2012 f250 Diesel Engine Fifthwheel towing

[losmt21]

Everyone.

I am glad to be a part of this formum. I have seen some really good questions get answered and I firmly believe this discussion. I wanted to ask a couple of questions concerning fifthwheel towing. I have a 2012 F250 Diesel short bed with 3.55 gears. I am currenly looking at purchasing a 2014 gateway (heartland) Fifthwheel. The Dry weight is 11,000 and the Gross total weight 14,000. The pin weight will be 2070 lbs. My truck is 10,000 I was wondering if I would have enough truck to pull this camper? 90% percent of the time I will be camping local within 15 minutes from my house. Maybe once a year travel outside of GA. Reading from my door are Front #5940 and rear 6100 from the sticker on my door.

[losmt21]

I do have the 20inch tires Michelin tires. I thought having the big tires
Will help with the towing. I am planning on taking my truck to a cat scale
Soon and just weigh it. I am pretty sure I will be over the limit a little but not
Sure why that would be a big deal .
Especially If I am only towing a few miles
From my house and maybe a trip to Florida.
I am located in Atlanta ga . Never thought it would be hard to make a
Decision because and yes I know what the salesman say. The dry weight is whatever and you usually only add 1000 lbs so if that's the case the camper
Will be at 12,000 not even close to 14,000. I don't think that's the big deal
I believe the big deal is the pin weight. I
Willing to make a few changes to the truck air bags and leaf springs. I am not in a spot where I can trade in my truck . Thanks for everyone a input.

Steve

[therink]

The scaled cargo weight on my fifth wheel (supplies, and tools, food, drinks, bikes, hoses, and cords, tvs, options, and etc) for family of 4 loaded for camping is 1800 lbs with all tanks empty. You will likely break,1,000 lbs cargo very quick. It adds very quickly.

[sdetweil]

losmt21 wrote:
okay thanks, i notice while i am camping i see lots of 3/4 ton trucks pulling nice size fifth wheels. I am not saying its okay, since i will be towing 95 % of the time to the lake which is only 15 minutes aways. Very rare for me to take it out of state maybe once a year at best. I will make sure i have it loaded up correctly. I am also noticing lot more options with fifth wheels with a total gvwr around 12,000 hitch weight less than 2000. So that might be an option,

here is a nice site with links to worksheet or even a phone app that will help you with the numbers. http://free.fifthwheelst.com/

I JUST threw away my scale sheet from my 12 F250 week before last.
luckily I filled out that worksheet.
fawr = 5200
rawr = 6100
gvwr = 10000
faw actual = 4760
raw actual = 3380
total weight = 8140
available gvwr capacity = 10000-8140 = 1860
rear axle pin capacity = 6100-3380 = 2720
towing gcvwr = 23500
available towing capacity = 23500-8140 = 15360

the 1860 gvwr capacity is the issue.
( I will say that I had 2700 lbs of wood flooring in the bed and didn't use the airags, and really didn't notice it was there, except on turns probably cause I added the Hellwig BigWig anti-sway bar.)

if you had the f350 with the 11500 gvwr then you would have 1860+1500 = 3360 gvwr capacity, and 7000-3380 = 3640 pin capacity (estimated without actual truck weight).

we just went thru this whole same process over the last few weeks.
we couldn't find a decent deal on a longbed 350. love the shortbed for parking, hate the ride.

we did find a dually deal, 1/2 the mileage of the 250 (6,000 vs 13,000), for a couple thousand more than the trade in.
I kept the airbags, adjustable shocks & controller, jimmi jammers and and power tailgate lock

so now my RAWR = 9,000 and my GVWR=13,300 GCVWR = 30,000, still have to weigh, but only for the fun of it.
(and we really like the Montana 3625 or 3900 which are both 2400+ pin dry).

[Buckeye_Chuck]

Take your truck and fifth wheel fully loaded including passengers to a cat scale. You will get the steer wheels, drive wheel and total weight. The most important weight is the drive wheels if you are over 6100 lbs rethink what camper you buy or think about ways to increase RAWR. Probably different tires.

[losmt21]

okay thanks, i notice while i am camping i see lots of 3/4 ton trucks pulling nice size fifth wheels. I am not saying its okay, since i will be towing 95 % of the time to the lake which is only 15 minutes aways. Very rare for me to take it out of state maybe once a year at best. I will make sure i have it loaded up correctly. I am also noticing lot more options with fifth wheels with a total gvwr around 12,000 hitch weight less than 2000. So that might be an option,

[sdetweil]

losmt21 wrote:
So everyone, I should be okay towing the 2014 gateway fifthwheel.
I was told the dry weight is 11,000 and someone also said just add 1000lbs to then dry weight and it will be total 12,000
For the fifthwheel. I will be upgrading the springs and adding airbags to my truck. As much I will be towing this camper 15 minutes away from my house . Maybe a trip out of ga once every couple of Years.

based on what you've told us, I think with careful attention to the hitch weight load, you will be ok. you might want to consider packing some supplies in the back end of the trailer to reduce the hitch weight, don't travel with water, etc.

