Question For Those Towing 5th Wheels

[in6seczone]

Last month I picked up my 2017 F250 4x2 CCSB with the 4.30 gears and camper package. When towing my 27’ XLR weighing 8,000lbs I’m getting 7.2 mpg running 65-70mph on pretty level terrain with some rolling hills. I pull in 6th on flat terrain and drop back to 5th as soon as I hit the bottom of a hill.
The one thing I don’t like is the trailer pushing the truck around on lanes that have grooves in the road, or semis passing me at 80 mph. Doesn’t happen a lot but tired of it.

So I’m looking at getting a Grand Design 328M. I called GD and they told me my trailer off the assembly line is 12,750lbs with the option I want. Total trailer weight will be 14,500lbs after loaded. I will have a 1,000 lbs smoker at the very back of the trailer which will help greatly with hitch weight. I travel light, no water in the tanks and only 200 lbs of supplies. Trailer with my options will weight 12,750lbs dry. Add batteries, propane, and a little water and I might be at 13,000lbs. Then add 1000lbs for the smoker, 200 lbs for supplies and I will be at 14,200 lbs, lets just round it up to 14,500. That is 1000 lbs under what the truck is rated to pull.

My payload is 3650 lbs. My wife and I are 325lbs and I carry a 25lb tool bag. So 3650-350lbs and 100 lbs for hitch so looks like that will give me 3,200 lbs for payload. So I'm 200 lbs under my max payload, (figured with 3,000 lbs hitch weight) and 1000lbs under what the truck is rated to pull safely. So truck should be good.

I talked to a guy today at the rv Park pulling a 395M with a 2017 F250 with 6.7 and has no problems with the truck getting pushed around. Getting pushed around on roads with groves is one of my questions. Does anyone have problems pulling a 328M or similar size trailers and getting pushed around while pulling with a 3/4 ton truck?

Also does anyone have any idea what kind of gas mileage I might get pulling this trailer with a gasser at 65mph with little to no head wind? I know what mileage I’m getting now pulling my bumper pull weighting 8,000 lb toy hauler and wondering what another 6,500lbs of weight will do. Really wanting to know what kind of gas mileage you guys are getting pulling a 5th wheel weighing 14,500 with a gasser? I’m using the toy haulers to do BBQ Competition. Most of my trips are only about 300 miles round trip and do about 15 a year. I live in north La. and most of my towing is on pretty flat roads with a few rolling hills.
Thanks for any feedback!!

Mike

[SouthTX]

I'm pulling a (light) 337 with my F250 gasser and the computer shows about 8.0 mpg running 63 mph. A headwind will knock off a couple of tenths. I don't yet have 12,000 miles on the truck and the mileage seems to get better as it gets broken in. I plan 150 - 190 miles between gas stations.

[Dawgfever]

I pull a 307MKS which is about 2000# less off the showroom floor. Pull it with F350, 6.7. No issues with 18-wheelers pushing us around. 5'r pulls true. Run about 65-70 on same roads you travel. Get 10-12 mpg with the oil burner. Maybe with the grill on the rear you are hitch light ?? I'll be out of town for the last game or I would come visit with you. [emoji16]


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[TLB923]

I tow a 337 with a ‘17 f250 SCSB 4x4 Lariat gasser, payload around 3200, max trailer weight of 12600. I get about 9 towing in the smokies. All weights are within spec on the scales and no handling problems. While I am not a member of the diesel dually brotherhood I believe anything less will be grossly overloaded With a 328M. .

[in6seczone]

I'm pulling a (light) 337 with my F250 gasser and the computer shows about 8.0 mpg running 63 mph. A headwind will knock off a couple of tenths. I don't yet have 12,000 miles on the truck and the mileage seems to get better as it gets broken in. I plan 150 - 190 miles between gas stations.

That is great to know. I was hoping someone with a 6.2 would have some feedback on gas mileage. Your trailer is about 2,000 lbs lighter then the 328M. So I'm pretty sure I can get at least 7mpg at 65 mph if you are getting 8 mpg. Thanks for the feedback!!
Mike

[in6seczone]

I pull a 307MKS which is about 2000# less off the showroom floor. Pull it with F350, 6.7. No issues with 18-wheelers pushing us around. 5'r pulls true. Run about 65-70 on same roads you travel. Get 10-12 mpg with the oil burner. Maybe with the grill on the rear you are hitch light ?? I'll be out of town for the last game or I would come visit with you. [emoji16]


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I figured the oil burner would get about 12 at 65mph. The one thing I can do is roll the smoker either all the way up to the front of the garage area or toward the back to get the hitch weight around 3,000 lbs.

