Flat Towing F-250

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adun015

adun015

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Oct 22, 2008
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I have a 2001 Winnebago 36cd and the information I find shows it at 5K towing capacity. The chassis is a freightliner XC. My question, what is the calcuation that would limit the towing capacity to 5K. I recently purchased a F-250 diesel with manual transaxle and found that it can be flat towed but the weight is around 6,700 lbs which exceeds the recommendation I find for the Winnebago.
I would really like to be able to tow this vehicle but don't want to if it is not possible. I know that some of the other freightliner XC chassis which on information provided seem to be the same but have higher tow capacity.
Want to be safe as I still have another tow vehicle but curious minds want to know.
 
You may want to run that F-250 across some scales to find the actual weight. Mine weighs more than that and it's a gasser.
 
Winnebago probably used a Class III hitch.  Traditionally a Class III receiver hitch is good for trailers up to 5000 pounds and 500 pounds tongue weight.
 
The Freightliner chassis under your coach is almost assuredly rated to tow 10,000 lbs. Find the weight placard (usually in a cabinet somewhere) and the GVWR & GCWR values. The chassis tow capacity is the difference between GVWR and GCWR. I don't think Freightliner makes that model of chassis with anything less than 10,000 lbs of tow rating.  That would mean that Winnebago skimped on the receiver and installed one with a 5000 lb limit, so it should be upgradeable to a 10,000 lb model as long as there is a way to attach it directly to the Freightliner chassis. Sometimes, however, the coach builder puts a lighter duty extension on the back of the base chassis and that is the reason for a lower-rated receiver.. Have a qualified hitch shop check it out before committing to buying the upgrade.

The 2001 Itasca Horizon brochure does indeed show a 5000# hitch receiver.
https://winnebagoind.com/resources/brochure/2001/01-Horizon-bro.pdf

Forgive me for quibbling, but your F250 does not have a transaxle - they are used only on front-wheel-drive vehicles. I think you meant it has a manual 4WD transfer case, a different thing than a transaxle.
 
Gary RVer Emeritus said:
The Freightliner chassis under your coach is almost assuredly rated to tow 10,000 lbs. Find the weight placard (usually in a cabinet somewhere) and the GVWR & GCWR values. The chassis tow capacity is the difference between GVWR and GCWR. I don't think Freightliner makes that model of chassis with anything less than 10,000 lbs of tow rating.  That would mean that Winnebago skimped on the receiver and installed one with a 5000 lb limit, so it should be upgradeable to a 10,000 lb model as long as there is a way to attach it directly to the Freightliner chassis. Sometimes, however, the coach builder puts a lighter duty extension on the back of the base chassis and that is the reason for a lower-rated receiver.. Have a qualified hitch shop check it out before committing to buying the upgrade.

The 2001 Itasca Horizon brochure does indeed show a 5000# hitch receiver.
https://winnebagoind.com/resources/brochure/2001/01-Horizon-bro.pdf

Forgive me for quibbling, but your F250 does not have a transaxle - they are used only on front-wheel-drive vehicles. I think you meant is has a manual 4WD transfer case, a different thing than a transaxle.
Click to expand...

Thank you, this is what I was hoping to hear.
You are correct manual transfer case, my bad :)
 
Take that truck to a truck scale because I'm certain it weighs more than 6,700.  I have a 2013 F250 diesel crew cab, short bed, and it weighed 8,000 at the scales.
 
drewtk said:
Take that truck to a truck scale because I'm certain it weighs more than 6,700.  I have a 2013 F250 diesel crew cab, short bed, and it weighed 8,000 at the scales.
Click to expand...

Yep, my F-250 gasser is 7100# with no passengers. Mine is a crew cab though. OP didn't give the configuration of his.
 
drewtk said:
Take that truck to a truck scale because I'm certain it weighs more than 6,700.  I have a 2013 F250 diesel crew cab, short bed, and it weighed 8,000 at the scales.
Click to expand...

X3  Get it scaled.  My '13 F350 Supercab Long bed Diesel weighs 8,000#.  I bet you will be at least 7500#.
 
I once owned a 1999 F250 XLT diesel (Supercab longbed) that had a real curb weight of 6700, so Alan may be in the right ballpark. Later modes got quite a bit heavier, though, and brochure curb weights don't include any options either. Lariat trim, for example, typically adds a couple hundred lbs.
 
2016 F-250 diesel crew cab. I did make a mistake I looked at the gasser curb weight which is 6,700 the diesel version is 700 more at 7,400. Sorry for the confusion. The newer Ford trucks are using aluminum in a lot of the body. Ups the torque and HP for the newer models with the 6.7 turbo diesel.
 
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