Going full time!!

[MAwolcott]

My wife and I are just a few years away from becoming full time RVers. We currently have an F150 with the eco boost and pull a 32 foot fifthwheel. I can tow 11,300 and the unit weighs about 7500 dry. We are considering going with a larger rig, but do to that will have to also move to a larger truck. My question is this: The 250 diesel does not show a 3.73 rear end. The 3.55 rear end has a max tow of 15,100. If our new rig weighs out around 12,000, with all of our stuff loaded in it, it will probably be around the 15000 range ( I assume). Will the 250 be enough to tow that all across the country, or should we be looking at the massive 350 dually?

[avvidclif1]

wing_zealot wrote:

Jim-Linda wrote:

MAwolcott wrote:
My wife and I are just a few years away from becoming full time RVers. We currently have an F150 with the eco boost and pull a 32 foot fifthwheel. I can tow 11,300 and the unit weighs about 7500 dry. We are considering going with a larger rig, but do to that will have to also move to a larger truck. My question is this: The 250 diesel does not show a 3.73 rear end. The 3.55 rear end has a max tow of 15,100. If our new rig weighs out around 12,000, with all of our stuff loaded in it, it will probably be around the 15000 range ( I assume). Will the 250 be enough to tow that all across the country, or should we be looking at the massive 350 dually?

The 350 is far from "massive", except for the outer rear tires, the footprint, height,width and length is +- the same. Without knowing for sure the trailer specs you will be getting, go with the 350, you have never heard "I have too much truck".

Jim

Now you can officially say you have heard it

"I Have Too Much Truck".

I have a F-250 pulling a 7600 lbs GVWR trailer. Rides worse, gets worse fuel mileage, it is not parking lot friendly, and it overall costs more. If I had it to do over again I would get a better tool for the job. You Can Have Too Much Truck. It would be highly impractical to pull a popup with a class 8 diesel, so the theory that you can't have too much truck doesn't wash? Get the right tool for the job. Nothing more nothing less.

Get the right tool for the "Next" job. You got the tool now get the job....GRIN

[wing_zealot]

Jim-Linda wrote:

MAwolcott wrote:
My wife and I are just a few years away from becoming full time RVers. We currently have an F150 with the eco boost and pull a 32 foot fifthwheel. I can tow 11,300 and the unit weighs about 7500 dry. We are considering going with a larger rig, but do to that will have to also move to a larger truck. My question is this: The 250 diesel does not show a 3.73 rear end. The 3.55 rear end has a max tow of 15,100. If our new rig weighs out around 12,000, with all of our stuff loaded in it, it will probably be around the 15000 range ( I assume). Will the 250 be enough to tow that all across the country, or should we be looking at the massive 350 dually?

The 350 is far from "massive", except for the outer rear tires, the footprint, height,width and length is +- the same. Without knowing for sure the trailer specs you will be getting, go with the 350, you have never heard "I have too much truck".

Jim

Now you can officially say you have heard it

"I Have Too Much Truck".

I have a F-250 pulling a 7600 lbs GVWR trailer. Rides worse, gets worse fuel mileage, it is not parking lot friendly, and it overall costs more. If I had it to do over again I would get a better tool for the job. You Can Have Too Much Truck. It would be highly impractical to pull a popup with a class 8 diesel, so the theory that you can't have too much truck doesn't wash? Get the right tool for the job. Nothing more nothing less.

[MAwolcott]

Thanks for the messages from everyone. I am currently waiting on delivery of my new truck. It was supposed to be here on the 20th, but nothing yet! I went with the F350 SRW. Now after reading a bunch of threads, I'm hoping that will be enough! All the fifth wheels we have been looking at have a gross weight around 15,000 and a dry hitch weight of about 2500. The payload for my new truck is 4230 or so.

[rhagfo]

You should really be moving up now so you have two years of use to iron out the bugs. If you are 32' and 7,500# dry it is too light for full timing! We have a 32' 5er that is mid range, and is 9,820# dry with a GVWR of 12,360#.

Do yourself a BIG favor and get nothing smaller than a 350/3500 SRW, I can tell you are a Ford fan, but look at the other two, I was a Ford fan, but love my six cylinder Ram!

[Cummins12V98]

NMDriver wrote:
Remember with a 5er is it not the towing weight that will get you beyond your trucks capabilities it is the CARRYING capacity of the truck. That is why the 20% of Gross Weight is important since that is what will sit in the bed of the truck.

As mentioned you will always be happy with more truck-at least until you pay the fuel bill 🙂

20% minimum! I am at 25% and more people are there than realize.

[NMDriver]

Remember with a 5er is it not the towing weight that will get you beyond your trucks capabilities it is the CARRYING capacity of the truck. That is why the 20% of Gross Weight is important since that is what will sit in the bed of the truck.

As mentioned you will always be happy with more truck-at least until you pay the fuel bill 🙂

[shadows4]

OP'er I believe for the size fifth wheel you are talking about you should be considering an SRW F350 at minimum. I think it is less than a thousand bucks more for a F350 vs a F250. But as previously stated if you go to the dually then you will have plenty of truck if you decide to go to a bigger fifth wheel.

[weathershak]

.

[azrving]

I agree, 350/3500 is not massive but it is more capable of hauling a wider range of rigs. You may not want a drw but certainly consider a one ton.

[NC_Hauler]

Do yourself a favor, when "calculating" how much you're going to tow...forget about "dry" or "empty" weight....no one tows a 5er "empty" or "dry" unless they're bringing it home from the dealership, Use the units GVW to figure what you're going to tow, especially if full timing. I believe you'll carry far more than you think you would....Take 20% of the units GVW and that'll give you a "ballpark" of how much pinweight you'll be putting in the bed of your truck....

I'd base what truck you're going to tow with when you figure out what 5er you plan on full timing in ......much easier task at that point.

[Cummins12V98]

If you want total confidence and a relaxing drive towing a TT with a dually is the way to go!

Another good reason is you WILL want something larger after full timing for a while and then you will have the truck to do it.

TT's have a tendency to sway on certain road conditions and with winds. More truck is always the way to go with a TT.

[Jim-Linda]

MAwolcott wrote:
My wife and I are just a few years away from becoming full time RVers. We currently have an F150 with the eco boost and pull a 32 foot fifthwheel. I can tow 11,300 and the unit weighs about 7500 dry. We are considering going with a larger rig, but do to that will have to also move to a larger truck. My question is this: The 250 diesel does not show a 3.73 rear end. The 3.55 rear end has a max tow of 15,100. If our new rig weighs out around 12,000, with all of our stuff loaded in it, it will probably be around the 15000 range ( I assume). Will the 250 be enough to tow that all across the country, or should we be looking at the massive 350 dually?

The 350 is far from "massive", except for the outer rear tires, the footprint, height,width and length is +- the same. Without knowing for sure the trailer specs you will be getting, go with the 350, you have never heard "I have too much truck".

Jim