My wife and I are looking into purchasing a travel trailer, I've been racking my brain trying to figure out how much I can tow. I'm not a novice with any trailer and have been using them for years but before it was load it up and head out without thinking about if it was legal.

Now that I have a family I'm more aware that I've got to be careful with what I am towing so that I'm not breaking any laws.

Here is what we are looking at getting. The spreadsheet I found on youtube channel with this couple who does it full time.

Edit to say my truck is a 2014 F350 SRW long bed 6.7 diesel 4x4, the number in the chart are mine for this truck.

You're starting out with THAT? Holy cow man!

That's like having sex for the first time, and doing it with a supermodel.

Picard said:

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You're starting out with THAT? Holy cow man!

That's like having sex for the first time, and doing it with a supermodel.

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Hahaha, that was awesome!

Yea, only because we don't want to buy another one later on down the road; this was the one that fit our lives the best. We plan to make a small tiny home village (3 only) and an RV pad at the front of our property; this is our first purchase, and we plan on renting it out, but it stays on our property.

I would definitely plan on using a one ton with DRW for that monster trailer. I had one similar to that and had to put airbags on my f350 dually to keep the trailer at the correct towing height. Although I think my Solitude had a heavier pin weight.

Seriously consider a dually. It will give you much more stability and ability for a trailer that big and heavy.

you are right at your payload capacity on that truck and over your towing capacity.

You obviously need a brand new dually so you can turnaround and sell me your F350 for a massively steep Ag discount because we are ready to get out of our Class A and into a 5th wheel but I can't stomach truck prices

Srsly though if you do tow with your existing truck the airbags will probably be a big help. Also since Super Duty didn't come with an engine brake until 2015 (I believe) an add-on system from Banks would likely be a big help stopping that beautiful beast of a trailer.

Picard said:

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You're starting out with THAT? Holy cow man!

That's like having sex for the first time, and doing it with a supermodel.

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cohibasymas said:

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You obviously need a brand new dually so you can turnaround and sell me your F350 for a massively steep Ag discount because we are ready to get out of our Class A and into a 5th wheel but I can't stomach truck prices

Srsly though if you do tow with your existing truck the airbags will probably be a big help. Also since Super Duty didn't come with an engine brake until 2015 (I believe), an add-on system from Banks would likely be a big help stopping that beautiful beast of a trailer.

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I wish, man! My wife won't let me get another truck anytime in the next five years. Airbags are on the essential list and the truck does have an engine break when you put it in tow/haul mode.

You will be over your payload and your towing capacity. Even with air bags you will be asking a lot of the truck to tow that.

If you aren't going to tow it much, you should be ok.

If, however, you are going to tow it more than a few hundred miles, especially up any hills, you will be really pushing the truck to it's limits.

And, God forbid, if you end up in an accident, you may not get the insurance to cover it. And you will be liable for any and all damage.

This is really the safe answer here. Plus, you and your family are going to easily dump an extra 1000lbs+ of stuff into that trailer before you ever hit the road.

cohibasymas said:

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This is really the safe answer here. Plus, you and your family are going to easily dump an extra 1000lbs+ of stuff into that trailer before you ever hit the road.

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My wife has just thrown a curveball! She reads my post.

We still purchase the RV and sell my truck; I drive her car for 6 months, then I would be able to get 2020 which has more than enough to pull the RV.

My current truck is a 2014 F350 KR LWB 4x4 beautiful hunter green 195k miles, 35in AT, deleted and tune with SOTF. I'm not a drag racer or anything, but to delete it, you have to tune it also.

So if you are interested! Once we get our RV I'll slap a for-sale sign on it.

I found this calculation site not knowing what GCVWR was:
https://canitowthis.com/

Our plan is also to get a TT And truck (one day...) and I've been researching quite a bit about this stuff. Obviously not a pro as I've never pulled a travel trailer. However, what I've learned is it's almost always something other than towing capacity you'll max out before getting to that point. Likely with that trailer already being at your trucks towing capacity, something else will be over limit (pin weight, truck payload, etc). My initial thought is that won't be a fun trailer to pull with your current truck.

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She reads my post

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you need to change usernames immediately.

We had a good thread on this exact topic a month or so ago. Cost me a new truck but it was totally worth it. We bought a solitude with almost the same specs as that one. Trust me, you will be over 16,000 lbs by the time you get it loaded and your pin weight will probably push you close to the limit of your tires. That's where I found the weakest link on my F250. I highly suggest going with a DRW if you decide to go that big on your trailer. Also, you will need to go get a class A drivers license.

