Advice for newbie (to towing) owner of 310GK

[Pippamills]

Hi everyone,
I’m losing what’s left of my mind over the tow vehicle for our just bought 2021 310GK. I see some owners here are towing with the F350 SRW which is what we’re looking at. Can you share how it tows for you? I really don’t want to go up to a dually.
Thanks!

 

[pengle]

I'm towing a 2021 310GK with a 2020 Ford F350 SRW short bed. I need air bags. The truck squats too much. Yes, I'm over 15,000 lbs. I even have an Andersen hitch that only weighs 35 lbs in the bed of the truck. It drives fine. I don't have a problem accelerating up a hill. I don't have a problem stopping the trailer. I've got disc brakes on the trailer and and an exhaust brake and downshift ability on the truck. I still wouldn't want to drive a dually either towing or around town.

 

[WhittleBurner]

I think the duallys are more intimidating than what they should be. We don't have a dually yet but I have been looking at them. We have a LB now and will not go back to a short bed. With a dually if the mirrors can clear so will the flares on the rear wheels as they are narrower than the mirrors.

 

[bertschb]

We towed our 2019 Solitude 373FB-R (15,500lbs) with a 2019 F-350 DRW long bed. It felt very stable while towing but I think part of that was just knowing I had a dually. I'm towing our 2020 Solitude 310GK-R (15,000lbs) with a 2020 F-350 SRW. The 2020 truck has noticeably more power and tows fine but it doesn't "feel" as stable as the DRW. I think part of that is in my head but there is no doubt that having an extra set of tires in the rear will result in more stability while towing - especially in the wind.

The 310GK is the only Solitude I'd personally tow with an SRW truck. Anything heavier and I'd get an F-450.

 

[CoChris-MGRV]

Hi everyone,
I’m losing what’s left of my mind over the tow vehicle for our just bought 2021 310GK. I see some owners here are towing with the F350 SRW which is what we’re looking at. Can you share how it tows for you? I really don’t want to go up to a dually.
Thanks!

Our F350 SRW tows our 310GK just fine. But it the most (heaviest) trailer I would want to tow with a SRW. I am at, but under the weight limits. I think you have to be careful in how you load the trailer. It is easy to get to much pin weight for a SRW (generators, extra batteries, washer/dryer, waste in the black and grey tanks, "stuff" in the front compartment and basement) all add up fast. We (wife and I) travel 4~6 weeks at a time and have no problem with weight, but we do not pack especially heavy. With the 310GK you can also get to little pin weight ( full fresh water tank and little else) and cause some unsettled (bouncing & buffeting) behavior.

We are in Colorado and I have pulled in some very high winds. The 310/SRW handles it fine (tip - SLOW DOWN in bad weather or pull over. Stop if you have to), but a dually would have been much more stable.

Weight wise, the 2020 (and later) F350 SRW with the long bed, crew cab and diesel got a significant bump in payload (11,500 to 12,400#). Since 2017 those specific trucks (gas too) have come with a 48 gallon fuel tank (very nice). A 310GK is the most (heaviest) trailer I would want to pull with a SRW. As Brian said above "The 310GK is the only Solitude I'd personally tow with an SRW truck. Anything heavier and I'd get an F-450." or a F350 DRW.

Chris

 

[Captcolour]

I have a dually and love it. If you have to buy a truck for the 310GK, then I'd recommend a long bed dually as it will allow you to upgrade the 5th wheel in the future without having to upgrade the truck. I'd seriously look at the F-450 with the better turning radius versus the F-350.

 

[Pippamills]

I'm towing a 2021 310GK with a 2020 Ford F350 SRW short bed. I need air bags. The truck squats too much. Yes, I'm over 15,000 lbs. I even have an Andersen hitch that only weighs 35 lbs in the bed of the truck. It drives fine. I don't have a problem accelerating up a hill. I don't have a problem stopping the trailer. I've got disc brakes on the trailer and and an exhaust brake and downshift ability on the truck. I still wouldn't want to drive a dually either towing or around town.

