larger truck, I will be quite mad at myself.

I suggest you price out the upgrades and make sure it is what you want to do.

OJ


While the 2008 F250 does have slightly more capacity than a 2001, here is what we have done to prepare our truck.

Air Lift 88398 LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate Air Spring Kit with Internal Jounce Bumper $374.65
Air Lift Company 25870 Wireless One (compressor) $316.87
Heavy Duty Bilstein Shock Absorbers (Front & rear) $307.80
FRONT Sway Bar (1 1/4" diameter) $200.95
REAR Big Wig Sway Bar (1 5/16" Diameter) $340.95

These items will have to be done for almost any truck to prepare for a 5er, but some used models might include these items (or equivalent).

PullRite 0841 Super 5th SuperRail Mounting Kit - 16K/20K Load Capacity $429.17
Hensley BD3 Hitch (used) w/adapters $1270.00
5th Wheel/Gooseneck 90-Degree Wiring Harness w/ 7-Pole Plug $111.94