If the F350 has stiffer springs, it could cause issues down the road with your trailer. What is the towing capacity of the 350, vs. the 250?
BTW, the 250 diesel should be more than capable of towing the 27.
We have been towing our 30 ft. classic with a chevy silverado 3500 diesel for over 8000 miles with no problems. The biggest concern is you forget the airstream is behind you because it tows so smoothly. I have read cases where the stiff suspension was not good for the trailer and that rivets would work loose from the stiff suspension but have not noticed any problems so far. I had Ford PUs for a long time and never thought I would switch to a Chevy until Ford service took a dive. I am very pleased with the Silverado 3500 single rear wheel drive. The Duramax engine and Allison transmission are a great combination.
Our son pulls his 2006 19' Bambi with his 2005 Ford F350 Powerstroke Diesel crew cab long box. He absolutely loves the way it tows as if there is no trailer behind him.
__________________ SuEllyn & Brian McCabe WBCCI #3628 --- AIR #14872 2005 25' Safari FB (Lucy) with HAHA 2005 Suburban 2500 Quadrasteer (Olivia) & 2004 Suburban 2500 Quadrasteer (Daisy)
I tow our 20 Minuet with a Chevy 2500HD Duramax/ Allison combo. No troubles so far 4 years and counting. I have looked for cracks and things shaking apart and all looks good. One thing about the Chev is it rides like a Cadillac so it might be a softer ride than the Ford 3/4. Also I do not use load levelers, so their is no extra stress applied to the trailer frame.
First comment, the F250 and F350 with the diesel, single rear wheels have the same tow rating, the difference is the F350 has a larger carrying capacity (CC), F250 being 3/4 ton (1500 lbs) and the F350 being 1 ton (2000 lbs). The F350 does ride harder, but there is considerable debate over the negative aspects that some have suggested due to being "overhitched".
I have a F250 to pull our Safari 25FB, and at times, I wish I had the F350 for the additional carrying capacity, especially since the tonque weight at 780 lbs takes over half of the 1500 lb CC, the passengers another 320 lbs, the gear in the bed including the generator another 300 lbs. So as you can see, I am at 1400 lbs with only a small load and two passengers.
Consider your use and decide accordingly.
John
__________________ Travel is in my blood, adventure is my passport, aluminum is my favorite construction medium, and therefore, an Airstream was my destiny.
so that being said, what effect do the air bags have then? Are they there for height adjustment , added cargo capacity or ride control?
Quote:
Originally Posted by TIMEMACHINE
First comment, the F250 and F350 with the diesel, single rear wheels have the same tow rating, the difference is the F350 has a larger carrying capacity (CC), F250 being 3/4 ton (1500 lbs) and the F350 being 1 ton (2000 lbs). The F350 does ride harder, but there is considerable debate over the negative aspects that some have suggested due to being "overhitched".
I have a F250 to pull our Safari 25FB, and at times, I wish I had the F350 for the additional carrying capacity, especially since the tonque weight at 780 lbs takes over half of the 1500 lb CC, the passengers another 320 lbs, the gear in the bed including the generator another 300 lbs. So as you can see, I am at 1400 lbs with only a small load and two passengers.
so that being said, what effect do the air bags have then? Are they there for height adjustment , added cargo capacity or ride control?
I would have to say the answer is all of them because they are all interrelated. Excess load causes the rear to drop unloading the front end which causes bad ride control (steering trouble). They add carrying capacity which will bring the ride height back to the proper geometry.
They do make the ride stiffer and I would certainly not use them to just jack up the ride height with out carrying a load. Judicious use is the key to air bags, remember they are correcting a overload condition for the stock configuration.
If you find that your really like the truck but are concerned with the added stiffness of the suspension system while towing your trailer, try looking at a product like this:
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
I have a more extreme mismatch than that - I pull my 16' with my 2500 Dodge Cummins, and have not experience any problems. I don't know what 15 or 20 years might reveal, but I'm going on three years and everything is fine.
I got into this situation because I wanted the Cummins turbo diesel for the torque and towing in the Rockies, and because I was hoping there might be an upggrade to a bigger trailer (read that as 'I was hoping I might retire and get a bigger trailer to travel for extended periods'), and didn't want to have to upgrade my tow vehicle. Maybe I will still get that chance - if not, I will probably some day trade into one of the next generation half ton pickups that I read about, with smaller diesel engines
I think if you are concerned, that you can control the situation to a degree by how you drive - for example, when I pull my trailer over the famous Wyoming washer board roads into Forest Service campgrounds, I slow way down and take it easy. On paved roads here in UT and WY, they are mostly in good condition, so that's not an issue at all. Again, if I hit a bad stretch, I slow down and take it easy. I think I would do that regardless of the trailer and TV combo.
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