Truck towing capacity

[banjoguync]

Ok, so me and my family (wife and 3 sons) are considering buying a 5th wheel trailer and need some info as far as what to look for in weight. I have a 05 Ford F350 Lariat 6.0L V8 Diesel dually and loaded with us and our stuff about 1000lbs extra.....Im new to this and while I found this site I don't know how to make sense of it. Its a Crewcab 4x2

https://www.fleet.ford.com/resources/ford/general/pdf/towingguides/2005_Towing_Guide.pdf

Can anyone help me, what weight should I be looking at for a 5th wheel without going to heavy? Id like to go low to be honest

[Sport45]

RustyJC wrote:

Sport45 wrote:
As a quick screening check without looking at any numbers, I'm guessing your truck could handle just about any 5th wheel trailer with two axles. If it has three axles I'd take a closer look at the ratings.

Of course, you should always check the weights to be sure before buying.

A 21K GVWR DRV Elite Suites 38RSSA has two axles. Are you REALLY saying the OP's truck can handle it?

No, I'm not REALLY saying that. Didn't I put a "just about" in there? 😉

[SoCalDesertRid1]

RustyJC wrote:

Sport45 wrote:
As a quick screening check without looking at any numbers, I'm guessing your truck could handle just about any 5th wheel trailer with two axles. If it has three axles I'd take a closer look at the ratings.

Of course, you should always check the weights to be sure before buying.

A 21K GVWR DRV Elite Suites 38RSSA has two axles. Are you REALLY saying the OP's truck can handle it?

It should handle any 2 axle trailer, with single 15" wheels, and most 2 axle trailers, with single 16" wheels.

If the trailer has duals, or 19.5's, all bets are off, pending further investigation.

[RustyJC]

Sport45 wrote:
As a quick screening check without looking at any numbers, I'm guessing your truck could handle just about any 5th wheel trailer with two axles. If it has three axles I'd take a closer look at the ratings.

Of course, you should always check the weights to be sure before buying.

A 21K GVWR DRV Elite Suites 38RSSA has two axles. Are you REALLY saying the OP's truck can handle it?

[brirene]

Banjoguy, sent you a private message.

[DennisG9]

Since your new to all this get Fifth Wheel ST. (safe towing). Its a great little app that you enter truck weight, trailer weight. It will tell you if you legal/safe. Will do all the calculations after you enter the basic info.

[Sport45]

As a quick screening check without looking at any numbers, I'm guessing your truck could handle just about any 5th wheel trailer with two axles. If it has three axles I'd take a closer look at the ratings.

Of course, you should always check the weights to be sure before buying.

[SoCalDesertRid1]

The GCWR (rating for the combined weight of loaded truck and loaded trailer together) for your truck should be 20,000 lbs with the 3.73 axle ratio, if I remember correctly, unless you have the Tow Boss option, which included the 4.30 axle ratio. With the 4.30 ratio, the GCWR was 26,000, if I remember correctly.

Our '05 E350 van with 6.0 diesel, auto trans and 3.73 ratio was rated 20,000 GCWR. If you have the 4.10 ratio, it could be more, maybe 23,000.

Figure the truck likely weighs 8000 lbs by itself, so if your GCWR is 20,000, your loaded trailer weight should be 12,000 or less.

Your dually has lots of payload capacity and rear axle weight capacity and can handle the hitch weight of any typically loaded 5th wheel trailer that it is rated to pull, and any bumper pull trailer as well.

The 6.0 diesel doesn't have a good reputation for reliability. Some of that is well deserved, while some is over exaggerated. Many 6.0's give no problems. Others are a nightmare. The motor does work awesome when it's running. Ours could pull down a house and not break a sweat. Never had any problems with it. Whatever you do, DON'T CHIP/TUNE IT!!

[JIMNLIN]

banjo..you have two weights of concern.
The biggie is (1) how much load the truck can carry and (2) how much can it pull down the road as in tow rating.
Looking at Fleet Ford towing guide shows a F350 DRW 6.0 diesel crew cab 2wd 3.73 axle has around a 16000 lb tow rating. Same truck with the tow boss package (4.30 gears) has a 18000 lb tow rating.

