Will This Truck Work for 320MKS?

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I sent the sales rep a text that I can't do it. The payload is just too small. My current 17 gasser has a payload of 4100# on the door. But, it can only tow 12500 for the 5th wheel I believe. Which is fine because we don't have enough stuff to go over that weight at this point. I owe 29K on my current truck and caresense offered me 49K to buy it, so that's the reason I'm looking.

I'd like to get a bigger, stronger truck while that deal is on the table but I think this one we've been discussing is just not it even though I wish it was.

And that difference in payload (4100 vs. 32xx lbs) is very realistic numbers because of the weight of the diesel engine and the associated exhaust system, etc. Like I said, if you can swing a 2020 or a 2021 with the high GVWR for the F350, you might be OK. You would be picking up an additional...approx. 800 lbs of available payload for a similarly equipped truck.

[Tgunter5]

I sent the sales rep a text that I can't do it. The payload is just too small. My current 17 gasser has a payload of 4100# on the door. But, it can only tow 12500 for the 5th wheel I believe. Which is fine because we don't have enough stuff to go over that weight at this point. I owe 29K on my current truck and caresense offered me 49K to buy it, so that's the reason I'm looking.

I'd like to get a bigger, stronger truck while that deal is on the table but I think this one we've been discussing is just not it even though I wish it was.

Forgive my ignorance but if your current truck has a payload of 4K, why would you wanna go less???? With 4K payload, I would think that gives you the ability to tow upwards of a 16K trailer assuming 20ish% for lin weight with room to spare?!?

[EddieK82]

Forgive my ignorance but if your current truck has a payload of 4K, why would you wanna go less???? With 4K payload, I would think that gives you the ability to tow upwards of a 16K trailer assuming 20ish% for lin weight with room to spare?!?

I'm worried that the 6.2 won't be able to pull a fully loaded 320mks. But, my truck has a max 5th wheel of 12,500. I'm not sure how all these numbers work, but you're right, I never thought of it like that. Why would it max at 12500, when 20 percent is on the truck with 4101 pounds of payload. Maybe I'm mistaken how much my truck can tow. The reason I'm looking to upgrade is because apparently, my truck is insanely high valued right now, they can't find the same truck in pretty much the entire US so carfax offered me $49K for it. I only paid $35 and owe $29. So I wanted to use that equity to jump to a bigger, meaner beast. I am thinking of going F350 dually as I can't afford a 450 but do I really need that.

[Tgunter5]

I'm worried that the 6.2 won't be able to pull a fully loaded 320mks. But, my truck has a max 5th wheel of 12,500. I'm not sure how all these numbers work, but you're right, I never thought of it like that. Why would it max at 12500, when 20 percent is on the truck with 4101 pounds of payload. Maybe I'm mistaken how much my truck can tow. The reason I'm looking to upgrade is because apparently, my truck is insanely high valued right now, they can't find the same truck in pretty much the entire US so carfax offered me $49K for it. I only paid $35 and owe $29. So I wanted to use that equity to jump to a bigger, meaner beast. I am thinking of going F350 dually as I can't afford a 450 but do I really need that.

I can relate to the absurd buy back value.... Thats how I traded up to the truck I have now. Was in no way looking for a truck but when they offer me damn near what I originally paid for my old truck back in 2015 I went for it! What sucks now is when we bought our current trailer we were limited to half ton towables and now that we have a few more options..... wifey wants a bigger trailer!!!! What ever happened to "this is the last trailer we will buy for YEARS to come"!!!!!!

[EddieK82]

I can relate to the absurd buy back value.... Thats how I traded up to the truck I have now. Was in no way looking for a truck but when they offer me damn near what I originally paid for my old truck back in 2015 I went for it! What sucks now is when we bought our current trailer we were limited to half ton towables and now that we have a few more options..... wifey wants a bigger trailer!!!! What ever happened to "this is the last trailer we will buy for YEARS to come"!!!!!!

It's kind of forcing me into getting a new truck, but I have no idea what to get. But I know I want to spend no more than 68K sticker.

