I pull a '99 31' HitchHiker II Rio Grande with my '99 F350, Crewcab, 4X4, automatic with 430 rearend, V10. Trailer and Truck weighs 20,250 fully loaded and trailer weighed 12,975 across the feed mill scales here. I also pull a 17' Lund Pro Sport boat behind the 5th wheel. I have 35,000 miles on the truck and 85% of those miles are pulling the trailer. My mileage is from a low of 5.9 mpg in a head wind to 8.5 going across the flat lands of Kansas. Hithchiker comes with its own lift kit and 16" wheels so the trailer pulls perfectly level behind my F350 with the stock 4" blocks. This is my second HitchHiker and I swear by them. I'm sure there are many advantages to the PSD but then I saved $4400 on my engine and with the miles I drive each year, it would take a lot of fuel to pay that difference. On the mountain passes here in Colorado I run about 27 mph at 4000 rpm which isn't fast but I do keep up with the semis. Most passes are only 5 to 6 miles at their steepest incline so I'm not in that big of a hurry. On the interstates I usually run 65mph, I guess the older I get the more time I have to smell the roses so I don't get in a hurry. I do like my V10 and look forward to putting a couple hundred thousand on it.
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99 F-350 Crewcab V-10 4.30 4X4 Off Road Automatic Bright Red
Rhino Liner K&N Filter Hooker Muffler
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99 F-350 Crewcab V-10 4.30 4X4 Off Road Automatic Bright Red
Rhino Liner K&N Filter Hooker Muffler
I pull a keystone montana 32 ft. Dry wt is 9700 lbs and I do not dry camp so I do not pull with any water. I have not weighed it, but I doubt it exceeds the max limit. I don't have a problem, but I don't get in a hurry. I have a 99 sc w/ 3.73,k&n,flowmaster and tbi spacer.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by CrewCabber: How many of you tow a fifth wheel with a v10,how long,how heavy?
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Hey there crewcabber. I pull a 33 ft Excel, double slide. Weighs 13000 loaded. Truck weighs 6900 loaded. It pulls very well . Mileage is 6.1 low and pinch over 9 the best. empty has seen 16.7 for high. Overall for 16000 miles is 11+ for towing and empty.
Here's what Ford's RV & Trailer Towing Guide says you can do:
F350 SD CC 4X4 V10 AT 4.30: 20,000 lbs GCWR.
Max 5th wheel weight: 13,400 lbs. This is an example of "specmanship" because it's the "minimum configuration" rating, and it doesn't allow for the weight of options (i.e. XLT trim and off-road pkg), other passengers and the usual stuff, especially in a CC.
Max TT weight: 10,000 lbs (factory hitch limitation).
Also, Ford recommends both GWR and GCW be reduced by 2% per 1,000 ft elevation for gasoline engine operation -- to "maintain performance" due to the 3%-4% per 1,000 ft elevation power loss for normally aspirated gas engines.
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crewzer -- Y2K F250 SD 4X2 CC SB XLT 5.4LV8 AT 4.10LS TTPkg Black/Silver
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crewzer -- Y2K F250 SD 4X2 CC SB XLT 5.4LV8 AT 4.10LS
Are your weights (6900 & 13000) for the truck alone and the trailer alone? If so, you just may have provided us with an interesting case study.
To stay within Ford specs while trailering, we've got to meet two weight requirements: GVWR and GCWR. The 19,900 combined weight is (just) within Ford's 20,000 lb GCWR for the 250 SD V10 4.30.
Your truck's GVW may be another story. Typical 5-er pin weight is 20-25% of trailer weight. If so in this case, that's at least 2,600 lbs, which, when added to the truck's 6,900 lbs, is 9,500 lbs, or 700 lbs over the 250's 8,800 lbs GVWR.
Have you weighed your truck with a typical load (fuel tank full, driver, passengers and "stuff") with the trailer attached?
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crewzer -- Y2K F250 SD 4X2 CC SB XLT 5.4LV8 AT 4.10LS TTPkg Black/Silver
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crewzer -- Y2K F250 SD 4X2 CC SB XLT 5.4LV8 AT 4.10LS
I have a 2000 F350 SC V10 Auto 4x4 with 4;30 axle and tow a 1999 30' Kountry Star fifth wheel. This trailer weighs approximately 12,500 loaded. (Not weighed yet)
I just completed a round trip to Maine from central PA. The overhead computer had 8.3 for the trip while towing and 9.3 overall average. I ran 65 mph most of the time but did slow down in heavy traffic. I used the cruise control most of the time set at 65 and the engine was turning 2200 rpm's. When I approached a hill the truck would shift down and turn 3200 rpm's. My speed would drop to about 60 mph on most hills. I did shut down the cruise on real steep hills and would drop to about 50 to 55 mph. Some of this trip was made with the A/C on so I believe mileage could of been somewhat better without the A/C.
