F350 or not?

[Leonie]

I own a 2004 F350 short box (6-1/2 ft) and I just purchases a Pullrite Superglide Hitch for my truck which will leave the box clean when it is removed as it is mounted to under the bed rails. The superglide will automatically slide from front to back when making tight turns with a short box truck. I got the 4400 model for mine. Brilliant design.

[Calnca]

I have a 1T DRW Ford F350.....and it's my daily driver here in SoCal. Outside of the towing prowess that the truck has, the BIGGEST benefit is that no dinky little Honda's, Hyundai's, Mazda's, Toyota's etc feel compelled to pull out in front of me as they seemed so prone to do when driving the BMW 550......Size really does matter

[gizmotex]

When it comes to useful load, you can't use the "towing guide" or other manufacturer's generic documentation. Look at the yellow sticker on the driver's side door post. This useful load is for that specific truck, and calculated with full fuel but not much else. In addition to trailer pin weight, you'll need to add passengers, hitch, toolbox, pets, cargo in the bed, etc., etc. It becomes pretty easy to overload a 1/2-ton truck. Yes, the truck may pull just fine, but you're technically illegal, which can affect insurance, among other things.

In December I upgraded from an F250 diesel to an 2015 F350 diesel DRW. Useful load went from about 2100# to 5100#. We just bought a Reflection 337RLS, which pulls easily. The dually only has 17" tires, so it sits a bit lower. I probably have 7-8" clearance above the bed rails. Like Keebler, the dually is my daily driver, and it's no big deal. Walking from the far end of the parking lot is good exercise!

[[email protected]]

Forgo the F-350, spend a couple thousand more and get the F-450. Bigger breaks, axels, a different spring set up that rides smoother when empty then a F-350 and a turning radius that a F-350 wishes it could do. I used mine for a daily driver in the San Francisco bay area for two years before we hit the road full time. Also the bed rails are a couple of inches lower than a F-350 I believe.

[fsgarrett]

I tow a 337RLS 5th wheel with a F350 diesel Short Bed Crew Cab, 18” optional A/T tires, heavy optioned Lariat Ultimate.
I use an Andersen Ultimate (37 lb) hitch and love it.

Payload of the truck per yellow door sticker is 3523 lbs
The pin weight when loaded for travel is 2800-2900 lbs.
the truck bed sags exactly 3” when the trailer is mounted
With Andersen set to mid height I have 7.5” space from bed rails to bottom of 5th wheel front cap
Front frame of 5th wheel is 1” higher than rear frame so it’s 1” nose high.
I have about 100 lbs of remaining payload when traveling.
450 lbs in cabin (driver, passenger, dog, parrot and cage, cooler)
100 lbs in truck bed (37 lbs hitch, firewood, step stool)
So 2900+450+100=3,450 lbs vs 3523 lbs payload.

The combo tows great, handles great and stops great due to disc brake conversion on the Reflection 337RLS. Night and day difference in stopping ability. Best $2,000 ever spent.

With the short bed and Andersen hitch the Max turn is about 75 degrees before getting front of trailer cap close to truck rear window.

Here are some pictures

Did you install the disc brakes yourself or get that work done at a trailer shop/RV dealership?

[CoyoteHauler]

You shouldn't have a problem even with the new taller trucks with a new or later model 5th wheel. Grand design has gone to 16" wheels with larger profile tires and placed a 2" tubular spacer below the frame where the springs/axles attach which together raise the trailer 3" over older models. Here is my 2019 F350 diesel SB 4x4 and my 303RLS. The 31MB you mentioned is very close to GVWR and hitch weight of my 303RLS. My truck does not have any air bags or other modifications and both the truck and 5th wheel are very level.

Attachment 22812

I'll jump in here with a F250 Lariat FX4 4X4 diesel SRW with the 10,000 GVWR 6.75 ft. bed, 20" wheels pulling a 2019 Reflection 303RLS...B&W Slider Hitch. Truck configuration is rated to tow 14,000 lbs..max trailer is 12,000 GVWR (my travel weight is 11,200 lbs). No issues with sway or wobble even when being passed by a 18 wheeler going Mach1. We traveled west to and thru California from Cypress,Texas (outside Houston) this year and it was a breeze at my normal travel speed of 67 mph where legal. (California is 55 mph Max for trucks with trailers...ran right at 60 MPH). I had the hitch installed by the dealer and the mate-up with the trailer pin was perfect. (If I can get a picture added, I will. I haven't been successful in the past). I will say that the truck is higher than my F150 FX4 was, but now I use the grab handle and the running boards to enter and exit. What I'm hearing from campers generally supports a must for a dually if over 15,000 lbs trailer GVWR. A friend has a Ram 2500 SRW with air bags pulling 16,000+ and he says it is a white knuckler all the way. He is looking to go to a dually. I hope this gives you some helpful info. Good luck camper!

[tomilee]

I’d recommend ProPride or Hensley hitch if you want to keep both TV and TT.
It will definitely reduce the white knuckles.
I have Propride and I can witness that it really helps.
But, it doesn’t eliminate it unless your TV is as heavy as TT or you go with 5th wheel

If you are thinking of 5th wheel, go for dually.
Then, you don’t have to worry too much about payload and etc

I used to tow our trailer with full size SUV equivalent to 1/2 ton trucks.
We ended up buying 3/4 ton truck (2019 Ram 2500)
So far, we are very happy with it. The rear seat is not very comfortable for sure
But, if you go with mega cab, it should be very comfy with super reclining seat

[Troutd0g]

I tow a Reflection 303rls with a 2019 Ram 3500 Laramie 6’4” bed and it has 20” wheels and auto leveling air suspension. The newer model 3/4 ton and 1 ton trucks all sit pretty tall and I was worried about the same thing. With the air suspension I have the option of lowering the ride to “alternate trailer height” buts not really necessary. The 303rls rides level when towed by my rig with greater than 6 inches of clearance above the bed rails. The pin and the hitch (BW Companion slider) are both adjustable so you can achieve the optimal set up.

I do think the FX4 pkg raises the bed and rail height by perhaps 2 inches. Often the trucks with off-road packages are set up with non ideal tires for towing. You will want an E rated tire designed for good road handling and strong sidewalks for towing heavy loads, rather than aggressive tread tires that handle off road conditions well.

For this reason I avoided the off-road package when I picked my Ram.

Also off-road package likely has a suspension set up optimized for that. You will want a suspension optimized for handling the payload and stresses of towing the fifth wheel.

[FordmanNJ]

Rig and truck in the signature. The combo works great. I like how my 350 pulls my 285BHS trailer without a problem. I am sure with a diesel it would be even easier. However my gasser takes care of business.

[smeyer1161]

I am looking at the 303 5th now. Since my F350 LB 4x4 bed rails are a bit over 60". Not sure what the level ground to bottom of overhang measures on a 303, but most 5th seem to be about 55-60". That wouldn't leave enough clearance (need 6" +) without a serious up-tilt in the rig. Not safe and likely to scrap every dip in the road. Do you know the overhang to ground level distance is on the 303?
Any input on other short 5ers welcome.
Thanks
Smeyer1161
2019 F350 6.7L TD, 4x4, SRW, LB
looking for rig.