ETowing capacity on 2000 Tioga 23' Ford E350 V8

Your GCWR is only 13,000 pounds, which does not leave a whole lot of towing capacity.

GCWR-(actual weight) = tow capacity. Keep in mind the same chassis with the V10 is rated quite a bit higher,and GCWR is mostly a performance rating. In other words... Going over 13,000 pounds will slow you down and burn more fuel, but performance is subjective.

In addition, you have to be careful that the tongue weight will not overload your rear axle. If you have not weighed it yet, you'll want to, to ensure you even have rear axle capacity left for a trailer. Running too heavy in the rear usually means too light on the front end, and that can cause handling problems. A weight distribution hitch can help mitigate that, but you will need to upgrade from the standard RV hitch to use weight distribution (E350 van receivers fit). You may need to do that anyways because most RVs of that era only had a 3,500# hitch receiver.

Yes maybe around 2,500-3,500 pounds. Should of got the V-10!

I've towed horse trailers with my 31 ft MH.

That said the MOST important thing is the hitch. I spent well over $1,000 to have the 'correct' hitch put on my MH for hauling my 2 and 4 place trailers. Take your MH to a horse trailer dealership and get the lowdown on what we do to our MH's to make them horse worthy. The hitch the MH came with is most likely not going to hack it.

You will struggle with pulling with an 8 cyl and be at or over your towing capacity when loaded up. Probably not what you wanted to hear but better now than later on down the road.

rockhillmanor wrote:
That said the MOST important thing is the hitch. I spent well over $1,000 to have the 'correct' hitch put on my MH for hauling my 2 and 4 place trailers.

I'm curious as to what kind of engineering it took for a special hitch design that does NOT make use of, or depend on, the frame extensions that Class C motorhome builders have to weld onto the OEM's chassis frame? I thought it's those welded-on frame extensions that are the main limitation to having some real heavy duty hitches come stock on, or installed by the owners on, Class C motorhomes.

I have towed both my 3000 lb boat and my 4,000 lb FJ40 Landcruiser behind my 2000 Tioga 22C on the E350 chassis equipped with the Triton 5.4L V8. It did very well for all of the weight and even climbed the Cajon pass at 45 mph but required me to run the engine at 3800 to 4000 rpm to do it. On level ground I could even sometimes use overdrive. Not the best engine for the job in a motorhome, but it always got the job done and is reliable. I disliked the lack of torque from the 5.4, so I traded up to a 6.0L Chevrolet chassis and love the engines torque, even in overdrive.

pnichols wrote:

rockhillmanor wrote:
That said the MOST important thing is the hitch. I spent well over $1,000 to have the 'correct' hitch put on my MH for hauling my 2 and 4 place trailers.

I'm curious as to what kind of engineering it took for a special hitch design that does NOT make use of, or depend on, the frame extensions that Class C motorhome builders have to weld onto the OEM's chassis frame? I thought it's those welded-on frame extensions that are the main limitation to having some real heavy duty hitches come stock on, or installed by the owners on, Class C motorhomes.

A number of years ago I had a metal fabrication shop make a custom hitch for my 24' Coachmen. They built a heavy duty hitch which bolted into the E 350 frame rails ahead of the "relatively" short Coachmen frame extension.
Mine was less than $300.

Thanks for the info. everyone. The E350 V8 is not what I really want to have for hauling my horse, so I think I am going to pass on this one. I really want a smaller motorhome, something in the 24' range that has a V10 and is an E450. Since my daughter and I do not use it very much except for horse shows, I don't want to break the bank with one either. I think I'll just keep my eyes posted for the right one.

gfbishop,

If I were planning on towing a multi-horse trailer, I would be looking at a specially ordered rig with horses in-mind.

The company that built our rig will strengthen the frame extension to accommodate a heavier tow condition. They also will build upon request, their short E350-V10 rigs on an E450-V10 chassis. I understand that both upgrades are charged at cost.

You would rest well with a shorter lighter weighted motor home with the stronger frame & brakes of an E450-V10, and a special frame extension & hitch for your multi-horse trailer.

I feel that when it comes to horses, you need to add a lot of extra margin over what the average motor home can offer. It's not just the weight alone, but potentially unstable shifting weight. I suppose if your horse towing travels remain local, you could get by with less. But if traveling the country, I recommend a setup with that extra margin. Traveling the country will present you with all kinds of road conditions where the extra margin will help keep everyone and everything safe.

gfbishop wrote:
I am new to this forum and need some advice.

Thought you might like another option to consider.

Thor Industries makes the Four Winds Majestic for Cruise America (the RV rental Co.) They have lots of 23ft models (23A) on the Ford E-450 with the V-10 engine, more than powerful enough to tow a horse trailer.

I bought a 2007 23A from them and love it. Thor uses commercial grade interiors and appliances to meet the demand of a rental unit. They do come with high mileage (100k to 150K) but that is not necessarily a bad thing, as they are "fleet maintained" and get regular scheduled servicing. Repairs/replacements are made as needed. Prices range from 19k-30k depending on model, year, and mileage.

Their web site has a "sales" tab if you are interested in just checking them out. They also offer financing (7%) and extended warranty coverage on both the powertrain and coach (cheapest coverage around, they don't mark it up for the profit).

If you decide to look into it further (they will let you try one out and rebate the cost if you buy), let me know. I would be glad to forward you the email of the sales manager I dealt with at their HQ in Phoenix.

Md_06Unltd wrote:

gfbishop wrote:
I am new to this forum and need some advice.

Thought you might like another option to consider.

Thor Industries makes the Four Winds Majestic for Cruise America (the RV rental Co.) They have lots of 23ft models (23A) on the Ford E-450 with the V-10 engine, more than powerful enough to tow a horse trailer.
.

The power of the V10 isn't an issue. Even with the 23A which is probably around 24' or so, it is the towing capacity, which is limited by the frame extension. Unless that issue is addressed, you're not rated to tow probably more than 5,000# on the newer units, and more likely 3,500# on older units.