Fleet Ford says your truck has a 9000 RAWR. Many of these year model trucks rear axle may weigh in the 3300-3500 lb range which leaves around 5500 lbs for a payload. A 16k 5th wheel trailer may have 3500 lbs pin weight which leaves approx 2000 lbs for a hitch/gear and folks in the truck. The front axle will carry most occupants weights.
Most folks with trucks load them up and get their front and rear axle weight numbers so they know what numbers the truck can handle.

THe '05 can safely handle a 16k 5th wheel trailer.

We can't tell you what size trailer to get so use these numbers as a max.

[banjoguync]

brirene wrote:
Welcome to the forum! To give you some perspective, I have the same truck, with 4x4. My fifth wheel weighs around 11.5k with a pin of around 2200 pounds. She may have gained a bit, add I haven't weighed her in a couple of years. Safe to say it's more when tanks are full, which isn't often. Truck tows it easily, with very little squat. Assuming your truck is in good shape (you have a monitor to know what's going on in the engine, right?), you should have no problems going anything less than that, as you've indicated. You've even got some cushion if you go heavier.

A monitor? ....no sir, im new to all of this towing and Rving, I have no idea what that means......Im trying to learn the lingo still

[brirene]

Welcome to the forum! To give you some perspective, I have the same truck, with 4x4. My fifth wheel weighs around 11.5k with a pin of around 2200 pounds. She may have gained a bit, add I haven't weighed her in a couple of years. Safe to say it's more when tanks are full, which isn't often. Truck tows it easily, with very little squat. Assuming your truck is in good shape (you have a monitor to know what's going on in the engine, right?), you should have no problems going anything less than that, as you've indicated. You've even got some cushion if you go heavier.

[MFL]

You would have to weigh your truck loaded to camp, people, gear, fuel, plus about 200 lbs for hitch. If you subtract scaled weight from your GVWR of truck, you will have your available payload.

FW trailers have a GVWR sticker on them. It is on the front driver's side. If you figure 20 percent of that GVWR, it will give approximate pin weight when loaded to the max.

Example FW GVWR 15,000 lbs= about 3,000 lbs pin weight. If that pin wt fits your truck wt, minus trucks GVWR, you should be good.

Jerry

[Artum_Snowbird]

I would think you would feel pretty comfortable with a fifth wheel that weighs dry around 12,000 to 13,000 pounds. A lot depends on those three boys, their age and the amount of space they need. Some folks like their living area to be living area, and they have bunk house arrangements at the opposite end to the front bedroom. Getting a good package for five, and staying in that weight range is possible, but it depends on your needs and quality of a rig.

[banjoguync]

fla-gypsy wrote:
You should look at trailers that fit your needs and budget first. Bigger is not always better. There are many facets to towing including payload capacity,rear gear ratio, GVWR and rear axle rating. The version of truck you have has been known to experience engine problems also. Has yours been reliable? Your going to have to learn these and what they mean, there's a lot of homework to do but we can help. What's the GVWR of your truck and how much does it weigh to start?

Well, im not looking bigger, like I said in my post id like to stay way under what the max is. Were buying a used 5th wheel so I need to know what to look for weight wise......and im still very confused....lol

[Old-Biscuit]

If you look on pg 17 of your 'tow guide' you will see on left side

6.0L V8
Turbo Diesel

Then follow it across chart to Reg cab ---- Super Cab ---Crew Cab and which one of the DRW options 4X2 or 4X4

Ex: Super Cab DRW 4X2 Auto Trans
16,300 MAX GVWR 5th wheel

Now that 16,300# is the MAX based on the fine print

Trailer king pin weight should be 15-25% of total loaded trailer weight. Make sure vehicle payload (reduced by option weight) will accommodate trailer king pin weight and weight of passengers and cargo added to the towing vehicle. Addition of trailer king pin weight, and weight of passengers and cargo cannot cause vehicle weights to exceed rear GAWR or GVWR.
These ratings can be found on the vehicle Safety Compliance Certification Label.

So 20% of 16,300# ---- 3260# for 5th wheel wet pin weight
That is what has to be carried by trucks rear axle
W/o causing truck to be overweight Either GVWR of truck, RAWR or Rear tire Max load ratings

A 2005 DRW is very capable tow platform for a 16,000 GVWR 5th wheel

I have a 2007 SRW and tow 14K 5vr