Really helpful info - thanks! As I’m new to towing anything I’m wondering if the longer bed in the F350 might be the way to go. According to the Ford site it will give an extra 480lbs of payload which of course will actually be lower than than that in real life - but even a couple of hundred extra would give me numbers that maybe I wouldn’t have to worry about. What do you think? I’ve given up on my Ford salesman - the so-called expert truck guy. He didn’t even know that the 2022 model (which I’m getting) gets the 12 inch screen. And I had to help him understand pin weight calculations. And he still can’t tell me what the GAWR is!

 

[Pippamills]

Our F350 SRW tows our 310GK just fine. But it the most (heaviest) trailer I would want to tow with a SRW. I am at, but under the weight limits. I think you have to be careful in how you load the trailer. It is easy to get to much pin weight for a SRW (generators, extra batteries, washer/dryer, waste in the black and grey tanks, "stuff" in the front compartment and basement) all add up fast. We (wife and I) travel 4~6 weeks at a time and have no problem with weight, but we do not pack especially heavy. With the 310GK you can also get to little pin weight ( full fresh water tank and little else) and cause some unsettled (bouncing & buffeting) behavior.

We are in Colorado and I have pulled in some very high winds. The 310/SRW handles it fine (tip - SLOW DOWN in bad weather or pull over. Stop if you have to), but a dually would have been much more stable.

Weight wise, the 2020 (and later) F350 SRW with the long bed, crew cab and diesel got a significant bump in payload (11,500 to 12,400#). Since 2017 those specific trucks (gas too) have come with a 48 gallon fuel tank (very nice). A 310GK is the most (heaviest) trailer I would want to pull with a SRW. As Brian said above "The 310GK is the only Solitude I'd personally tow with an SRW truck. Anything heavier and I'd get an F-450." or a F350 DRW.


Chris

Thanks so much! I’ve just looked at the long bed and that might be the way to go. Even a couple hundred extra pounds of payload capacity would make me feel more confident. And thanks for the towing tips too!

 

[FT4NOW]

Thanks so much! I’ve just looked at the long bed and that might be the way to go. Even a couple hundred extra pounds of payload capacity would make me feel more confident. And thanks for the towing tips too!

After having my first long bed truck, I would never buy a truck again that isnt a long bed. Never need to worry about camper hitting the truck, no slider hitch needed, extra room in bed for stuff. When the camper isnt there, it's nice to be able to put a sheet of plywood in the bed and put the tailgate up. For us, we have a variety of dirt bike sizes and I've gotten all 4 in the bed of my truck with a toolbox, that would never happen on a short or standard bed truck.

I used my dually as a daily driver for about 4 years, it wasnt a big deal. Park in the back of parking lots (free exercise).

The only reason I got rid of it was because it was awful in the snow, even with 800lbs of sandbags in the bed, didnt help it at all. We moved to Idaho and I really wanted a SRW truck for the snow and the forest/BLM land roads.

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[DECelt]

Our F350 SRW tows our 310GK just fine. But it the most (heaviest) trailer I would want to tow with a SRW. I am at, but under the weight limits. I think you have to be careful in how you load the trailer. It is easy to get to much pin weight for a SRW (generators, extra batteries, washer/dryer, waste in the black and grey tanks, "stuff" in the front compartment and basement) all add up fast. We (wife and I) travel 4~6 weeks at a time and have no problem with weight, but we do not pack especially heavy. With the 310GK you can also get to little pin weight ( full fresh water tank and little else) and cause some unsettled (bouncing & buffeting) behavior.

We are in Colorado and I have pulled in some very high winds. The 310/SRW handles it fine (tip - SLOW DOWN in bad weather or pull over. Stop if you have to), but a dually would have been much more stable.

Weight wise, the 2020 (and later) F350 SRW with the long bed, crew cab and diesel got a significant bump in payload (11,500 to 12,400#). Since 2017 those specific trucks (gas too) have come with a 48 gallon fuel tank (very nice). A 310GK is the most (heaviest) trailer I would want to pull with a SRW. As Brian said above "The 310GK is the only Solitude I'd personally tow with an SRW truck. Anything heavier and I'd get an F-450." or a F350 DRW.