[losmt21]

So everyone, I should be okay towing the 2014 gateway fifthwheel.
I was told the dry weight is 11,000 and someone also said just add 1000lbs to then dry weight and it will be total 12,000
For the fifthwheel. I will be upgrading the springs and adding airbags to my truck. As much I will be towing this camper 15 minutes away from my house . Maybe a trip out of ga once every couple of Years.

[rhagfo]

Peg Leg wrote:
You say 6100 on the rear. This means you've got E rated tires at 3042 lbs at 80 psi. This is your weak spot. You might be able to find some 3400 lb capacity tires to help out. This would not change your rear axle rating or your GVWR, you would have to get a DOT inspection and recertify the truck for that. But your not a commercial vehicle either.

The rear is also sprung for 6100 lbs so you may be looking at some more upgrades.

I love the assumptions about 250/2500, brakes 99% chance they are the same as the 350/3500 SRW, springs likely a little softer, does it have a camper package?

Tires can't be rated at 3,042, as that only equals 6,084, that is what my 01's listed 245/75-16's rate at, so a axle rating of 6,084. Then it came with a camper special package so it came with 265/75-16's rated at 3,415, giving a theoretical rating axle rating of 6,830#, and so the numbers game goes. Springs same as the 3500 dually that year, so I tow level even over the listed GVWR.

The TV being a 2012 diesel, it should have a EB as standard equipment. It is the OP's choice, I carry an 11,000# (12,000 GVWR)on an my 01, and while over my GVWR, I have 1,500# of axle rating to spare, 500# front and 1,000# rear. Tires not even close 3,760# to spare. It is all about how you feel about it. Your GVWR is only 83% of your total axle rating 12,040#), and 68% of your tire rating.

[Peg_Leg]

kab449,

"My truck has 20" Michelin on it stock with a load carrying capacity of 3750 lbs each."

What does the door sticker show? My guess is RAWR 7500 lbs. The tires are usually the weak link.

[Old-Biscuit]

txdutt wrote:
bought our F250 & Infinity within the last month, have been out in the new rig twice--so far doing fine, GVW on the 5'er is 15.5K, I know I'm at max or probably over but still within my GCW.. you'll be fine

Bet if you took it across a scale you would find you are over on truck GVWR, truck RAWR, truck payload and maybe even rear tire MAX Load rating. Those are the ratings that really matter.

Very hard to go over GCR without going over the others.

[kab449]

Peg Leg wrote:
You say 6100 on the rear. This means you've got E rated tires at 3042 lbs at 80 psi. This is your weak spot. You might be able to find some 3400 lb capacity tires to help out. This would not change your rear axle rating or your GVWR, you would have to get a DOT inspection and recertify the truck for that. But your not a commercial vehicle either.

The rear is also sprung for 6100 lbs so you may be looking at some more upgrades.

My truck has 20" Michelin on it stock with a load carrying capacity of 3750 lbs each. There are many tire and wheel combos so its pretty hard to make a blanket statement about the carrying capacity and type of tires on a tow vehicle.

[losmt21]

I will be purchasing the fifthwheel in ga. As far as towing 95 percent of the time I will be driving lets than 15 minutes to the lake and campground. Maybe one trip out of state and it wouldn't be that far away.
I rethinking my decision on this camper I would love go
Have the Camper but numbers are way to close. I still have somete
In making a decision thanks again for everyone's
Help.

Steve

[stro1965]

That rig is almost exactly the same weight(s) as mine all around. My truck (with 3.73's) pulls mine fine. I know I'm pushing the limits though, certainly wouldn't want any MORE trailer back there.

[JohnBoyToo]

What state will you be registered in and where will you be towing ?

that too should be a consideration...

I traded my '12 250 10K gvwr truck in on an 11.5k gvwr truck just to get the extra 1500 lbs for towing --- and honestly the 250 with bags rode rougher than the new truck !

good luck on your decision(s) !

[txdutt]

bought our F250 & Infinity within the last month, have been out in the new rig twice--so far doing fine, GVW on the 5'er is 15.5K, I know I'm at max or probably over but still within my GCW.. you'll be fine