Is this F350 enough truck?

[Aluminumb]

I'm looking at a 1994 F350 XLT with a 7.5L engine/auto trans and a 4.10 rear end. The tables in the Ford book put this at a max tow weight of 7600lbs. I'm considering using it pulling it with a 1983 31' Limited which is 5500lbs dry and quite a bit heavier loaded. Do you think this is enough vehicle for this trailer.

Thanks,
Ben

[TinShack]

Originally Posted by benheschen

I'm looking at a 1994 F350 XLT with a 7.5L engine/auto trans and a 4.10 rear end. The tables in the Ford book put this at a max tow weight of 7600lbs. I'm considering using it pulling it with a 1983 31' Limited which is 5500lbs dry and quite a bit heavier loaded. Do you think this is enough vehicle for this trailer.

Thanks,
Ben

Hi Ben, What is the GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) of the Airstream? This is the weight you should look at. Also you need to determine what the GCWR (gross combined weight rating) for the truck is too. This would be the total weight of the truck and trailer combined.

[overlander63]

Ben, are you sure about those figures? My F250 with a 5.8, and a 4.10 rear, has an 8500 pound towing capacity. And our Sovereign weighs in at a little under 7000.

[Aluminumb]

I know see I have a little homework to do before I ask this question. I don't know the GVWR for the trailer. Does anyone know the approximate GVWR for the 31' Excella center bath unit which is very much like the Limited?

The GCWR for the truck according to the Ford tables is 13000lbs. I don't know how much the truck weighs.

And Terry, the book says the Trailer weight range is 0-7600lbs. I bet your 250 is newer than 1994?

Ben

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by benheschen

I know see I have a little homework to do before I ask this question. I don't know the GVWR for the trailer. Does anyone know the approximate GVWR for the 31' Excella center bath unit which is very much like the Limited?

The GCWR for the truck according to the Ford tables is 13000lbs. I don't know how much the truck weighs.

And Terry, the book says the Trailer weight range is 0-7600lbs. I bet your 250 is newer than 1994?

Ben

My truck is a 1988...
Your trailer weight sould be within a couple hundred pounds of our 31. The truck and trailer combined are 11900. Trailer weighs 6420 pounds in working order, with water and holding tanks empty.

[Aluminumb]

Terry, does that mean the truck should be able to do it if the trucks limit is 13000lbs? Or do you need to have more of a buffer?

Ben

[davidz71]

Originally Posted by benheschen

I'm looking at a 1994 F350 XLT with a 7.5L engine/auto trans and a 4.10 rear end. The tables in the Ford book put this at a max tow weight of 7600lbs. I'm considering using it pulling it with a 1983 31' Limited which is 5500lbs dry and quite a bit heavier loaded. Do you think this is enough vehicle for this trailer.

Thanks,
Ben

Something sure seems fishy on that dry weight! The '82 Limited 31' rear bath is listed as 8300 lbs. dry weight, the '83 is listed as 5550 lbs. My '77 Excella 500 31' had a dry weight with accessories of 5430 lbs. and a GVWR of 8100 lbs. so I would expect the trailers in the early '80's to be slightly heavier. Even the '82 Excella 31' rear bath is 6800 lbs.

Based on that info, weight it to get the real weight and check you GVWR tag.

[87MH]

Originally Posted by benheschen

I... Does anyone know the approximate GVWR for the 31' Excella center bath unit which is very much like the Limited?....

You should have a plate under the front window (on the outside) sort of to the driver's side that looks very similar to the one below.

The one below is for a '78 Sovereign - The Airstream website (the old one) listed a weight of about 550 lbs for the tongue. Total weight for the trailer would be 3200 on each axle, plus the 550 to 700 on the tongue.

The Excella will probably have an additional weight rating of 100 or 200 lbs (or more) per axle since it came with some extras that the Sovereign did not.

The Airstream site listed the '83 31' limited specs with a dry weight of 5550 lbs and 725 lbs on the tongue.

[DFord79]

Plenty of truck. The F-350 with the 460 is capable of much more than you will be asking it to do.

[Aluminumb]

Thanks to all for the input. Looks like this truck is capable.

Ben

[Brad Hunt]

Hey guys, somethings wrong with those figures. We had an early 90s F350 XLT, 460 with a 5 sp. manual at the shop that made like 480,000 miles hot-shotting. Just an outstanding truck, 10 mpg unloaded or fully loaded, didn't matter. If memory serves this truck was designed to pull up to 11,000 pounds. We used to worry because a flatbed of towboat parts could weigh 13,000 pounds but we never had an issue, went through a lot of tires though. If trucks in good condition it should be fine.

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by benheschen

Thanks to all for the input. Looks like this truck is capable.

Ben

Ben,

We have an 88 Ford F250 7.3 diesel (non-turbo) and we towed our 20' Argosy motorhome from Eastern Tennessee to Arkansas with no problems. Our combined weight was about 15,000 lbs. I most certainly wouldn't do this every day but we had no issues other than not driving over 53 mph.

An F350 should tow your trailer easily.

Brad

[Aluminumb]

Thanks for all the input. I got the truck and it pulls the trailer great. I can tow up to 13000 lbs with its engine/rear end. It rides a little rough without any weight on it, but the power is definately there when I need it. And of course, it sounds like a tank.

Thanks, Ben

[thecatsandi]

7600lbs sounds low. Gas or Diesel? Bumper or reciever?
My old 5.4 Gas 250 was rated at 10,000 lbs.

[moosetags]

I agree, 7600# sounds real low. If you can't easily tow a 25' Safari with that truck, you would need a locomotive to pull a 34 footer.

[gotohatteras]

Isn't the GCVW limit for actually carrying something in the bed...like a truck camper? Weight of truck with an adult in each seat position, and the cargo...which is in the bed...not on the back end? Good rule we use is..."if the trailer weighs no more than the tow vehicle, then the tail won't be wagging the dog" as far as safety. Your truck is plenty powerful enough engine wise to haul any A/S past or present.