F250 6.2 gas Towing heavy with 3.73 rear ??

[Learjet]

Looking at a mid profile 5th wheel:

Trailer:
-36 ft.
-Unloaded 10,000 lbs
-GVWR for Trailer 12,255
-Pin weight 1,800 unloaded

Truck:
-6.2 with 3.73
-12,400 limit for 5th wheel
-payload per scale with me and full fuel 3,140 lbs (door jam is 3,253 lbs )

...I will add timbrens and will be close to max payload (once I load the trailer).
...towing flat land in Louisiana 99% of the time and I'm not looking to drag race......AM I CRAZY ? :@

this should be good for 5 pages :E

[fireman41]

Denny & Jami wrote:

Bamaman1 wrote:
The diesel's $9K more expensive initially, but much of that will be regained when you sell or trade the truck. And used buyers will jump all over a diesel. Gas trucks at resale time just don't pull top prices.

The diesel engine is just so much more durable and trouble free. The value of a diesel comes from improved fuel mileage, and it really comes into its own in the long run. You will keep it longer and be hesitant to trade it.

And about all the weight I'd want to tow with a gas truck is 10K lbs.

So I guess I got lucky when I got top dollar for my 13 year old V10, and what's really funny is it only sat of the dealers lot for 2 days before it went to a new home. :h

If you never owned or drove a 6.2 how do you come up with your 10K figure.

Denny

Don't you know you can't pull anything bigger tHan a pup up with a gas.

I also think it has something to do with the fact that at 4500 rpm they the engine is going to explode.

[Denny___Jami]

Bamaman1 wrote:
The diesel's $9K more expensive initially, but much of that will be regained when you sell or trade the truck. And used buyers will jump all over a diesel. Gas trucks at resale time just don't pull top prices.

The diesel engine is just so much more durable and trouble free. The value of a diesel comes from improved fuel mileage, and it really comes into its own in the long run. You will keep it longer and be hesitant to trade it.

And about all the weight I'd want to tow with a gas truck is 10K lbs.

So I guess I got lucky when I got top dollar for my 13 year old V10, and what's really funny is it only sat of the dealers lot for 2 days before it went to a new home. :h

If you never owned or drove a 6.2 how do you come up with your 10K figure.

Denny

[rhagfo]

I guess I have never thought of our 5er as Heavy! I think of a 12,000# GVWR 5er as a mid weight. I think a 20,000# Mobil Suites as HEAVY.

[ib516]

Learjet wrote:

ib516 wrote:

RinconVTR wrote:

ib516 wrote:
You only weigh 110# :h

I think you misinterpreted his posted weights.

How? He says the empty truck (no driver) payload sticker says 3253#, then says with him in it and full of fuel, it scales at 3140#. That's 113# difference....unless I'm reading something wrong....?

Payload on the sticker includes a standard driver, I weight more than the standard driver and have other things in the truck. Thus, my actual payload is less than the door sticker which includes a standard weight driver and no tools.. etc.

Makes sense now?

Yes, thanks 🙂

Since you already own the truck, I say go for it. Performance will suffer a bit with the 3.73 (vs the 4.30), but so long as you have some patience on the big hills, I don't see a problem.

[Bamaman11]

The diesel's $9K more expensive initially, but much of that will be regained when you sell or trade the truck. And used buyers will jump all over a diesel. Gas trucks at resale time just don't pull top prices.

The diesel engine is just so much more durable and trouble free. The value of a diesel comes from improved fuel mileage, and it really comes into its own in the long run. You will keep it longer and be hesitant to trade it.

And about all the weight I'd want to tow with a gas truck is 10K lbs.

[Learjet]

ib516 wrote:

RinconVTR wrote:

ib516 wrote:
You only weigh 110# :h

I think you misinterpreted his posted weights.

How? He says the empty truck (no driver) payload sticker says 3253#, then says with him in it and full of fuel, it scales at 3140#. That's 113# difference....unless I'm reading something wrong....?

Payload on the sticker includes a standard driver, I weight more than the standard driver and have other things in the truck. Thus, my actual payload is less than the door sticker which includes a standard weight driver and no tools.. etc.

