Can anyone explain or tell me the right way to figure out how heavy I can go before I'm over weight with my truck. Seems everyone one has there own version and I don't know who to believe. I have a 03 F-250, 7.3. GVWR = 8800 lbs , Front GAWR = 5200, Rear GAWR = 6084. My camper GVWR = 11100lbs, GAWR (each axle) = 5200 (2 axles) and I also put a 1025lb golf cart in the bed of the truck. Some people say I need a 350. Some say even though I have a 250 the axles are the same as the 350's and all I need to do is add air bags or springs. All I want is to be safe with my family and around yours! Thanks.
Can anyone explain or tell me the right way to figure out how heavy I can go before I'm over weight with my truck. Seems everyone one has there own version and I don't know who to believe. I have a 03 F-250, 7.3. GVWR = 8800 lbs , Front GAWR = 5200, Rear GAWR = 6084. My camper GVWR = 11100lbs, GAWR (each axle) = 5200 (2 axles) and I also put a 1025lb golf cart in the bed of the truck. Some people say I need a 350. Some say even though I have a 250 the axles are the same as the 350's and all I need to do is add air bags or springs. All I want is to be safe with my family and around yours! Thanks.
Start by hitting the scales and get the true 'wet' weight of both, compare those to your ratings and go from there.
Your right Hook'em, but that's part of the problem. The camper is in storage in my neighbors wet back yard. I won't be able to get it out until spring. Not trying to put the cart ahead of the horse but I thought I'd try and do what I could while I'm sitting idle. I do appreciate your advise and I will use it when the time comes and I won't destroy the neighbors yard. Thanks. Any other suggestions in the mean time?
Your right Hook'em, but that's part of the problem. The camper is in storage in my neighbors wet back yard. I won't be able to get it out until spring. Not trying to put the cart ahead of the horse but I thought I'd try and do what I could while I'm sitting idle. I do appreciate your advise and I will use it when the time comes and I won't destroy the neighbors yard. Thanks. Any other suggestions in the mean time?
Bummer, we have a drought going on here. Confirm what you can then, weigh the truck and cart, add 1,110 lbs for the tongue weight, compare against your various ratings, including tires. Then determine how much you have for a margin of error (overloaded trailer).
I have a 03 F-250, 7.3. GVWR = 8800 lbs , I also put a 1025lb golf cart in the bed of the truck. .
As 'Hook em' said, go weigh your truck loaded with full fuel as passengers and gear. I suspect that you will find it comes in around 8200 lbs.
I think you are in for a shock. . .I think you will find that the golfcart alone takes you over the truck GVWR.
The 11,000lb (approx) trailer should put about 10% of its weight on the hitch, so about 1,100 lbs. That too will probably take you over GVWR all on its own.
Adding springs and air bags do not increase your truck's legal limits.
To carry both at the same time you need a truck with a GVWR high enough to add the (approx) 2300lbs to the 'wet' weight of the truck and be below GVRW, so you need a GVWR in excess of 10,500 .
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John
99 F350 PSD CC DRW, BD Tranny, Fan driven tranny cooler, exhaust brake, tranny temp gauge
Titanium 29/34 Fifthwheel
HiJack 21k 4way hitch
Last edited by hiljoball : 03-01-2008 at 07:41 PM.
Never thought to weigh the truck with just the cart in it, DAH! I've just been focused on weighing all at once when I have the chance. Good suggestion, thanks. Now for the comment about the tires, you mean tire ratings on the tires, correct? I can't remember the numbers off the top of my head but I do know they are "E" rated. Thank you again for you help!!! Ran outside. For one tire the rating is 3415lbs. Now do I multiply that by 2 or 4? I do use a weight distribution hitch.
just do like so many people I see and put as much in it as you can and hope you can stop!
plus with the rear down like that it makes the headlights shine in the trees so you can spot the evil zombie birds that I have heard about!
Just kidding, It is NICE to see someone that cares about this and doesn't just think that because its a truck it can do it. I just saw about a 5ton dump trailer that was OVER loaded behind a dodge 1500 that had the bed OVER loaded as well. The front bumper was about 2 feet higher then the rear. I got WAY out of his way...
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2002 F350 Lariat 7.3L 4x4 Crew Cab long bed srw auto trans more to come in the future...
Donations wanted for the "Feed The F350 Foundation"
REAL TRUCKS DON'T HAVE SPARK PLUGS!
Never thought to weigh the truck with just the cart in it, DAH!.... Now do I multiply that by 2 or 4? I do use a weight distribution hitch.
Work in pairs per axle. Get your weight per axle (truck scales are segmented per axle) fully loaded with all the gear and add 200 lbs. I think you will find with the trailer alone your pushing your limits.
As hiljoball stated above, you will probably find you are in the range of the 350 for GVWR. Since many of the components are the same, some will say with modifications (air bags) you can do it. Nevertheless, you will always be over the limits tagged on the vehicle from the mfr.
