weight limits

[blueline38]

I don't know if this is the right place for this question but here it is anyway;

I have a 2011 F250 6.2 w/3.73 gears. I am rated to tow 12,200lbs and have a cargo capacity of 3,300lbs. I like the wildcat 312bhx which I know is towable but I love the 344qb. Forest river says it's dry weight is 10,500lbs. I know loaded I'm looking at least 11,500lbs. Anyone tow this size camper with similar weight ratings? If so, how does it tow? Any input, positive or negative, would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[Eastbound]

I just returned from about a four hour trip with our new silverback 29re. I am in the same boat as you are. I have a gmc 2500 hd, 6.0 liter engine and 3:73 rear end. About the same weight ratings as you are describing. trailer is 10,400 dry, with about 11,500 or so wet weight. I have a six speed tranny, and all went very well. I would run about 60 mph, in 5th gear running at about 2000 rpm's. Gas mileage was around 9 mpg. When we did get wind in our face and up hill climb it would go down into 4th gear and run about 2500 rpm's.
I was concerned as you are about the ability of my truck to pull our trailer but power wise was no problem. The trailer has a hitch weight of 1700 pounds and at did not even squat the truck one bit. I had to lower my hitch a small amount to even out the trailer ride. All in all speaking from experience i believe you will be ok. Once again as everyone says you may be happier with a different engine but, we take our time and enjoy the ride.

[blueline38]

Thanks for the input. Yeah, looking at fifth wheels, I've decided I need a diesel but didn't want to pay the extra $8,000. I also figured 12,000lbs would allow for a good size camper! I don't like to push my trucks to the limit, hence the reason I was looking at the 312bhx as it is 2,000lbs lighter! I'm sure my truck will handle it but am looking at wear and tear down the road! Granted, I only tow my camper around ten times a year and usually only about an hour away or less. Once a year we make a three hour drive! I will also be looking at an air intake and maybe a tuner from fivestar in the future!

As far a squating, my truck ran level when I bought it due to the plow prep package in the front and squated to a reverse rake under weight. I have since put a 2" lift in the rear so now it sits level under most weight. During the winter I put a ton of wood pellets in the back with no problems!

[Eastbound]

Good luck with your decision. I was in the same boat about a month ago. I was really looking forward to our first trip in order to see how the truck pulled the fifth wheel. It did great. I kept an eye on the transmission temp. and the highest it got up to was 180 and that was on a long uphill grade against the wind. It came back down to 160 when we got back down on the flat.

[SaskCampers]

Originally Posted by blueline38

I don't know if this is the right place for this question but here it is anyway;

I have a 2011 F250 6.2 w/3.73 gears. I am rated to tow 12,200lbs and have a cargo capacity of 3,300lbs. I like the wildcat 312bhx which I know is towable but I love the 344qb. Forest river says it's dry weight is 10,500lbs. I know loaded I'm looking at least 11,500lbs. Anyone tow this size camper with similar weight ratings? If so, how does it tow? Any input, positive or negative, would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

More to it than that, make sure you do not exceed the GCWR which in 2011 was 19,000 for 3.73 equipped 6.2 powered F250's. Not sure what your supercab weighs alone but my crewcab Lariat FX4 4x4 weighs in at almost 7400 with no one in it and a full tank of gas.

[Dave_Monica]

Out of curosity, is the GVWR of the 6.2L gas F250's the same as the diesel at 10000 lbs?

Dave

[SaskCampers]

Dave the 2011 6.2 has a 9600 lb gvwr and the 2012 has a 10,000 lb gvwr.

[gmccarth1150]

I'm not sure if I'm in the place to ask this question, but I have a weight question. I'm thinking of buying a river forest shamrock 21ss. I have a 2009 Explorer 4x4 with the tow package reated at 5000 lbs. Can I safly tow this camper if i watch how I load it?

[WEMig]

I'm towing with a 2012 F250 6.2L with a GVWR of 10000. I have a 2012 Crusader 320RLT which weighs in at 11400 loaded. I'm right at my max on cargo weight (loaded + pin weight) so I would imagine your setup would be similar to mine. Recommend you have your rig loaded to get an accurate pin weight. Truck pulls the camp really well, similar to my old F250 7.3L diesel. I also looked at diesels, but decided that pulling once a month wasn't worth the cost for me. That all depends on your situation.

[blueline38]

Originally Posted by TheSasks

More to it than that, make sure you do not exceed the GCWR which in 2011 was 19,000 for 3.73 equipped 6.2 powered F250's. Not sure what your supercab weighs alone but my crewcab Lariat FX4 4x4 weighs in at almost 7400 with no one in it and a full tank of gas.

My gvwr is 9400lbs. I believe my truck is right around 6000lbs with me and some firewood (from what I remember from dump runs). Add a couple hundred for my wife and daughter but they don't always ride with me! I think it might be a moot point, however, because looking at some online pics the yellow sticker is placing the 344qb at around 11,300-11,600lbs (funny how FR cites 10,550 but they are clearly off). I think I'll stick with the 312bhx!

[Dave_Monica]

Originally Posted by blueline38

My gvwr is 9400lbs. I believe my truck is right around 6000lbs with me and some firewood (from what I remember from dump runs).

That weight doesn't seem right...6000 lbs is about what a half ton Ford weighs with fuel and a couple of passengers. Should run it over the scale, I'll bet the weight is well north of 7000 lbs.

Dave

[Len & Cheri]

Originally Posted by Dave_Monica

That weight doesn't seem right...6000 lbs is about what a half ton Ford weighs with fuel and a couple of passengers. Should run it over the scale, I'll bet the weight is well north of 7000 lbs.

Dave

I'd have to agree. My F150 4X4 was 6000lbs with just me in it and the F250 is around 8000.