Montana Owners Club - Keystone Montana 5th Wheel Forum - View Single Post

Dean A Van Peursem · 05-08-2009, 04:59 PM

akf15e,

I have a similar view and similar F250/F350 questions relative to my 2003 F250 Montana 3400RL combination. Yes, I'm probably running slightly over on GCWR and GVWR but I'm below on each door sticker GAWR by quite a bit. Front and rear. Now that doesn't quite make sense to me. Now that may mean I don't have enough power with a 3.73 Rear End Ratio vs a 4.10 or higher and if I did maybe the GCWR & GVWR would be higher but I don't recall Fords 2003 literature stating that. The F250 and F350 have the same power train. So if that doesn't compute then the difference must be in the way the frame is made, the brakes or the springs on the rear. I'm presently not aware that the brakes or the frame or the axle is different on the SRW 2003 F250 vs F350 but I am aware of the spring difference. I'm trying to find my 2003 F250/F350 sales literature which I saved but cannot find right now. Maybe there is a difference but I sure don't remember it. So only to improve the 1" or 2" of rear sag of the 2003 F250 loaded with the 2006 3400RL I've added airbags which leveled things out just fine. I am currently trying to fix the last iritant and that is the "Bobbing" that I get very occasionally. Today I received and installed Torklift Stable Load Overload Spring Pads to reduce the gap that exists for the overload spring leaf to engage under heavy load. I suspect this will solve (at worst reduce) this final minor irritant.

So as long as I feel I am a safely loaded on the road, which I currently beleive, I don't see an adequate reason and just cannot justify spending the additional over $20,000 to buy a new Ford truck that has Diesel engines I don't like. I just haven't seen good enough arguments that just because the door sticker defines whether I am safe or not, to take that as the total gospel. IMHO, after almost 90,000 miles on this truck, with many of those miles pulling a heavy equipment trailer cross country and over 12,000 miles towing the 2006 3400RL, the primary safety issue for me is the "nut" behind the wheel. I presently worry more about the "nut" in the drivers seat and the other "nuts" on the road than the truck! :-) I do know my driving habits have improved considerably since owning the 3400RL. I am acutely aware that I'm driving an over 20,000 lb bullet that if not handled correctly can do allot of damage. It is my view that my defensive driving skills have improved significantly since the purchase of the 3400RL .

If I were buying a new truck today, I wouldn't buy anything but a F350 SRW if that kept me under all the ratings or a F350 Dually if I needed to get some extra ratings breathing space. But that just isn't in the cards right now.

05-08-2009, 04:59 PM	#41
Dean A Van Peursem Montana Master Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Snohomish Posts: 579 M.O.C. #5583	akf15e, I have a similar view and similar F250/F350 questions relative to my 2003 F250 Montana 3400RL combination. Yes, I'm probably running slightly over on GCWR and GVWR but I'm below on each door sticker GAWR by quite a bit. Front and rear. Now that doesn't quite make sense to me. Now that may mean I don't have enough power with a 3.73 Rear End Ratio vs a 4.10 or higher and if I did maybe the GCWR & GVWR would be higher but I don't recall Fords 2003 literature stating that. The F250 and F350 have the same power train. So if that doesn't compute then the difference must be in the way the frame is made, the brakes or the springs on the rear. I'm presently not aware that the brakes or the frame or the axle is different on the SRW 2003 F250 vs F350 but I am aware of the spring difference. I'm trying to find my 2003 F250/F350 sales literature which I saved but cannot find right now. Maybe there is a difference but I sure don't remember it. So only to improve the 1" or 2" of rear sag of the 2003 F250 loaded with the 2006 3400RL I've added airbags which leveled things out just fine. I am currently trying to fix the last iritant and that is the "Bobbing" that I get very occasionally. Today I received and installed Torklift Stable Load Overload Spring Pads to reduce the gap that exists for the overload spring leaf to engage under heavy load. I suspect this will solve (at worst reduce) this final minor irritant. So as long as I feel I am a safely loaded on the road, which I currently beleive, I don't see an adequate reason and just cannot justify spending the additional over $20,000 to buy a new Ford truck that has Diesel engines I don't like. I just haven't seen good enough arguments that just because the door sticker defines whether I am safe or not, to take that as the total gospel. IMHO, after almost 90,000 miles on this truck, with many of those miles pulling a heavy equipment trailer cross country and over 12,000 miles towing the 2006 3400RL, the primary safety issue for me is the "nut" behind the wheel. I presently worry more about the "nut" in the drivers seat and the other "nuts" on the road than the truck! :-) I do know my driving habits have improved considerably since owning the 3400RL. I am acutely aware that I'm driving an over 20,000 lb bullet that if not handled correctly can do allot of damage. It is my view that my defensive driving skills have improved significantly since the purchase of the 3400RL . If I were buying a new truck today, I wouldn't buy anything but a F350 SRW if that kept me under all the ratings or a F350 Dually if I needed to get some extra ratings breathing space. But that just isn't in the cards right now.