I was planning to pull our trailer with my F250 this summer thru CO, UT, MT, WY.... It could have done it but it would not have been worth the stress and anxiety. This F350 DRW is handling the job like a champ. So much more comfortable and stable. We hit some crazy cross winds during a storm up in the panhandle and it was no big deal. The fuel tank on this new one is almost 2x the size of what I had on the F250 which is really handy when you're towing and only getting 7-8 mpg. My previous range would have been under 200 miles which is an issue when you need big stations that have enough room to maneuver. This monster fuel tank allows me to find cheap diesel in town when I'm unhooked and then we maybe have to make one stop while on the road in a typical day of 6ish hours of driving.

So yeah, plan to get a DRW and then go get a class A license.

D&C 2002 said:

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We had a good thread on this exact topic a month or so ago. Cost me a new truck but it was totally worth it. We bought a solitude with almost the same specs as that one. Trust me, you will be over 16,000 lbs by the time you get it loaded and your pin weight will probably push you close to the limit of your tires. That's where I found the weakest link on my F250. I highly suggest going with a DRW if you decide to go that big on your trailer. Also, you will need to go get a class A drivers license.

I was planning to pull our trailer with my F250 this summer thru CO, UT, MT, WY.... It could have done it but it would not have been worth the stress and anxiety. This F350 DRW is handling the job like a champ. So much more comfortable and stable. We hit some crazy cross winds during a storm up in the panhandle and it was no big deal. The fuel tank on this new one is almost 2x the size of what I had on the F250 which is really handy when you're towing and only getting 7-8 mpg. My previous range would have been under 200 miles which is an issue when you need big stations that have enough room to maneuver. This monster fuel tank allows me to find cheap diesel in town when I'm unhooked and then we maybe have to make one stop while on the road in a typical day of 6ish hours of driving.

So yeah, plan to get a DRW and then go get a class A license.

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Great info!

So even though I currently have an F350 SRW still get a F350 DRW?

The max 5th wheel towing capacity of the 2020 f350 DRW is something like 32,000lb vs 22,000 on the SRW.

Better yet talk your wife into the F450 Limited. I mean, why not? I say that because there's a gorgeous brand new one two spaces down from me now in Red River NM. Drool worthy truck.

https://media.ford.com/content/dam/fordmedia/North%20America/US/product/2020/f-series-super-duty/2020-Ford_RVandTrailerTowingGuide.pdf

Keep the truck

Get a smaller trailer. That thing is a monster and will be a PITA to take anywhere.

Ogre09 said:

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Keep the truck

Get a smaller trailer. That thing is a monster and will be a PITA to take anywhere.

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Pay no heed to such rational, practical advice as this!!! Your wife has basically already given you the go ahead for a monster new trailer and truck.

cohibasymas said:

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The max 5th wheel towing capacity of the 2020 f350 DRW is something like 32,000lb vs 22,000 on the SRW.

Better yet talk your wife into the F450 Limited. I mean, why not? I say that because there's a gorgeous brand new one two spaces down from me now in Red River NM. Drool worthy truck.

https://media.ford.com/content/dam/fordmedia/North%20America/US/product/2020/f-series-super-duty/2020-Ford_RVandTrailerTowingGuide.pdf

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I will have to do some major ass-kissing for this one! It will be worth it, though.

cohibasymas said:

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Ogre09 said:

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Keep the truck

Get a smaller trailer. That thing is a monster and will be a PITA to take anywhere.

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Pay no heed to such rational, practical advice as this!!! Your wife has basically already given you the go ahead for a monster new trailer and truck.

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Yea that makes absolutely no sense! I've been asking for a newer truck for 3 years now.

Yeah, I'd go ahead and get the DRW. Again, I think your tires on a SRW will be your biggest limiting factor and you will likely be over the rated payload capacity. You can gain more capacity by adding airbags, but your tires max out around 3,700 lbs each. The airbags won't change the rated capacity on the tag and that is what matters from a legal standpoint - should you ever have a wreck or get pulled over by a highway patrol officer on a slow day. I was over 7,000 lbs on my rear axle and that was before we packed the trailer for our trip. I'm guessing my pin weight is around 4,000 lbs with a fully loaded trailer. You also gain a lot of stability with the DRW which makes a big difference pulling a trailer that is 13.5' high. Plenty of people haul trailers bigger than mine with a SRW but I'm very happy with the choice we made.

As far as size goes.... This is our third trailer in 5 years. We started small and decided we were enjoying it so much that we wanted to upgrade. We had that 16' trailer for 6 months and then went to a 36' bumper pull. We drug that 36' trailer for close to 10,000 miles last year and lived in it for 2 month. Again, we enjoyed it so much that we decided to go for a big nice 5th wheel. We plan to be traveling for 4 months this summer. More space when we are both working, more storage capacity for all my outdoor cooking, washer and dryer...game changer. I would actually say this 41' 5th wheel that weighs almost 3x as much as the last bumper pull is a pleasure to tow. No sway, extremely stable, more ground clearance on the rear, and its very maneuverable. Overall length from bumper to bumper was the same until I got the new truck. Set up and take down went from 45 min to 10-15. It also just feels more substantial and up to the task for cross country trips. This is definitely a "to each their own" situation. Everyone does it a little differently according to their style and priorities. I don't regret starting small and working our way up but I've met plenty of people that buy massive 5th wheels and toy haulers as their first trailer.

