Forum Discussion

RedJeep's avatar
RedJeep
Explorer
Jul 08, 2013

1999-2003 7.3L f250 vs. f350 fifth wheel towing

Hello. I am looking to get a Ford 4wd crew cab long bed SRW with the 7.3L diesel. These were only made from 1999 to 2003. My question is when I look at the tow ratings of the f250 and f350, same engine, they are the same. I have not picked out a fifth wheel toy hauler trailer yet but plan to buy whatever is the largest one that fits within the tow ratings. I have looked through this forum and elsewhere and cannot find a reasonable explanation describing the difference between the f250 and f350. If I am looking to tow as heavy as possible is there a specific reason to avoid looking at buying a f250? I do not want a drw because the truck will be a daily driver too.

I currently have a 2000 Excursion 7.3L. My X was used to tow a 36 foot TT at approx. 9500 lbs. It worked great, powerful and very reliable. So, I am partial to the 7.3L. I am not in the market for a brand new truck.

A tow guide I looked at was...
http://www.trailerlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Trailer-Life-Towing-Guide-2000.pdf
Tow Vehicles
  • APT's avatar
    APT
    Explorer
    Jul 08, 2013
    5er Toy Hauler? Get a dually. They tend to have higher % of pin weight than regular fifth wheel RVs. Plus larger tanks, heavier frames to handle maybe 5000 pounds of cargo.
  • RedJeep's avatar
    RedJeep
    Explorer
    Jul 08, 2013
    APT, thanks for the reply. This is all very perplexing. The tow guide states that the 2000 f-350 crew cab 4wd DRW 7.3TD is rated at 12,600 lbs towing while the f-350 crew cab 4wd SRW 7.3TD is rated at 13,000. I would expect that the dually would have a much higher tow rating than a SRW. Perhaps Ford is deducting the weight of the fender flares? Makes no sense.
  • bmanning's avatar
    bmanning
    Explorer
    Jul 08, 2013
    For that year range of Super Duties the only difference between an F250 and F350 is an overload spring on the rear pack and a taller block; should you find an F250 with the "camper pkg" as mine had, you gain the overload spring.

    Later model years brought more differences between the 3/4 and 1-tons.

    APT wrote:

    5er Toy Hauler? Get a dually. They tend to have higher % of pin weight than regular fifth wheel RVs. Plus larger tanks, heavier frames to handle maybe 5000 pounds of cargo.

    I can respect that you don't want a dually, but watch your weights very closely; as APT mentions THs are built quite stout and can be heavy heavy heavy.
  • bmanning's avatar
    bmanning
    Explorer
    Jul 08, 2013
    RedJeep wrote:
    APT, thanks for the reply. This is all very perplexing. The tow guide states that the 2000 f-350 crew cab 4wd DRW 7.3TD is rated at 12,600 lbs towing while the f-350 crew cab 4wd SRW 7.3TD is rated at 13,000. I would expect that the dually would have a much higher tow rating than a SRW. Perhaps Ford is deducting the weight of the fender flares? Makes no sense.


    You are correct; the DRW truck weighs more than the SRW truck and therefore it's tow rating is, surprisingly, less due to that fact.

    Now, the tale that isn't told by the tow rating is how well each truck will handle that 12500lb+ trailer. I'm not a "you need a dually for everything" guy but I think when you're up in that weight range it very much becomes a consideration.
  • ggardne2's avatar
    ggardne2
    Explorer
    Jul 08, 2013
    The other item the tow rating will not take into account is the cargo carrying capacity of the truck. The DRW will have significantly more cargo capacity than the SRW truck due to heavier springs and axle. On 2013 trucks this is almost a 2000 lb difference between a SRW truck and a DRW truck. If you are going to buy an F250 truck you will hit the cargo carrying capacity of the truck before you hit the maximum towing capacity. You need to determine what your fifth wheel pin weight is and how much additional cargo you are adding to your truck and compare this to the cargo carrying capacity of the truck you want to buy ... you also need to know what GVW the truck was built to (on the door sticker of the truck) ... F-350s come in multiple GVW classifications depending on how built and how ordered.
  • KD4UPL's avatar
    KD4UPL
    Explorer
    Jul 09, 2013
    Tow rating should not be your primary concern, as strange as that sounds. Either truck will "pull" the RV basically the same. Any fifth wheel has a good bit of pin weight on the truck. Think up to about 20%. So, the question is not will the F250 pull it but will it support the pin weight of the trailer you intend to buy?
    It's entirely possible that an F250 would pull it fine but require tire, wheel, and spring upgrades to properly carry the pin weight.
    Pick out the trailer. Find out it's fully loaded pin weight. Then, get a truck that has that much payload capacity plus capacity for any people and gear you will add to the truck.
    I bet you'll find you need a dually.
    I've daily driven one for 8 years now. It's no big deal.
  • campboss222's avatar
    campboss222
    Explorer
    Jul 09, 2013
    I've had both SRW's & DRW's. I've been hauling with a DRW since 1998 (our 1999 F350) and I will never haul with anything else.

    Consider what happens when you are pulling a heavy trailer and one of your rear tires gets punctured...would you rather have 3 tires holding up the trailer at that point or 1? Also, you will love the dually when hauling in a crosswind... you can see the trailer swaying a bit, but you don't feel it.

    Two negative aspects are less traction in snow with four tires in the rear and you have to pay 50% more for a set of new tires.

    Our current tow vehicle sitting beside our trailer here in Yellowstone National Park is a 2009 GMC 4x4 3500 DRW extended cab with the Duramax diesel. I love everything about it except the ground clearance and the manufacturer. It hauls our 5th wheel much better than the '99 F350 7.3L so you might consider some Banks accessories for your 7.3L when you get it.
  • RedJeep's avatar
    RedJeep
    Explorer
    Jul 09, 2013
    Thanks everyone for sharing your views. Given the feedback I am going to start looking for a dually f350. Please pray for those little cars that will most certainly get squished when I attempt to park next to them at the local mall. :-)

    What convinced me to go DRW was the safety factor as well as becoming enlightened about the concept of hauling a weight behind the truck vs. the pin weight placed on the bed of the truck.

    Thanks everyone!

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