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09-16-2007, 06:11 PM
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#1
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2 Rivet Member
1999 25' Safari
Sebastopol
, California
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 59
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Is this F350 enough truck?
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
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09-16-2007, 06:18 PM
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#2
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Rivet Master
2005 28' Safari S/O
Paradise
, California
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,446
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Quote:
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
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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.
__________________
Steve
"THE OLDER I GET, THE BETTER I WAS"
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09-16-2007, 06:25 PM
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#3
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Retired.
Currently Looking...
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, At Large
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 21,276
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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.
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Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy, and taste good with ketchup.
Terry
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09-16-2007, 06:46 PM
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#4
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2 Rivet Member
1999 25' Safari
Sebastopol
, California
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 59
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Looks like I have more homework to do
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
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09-16-2007, 06:51 PM
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#5
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Retired.
Currently Looking...
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, At Large
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 21,276
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Quote:
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
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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.
__________________
Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy, and taste good with ketchup.
Terry
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09-16-2007, 06:59 PM
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#6
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2 Rivet Member
1999 25' Safari
Sebastopol
, California
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 59
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So is the 11900lb number the most important
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
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09-16-2007, 07:02 PM
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#7
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Rivet Master
1986 25' Sovereign
Southern Middle
, Tennessee
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 3,319
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Quote:
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
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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.
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Craig
AIR #0078
'01 2500hd ext. cab, 8.1 litre gas, 5 sp. Allison auto
3.73 rear end
Mag-Hytec rear diff cover
Amsoil Dual by-pass oil filtration system
Amsoil synthetics all around
265 watt AM Solar, Inc. system
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09-16-2007, 07:10 PM
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#8
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Rivet Master
1978 31' Sovereign
Texas Airstream Harbor
, Zavalla, in the Deep East Texas Piney Woods on Lake Sam Rayburn
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,435
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Quote:
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?....
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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.
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Dennis
"Suck it up, spend the bucks, do it right the first time."
WBCCI # 1113
AirForums #1737
Trailer '78 31' Sovereign
Living Large at an Airstream Park on the Largest Lake Totally Contained in Texas
Texas Airstream Harbor, Inc.
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09-16-2007, 07:14 PM
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#9
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4 Rivet Member
Currently Looking...
Yakima
, Washington
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 381
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Plenty of truck. The F-350 with the 460 is capable of much more than you will be asking it to do.
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09-16-2007, 09:07 PM
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#10
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2 Rivet Member
1999 25' Safari
Sebastopol
, California
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 59
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Thanks to all for the input. Looks like this truck is capable.
Ben
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09-27-2007, 10:52 PM
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#11
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2 Rivet Member
2007 25' Safari SS SE
Alton
, Illinois
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 75
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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.
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The "Ann Rutledge"
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09-28-2007, 05:23 AM
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#12
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Rivet Master
1974 20' Argosy 20
Richmond
, Kentucky
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,116
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Quote:
Originally Posted by benheschen
Thanks to all for the input. Looks like this truck is capable.
Ben
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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
__________________
Air forums # 1674
1974 20' Argosy Motor Home
1975 24' Argosy Motor Home
1974 31' Excella trailer (parting out, as of 4/1/2015 I have wheels & windows left to sell)
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09-28-2007, 08:15 AM
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#13
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2 Rivet Member
1999 25' Safari
Sebastopol
, California
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 59
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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
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09-28-2007, 10:50 AM
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#14
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More than one rivet loose
Currently Looking...
Los Alamos
, New Mexico
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,756
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7600lbs sounds low. Gas or Diesel? Bumper or reciever?
My old 5.4 Gas 250 was rated at 10,000 lbs.
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Michelle TAC MT-0
Sarah, Snowball
Looking for a 1962 Flying Cloud
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09-28-2007, 11:34 AM
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#15
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Moderator
2015 25' FB Flying Cloud
2012 23' FB Flying Cloud
2005 25' Safari
Santa Rosa Beach
, Florida
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 13,159
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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.
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SuEllyn & Brian McCabe
WBCCI #3628 -- AIR #14872 -- TAC #FL-7
2015 FC 25' FB (Lucy) with ProPride
2020 Silverado 2500 (Vivian)
2023 Rivian R1T (Opal)
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09-28-2007, 01:37 PM
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#16
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2 Rivet Member
2006 23' Safari SE
Avon
, North Carolina
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 63
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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.
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