F250 - is it enough to Tow?

[Kjr]

Hello. I have a Montana 28.5 fifth wheel GVRW 14300. I need to buy a truck. All of the information is so confusing. I lean to the conservative side and don’t want to be “close” to my max towing capacity. But I also don’t want way more truck than necessary.
I have a F250 Super duty 4x4 crew cab xlt, power stroke v8 10 speed on hold. But now I’m worried it’s not enough to pull my RV safely.
Any advice?

[Foldbak]

The big question everyone faces when purchasing a new trailer. The simple answer is bigger is better! From a legal standpoint with a GVW of 14300 chances you're over pin weight. You didn't state the model of your rig but you said it's only 28.5 feet long.



You can take my advice for what it's worth. I have a 34.5 foot Monty with the same GVW and I tow it with a 2020 GMC 2500. Duramax 10 speed. Power is not an issue. Should I tow with a 1 ton? To be legal yes. Can my rig keep up? Yes. I'm slightly over tongue weight but the truck tows this trailer amazingly! In turns, hard stops and passing or being passed by Semi's. I have full confidence. If I upgrade to a 1 ton I get the exact same truck with one more leaf spring. If I were towing anything longer I would move to duel wheels. The more meat on the ground the better. Now that's the easy answer but here comes the math.


Let her rip tadderchip

[Cat320]

No, is the answer to the subject of this post. Towing is not the issue. These diesels will "pull" just about anything you can hook to them...BUT a 250/2500 series truck cannot carry the pin weight of a big Montana with out exceeding the load capacity of the truck. Look at the Tire and Loading Information on the sticker on the driver's door...it will give you the truck's capacity. DO NOT listen to a truck salesman trying to sell you a truck that is too small to do the job correctly.

[Leonard R.]

Don't do it!
You may be just on the edge, which means don't do it!
Safe yourself lots of grief down the road and upgrade to a F350 or similar.
I know what I speak of. I have a 35' Montana, pulling with a Chevy 3500 dually diesel. So safe, and peace of mind in any conditions. IMHO.

[Kjr]

Thank you all for replies. It’s a Montana High country 280CK. And yes I thought I would be pushing the limit.

[jsb5717]

To paraphrase Jeff Goldblum from Jurassic Park, 'you spent so much time trying to figure out if you could, you didn't stop to ask if you should'.

Can it be done is different than Should it be done.

"The Math" is what tells you what you need to know before you buy

Truck Payload - is the only rating on your truck that really matters. Don't worry about Tow Capacity...it's mostly a non-issue. Yes, the truck will tow the trailer. But Payload...will it properly manage the weight? Your truck's payload is stated on the yellow sticker inside your driver's door. It will say something like "Combined cargo and passengers not to exceed xxxx lbs". The "xxxx" is the payload rating for your truck. What does yours say? Maybe in the 2500 lbs range?

Now, how much weight are you going to put on to your truck?

• Trailer pin weight. Calculate that weight buy taking 23% of the trailer's GVWR. In your case 14,300 x .23 = 3289 lbs.
• Total passengers = how many people = how much weight. Let's say 400 lbs for now.
• Hitch - you need one. Let's say 200 lbs
• Other cargo - what else will you carry in the truck? Tools? Gas tanks? Let's say just 100 lbs for now.

So 3289 + 400 + 200 + 100 = 3989 lbs.

So you're going to load roughly 4000 lbs onto the truck which has a payload rating of maybe 2500 lbs. 1500 lbs over the trucks rated capacity...not good.

Your real weights may be different but that's the math. Use your real numbers and do the math. Then make an informed decision about your family's safety.

[Joint Venture II]

My 2005 2955RL had a pin weight of 2165, factory dry weight of 9380 and 3000 for cargo. When we loaded it in July it now weighed 11,438 and pin weight of 2615. Had I chose to pull it with an F250 I would have been borderline legal. I chose my truck in signature, F350 dually and I'm glad I did. Very stable towing and does not seem to overload the truck in any respect. In your case I seriously doubt you would be legal with the Monty you chose. Go with a 1 ton.

[Hblick48]

We purchased our 2005 F250 6.0 and Montana combo from the previous owner in 2016. He said there were no issues with the truck pulling the trailer. We put a lot of miles on that that setup including 2 cross country trips. The setup handled fine, but always felt a bit "squirrelly". About 6 months ago I finally did a payload calculation, and determined that we were exceeding the trucks payload by about 1,000 pounds. GCVR was within specs.

To make a long story short, about 6 months ago upgraded to 2017 F350 6.7. The difference between the way they towed in like night and day. We are under the payload, and the setup feels secure with no "squirrelly" feeling. Wish I would have done the upgrade years ago.

You need a 1 ton F350 or 3500 with your setup.

[Foldbak]

Originally Posted by Hblick48

We purchased our 2005 F250 6.0 and Montana combo from the previous owner in 2016. He said there were no issues with the truck pulling the trailer. We put a lot of miles on that that setup including 2 cross country trips. The setup handled fine, but always felt a bit "squirrelly". About 6 months ago I finally did a payload calculation, and determined that we were exceeding the trucks payload by about 1,000 pounds. GCVR was within specs.

To make a long story short, about 6 months ago upgraded to 2017 F350 6.7. The difference between the way they towed in like night and day. We are under the payload, and the setup feels secure with no "squirrelly" feeling. Wish I would have done the upgrade years ago.

