Need Buying Advice F-250

At least a bigger motor. It depends upon whether you want gas or diesel as to which route you should take. 3.73 gearing is probably OK as long as you don't plan to go into the mountains.

3.73s, the 5.4 and a 31' 5th wheel? Might work for level ground, but climbing hills is gonna be a slow motion affair.

Find a diesel with the 4.10s or a V-10 with the 4.30s. I have an '02 CC 4WD long bed with 35's and 4.30 limited slip. I've pulled an

8,500lb trailer and was able to maintain 60mph up most hills, but the engine was spinnin' about 3,500RPM to do so..

Is safety a priority? If not, an F-250 will haul it.

The size (weight) of the fifth wheel determines the truck model you'll need. The F250's maximum vehicle weight (GVW or gross vehicle weight) is around 8800 lbs. The truck with the small motor probably weighs around 6500 lbs. If your 5th wheel weighs 15,000 lbs., the hitch will put something on the order of a 2,300 pound load in the bed for a total truck weight of 8,800 lbs. (This assumes 15% of the 5th wheel's weight is on the hitch, although 20% is not unusual.) Adding a driver would cause the truck to be overweight.

You also need to watch the GCWR (gross combined weight rating), i.e., the truck plus trailer maximum weight. The weight ratings are on the plate on the B pillar, and cannot be changed by after market add ons.

You need to do similar arithmetic with the actual weights of the hitch, passengers, and truck cargo, then choose a truck with a GVW rating that comfortably exceeds the actual load.

Will the '03 F250 haul? Yes. Will it be safe? Maybe. Will it be legal? Probably not. Will you get caught? ?? Getting caught could mean your insurance company denies a claim. Getting caught could mean your trailer is impounded until you produce a vehicle that can legally tow it.

I strongly suspect you need at least an F-350 single rear wheel to stay within GVW. I would be looking for an F-350 with dual rear wheels, a diesel engine, and a six speed manual.

Bob

What is the gross combined weight limit on the truck and what does the trailer weigh wet. It will work but it's a stretch. Bet the Ford factory specs say it's not certified for the weight.

Short pulls, gas will do. Long pulls? Diesel will make sense if you drive enough.

Don't buy it!!

I tow a 14,000lb 5th wheel with a V10 and 4.3 ratio. Even that is marginal here in the West. My next one will be a Diesel. I don't know the weight of your 5th wheel, but, from my experience you will need at least the V10 and

4.3 ratio.

One additional issue, the pin weight of a 31 ft may put you over the GVW rating for the truck. Personally I would look at two things: A different truck and a smaller

5er. (unless you are buying a rig to live in, if you are buying one for vacationing the rig is probably way too much)

You don't specify the weight, but your trailer probably weighs 12,000+ suggesting you want an F-350 dually with the 6.0 diesel. I would opt for the

4.10's. Although you give up a couple mpg in fuel economy, you'll reap the dividends when towing uphill.

P.S. In this months Trailer Life magazine, there is an excellent insert dedicated to towing. I recommend picking up a copy for future reference.

Thanks to everyone who replied. Your replies concerned me enough to contact Ford, who directed me to this doc which confirms your replies and cautions:

Thanks again, MZ

As another responder advised, get the F350. You will probably have to add overload springs or airbags to keep the rear end from dragging with a F250. This happened to my neighbor. And, he only had a 28' 5th wheel.