F-250 and AF 865

[Royals_Fan]

Newbie question here guys.So I own a 1997 F-250 HD reg cab 4x4 looking at a Arctic Fox 865 according to Ford specs I have a payload of 3592.Is this doable and what mods do you think I may need? thanks!

[Royals_Fan]

Anyone know why the AF 865 is not listed on the Northwood web site or in their brochure?

[Royals_Fan]

865 is what I'm looking at,obviously concerned about it, my truck does have front and rear sway bars.Just wasn't quite ready to bite the bullet for a f350.

[Bedlam]

Royals Fan wrote:
Thanks for the feedback!Talked with a gentleman today who had AF 811 on a f-250 short bed,he said air bags and sway bar is what he did.

The 811 is heavier than the 865 you were considering (both will put you over GVWR). I also haul an 811 on a F250, but mine has 1000 lbs more GVWR than yours and plus a number of upgrades to safely handle the weight. Yes you will be able to do this too, but expect about $4000 in upgrades to be able handle this safely. Only you can answer whether you want to spend that much to upgrade your current truck or go to a more capable truck that needs less upgrades.

[campn4walleye]

We have a neighbor who just sold his AF 811 because it was too heavy for his F250. He owns a tire shop and had put on bigger tires and airbags, but still felt it was over loaded. Too much sway and sag. He white-knuckled every turn. It was only a year old.

Better get more opinions and do more research on this...just because 1 person does it, doesn't mean you should. JMO, it's an expensive mistake.

[Reality_Check]

Royals Fan wrote:
Thanks for the feedback!Talked with a gentleman today who had AF 811 on a f-250 short bed,he said air bags and sway bar is what he did.

^^^^
Well... there ya' go. Got a solid answer.

No rain goin' land on this parade.

[Royals_Fan]

Thanks for the feedback!Talked with a gentleman today who had AF 811 on a f-250 short bed,he said air bags and sway bar is what he did.

[campn4walleye]

Listen to these smart people! We did our due diligence and asked tons of questions...here. If we had listened to the dealer, we would have been over loaded by 1000 lbs! We had a 1 ton SRW at the time and had put a deposit on an AF 990. We made him weigh the unit...we got our deposit back.

One important thing to remember is that(MOST)TCs are MUCH heavier than the sticker states it weighs. You have to add a weight for every piece of optional item on the rig. Then add at least 500 lbs more for gear etc. You have to weigh the rig to find out the true weight. You'll be shocked.

[Bedlam]

The fact that your F250 is older, the GVWR is lower than current models. Although new 250's realistically are between 7000-8000 lbs, they have ratings around 10,000 lbs and run rear axles rated at 9750 lbs.

Where you need to start is to research what running gear is in your truck and its ratings. Then get actual weights for your front and rear axles. This will give you an idea what you can haul per your door sticker what you can haul per your component ratings. If you go over your door sticker, you need to look at which component is holding back the capacity. Is it wheel, suspension, axle or frame (brakes will carry the same rating as the axle)?

[SugarHillCTD]

Royals Fan wrote:
Wow,and theres Youtube reviews of the 992 calling it for 3/4 ton and up? First thing the salesman asked me was about my truck he said 865 and 992?? I knew the 992 was out of the question but thought maybe the 865 thanks for the input……….

You do know when a salesman is lying, right? His lips are moving.....


Buyer beware when looking at TCs. Know your truck's capacity and don't use weights listed on manufacturer's website/brochures.

[Royals_Fan]

Wow,and theres Youtube reviews of the 992 calling it for 3/4 ton and up? First thing the salesman asked me was about my truck he said 865 and 992?? I knew the 992 was out of the question but thought maybe the 865 thanks for the input……….

[SubVet]

I almost bought an AF865 for my SRW F350 but decided it was too heavy. I agree with n7bsn, they are heavy.

[n7bsn]

I had the 99 F250 SD and would hesitate to put any Arctic Fox camper on it.

As I recall my cargo rating was 3000 lbs, the dry weight of an 865 is 2600 lbs. Leaving 400 lbs for people, water, propane, accessories (like the A/C).

Sorry, my recommendation would be at least an F350 DRW for -any- Fox camper, those suckers are heavy.

[Old-Biscuit]

YEAH.....Ford list MAX Payload as 3595
BUT your truck has a GVWR of 8800#

Weigh truck with you, any passengers, full fuel tank and any stuff you would carry in cab........subtract that number from the 8800# GVWR.
That is how much you can load into truck...way short of that 3595# published payload

Artic Fox 865's dry weight is 3,236lbs and wet is 4,254lbs. This is for a base model without any options and those will also add weight. Then throw in you gear,clothes, tools, yourself, etc and the weight will climb up there.