You need a 1 ton F350 or 3500 with your setup.

Congrats on the upgrade. I will say that just the 2005 to 2017 was a major upgrade even in a 2500 weight class.

[WhatExit?]

The difference in cost between an F250 and an F350 used to be about $1200. Whatever it is now it's not worth wondering if you should go with an F250. Get the F350 or a dually and don't worry any longer.

[77cruiser]

So what's the difference between a 20/2500 & 350/3500?

[DutchmenSport]

When it comes to a man and his truck, that's like attempting to get between a man and his woman. Some things men are simply hard headed about. So, with that thought in mind, here's my advise.

The fact the original poster asked the question at all should be a signal to him that he's questioning his own decision. And if he's questioning his own decision now, that means he knows deep down inside his decision is faulty. And simply by asking the question to start with, he's attempting to rectify a bad decision.

OK, he's going through the five stages of grief when reality hit him. He's between the denial stage and the bargaining stage in this process.

I think if given a little more time, he'll come to "acceptance" that he needs a heftier truck.

For the OP, I know most folks want to tow fifth wheels with as small of truck as possible. And folks also want to use that same truck as a daily driver. The fact is, you cannot have both. Otherwise, settle for a trailer that is within range of your truck specs.

Even with that, some folks make the choice for the lesser truck anyway, trying to justify their reasons: We only travel in flat country, never mountains. We only travel local, less than 200 miles. We only travel interstate. We will never ever come close to maxing out the trailers carrying capacity.

Every time you buckle up your seatbelt, you are making a statement that you are NOT expecting to make it safely to your destination. If that destination be a half a mile down to the road to the local grocery store, or a 10,000 mile 6 month long quest. An accident can happen pulling out of your own driveway (which actually happened to my son once). Yet, every single person who has been in an accident, when they left their home that morning, never expected it would happen to them on THAT day!

With all of this said, I'm not telling you want to do .... you already know ...

But here's my original quote to give you more food for thought:

“You really need to think in terms of what is the ultimate extreme usage you'll be experiencing with your tow vehicle, not what is the lightest usage and hope it's OK when the extreme happens."

[Camp CA]

Originally Posted by Kjr

......Montana 28.5 fifth wheel GVRW 14300. I need to buy a truck. All of the information is so confusing. I lean to the conservative side and don’t want to be “close” to my max towing capacity. But I also don’t want way more truck than necessary.
I have a F250 Super duty 4x4 crew cab xlt, power stroke v8 10 speed on hold. But now I’m worried it’s not enough to pull my RV safely.
Any advice?

That is a lot of GVWR for a 28.5 ft fifth wheel trailer. Are you sure? An F250 will tow it..........I towed a 38 ft 14,000 GVWR trailer for 15 years with an F250 diesel before I purchased a F350 DRW diesel........best purchase I have ever made for stability and safety.

[Foldbak]

Originally Posted by 77cruiser

So what's the difference between a 20/2500 & 350/3500?

In my case the difference was the 3500 was 1 foot longer and 2 feet wider. When I got my truck there was no stock! If I wanted a short bed GMC 3500 non duely I would have had to wait 8 months. With the 2500 and my 295 it puts me just over 55 feet. I can barely make the turn in my driveway without hitting the gates or driving on the lawn.

[mlh]

Originally Posted by 77cruiser

So what's the difference between a 20/2500 & 350/3500?

If it’s a SWT the only difference is the badge on the side of it and the rear springs. You might have a different axle ratio and you might not.
If you will Google J2807 tow limits you will find the DWT in the speed test are held to a lower standard than the SWT. The single wheel trucks are tested at 35 MPH while the duel wheel trucks are tested at 30 MPH. No wonder the DWT have a higher tow limit.
Lynwood

[Kjr]

Yes agree a lot of weight for the shorter RV. I double checked and that is the GVWR.
I’m now convinced I will be buying the F350, but now torn about diesel vs gas.
Thank you for response.

[Hblick48]

Originally Posted by Kjr

Yes agree a lot of weight for the shorter RV. I double checked and that is the GVWR.
I’m now convinced I will be buying the F350, but now torn about diesel vs gas.
Thank you for response.

The pulling power of the diesel is much greater than the gas. The gas will struggle going up mountains. My 6.7 diesel handles the mountains (both up and down) 2000% better than my 6.0 diesel. You'll also get better mpg with diesel.

[jsb5717]

Good call on the 1 ton…you won’t regret that decision. I would also encourage the diesel. You’ll be so glad you did when you’re climbing the mountains.

[Lee-CI]

There is simply no comfort level greater when traveling down a long, steep grade while towing heavy than having an exhaust brake. Can the same grades be taken with a gasoline engine? Sure! I just don't enjoy the white knuckle experience I would get from not having the diesel engine to very effectively control the decent. Others will have a much different comfort zone than mine. Diesel engine is a +$10k option. Gas is less expensive than diesel fuel, but the MPGs towing will be better with a diesel. Much like everything in life, everything is a trade off. You will have to do what is best for you. Good luck. Shopping for a TV can be almost as exasperating as shopping for a fifth wheel.

[77cruiser]

Originally Posted by mlh

If it’s a SWT the only difference is the badge on the side of it and the rear springs. You might have a different axle ratio and you might not.
Lynwood

That's what I'm getting at, some seem to think they are totally different. They aren't.