Get your weights and post back, many here can advise further.
easiest way to go and be safe is stay under everything id personaly recomend staying under the gawr on each axle and have axle brakes on each trailer axle
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88 F-250 body,550 rear frame setup, 7.3 idi, 3:73 dana 80 rear, srw, dana 50 front, heavy duty leaf springs, back up camera, 20$ wallyworld fog lamps, class 5 bumper hitch welded to frame and gusseted, 32" steering tires all around, ac power converter,jeep bucket seats, deezee runningboards (cab only),cobra 29 cb w/ 102" whip, 2 trucklight worklights on front stake pocket each side,high lift jack behind seat, toolbox for the junk, visor, running lights, 6600 lbs with all my junk
Thank you again for you help!!! Ran outside. For one tire the rating is 3415lbs. Now do I multiply that by 2 or 4? I do use a weight distribution hitch.
Even though the tires may be rated at 3415 lbs (at 80 psi) each, that gives 6830 lbs on the rear axle, BUT the rear axle GAWR is only 6000. . .so you are limited by the lower number.
However the front axle is also rated at 6000. Does that mean the truck can carry 12,000. . .No, because the truck GVWR is 8800.
When loading the truck you are over the limits when you exeed any number.
So the number on the tire does not mean you can carry more load.
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John
99 F350 PSD CC DRW, BD Tranny, Fan driven tranny cooler, exhaust brake, tranny temp gauge
Titanium 29/34 Fifthwheel
HiJack 21k 4way hitch
Can anyone explain or tell me the right way to figure out how heavy I can go before I'm over weight with my truck.
It's really simple. Ford says you should NEVER exceed any of the manufacturer's weight limits on your truck. And there are several. But experience tells us that the only one you need worry about on an F-250 7.3L PSD is the GVWR. If you don't exceed the GVWR of your F-250, then you won't exceed any of the other weight limits.
So the GVWR is your limiter. Axle limits, tire limits, hitch limits, gross trailer weight limits, or any other limits you can think of won't be exceeded if you stay within the GVWR of your tow vehicle.
So let's do the seventh-grade math.
Your wet and loaded pickup with driver, passengers, tool box, bed liner, tank full of fuel, cooler, and "stuff" probably weighs around 8,000 pounds. That leaves you about 800 pounds for other cargo or hitch weight without being overloaded.
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My camper GVWR = 11100lbs, ...
Most people load the RV trailer to the gills by the third or fourth trip. So assume your trailer is going to gross around 11,000 pounds when wet and loaded for the road. Minimum hitch weight for a tag trailer is 10 percent, but better is 11 percent and best is around 12 percent. So let's assume 11 percent. 11 percent of 11,000 pounds is 1210 pounds, so let's round off to 1,200 pounds.
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... and I also put a 1025lb golf cart in the bed of the truck.
So 8,000 pounds for the truck, plus 1,200 pounds hitch weight, plus 1,025 pounds for the load in the bed is 10,225.
Oops! We're severely overloaded. Even if we had a '99-'04 F-350 SRW, we'd be overloaded over the 9,700 or 9,900 GVWR of the pickup. We need a minimum of around 10,500 pounds GVWR to not be overloaded. So that means a '99-'04 F-350 DRW, or a '2005-up F-350 SRW.
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All I want is to be safe with my family and around yours! Thanks.
Good for you. Now you know what needs to be done. And it's not rationalizing that your current tow vehicle is enough truck for your needs.
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My Sierra Blanca is a '99.5 PSD CrewCab hot-rod Towing Machine! BTS tranny; TurboRamAir intake and 4" stainless turbo-back exhaust; DP-Tuner tunes flashed into an Edge Evolution tuner; ISSPRO EV gauges and TTM; AIC; SP-Diesel exhaust brake and torque converter controller. I special-ordered it new and plan to drive it until it quits.
Thanks for all your help everyone. For curiosity sake I'm gonna load up the golf cart and weigh it, but it looks like I'm in the market for a 350. I do travel with the camper completely dry as far as water is concerned (even hot water heater). But I am guilty of loading 3 coolers of course full of beverages and what ever isn't nailed down in the house that the wife and kid want. Then the things you think you might need. Yah, I make up for not running wet and then some. Now to break the news to the wife, these 350's aren't cheap!! Thanks again everyone!
Think F-450. Some day you're going to want a bigger trailer.
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F-450, 4wd, club cab, 4.88, KR, satellite, navigation, hi-capacity trailer towing, reverse sensor, memory mirrors/pedals/seats and tailgate step. Also Linex, TruckCoverUSA bed cover, CrimeStopper Remote Start and Alarm and a 25K Air Safe Air Ride 5er hitch.
All I want is to be safe with my family and around yours! Thanks.
2005 Chev Duramax/Allison 3500LS DRW Crew Cab
2006 Chev 6.0L/4L80e 3500WT DRW Ex-Cab 9'Flat-GN
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