Chris

To the OP, this has been my experience as well. You're at the top of your range, but within the capabilities and capacity of the truck. Not necessarily a bad thing, just good to know. We've towed four similar weight fifth wheels with SRW diesel F-350's or SRW Duramax 3500. You will want to be very careful with loading and will be at, near or over pin weight depending upon how you load. Fortunately, PIN weight does not reflect tire capacity or axle capacity of your tow vehicle, so you will want to dig a little deeper than the yellow sticker on the door. In a perfect world I try to stay within the yellow sticker cargo capacity weight. In the real world, I consider the carrying capacity of the tires and axles of the tow vehicle. You will find that the Yellow sticker is more relevant to registration and taxation than real truck limits. I am actually adding a carrier rack to the receiver hitch to load a couple of hundred lbs of tools etc. This is going to add a counterweight and take some weight off of the pin and also keep my front storage from weighing as heavily. It's a delicate balance, but we've got over 40,000 miles towing these weights with SRW diesels.

I would strongly recommend Timbrin or Sumo springs for the truck. They are inexpensive and make a huge difference. No squat and very stable towing. I am adding them to the trailer as well. You will be good to go...like you, I don't want a dually.

To Chris...I'm new to the Solitude 310-GK. Is the freshwater tank behind the axles? I'm still trying to figure this rig out!

 

[Pippamills]

To the OP, this has been my experience as well. You're at the top of your range, but within the capabilities and capacity of the truck. Not necessarily a bad thing, just good to know. We've towed four similar weight fifth wheels with SRW diesel F-350's or SRW Duramax 3500. You will want to be very careful with loading and will be at, near or over pin weight depending upon how you load. Fortunately, PIN weight does not reflect tire capacity or axle capacity of your tow vehicle, so you will want to dig a little deeper than the yellow sticker on the door. In a perfect world I try to stay within the yellow sticker cargo capacity weight. In the real world, I consider the carrying capacity of the tires and axles of the tow vehicle. You will find that the Yellow sticker is more relevant to registration and taxation than real truck limits. I am actually adding a carrier rack to the receiver hitch to load a couple of hundred lbs of tools etc. This is going to add a counterweight and take some weight off of the pin and also keep my front storage from weighing as heavily. It's a delicate balance, but we've got over 40,000 miles towing these weights with SRW diesels.

I would strongly recommend Timbrin or Sumo springs for the truck. They are inexpensive and make a huge difference. No squat and very stable towing. I am adding them to the trailer as well. You will be good to go...like you, I don't want a dually.

To Chris...I'm new to the Solitude 310-GK. Is the freshwater tank behind the axles? I'm still trying to figure this rig out!

Great info - thank you! All this is complicated by the fact that there are NO comparable models of the truck we’ve had to order anywhere in our area. Dealers have almost no trucks in stock - heavy demand and COVID delays in parts etc. So I can’t check the yellow sticker and my salesman knows less than I do! It’s why I’m so grateful to have this GD community now. Best advice and useful info.

 

[DW1976]

Check out this thread, it has a link to Ford’s website so you can get the payload info. Helps when you are not able to physically look at the yellow sticker.

Ford Load and Capacity Guide by Vin Number

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/to...read.php?t=36496&share_type=t&link_source=app


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[frank4711]

I tow similar unit S Class 2930 RL with a Ram SRW 3500 CTD 4x4 long bed, the 310 is a little heavier but my Ram would be fine. The important # for your new SRW truck is GVWR, my Ram is 12300 which provides me with payload of 4394 and gives me available extra payload of 1000 lbs. Loaded to camp my pin comes in around 2950. It is always about how much you can carry not how much you can tow, if you can carry it you can tow it. Best of luck with the new truck.

 

[Jdjaguar]

Hi everyone,
I’m losing what’s left of my mind over the tow vehicle for our just bought 2021 310GK. I see some owners here are towing with the F350 SRW which is what we’re looking at. Can you share how it tows for you? I really don’t want to go up to a dually.
Thanks!

I am towing a 2018 310 GK with a 2021 F350 SRW SB Diesel and we are right at/slightly under the load capacity of 3480. I'm fine with it, but am looking into upgrading to disc brakes.
Like you, I in no way wanted a dually, or a long bed for that matter. I do realize a long bed allows for more capacity as well as a much lighter hitch increasing the limits even further, but I feel I have enough truck.

