Towing
My question is has anyone pulled a full size pickup with a 35 ft gas motor home I have a 1997 Fleetwood Bounder 34V with a Ford 460 engine and my tow limit is 3500 lbs my truck is 4900 lbs.
Forum Discussion
RLS7201 wrote:
Ford rated your 17,000lb F53 chassis to tow 8,000lbs. Fleetwood derated your chassis when they installed frame extensions and installed a 3500lb receiver. If you take a look at the installation of the frame extensions, it may scare you. Have those frame extensions beefed up and add a 5000lb receiver and you'll be good to go with that truck.
Richard
Unfortunately, the recommendation to "beef up the frame extensions" is frankly one really bad piece of advice.
As most probably know, the required federal certification sticker as issued by the completed vehicle manufacturer sets the maximum limits allowed for each vehicle. The fact is, if you were over the allowed gross combined weight (as you would be based on your description), having the modifications made as recommended above would actually work against you, if God forbid there were to be an accident. See, a first year law student could present the idea that clearly you knew you had an over capacity/weight issue and you attempted an unapproved modification to try and compensate for the conditions. That would then be turned on you to prove gross negligence on your part. You would also likely see your insurance carrier wash their hands of any liability coverage as a result.
Sorry, that is just the way it works. I have testified many times on issues like these as a SME (Subject Matter Expert) and seen it happen.
