Nighduckman
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Re: How much squat can I expect?
For what its worth, last fall my wife and I had precisely this problem when getting a rig for our Jayco HT% 24.5 CKTS 5th wheel--which is the lightest and smallest fifth wheel Jayco made in 2018 and is advertised as half-ton towable. We initially went with an F150 we'd been promised by both dealers (truck and RV) would be adequate (newbie mistake as we were over on payload and rear axle weights). We then looked at a few new 4x4 3/4 ton trucks. All were way too high. We would have had to pay big money to get the trailer lifted as the axles were already flipped. We found an article on one of the RV forums that said that 2WD F250s averaged 3" lower than the 4x4 F250 (which was way too high). We thought about our realistic needs and, given how we camp, didn't really need 4WD (we will pay for a tow if we ever get stuck) and went with the 2WD. Our 2WD has an electronic locking rear axle and, with all-terrain tires on the back, we figure we will be able to get through most rough spots. We have been very happy with it so far and I think you get a better overall ride with the 2WD. You will find, if you ask on the forum, that 2WD vs. 4WD is like arguing religion - strong opinions on either side. However, w/ 2WD The trailer sits perfectly even with only 1-2" of a squat. Just a thought for you if you don't absolutely need 4x4.516Views0likes0CommentsRe: Newbie towing question
mkirsch wrote: 2" of squat is perfectly fine. You don't want the suspension so stiff that it does not move, or you will beat everything to pieces, including yourself, going down the road. LOCATION OF THE PIN is the elephant in the room here. That pin hanging down from the hitch of the 5th wheel trailer. Its relationship to the rear axle (i.e. ahead of, directly over, or slightly behind) determines whether you add weight, don't affect the weight, or remove weight from the front wheels. Hitch the truck and trailer, pull them straight. Where does the pin sit with regards to the rear axle? Do you have a slider hitch? Are you leaving it in the rear position all the time? Thanks! To answer your question, when hitched up the pin on my fiver sitting on the hitch is directly above the rear axle.455Views0likes0CommentsRe: Newbie towing question
librty02 wrote: You have 3800lbs of payload capacity. I would think you don't need helper springs as you have more capacity than most 1 ton SRW diesels do.That camper you talk of what type are you talking about most here consider a 5th or TT or pop up to be a camper Answer: I was talking about a truck-bed-mounted camper. Once my wife and I are ready to downsize from our fifth wheel, we have been thinking about getting a truck camper which is one of the reasons we went w/ the 2WD F250 to get some extra payload capacity. At 3,759 lbs of available payload, a rear GAWR of 6,340 lbs and a 10,000 lbs GVWR there appear to be a few of the lighter truck campers that would work though not with all the comforts of a fiver for sure.455Views0likes0CommentsRe: Newbie towing question
Honestly, I am a bit embarrassed to say (as a newbie) that I hadn't checked. The truck is all of three weeks old and I put a brand new set of General Grabber ATX tires on the rear for traction if I ever encounter mud etc. So, the tires were running at whatever pressure the dealership and the tire dealer set them at. Now I know better. I stopped by a 4x4 shop this AM and they said, as I have heard from others, that it might be a good idea to put a set of "helper springs" on the rear as that could address some of the squat and make the ride feel more solid and the steering a bit more sure. Since we want to eventually get a camper once we downsize from the fiver, and special rear springs are what is included in the Ford "camper package" upgrade, it strikes me as a reasonable modification and one that isn't too expensive. Certainly won't hurt.456Views0likes0CommentsNewbie towing question
I recently purchased a gas 2019 F250 RWD to tow my 2018 Jayco 24.5 ckts fifth wheel. I am a newbie with heavy-duty trucks. And I have a question about steering with the fifth wheel hooked up. The two-wheel-drive version was the best choice for us because it is 3 inches shorter than the 4x4 F250 and fits under the fiver. And we aren't going anywhere we will need 4x4. The 4x4 would have been too tall and we didn't want to have to raise the trailer any further as the axles were already flipped. We just took it out for its first camping trip and it towed it like the trailer wasn't there. The trailer, loaded, has a pin weight of approximately 1,600 pounds and the truck squatted about 2 inches with the trailer on it. This is a small fifth wheel and well within the trucks specs with its payload rating, per door sticker, of 3,759 lbs and a rear GAWR of 6,340 lbs. I did notice though that the steering felt a little lighter with a tiny bit more play with the trailer on the pin versus the truck driving by itself. It didn't feel out of control or anything just a bit different. Is that normal and to be expected? I am reluctant to add airbags to address the 2 inches of squat as that would put the trailer too nose high and be bad for the trailer axles. Are there any workarounds to shift some more weight onto the front axle or is the bit of extra play in the wheel nothing to be concerned about? Again, it was steering fine it just felt slightly different loaded than unloaded. Thanks!3.6KViews0likes22CommentsRe: Experience towing w/ 2WD F250, 2500 or other 3/4 ton
Yeah, I guess we got lucky getting the 2WD F250 we did. I live in Virginia and the dealer said he found the only one east of the Mississippi, which happened to be in North Carolina. Not sure if the scarcity means it will be really difficult when it comes time to sell it (not for many years, health willing) or it means the opposite because folks like you are trying to get one. And I am loving the fact I didn't have to mess with the axles etc. on my trailer to lift it higher. Our '19 F250 2WD fits perfectly, maybe even slightly better than our old F150 did because of a longer and slightly wider bed. I suppose a Max Tow F150 w/ HDPP would have worked also, but couldn't find one. Also, fully loaded the CAT scales had us over 4,000 lbs on the rear axlewith our last F250 (carrying only a light Andersen hitch in the bed) and I don't think even the F150 max tow with HDPP has a rear GAWR of over 4,500, if that. My F250 has a rear GAWR of 6340 lbs and a payload of 3,759 lbs...so we have lots of safety cushion and can carry a generator in the bed of the truck if we want. Another reason to go w/ 2WD if you don't need 4WD to get the extra payload etc. over 4x4.492Views0likes0CommentsNewbie question about 3.73 locking rear axle on F250 4x2
In response to a previous post, some helpful people on the forum asked if my 2wd 2019 F250 came with an electronic locking 3.73, rear axle. It does. But being very new to this, am I right that this will mainly help if I am on some rougher road conditions where I realize I risk getting stuck? I realize it is nowhere near as good as 4x4 but I assume it is good to have in a RWD only setup? Anyone with a RWD have any experience using it? Also, the dealer who sold me the truck, an old 2WD pickup guy, told me to turn off traction control when engaging the locking rear axle and to stay at lower speeds with the axle locked until I am on better terrain. Dues this sound right? Obviously, newbie questions but I am trying to learn. Thanks in advance!3.6KViews0likes19CommentsRe: Experience towing w/ 2WD F250, 2500 or other 3/4 ton
We took it to the CAT scales with only a partial load and were over the GAWR on the rear axle by 200 pounds and over the overall of the truck by 50 pounds. The payload rating of the F150 we had was 2,175 lbs and the GAWR was 7,050. This is higher than most F150s but it did not have either the max tow package or the HDPP. Those are special orders and really rare. Hard to find on the lot.216Views0likes0Comments
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