" I've met plenty of people that buy massive 5th wheels and toy haulers as their first trailer."

Speaking directly to OP's beautiful bride here: Ma'am, we are practically SAVING you money, time, and headache by buying the right setup out of the gate and avoiding a multiple truck / trailer scenario. This is a win win for all.

OP owes me a drink when we get this deal done.

Might want to also look at Northwood Mfg - Arctic Fox if planning on all weather trips. Made in NW and built very well - especially in more frigid temps in Wy, Mt, Ak etc. We have had two and they don't really have any issues that we have found. Have also discovered that larger 5th wheels have limitations in AK if you are planning on extended trips. I agree that you will want a 350/450 with as much towing capacity as possible for this size. Took one in August last year across Red Mountain Pass north of Silverton Co. with no issues whatsoever....except my wife was screaming part of the way.

cohibasymas said:

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" I've met plenty of people that buy massive 5th wheels and toy haulers as their first trailer."

Speaking directly to OP's beautiful bride here: Ma'am, we are practically SAVING you money, time, and headache by buying the right setup out of the gate and avoiding a multiple truck / trailer scenario. This is a win win for all.

OP owes me a drink when we get this deal done.

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Well, Buddy, I owe you a drink! Not sure where you live, but we should try and meet up. My wife agreed that it was time to upgrade to make sure we had some wiggle room.

I'm getting this beauty in a few days! It's being shipped from Virginia. 2019 f350

Seriously I owe you a beer. BTW my wife doesn't always use my Texags account. Only when I send her stuff should she read. Which turned out to help me...lol

That's awesome. Bought at 26' travel trailer with my f150. Got an F250 to "handle" it better. Then bought a 5th wheel because why not? Then got a great deal on a f350 srw and here we go. Mine is only 12lb gross so not as big or long as yours. (That's what he/she said)

And a DRW fifth wheel tows like a dream.

Hey that's great news congratulations. You guys will really enjoy all this. Just remember RVing is an adventure. Stuff will break, etc. Also take it slow and give yourself plenty more time than you think you need during packing, travel, parking, etc. for the sake of your marriage!

We're full-timers. Currently near Durango but will meander around CO for June and then end up in our favorite place on earth, Ouray CO area around July 4 for the summer. Come on by and take me for a spin in that gorgeous pickup and we'll call it even

cohibasymas said:

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Ogre09 said:

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Keep the truck

Get a smaller trailer. That thing is a monster and will be a PITA to take anywhere.

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Pay no heed to such rational, practical advice as this!!! Your wife has basically already given you the go ahead for a monster new trailer and truck.

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Yeah, she's wanting something in return, and it's not what you can already give her. Ex. LV purse etc.

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BTW my wife doesn't always use my Texags account. Only when I send her stuff should she read. Which turned out to help me...lol

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Thank goodness, I thought for sure we were gonna get busted for the strip bar incident...whew! BTW, congrats on that beautiful truck.

Rookies who let their wife know their Texags handle/ read Texags.

Picard said:

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You're starting out with THAT? Holy cow man!

That's like having sex for the first time, and doing it with a supermodel.

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I thought that's how everyone did it..

I'm not gonna worry about towing; everyone else has already addressed that.

So, some questions...

How many kids do you have?
How old are they?
Have you considered RENTING a similar RV on Outdoorsy or a similar sit to see how the layout works for you?

The only sleeping space, outside of the master, is the sleeper sofas. I'm not sure I'd enjoy that with kids. Especially with the only for to the RV bring in via the living room.

Just a thought.

Someone should tell him....you're gonna buy another one. Depending on how old you are I'd bet you but at least 2 more if you enjoy it.

chaca5151 said:

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Picard said:

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You're starting out with THAT? Holy cow man!

That's like having sex for the first time, and doing it with a supermodel.

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Hahaha, that was awesome!

Yea, only because we don't want to buy another one later on down the road; this was the one that fit our lives the best. We plan to make a small tiny home village (3 only) and an RV pad at the front of our property; this is our first purchase, and we plan on renting it out, but it stays on our property.

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Congrats on the new truck! That's exactly what I got and I can't believe how much better of a ride it has over my old F250. You're going to love it. I really think our 40' Solitude 5th wheel behind the DRW F350 was so much more comfortable and easier to pull up here compared to the 36' bumper pull behind the F250. Really looking forward to the rest of our summer travels with this rig.

I may have missed it, but have you documented your Class A license process on Texags?