We do not have a generator/xtra battery bank, nor do we dry camp, so tanks are basically empty. I did tell my wife no W&D as that would put us over.

 

[Pippamills]

I am towing a 2018 310 GK with a 2021 F350 SRW SB Diesel and we are right at/slightly under the load capacity of 3480. I'm fine with it, but am looking into upgrading to disc brakes.
Like you, I in no way wanted a dually, or a long bed for that matter. I do realize a long bed allows for more capacity as well as a much lighter hitch increasing the limits even further, but I feel I have enough truck.

We do not have a generator/xtra battery bank, nor do we dry camp, so tanks are basically empty. I did tell my wife no W&D as that would put us over.

Thanks for the info! We decided to go with the long bed F350 Diesel - 12400 GVWR and 4011lbs supposedly “real world”payload. Will just have to wait and see what the actual door sticker says when the truck arrives in 4 months. Hopefully it’s right around there. I feel more comfortable with a little wiggle room on these numbers.

 

[CoChris-MGRV]

Thanks for the info! We decided to go with the long bed F350 Diesel - 12400 GVWR and 4011lbs supposedly “real world”payload. Will just have to wait and see what the actual door sticker says when the truck arrives in 4 months. Hopefully it’s right around there. I feel more comfortable with a little wiggle room on these numbers.

I think you will be very happy with that combination. Ours has served us very well.

One suggestion. Once you get the truck and trailer loaded for your typical camping, take to a CAT scale (truck stop) and get some real world number for your specific set up. Make any needed adjustments from there. I have done ours many times and have a pretty good feel for where we are and how much effect different changes make. I try to reweigh at lease once a year just to keep weight creep in check.

Chris

 

[MCJones]

IF you are going to be traveling in "hilly " areas I would recommend getting used to a dually. I have had all kinds of trucks (Ford SRW DRW, Chevy SRW DRW) and there is a lot of piece of mind when towing with a dually. I found getting used to the long bed length and corners around town the biggest challenge-the width just comes along with the mirrors! You can get comfortable with the dually and be glad you got it. That being said, if you only tow once or twice a year then maybe the single rear wheel is the way to go. JMO Mark. PS-my current choice is F350 dually. (F450 is a little harsher ride albeit a towing beast)

 

[Pippamills]

I think you will be very happy with that combination. Ours has served us very well.

One suggestion. Once you get the truck and trailer loaded for your typical camping, take to a CAT scale (truck stop) and get some real world number for your specific set up. Make any needed adjustments from there. I have done ours many times and have a pretty good feel for where we are and how much effect different changes make. I try to reweigh at lease once a year just to keep weight creep in check.

Chris

Great idea Chris. Wish the once a year weighing also worked for human “weight creep”!

 

[CoChris-MGRV]

Great idea Chris. Wish the once a year weighing also worked for human “weight creep”!

Unfortunately (well, maybe fortunately) I do not need a CAT scale to see my personal "weight creep"

As I say "I am watching my weight ..... and it is getting easier to see every day".

Chris

 

[brandtb1919]

Hi everyone,
I’m losing what’s left of my mind over the tow vehicle for our just bought 2021 310GK. I see some owners here are towing with the F350 SRW which is what we’re looking at. Can you share how it tows for you? I really don’t want to go up to a dually.
Thanks!

We are new owners of a 2021 310GK and have a 2019 SRW F350. I went through the same thing you did. I ran through the calculations dozens of times before I signed on the dotted line for the Solitude (we already had the truck). We don't plan to have a washer/dryer or generator specifically to keep the pin weight down. After I convinced myself that everything would be fine, I was still uneasy. Since taking possession of the Solitude, the CAT scale has become my best friend. I have weighed several combinations of truck and truck/trailer with good results, even with our short bed and Pullrite autoslider.

That being said, we tend to pack light and I am aware of every pound we load, and will continue to weigh with different amounts of stuff in the coach and truck. We have 200 - 400 pounds of margin depending on the length of the trip. Would I feel better with the dually? Sure. Do I feel comfortable with our setup as is? Yes, but I wouldn't push the weights any more.

Just my two-cents. Enjoy your new coach, I love ours!

Brian