First time diesel owner

**Tamu8714** · 01-30-2021, 08:34 PM

Katie and I just closed on a Solitude S-Class 3950 BH-R. We’re excited to get back into the lifestyle. We’re looking at a 2013 Ford F-250 Super Duty with 50K miles, one owner. I’ve never owned a diesel, have pulled smaller campers with a Suburban. Recommendations? Cautions? The truck was not used as a tow vehicle so I’ll be adding the appropriate equipment. Thanks in advance for recommendations/advice.

**FT4NOW** · 01-30-2021, 10:08 PM

Welcome to the forum. The 3950 might be too much for a 3/4 ton. I'd consider a one ton truck for sure. Also, the published pin weight of the camper will likely be about 300lbs less than your loaded for camping pin weight.

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**CoChris** · 01-30-2021, 10:08 PM

Originally Posted by Tamu8714

Katie and I just closed on a Solitude S-Class 3950 BH-R. We’re excited to get back into the lifestyle. We’re looking at a 2013 Ford F-250 Super Duty with 50K miles, one owner. I’ve never owned a diesel, have pulled smaller campers with a Suburban. Recommendations? Cautions? The truck was not used as a tow vehicle so I’ll be adding the appropriate equipment. Thanks in advance for recommendations/advice.

Lots (and lots and lots) of discussion on this forum about capacity and capability of various tow vehicles, most specifically 3/4 ton trucks. Use the search function (in the upper right corner of every page) to find some of them. In short, I think the 3950BH pin weight will put you well over the payload capacity of a 3/4 ton truck. Especially a little older one. Will it pull it, yes. Will it be safe, it depends. Will it be within spec, no. Will you be confrontable with the margin, only you can decide.

Chris

PS For pay load capacity, look at the yellow (or white) "Tire and loading" sticker on the drivers door jamb. The EMPTY pin weight for the 3950BH is 2,584# and loaded pin weight (typically figured as 20~25% of GVWR) will be around 3,360~4,200#. There is a thread on the forums asking people for actual weight of their "ready to camp" units. I do not know if the 3950BH is on there. Again, try the search function to see.

PPS I found the hitch weight survey at https://www.mygrandrv.com/forum/show...410#post329410 but I did not se anyone reporting a 3950BH.

**Buckskin** · 01-31-2021, 02:45 AM

Stay away from Ford with 6.0 engine, nothing but problems. Don't think 6.4 is much better. Ford finally got it right with 6.7. Dodge Cummings with Asian transmission is a good choice and usually cheaper than Ford or Chevy.

**xrated** · 01-31-2021, 05:31 AM

Originally Posted by Tamu8714

Katie and I just closed on a Solitude S-Class 3950 BH-R. We’re excited to get back into the lifestyle. We’re looking at a 2013 Ford F-250 Super Duty with 50K miles, one owner. I’ve never owned a diesel, have pulled smaller campers with a Suburban. Recommendations? Cautions? The truck was not used as a tow vehicle so I’ll be adding the appropriate equipment. Thanks in advance for recommendations/advice.

A bit of advice for you. You are going to be WAY over the payload capacity of the F250 with a diesel engine. Those trucks, even an XLT model, without all the Lariat/King Ranch extra equipment will have a payload number in the 2100-2200 lbs. The 3950 BH has a listed pin weight of just under 2600 lbs....and THAT number is when the trailer is empty......so it will do nothing but go up as you start adding in the stuff that you will need/use for camping. Most folks use the GVWR for a trailer to determine the "worst case scenario" pin weight. Since the trailer's GVWR is 16,800 lbs, that would be the number to use to calculate where the pin weight might be if the trailer was loaded up close to, or at the GVWR for the trailer. 20% of the trailer weight is used many times to estimate that pin weight, but in reality, many times it is simply more than 20%. 20-25% is the "normal" range, so let's just estimate something in the middle of those two numbers. 22% time 16,800 lbs is 3696 lbs....or 3700 lbs of pin weight. You also have to add all the "other" weight that will be on the truck....the weight of the 5ver hitch, passengers in the truck, maybe a toolbox, extra fuel, etc. Only you know how much additional weight will be added to the truck, but the bottom line is that you are likely to be well over a 1000 lbs and possibly as high as 1700-1800 lbs over the truck's payload number. Of course when a truck over the payload number which is listed on the driver side door post, you are automatically over the GVWR of the truck. And in your situation, you are likely to also be over the Rear Axle Weight Rating (RAWR).

Bottom line is that the 3/4T diesel truck is simply WAY too small. In fact, a 1 TON truck of that time period (2013 model year) will only at best have in the 3400 lb payload range. Look at all the numbers that I've listed for you and then you have to decide, based on fact, whether or not you really want to tow a trailer that heavy with a truck that is simply going to be way over the listed ratings of the truck.

**xrated** · 01-31-2021, 05:33 AM

Originally Posted by Buckskin

Stay away from Ford with 6.0 engine, nothing but problems. Don't think 6.4 is much better. Ford finally got it right with 6.7. Dodge Cummings with Asian transmission is a good choice and usually cheaper than Ford or Chevy.

Ford introduced the 6.7 in model year 2011, and he is talking about a 2013....so there should be no worries about the 6.0 or 6.4 in this case. He will however be WAY overloaded with that truck/trailer combination as far as Payload, GVWR of the truck, and likely the RAWR.

**frank4711** · 01-31-2021, 05:45 AM

Solitude 3950BH / 3950BH-R
UVW: 14,054 lbs | GVWR: 16,800 lbs | Hitch Weight: 2,584 lbs **** These #s you will need a payload 4500lbs + that's DRW truck, many will do it with less that's your choice. My Ram 3500 SRW Long bed has a payload of 4394 and would be just within capacity, I have about 900 lbs extra with my 2930 and it has a GVWR or 15000. This debate will go on forever, enough truck is best.

**WhittleBurner** · 01-31-2021, 09:03 AM

When looking at used trucks if you come across a Ford 6.0 make sure it has been bulletproofed. If it has it will be one of the best engines out there. It's built by Freightliner. The emissions it came with were a problem and the head bolts were not hardened enough. When these problems were taken care of ( bulletproofed) they are a very good engine.

**Scott'n'Wendy** · 01-31-2021, 09:13 AM

Originally Posted by WhittleBurner

When looking at used trucks if you come across a Ford 6.0 make sure it has been bulletproofed. If it has it will be one of the best engines out there. It's built by Freightliner. The emissions it came with were a problem and the head bolts were not hardened enough. When these problems were taken care of ( bulletproofed) they are a very good engine.

The Ford 6.0 was built by international harvester. It was their VT-365 engine.
My advice if you come across a Ford 6.0 is to make sure you keep on going and find something else...anything else...I know of three people that 'bulletproofed' their 6.0 with new head bolts, fixed the EGR etc. They have all had catastrophic failure and were sold as a rolling chassis.

**That 1 Ron** · 01-31-2021, 11:24 AM

Originally Posted by Scott'n'Wendy

The Ford 6.0 was built by international harvester. It was their VT-365 engine.
My advice if you come across a Ford 6.0 is to make sure you keep on going and find something else...anything else...I know of three people that 'bulletproofed' their 6.0 with new head bolts, fixed the EGR etc. They have all had catastrophic failure and were sold as a rolling chassis.

I agree. I’d stay away from the 6.0 and the 6.4. Both built by international harvester and both have a high potential for problems. Both are kind of a pain to work on, but it gets a little easier once you lift the cab. The 6.7 is much better although, the cab still has to come off for pretty much anything. As for the OP’s original post, that trailer is too much weight for a F250. I would only be considering F350 DRW and more capable trucks.