Truck ride with big toy hauler

I have a 2011 F-450 4X4 with the 6.7 Diesel, 6 speed tranny, and 4:30 rear end gear ratio. The truck has plenty of snort to tow our 18K pound toyhauler. I too was disappointed at the sag in the rear with a load on. At the time I opted to beef up the leaf springs and overlaods. I went with a sequential leaf system which reduced the sag but stiffened the ride a bit. We have a Cyclone 3800 HD. We experianced very serious "chucking" when we first picked up our unit. I opted to install a 5th Airborne airride kingpin. That reduced the chucking about 65%. I have ordered airbags for the truck and waiting for the system to arrive and have it installed. Your F-350 should have plenty of power to move most any towable depending on gear ratio. I have not towed this rig in the snow. Frankly, I would not want to.

Regards

CabinetmakerII

I've read the air rides make a difference but have no personal experience. As for snowmobiles in toyhaulers.... really nice big toyhaulers, I'd invest in a snowmobile trailer. Enclosed trailers are the way to go plus you can always use the trailer for those summer day rides.

We ride in the Rocky Mountains in Montana & a lot of times the roads arent good enough to where I feel comfortable pulling my large TH up the mountain. besides the weather is usually to cold at that elevation for water so it's difficult for me to justify using my TH.

When the roads are nice & weather is warmer (usually spring riding) there can be a lot of melted snow (water) that ends up in the garage. If you clean if up right away it's ok. But over time it may present problems. There's nothing better though, than sledding back to your TH.

Also keep in mind that the track can tear up the garage floor.

The "Rancho" shocks that come on Fords are worthless. They aren't even a true Rancho manufactured shock. It is just a licensing agreement to use their name. Quality shocks like Bilstein, Icon or even dare I say it.....Rancho 9000 make a world of difference. If you really want top of the line, go with a remote reservoir shock.

What is the best shock out there ? Truck came with Ranchos. Agree with the other poster that ride is too soft.

Do the air-ride hitches on the pinbox make a difference, I believe you can get the Cyclone with them.

Air bags and the best quality shocks you can get on the truck will help...a lot. Airbags keep the truck off the overload springs and greatly improve the ride. A dually will be more stable and greatly enhance your towing experience. An exhaust brake on a diesel is mandatory IMO. My trailer also has an air ride hitch, and it seems to help too.
* Edit * 35% off is a good deal. 40 would be great. Depending on how long a dealer has had the unit sitting on the lot, or if its last year's model, will affect the price you get.

The newer Fords are far more "cushy" than the older ones. I actually don't like this but it seemed Ford was trying hard to appease the white collar crowd versus the blue collar ones. I have the F450 and was somewhat surprised at how much it sagged versus my '09 F350 SRW. In other words, your ride will be fine. You may even want to throw some air bags on it later on just to level things out. If the pin weight of the HD isn't one of the heavier ones, then it won't be too bad anyway. My pin weight is around 3300 - 3500 lbs.

As for price, my MSRP was $82,000 and I paid in the low $50,000s. If you're in Virginia anytime soon, RV Outlet will be your best bet pricewise.