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Old 04-22-2019, 03:53 PM   #1
TCreager9
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Ford F-250 Diesel

Looking at buying a 3811 MS and was wondering if a 2016 Ford F-250 will be OK?
 
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Old 04-22-2019, 04:08 PM   #2
Slufoot733
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3811 MS shipping weight is 13,595. 2016 F250 towing capacity is 12,500 lbs. The truck is overloaded before you even load the trailer. I would not recommend it.
The engine and tranny are the same as in an F350, F450. But the springs, axles and brakes are not. You F250 will pull that trailer but you would be taxing the trucks ability to 'handle' the trailer on the road.
For that trailer I would go no less than a F350 dual wheel truck.
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Old 04-22-2019, 04:28 PM   #3
Dave W
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Opt for an F350 for legal reasons if no other reason



An F250 in many cases is identical to an F350 except for that sticker on the 'B' pillar which says that the GVW cannot exceed 10,000 pounds. If it's a CCLB, you are looking at about 8000 pounds of truck before you add a hitch, mom, 2.6 kids and whatever else you carry in the truck. Add 2500-3000 pounds of pin weight and you are way over what that sticker will allow. My F250 CAT scaled in at 8360. not quite a 3/4 ton truck - see 'springs' below



The axles MAY be identical between the F250 and F359. Some F250s have a 3.5 diameter axle tube or they may have a 4" axle tube which is what the F350 uses.


Brakes are identical 2011 and later. Prior to 2010 the pads were the same but the operation MAY have been different. Yes, I've had an F350 and used a set of left over brake pads on my F250



Springs - they also may be identical, i.e. my tuck has 13,000 pound suspension but is still limited to 10K ()


Opt for an F350 but make sure that it actually has a high enough rated suspension or you may be getting an F250 weight capacity.
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Old 04-22-2019, 05:12 PM   #4
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Brakes are identical 2011 and later. Prior to 2010 the pads were the same but the operation MAY have been different. Yes, I've had an F350 and used a set of left over brake pads on my F250



the brakes went to 14.29" diameter in 2013. 2012 & older diameter was 13.66"
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Old 04-23-2019, 05:28 AM   #5
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the brakes went to 14.29" diameter in 2013. 2012 & older diameter was 13.66"



You missed my point. Brakes are identical and use all of the same pads, rotors etc F250 and F350. I made no reference about differences in rotor diameter
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Old 04-23-2019, 05:32 AM   #6
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If you already own the truck use it. if you are looking at buying a truck you might want to look at a one ton.
enjoy.
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Old 04-23-2019, 07:44 AM   #7
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It's smart to be considering this issue before the purchase. Too many buy what they want without even realizing that the TV is a critical part of the decision. So kudos on the fore-thought

The key issue is one of safety and liability. If you overload the stated capacity of your truck not only are you potentially putting you and your family at risk, but Ford likely can't be held liable if there is some kind of failure that causes and accident. There are a lot of mis-matched rigs on the roads. Who knows the experience, skill level, or just plain luck of the drivers we all share those roads with.

You might err on the side of the wisdom I saw on the Keystone forum site.

Either buy a trailer that can be safely towed by your truck or buy a truck that can safely tow your trailer.
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Old 04-23-2019, 08:53 AM   #8
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After doing all our research we decided the 3810/3811MS will be the trailer that best fit our RVing plans. Then we determined what truck would safely do the job. Our skill level to drive such a rig does not enter the equation. We would learn how to make the necessary adjustments to drive whatever we would buy and be safe. Not being able to get into a drive thru doesn't figure either or being able to park it close to shopping etc. If that means we have to walk further in parking lots... sobeit.

Agree with the point earlier about the 250 is overweight right out of the gate based on the published specs for the 3811 by Keystone. If you are going to Full Time with it you'll probably be looking at about 3200-3500 lbs of loaded trailer pin weight. Add in a hitch and gear and passengers and there is only one logic conclusion if you do the math... You will need a one ton dually at the minimum. Here is one other thing to consider, if you decide to go with a (and not my recommendation) SRW F350 or similar remember that it is a taller truck than a brethren DRW and that creates it's own issues. But it is your call. This is how we arrived at the RAM 3500 Dually we have. That, and we got a great deal on it.
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Old 04-23-2019, 01:37 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by TCreager9 View Post
Looking at buying a 3811 MS and was wondering if a 2016 Ford F-250 will be OK?
You can get the wheels to turn with a Volkswagen that isn't the issue. You need something that is built to easily handle the weight and can safely stop the wheels from turning in a stable manner. Having a wider stance for stability and two additional tires to spread the load over DOES make a difference! You don't have to be silly about it and get a Kenworth but the 1 ton Dually is certainly reasonable.

There are going to be lots of folks that will tell you to run with what you brought to the track. I'm here to tell you that you can get away with doing that but do you really want to find out in a critical situation that you didn't have enough truck?