Mike

[in6seczone]

I tow a 337 with a ‘17 f250 SCSB 4x4 Lariat gasser, payload around 3200, max trailer weight of 12600. I get about 9 towing in the smokies. All weights are within spec on the scales and no handling problems. While I am not a member of the diesel dually brotherhood I believe anything less will be grossly overloaded With a 328M. .

That is some really good gas mileage, especially towing in the smokies. Are you pulling at 55mph to get 9mpg? Looks like my truck will be about 1,000 lbs under max towing weight. Glad it is not maxed out. Thanks again for the feedback!

Mike

[Retread68]

in6seczone -
In calculating your actual weight vs payload you forgot one minor item ... gasoline; and it does weigh 6.07 lb/gal. If the tank on your truck is 30 gal then that's another 180 lbs. You may want a hitch that weighs more than 100lbs to pull the M-328, but even if that actually is what your hitch weighs you will be maxed out with no room to play.
My TV was a 2012 F250, 6.2L gasaholic, 4:30 gears, 4x4 CCSB and I pulled a 2015 Reflection 303RLS with it. My scale tickets are with the 5er about 100 miles from here so I can't give you the weights, but as most have found, the pin wt and trailer wt seems to be slightly greater than the factory indicates.

Beyond that, my 6.2L gasaholic usually got about 8.2mpg on flat land and approx. 8.7mpg in rolling hills when there was no side or head wind. With a 10mph head wind the performance would drop significantly to about 7.1 to 7.5 mpg. Loaded mine is typically around 10,850 lbs and rarely over 10,900 lbs; and typically has pin wt of 2062 lbs.
Although they told me the unit weighed 9290 lbs at the factory, it weighed 9495 lbs on the CAT scale here. You are probably fairly close with your estimate of 3k lb for pin wt.

The issue with the F250, 6.2L will most likely not be gasoline mpg, but rather gears, RPMs, and speed. You may have a tuner that can tweek some of the settings, but the sole reason I now pull with a Ram 6.7L diesel is gears, RPMs, and speed. I got tired of doing 45mph up a 3degree incline turning 4500 RPMs. I am slower now in my old age, but there is a limit that I am comfortable with when others are stacking up behind me desiring that I get out of their way.

This is just my experience and worth what it cost. Others may have different results. Best of luck to you.

[in6seczone]

in6seczone -
In calculating your actual weight vs payload you forgot one minor item ... gasoline; and it does weigh 6.07 lb/gal. If the tank on your truck is 30 gal then that's another 180 lbs. You may want a hitch that weighs more than 100lbs to pull the M-328, but even if that actually is what your hitch weighs you will be maxed out with no room to play.
My TV was a 2012 F250, 6.2L gasaholic, 4:30 gears, 4x4 CCSB and I pulled a 2015 Reflection 303RLS with it. My scale tickets are with the 5er about 100 miles from here so I can't give you the weights, but as most have found, the pin wt and trailer wt seems to be slightly greater than the factory indicates.

Beyond that, my 6.2L gasaholic usually got about 8.2mpg on flat land and approx. 8.7mpg in rolling hills when there was no side or head wind. With a 10mph head wind the performance would drop significantly to about 7.1 to 7.5 mpg. Loaded mine is typically around 10,850 lbs and rarely over 10,900 lbs; and typically has pin wt of 2062 lbs.
Although they told me the unit weighed 9290 lbs at the factory, it weighed 9495 lbs on the CAT scale here. You are probably fairly close with your estimate of 3k lb for pin wt.

The issue with the F250, 6.2L will most likely not be gasoline mpg, but rather gears, RPMs, and speed. You may have a tuner that can tweek some of the settings, but the sole reason I now pull with a Ram 6.7L diesel is gears, RPMs, and speed. I got tired of doing 45mph up a 3degree incline turning 4500 RPMs. I am slower now in my old age, but there is a limit that I am comfortable with when others are stacking up behind me desiring that I get out of their way.

This is just my experience and worth what it cost. Others may have different results. Best of luck to you.

I read on several Ford forums that the gas was figured in on the payload. Hard to imagine them not figuring in the gas since you can drive the truck with out it. This is why I didn't figure for the fuel. Guess I need to check that again. I might be off on the weight of the hitch. I'm sure I'll be close on the payload, looks like I have about 200 lbs of leeway, which may get used up.

I agree with you if I was towing in any grades I would of gotten a 6.7. But all my towing is on flat ground in North Louisiana and East Texas. Seems like everyone is getting about 8mpg which I will be happy with that. Hoping the new 2017 6.2 paired with the new transmission will help with the pulling and mileage.

Thanks!
Mike

[TucsonJim]

Ford does calculate the payload sticker with a full tank of fuel. In fact, when I changed to a larger tank, I had to derate the payload and put on a new sticker.

Jim