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I'm worried that the 6.2 won't be able to pull a fully loaded 320mks. But, my truck has a max 5th wheel of 12,500. I'm not sure how all these numbers work, but you're right, I never thought of it like that. Why would it max at 12500, when 20 percent is on the truck with 4101 pounds of payload. Maybe I'm mistaken how much my truck can tow. The reason I'm looking to upgrade is because apparently, my truck is insanely high valued right now, they can't find the same truck in pretty much the entire US so carfax offered me $49K for it. I only paid $35 and owe $29. So I wanted to use that equity to jump to a bigger, meaner beast. I am thinking of going F350 dually as I can't afford a 450 but do I really need that.

Eddie.....Sometimes all the numbers that are associated with towing can be a bit confusing...we've all been there and done that. So hopefully, my explanation here will maybe help a little to clarify some of them.

Let's kind of narrow this down between trailer types. I know there are more than just two, but for the sake of explanation, let say...1. 5th Wheel camping trailer. 2. Flatbed/utility type trailer...gooseneck/5thwheel. First of all, nowhere in ANY truck manual or brochure will a manufacturer tell you a truck is capable if towing a CERTAIN type trailer....they simply say that the truck has xxxx lbs of payload, and xxxx lbs of towing capability. They also tell you to never exceed any of the listed weight/towing ratings. So how does a truck that is capable of towing say 16,000 lbs get overloaded by a 14,000 lb trailer (notice I didn't specify which type of the two trailers I listed above)?

Let's look at the flatbed/utility type trailer first. Load up a piece of heavy equipment on that trailer....a front loader, a big farm tractor...whatever. Let's say the trailer and the equipment weight come out to 16,000 lbs exactly. So the truck should be able to pull it and stay within the truck's rated capacities. With a trailer like that, you have options of where you load the equipment onto the trailer. You can load it towards the front of the trailer, you can load it centered over the axles, or you can load it a bit behind the center of the axle. Each one of those loading locations will cause a different amount of pin weight on the towing truck. Front loading = max. amount of pin weight on truck. Over the axles = less pin weight on the truck. Loading behind the center of the trailer axles = even less pin weight on the truck. So, you have the 16,000 lbs of trailer and equipment loaded in the front of the trailer...BUT...the amount of pin weight is causing the truck to be overloaded on the payload part of the equation.....so you move the equipment to "centered over the trailer axle".....and now you have a pin weight number that is close to the payload capacity of the truck. Move the equipment back a little more and now you have let's say "some buffer room" and are 300, maybe 400 lbs away from reaching the payload numbers of the truck, so you settle on that location in the trailer to haul your equipment. NOW, you have a 16,000 lb trailer and equipment (the max the truck is rated to tow)....AND...you are NOT over the payload ratings of the truck...you've stayed with the truck's rated numbers and life is good.

Now take that same truck and let's tow a 5th Wheel Camping type trailer with it. The GVWR of the trailer is 16,000 lbs (same as the trailer with the equipment on it), but this time, you are over the payload numbers of the truck. The big difference is that fact that you CANNOT, for all intents and purposes, rearrange the loading of the 5ver trailer. Storage areas in the trailer as well as everything about the trailer is such that you basically end up with weight in a certain location that cannot be easily moved to a different location.....more to the rear of the axle centerlines. So you are basically stuck with...."it is what it is" loading....and it's putting down enough pin weight on the truck that the truck is over the payload rating on the sticker.

In the first scenario, you can stay within the truck's rated capacities. The second scenario, the answer is that in order to stay within the truck's capacities...GVWR, RAWR, FAWR, Payload, etc....you have to get a smaller trailer that doesn't put as much pin weight on the truck. So, back to my statement in the second paragraph.....the truck manufacturer will tell you the weight capacities and ratings....but the will NEVER tell you for what kind of trailer those apply to. It's up to the end user to determine what combinations of trailer (fifth wheel camping trailer, horse trailer, flatbed/utility trailer, etc) that they can safely tow and stay within all of those ratings and capacities. The truck is capable of xxxx lbs of towing, and xxxx lbs of carrying, but the manufacturer of the truck leaves it up to the end user....you, me, whoever uses the truck to tow with.....to keep it within those numbers. Hopefully that explanation will help you to understand exactly why a truck could be totally capable.....or....overloaded, when towing TWO DIFFERENT TRAILERS, that have the EXACT same weight.....and to also show you why towing a 5th wheel camping type trailer is somewhat a different animal than other trailers.

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And just as a side note, the above post by me...^^^^^ was all done with only ONE cup of coffee in my system! So now, cup number TWO is being enjoyed, along with a quick break to try and get rid of my "writer's cramps" from typing that much!