Makes sense now?

[fla-gypsy]

I would be more concerned with the payload than anything else

[Bedlam]

Get the camper package on the F250 so you get F350 suspension or select the F350 as a starting point. Between truck occupants, gear and pin weight, you will want some more suspension capacity.

I would look at getting at the more capable gear set to possibly future proof the truck for an RV upgrade at some later time if you are willing to take an unloaded fuel economy hit (I don't think towing mileage will be any worse).

[mtofell1]

At/near the upper limit for the truck the main thing that sways me towards telling you to go for it is the flat towing. Out west where I live (Oregon) I haul my 8500# TT up and down the mountains without a problem (truck is full too with kids, bikes, firewood and whatnot). I have a very similar truck in the 6.4 Ram Hemi with 3.73 gears. If you were going to be hauling in the mountains it would be a bit tougher but still doable. I'd surely give it try before going to the expense of a gear swap.

[ib516]

RinconVTR wrote:

ib516 wrote:
You only weigh 110# :h

I think you misinterpreted his posted weights.

How? He says the empty truck (no driver) payload sticker says 3253#, then says with him in it and full of fuel, it scales at 3140#. That's 113# difference....unless I'm reading something wrong....?

[spud1957]

I have the 6.2 with 3:73s. Love love love the truck. My 5th wheel is around the same weight. I do lock out 6th quite a bit but that is just me. Really don't have to. Had a 6.8 V10 before this. The 6.2 with the 6 speed manages the weight just as good.

S

[Denny___Jami]

mobilcastle wrote:

Denny & Jami wrote:
To give you a example our 6.2 with 4.30 gears is rated to pull 15600 at that's what we pull with it.

I second changing to 4.30 if you feel you need them, cheaper than a new truck.

Denny

What kind of mileage are getting with your 6.2? Others please chime in. The cost of a diesel motor and tranny are quite expensive xto buy and to fix. My next truck will probably be gas.

Real Life mileage pulling our trailer we will average 8 to 9, out west we get better mileage than east where we are now. I believe it's because of the way the gas is blended. If I go from tank to tank pulling the worst was 6.4 going west across the salt flats into a very nasty wind, the best was a little over 10 but on the trip it averaged out to be 8.9 over 2300 miles. On our trip to Florida this fall we only averaged 8.3,a lot of that was sitting in traffic on I95.

Empty around town it runs between 12 to 14 depending on the town, empty hwy I get 14 to 16 depending on the road and speed, with 4.30 gears over 65 kills the mileage. Running back to the CG yesterday we had a strong tail wind so I reset the instant mileage and over 20 miles it did 19.5 but thats not real world.

Denny

[wandering1]

What do the 5th wheel tow specs for the truck say (not the door jamb sticker)? Forget about crutches like timbrens that doesnt upgrade the suspension, brakes, rear end ratio, transmission, and engine.

[sk734]

Denny & Jami wrote:
To give you a example our 6.2 with 4.30 gears is rated to pull 15600 at that's what we pull with it.

I second changing to 4.30 if you feel you need them, cheaper than a new truck.

Denny

What kind of mileage are getting with your 6.2? Others please chime in. The cost of a diesel motor and tranny are quite expensive to buy and to fix. My next truck will probably be gas.

[Golden_HVAC]

It should not be a problem. I had a 75 F-350 supercab, and it worked great with the 3.73 rear axle and 3 speed auto transmission! Back in the day of the 225 HP 460" engines. Your engine is rated at much more HP and can handle the load - even running in overdrive.

Why change the rear axle gears? You can run with 6th speed locked out, and get the same thing as changing $1,200 in gears for free! And still get wonderful mileage while not towing.

I know someone who towed a 10,000 pound fifth wheel with a then new 1983 F-150 and a 150 HP 351 engine in it. They traded in on a 1986 F-350 crewcab and 460" engine with only about 225 HP, and it towed so much better with the F-350. Still it was way less HP that you have, and they did great too.



Have fun camping!

Fred.