Get a 1 ton dually and be done with it. The only folks on here that won't agree that the 1 ton dually is a better TOW truck don't have your best interest at heart!
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Old 04-28-2019, 04:35 PM   #10
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We bailed out on a 2019 Montana as our F250 didn't have the payload capacity. Although it has the tow limit capacity I didn't feel comfortable towing it even adding the air bags. We just took our 38' Outback to Florida and back and blew out the brake calipers on the return trip. I can't imagine adding another 5000 pounds when towing at 10k pounds seemed like a struggle. Maybe I was just being careful on the hills through Alabama and Tennessee and keeping my RPMS at 2500. Heard a tuner might help.
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Old 04-28-2019, 05:01 PM   #11
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While no doubt a dually is better for towing heavy trailers, don't expect better braking from a dually. In most cases the brakes are the same. The dually may use different calipers to facilitate mounting but generally the rotors and the pads are the same. Given these parameters the 250 is apt to stop quicker due to having less weight, but I assume the difference would be insignificant. Obviously the best way to increase your braking performance is to get disc brakes for your trailer. I'm sure someone can come up with a certain make and model where the brakes are different, but again the difference will be insignificant.
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Old 04-28-2019, 05:12 PM   #12
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While no doubt a dually is better for towing heavy trailers, don't expect better braking from a dually. In most cases the brakes are the same. The dually may use different calipers to facilitate mounting but generally the rotors and the pads are the same. Given these parameters the 250 is apt to stop quicker due to having less weight, but I assume the difference would be insignificant. Obviously the best way to increase your braking performance is to get disc brakes for your trailer. I'm sure someone can come up with a certain make and model where the brakes are different, but again the difference will be insignificant.
I don't think folks are talking about the brakes themselves as they are the extra rubber on the road. And more importantly the wider stance that makes for more controlled braking and cornering under LOAD.

And it is the weight of the total package not just the truck that matters.

But I will totally agree with you that better brakes (IE:disc brakes) on the trailer is essential!!
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Old 04-28-2019, 05:51 PM   #13
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No matter what the capacities are for a SRW truck you may not be able to buy tires that can support the weight. You know how I know.
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Old 04-28-2019, 06:00 PM   #14
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I purchased a 2019 Montana 3700LK last October. Had a F250 with airbags to tow it with. It towed just fine, but.... I thought I did my homework, but did not use the door sticker payload rating. Big mistake! Took the set-up to a CAT scale, and was 2600 lbs over weight on the payload. Also exceeded rear axle and GCVR ratings. Expensive lesson - mad at myself and the dealer who convinced me it was okay. I now know better, and have since replaced the F250 with a F350 DRW. Weighed the setup again, and well within the limits. It also handles the trailer sooooo much better!


Thank you to the "weight police" who pointed this out to me and opened my eyes to the safety risks. I mention WP with all due respect and humility!

Bottom Line: It is not legal or safe to tow these large Montys with a 3/4 ton tow vehicle. Better to go with a one ton DRW.
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Old 04-28-2019, 06:40 PM   #15
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Having 6 wheels because you have more rubber on the road may not be a very good argument for a DW truck. Tires on my F450 MH are 6 inches wide giving me 36 inches of rubber on the ground. On my F250 the tires are 8 inches wide for 32 inches of rubber on the ground.

Did you ever notice the front breaks are larger the rears. The front does more breaking than the rear. The F150 has 16 inches or rubber while the MH has 12.
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Old 04-28-2019, 07:20 PM   #16
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Having 6 wheels because you have more rubber on the road may not be a very good argument for a DW truck. Tires on my F450 MH are 6 inches wide giving me 36 inches of rubber on the ground. On my F250 the tires are 8 inches wide for 32 inches of rubber on the ground.

Did you ever notice the front breaks are larger the rears. The front does more breaking than the rear. The F150 has 16 inches or rubber while the MH has 12.
Lynwood
It's all about the tire and axle weight ratings, along with payload and GCVWR ratings. Not about rubber on the road....
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Old 04-28-2019, 07:28 PM   #17
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Gunny B specifically mentioned braking issues, I was simply pointing out that a dually will not solve his uneasiness with braking. As far as more rubber on the road, the number of tires on the axle will have no bearing. The size of the contact patch will determines traction. How much weight is being exserted on each tire determines how many square inches of rubber hit the road. If you have two tires, each will have one half the contact patch of one single tire.
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Old 04-28-2019, 07:36 PM   #18
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DQDick, you keep mentioning not being able to buy tires to match your previous trucks capacity. I've asked you this before, maybe you didn't see it. I'm not disputing your assertion, but I find it hard to believe that a manufacturer could sell a truck with tires not suitable for it weight rating. Could you please elaborate, maybe post the make and model of your previous truck?
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Old 04-28-2019, 07:36 PM   #19
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I agree with the other comments. I would like to say that adding disc brakes to your camper is also a good idea for stopping.
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Old 04-29-2019, 07:31 AM   #20
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The load rating on my F250 20 inch wheels is 3750 pounds. That’s 7000 pounds for the rear.
Some of these new trucks are rated to pull 32,000 pounds. Would you really feel safe pulling 32,000 pounds with a pickup? If you believe these ratings you should feel safe.
Did you ever look at the 2807 tow ratings? Google it and see what you find. It will be some very interesting reading.
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