New truck, need help with weights

"You can tow anything on the lot!" - Every RV salesperson

Don't believe them, but you will be able to tow a lot of them. Happy trails!

nole_trainer wrote:
I just purchased a new truck yesterday. 2014 F350 6.7, 4x2 longbed, 3:31 gears. So I would like some assistance with weights so that I'm armed with knowledge as we go shopping! What 5th TH/BH weights should I look for?

GVWR: 11500
5th towing cap: 16300
Payload: 4220
CCC: 3637
FGAWR: 5250
RGAWR: 6730
GCWR: 23500

My calculations

You need to ignore the 4220 payload. That is what is in the brochure for an XL truck, no options, with the 6.2 gas. You have a lariat with a diesel. The weight of the diesel and the lariat options are deducted off the 4220, resulting in a net payload for cargo, people and 5th/trailer pin weight of 3637lbs.

Your attached calculator pretty well tells you what you need to look for.

My F350 is around 8,200# loaded so if you used a rough number of 8,000# you're looking at 3,500# cargo. A 3,000# pin at 20% is a loaded 5th wheel of 16,000#.

Yes, I'm a dually but I use a goose neck so I don't have a hitch sitting in the bed. Family of 4 and hitch can easily eat up 1,000# of cargo capacity.

Once you weigh it you have some real numbers to work with.

I will find a scale, I guess I will have to add an assumed weight for a "typical" 5th wheel hitch. I have the "prep", just not the hitch. And then add another 350lbs for family/stuff. THANKS!

A good estimate would be 250 pounds for the hitch. And at least 20 percent of gross on the pin for the coach. Amazing how fast a one ton single rear wheel truck can use up most if not all the payload. Kind of makes a joke out of the half ton towable fifth wheels. Maybe the fifth wheel only, but certainly not with all the rest of the stuff in the truck. And don't forget diesel is just over seven pounds per gallon, another 200 pounds or more when tank is full. You can probably put a few pounds back into the credit side of the ledger if you remove the stock tailgate and use one that is lighter.

I will find a scale, I guess I will have to add an assumed weight for a "typical" 5th wheel hitch. I have the "prep", just not the hitch. And then add another 350lbs for family/stuff. THANKS!

Might want to up the family weight as my 7/9 boys probably will grow :)

That calculator is a cool little page. I ran my numbers, compared to my actual figures and it came out right. Good starting point.

You have done far more homework than most people ever do. You have gone past the sales mumbo jumbo that you can tow or haul about anything with a one ton. You have actually thought through the numbers. And you found that a one ton with some people and stuff has a payload remaining of almost half of that published after the truck is configured with all the options, tools, stuff, people, bicycles, kayaks, dogs, etc in it. Good job!

Now finish the task and go to the scales.

There is no way to calculate how much fiver you will be able to handle until you have loaded the truck up like your traveling and driving across a set of scales.