F-250 diesel

[Nick Szymanski Jr.]

Im curious on how well a 3/4 ton pulls a 38 Fl? Thanks for any input, N. Ski

[superduty glampers]

2 36Fl's here at the rally pulled by F-250s

[Rick and Mindy]

Originally Posted by Nick Szymanski Jr.

Im curious on how well a 3/4 ton pulls a 38 Fl? Thanks for any input, N. Ski

You can open up a can of worms with that question. This discussion comes up frequently and usually ends with a "Do your homework and be comfortable with your choice." Most on this forum will agree that the 3/4 tons from all of the major manufacturers will pull the Redwoods with no problem. Pulling is not the issue, it's the axle and GVWR that is usually exceeded. Safety becomes the real issue. Most will recommend a Dually but in some cases a 1 ton SRW will pass the requirements depending on how you load the RV. In my case, I researched all weight limits and seem to be within the limits with my 31SL but my 31SL is the smallest Redwood. I do not travel with water in my tanks and I carry the basic needed items so we do not overload. I question whether you would be within the weight limits with a 3/4 ton and the 38FL. Some would also agree that if you are just local weekend camping then you could probably get by but you have to remember that you are overweight and not plan on longer trips. Get ready for lots of input on this subject. It's great info and will help you make the right decision.

[brenkco]

Nick,
Pulling is not the issue. It is payload. I had a F350 SRW that was insufficient to handle my 38GK and went to a F450 DRW. BTW, the F350 DRW would have been sufficient to handle the load...I went with the F450 for other reasons.


The F250 wouldn't be close. Ford has a pdf file for all years that show the towing specs. The F250 tires, springs, axels and brakes are not enough to carry the weight.


Ken

[Ford truck guy]

I almost have my first trip under my belt, at the end it will be 3,000 miles and I feel that my 15 F 350 SRW is the minimun needed... I have A 38RL and are weekend campers with 1 biggie a year

[superduty glampers]

He said FL not gk, rl or mb FL's don't don't have the pin weight.

[riciren]

We pull ours with a 2011 Dodge Ram 2500, and have no problems with the power to pull, but have not towed very long distances, we don't carry water in any of the tanks and only carry the bare necessities. I did add the airlift 5000 bags and keep them a 50 psi when towing. In addition I don't drive over 65 mph, highest pass was at an elevation of 7591, total distance pulled is about 1000 miles. There is another Redwood in the RV park here been towed by the same truck.

[superduty glampers]

There's 6 or 7 3/4tons pulling Rw's here at the rally so far

[atom ant]

The FL is a different animal guys than these nose heavy front bedrooms. It's surprisingly light on the pin - probably a little more balanced than the rest of ours.

[azandy]

Originally Posted by Nick Szymanski Jr.

Im curious on how well a 3/4 ton pulls a 38 Fl? Thanks for any input, N. Ski

My guess would be a little light.
Any rv forum will produce many opinions on this.
There are lots of things to take into account. My current RV has about 3000 pounds on the pin with generator. Total just under 15k.
I do use airbags and the ride is fine. I have a F350 SRW.
I load it up with some water. All the food and junk I need. I don't worry about weight too much. I even fit job materials in if needed.
I have been towing rvs for over 20 years. I even tow a small enclosed job trailer behind at times. Although never very far.
Yes over length with tandem tow.
Probably close to max rv axel and tire limit. I'm sure a few times over my limit on total weight. But I try to keep it close. Have had drw before. They are nice. But I do just fine with my lighter truck. In the past three years I'm over 20000 miles on this rv. Never felt unsafe. I would spend the money for disc brakes though.
I guess what I'm saying is its personal preference. I'm way more concerned with the guy towing a 32 foot tt with the chev Tahoe and using up the whole road. I think if you tow within your ability is most important. When I bought this ford I did 350 just for a little more stability.
Just my couple sense.
Let the bashing begin I guess.

[superduty glampers]

FL are loaded in the rear reducing pin weight.

[GA1817]

Looking at the Ford charts should tell you very easily NO! For a 2015 F-250/F-350 SRW with either the 3.31 or 3.55 axle ratio (only ratio offered for SRW) the Maximum trailer weight is 16,600 for a regular cab and 16,100 for a crew cab and this is for a 4X2. The GCWR is only 23,500 for these models. You are above Ford specs on everything the minute you hook it up to the truck if the RW has anything of substance in it. It does not matter if there are 50 F-250's at the rally pulling them, it does not mean it is the right and proper thing to do Get a DRW or go with the 31SL and keep it lightly loaded.

[superduty glampers]

I have a 2012 F-250 with a 4:30 that I ordered, and a 31SL has more pin weight then an FL. The 31 gets heavier on the pin as you load it and the FL gets lighter on the pin as you load it.

[rob_fla]

I pull a 38FL and agree the Pin Weight on the 38FL is lower than some of the other floorplans which is due to the layout of the Front Living Floorplan.
We chose to pull with a GMC 3500 DRW and have deal with some issues with towing ride due to the lower Pin Weight on the 38FL. (Our last SOB 5th Wheel had a pin weight of 3,800 lbs. and our GMC rode much better)
I have discovered at the Rally this week that the "As Shipped Weight" on the 36FL is approximately 800 lbs. less than the "As Shipped Weight" on our 38FL (we do not have a Generator)
Just remember even though our 38FL has a Pin Weight of only about 3,000 lbs. the total weight of our 38FL is 16,700 lbs.

[Dave&Ginny]

This fight has been fought too many times......I can't blame you for trying to justify your current situation. Get the facts from the truck manufacturer and the actual RV weights and see if they work. There are very few Redwoods that could be pulled with a 3/4 ton truck.

[brenkco]

Dave,
Good advice. I too was part of the 'try to justify' club, reading all the specs, etc. then I weighed the truck and trailer. I was almost 2,000 lbs over with my Dodge 2500. This was with my SOB, fiver, that was much lighter than my Redwood.

The only way to know is having the facts, just like you say. Weigh the trailer and truck, review the manufacturer ratings and you'll know.

Ken

[superduty glampers]

Good advice?? That's comming from someone that posted he pulled his RW 80&90 mph, now thats safe.

[GA1817]

I could pull my RW with a F150 but not safely My favorite pic on this forum is Shane's new RW hooked up to his old truck. It looks like the space shuttle ready to launch in Florida His caption is before air bags! I noticed that he quickly bought a new DRW

Let's face it some people are going to do what they want to do and will fight you tooth and nail to justify their position. I have looked at the charts from all manufacturers in depth and I cannot conceive how one justifies pulling one of these RW's for any extended time with a 250! There are too many testimonies on here where people realized their mistake and got the DRW. The others are still in denial.

[PsychoBob65]

This is a picture of our 39MB hooked to our 2500. Its a little to small of a truck. Plenty of power but not enough booty to pack our baby. We are buying a F450.

http://www.redwoodowners.com/forums/...-albums72.html

[RomanyLife]

This is not a question of "opinion" EVER. It's simple. Read the specs, it's black and white. No need to get opinions. DO NOT ask your salesman, and do not rely on the "me too" club of those that haven't had an accident YET ;-) You already have what you need printed right on the door of your truck. Be safe and legal, that makes it easy. The money you save will seem like NOTHING if there is a catastrophe and it could have been prevented. BELIEVE ME we did not spend over $65K on a dually because we just wanted more truck than we needed, I don't think anyone did.