Can anyone tell me if I am running too hard for this combination and if this mileage is within reason? I did try running about 62 mph but the truck didn't perform near as well when approaching the hills and would lose alot of speed.
Any input would be appreciated.
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New 2/8/00: F 350 4X4 SC LB V10 AUTO 4:30 ISLAND BLUE & HARVEST GOLD Tows a Kountry Star 30' Fiver.
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New 2/8/00: F 350 4X4 SC LB V10 AUTO 4:30 Island Blue & Harvest Gold, Tows a Kountry Star 30' Fiver.
I pull a 34' Travel Eze with my 2000 F250 SD, 4X4, Crew cab. The trailer weighs in around 12K and the pickup around 7K. It does Ok, I also pull a 18" steel horse trailer that I loaded down with around 3K of equipment and drove through New Mexico last summer and was very dissapointed in it's performance. Gas mileage is about what I would expect, 6.5 loaded and 14 empty. I've ordered a F350 PSD, maybe I'll even be legal when I pull 5th wheel, or at least close.
Re: “Can anyone tell me if I am running too hard for this combination and if this mileage is within reason?”
“Running too hard” can be interpreted several ways, one of which is to consider your GCWR and GVWR. Your truck’s 350/V10/4.30 configuration has a 20,000 lbs GCWR and a 9,900 lbs GVWR (assuming SRW). Your truck’s curb weight is probably about 6,500 lbs, and your trailer estimate is 12,500 lbs. Throw in yourself, a passenger and some “stuff” for another 500 lbs or so and you’re at 19,500 lbs GCW – pretty close to Ford’s limit.
Similarly, take at least 20% of the trailer’s weight for pin weight – 2,500 lbs – and add it to your loaded truck (6,500 + 500) and you’re probably at 9,500 lbs – minimum. Again, you’re close to Ford’s limit.
You might want to have you’re truck/trailer combo weighed to get the real numbers.
You’ll find that your trans will drop in-and-out of OD (“hunting”) fairly often when towing such a load in hilly regions. You might want to consider turning off your OD and just letting it tow in 3rd gear with the torque converter locked up – much easier on the transmission and fluid temps.
8.3 mpg’s when cruisin’ along with your 19,000-plus lb rig and A/C? That’s excellent!
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crewzer -- Y2K F250 SD 4X2 CC SB XLT 5.4LV8 AT 4.10LS TTPkg Black/Silver
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crewzer -- Y2K F250 SD 4X2 CC SB XLT 5.4LV8 AT 4.10LS
I tow a 2000 Sunnybrook 28 ft 5'er with a slide. It weights 7k empty, and when packed still leaves me well within Fords weight limits. The trailer is an excellent buy with a high level of build quality. I average around 9 MPG, with 8.5 being the worse ever, and 9.8 being the best. Ambient temperatures seem to make a noticable difference on mileage and towing power, performing best in the cooler temps. I tow in the 65 mph range with the truck in O/D. It pulls nicely up steep hills after the downshift. Tranny temps are low and stable, except in stop and go traffic when they can creep up a little. My truck is 00 F-350 crew cab 4x4 V-10 with 3.73,s. Sometimes I wonder if 4.30's would have been a better choice, but getting over 14 mpgs empty on the highway is a nice trade-off. Even with the 3.73,s the truck pulls the trailer with authority. I'm very happy with the combination.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by alan1: I pull a keystone montana 32 ft. Dry wt is 9700 lbs and I do not dry camp so I do not pull with any water. I have not weighed it, but I doubt it exceeds the max limit. I don't have a problem, but I don't get in a hurry. I have a 99 sc w/ 3.73,k&n,flowmaster and tbi spacer.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I do have a question for you,how do you like the Montana,I have been looking at them,always like to here what an owner has to say,would appreciate any pros or cons---thanks in advance Bill
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00.5 F350 SD PSD lariat long bed dually white w/tow package 4x2
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2004 F350 SD PSD Lariat Long Bed Dually White w/AZ Beige w/Tow Package 4x2,6.0
with Torqshift Trans.4.10 LS.Htd Mirrors.15K
Trailer Hitch.
Linear Mode
