Tow capacity question on my F350

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cpfullback

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I just joined this forum this evening.  My wife and I decided to upgrade from a travel trailer to a fifth wheel.  I recently bought a 2000 F350 Lariat, super cab, long bed, 4x4, 7.3L PSD, SRW truck.  The truck only has 82000 miles on it and the engine and trans checked out good so I'm ready to tow.  I know how much this truck can pull but I am concerned about the pin weight of the fifth wheel.  I will be traveling with my wife and dog and probably a 100 #'s of tools, the hitch and a full tank of gas (probably around 800lbs total).  Is there a limit on pin weight I should be concerned with with this truck?  1500lbs, 2000lbs, 2500lbs, etc..?

Thanks for your help!
 
What's the rear axle rating (GAVR)? 

If you have the truck ready to tow with your tools and passengers and you get it weighed per axle, whatever the weight you currently have on the rear axle, you can subtract it from the GAVR to determine what you have left for pin weight. 

If you don't have your hitch yet, then it will be what you have left for pin+hitch.
 
There are three things to worry about vis-a-vis pin weight, the truck GVWR, rear axle GAWR, and Payload.  But in practice it is only the rear axle GAWR - the rest will follow along nicely if that is ok. Since the pin rests almost exactly over the rear axle, it has to carry the lion's share of the weight. A 5W will have at least 20% of its total weight on the pin, so a 13,000 lb trailer drops 2600+ lbs right on the axle.

The fact that it is SRW means you have a lower rear axle GAWR than with duals - both the axle and the tire carry capacity are a bit less.  According to the 2000 Trailer Life Towing Guide, your truck is rated to two 13,300 lbs with the standard 3.73 rear axle. Unfortunately, I don't have a source for the rear axle GAWR, but it should be shown on a plate on the truck somewhere - try the driver door post or the glove box.
 
Thanks for the quick replies.  The biggest impediment I have had to calculating the trucks GVWR or GAWR is what the actual curb weight of my vehicle is.  Without that number I'm just guessing at everything else.  There are no weigh stations nearb my place so I thought someone might have the same truck and already figured this one out.  I called Ford but they indicated that due to the variations in trim and models they couldn't tell me the curb weight of my vehicle and  the dealership was no help.  I searched the web and the best I could find was that the weight is in the 7500 - 8000# range (loaded with passengers and fuel and hitch) which doesn't leave much for pin weight if my GVWR is 9900#.  The rear axle GAWR on my truck is 6830# and I'd guess the rear end of the truck is relatively lite but I really have no idea.

We're looking at used 5th wheels in the 32' range with double slide outs which have dry weights ranging from 9500 - 10500 #.  I've seen Cardinals in that weight range with a pin weight of 1900 and an Everest in the same weight category with a pin weight of 2550.  Both are nice rigs but I wouldn't want to buy an Everest unless I knew my truck could handle the load.  Towing capacity is relatively straight forward and easy to find, determining the payload capacity of the truck has been tough.

Hoping someones been down this road already.
 
The only way you are going to get a realistic number for your rear axle weight is to weigh the truck.    It is time to get yourself to a public scale near you and weigh the truck.  Get a weight for both axles on the scale and then rear axle only on the scale.  Be sure the fuel tanks are filled before getting the weights.
 
Thanks Carl L, that's what I figured.  I'll be looking around for the nearest scale.

Thanks again
 
You don't calculate the GVWR or the GAWR - those are given from the factory.  GVWR - curb weight = Payload, though. However, the payload assumes (wishful thinking) that the load is nicely distributed so the front axle gets a share. That is rarely the case.

I would guess your curb weight to be about 7000 lbs, which would give you a real payload of about 2900. That would be fairly typical of a F350 SRW diesel. But you are going to carry passengers, a 5W hitch, and probably some gear in the bed as well. Lucky if you have 2500 left for the trailer. Maybe less. When I ran an F250 PSD and an 10,400 lb trailer, I was typically about 300 lbs over on the rear axle, but still under GVWR.
 
I weighed a truck at a landscaping gravel pit. They weigh you empty and then load your truck with dirt/rock then charge you by weight. I just went in and said I'll give you $5 if you weigh me.
 
I have a very similar truck, mine is an 01 SRW short bed. The GCWR for our trucks is 20,000 lbs, they went up to 22000 I think in 02. My truck weighed close to 7500 lbs empty when I weighed it. I don't recall exactly what the Rear axle weighed but I do know that 2200lbs is my Target pin weight. I love the truck and especially the 7.3. This is my second one, the first one was sold off with 288,000 miles on it and it ran better than the day I bought it, no transmission problems either (with either truck). This one has 202,000 miles and has only needed a cam position sensor, 1 new wheel bearing, and a new o ring for my high pressure oil pump. Hopefully the previous owner of your truck took care of it. One thing is for sure, when I'm pulling out of the driveway I feel confident my truck won't leave me stranded and that's awesome for a 10 year old truck.
 
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