A 40' fifth wheel and a F250 would be a mismatch.

You asked for help on weight calculations. First, do not believe anything that a RV manufacturer says about pin weight for their 5th wheels. It would appear these valves are the shipping weight and the trailer will never be that light again. Until you take the trailer to a scale you'll not know it's exact weight. The general rule of thumb is that a 5th wheel will place ~20% of it's weight on the king pin. So, find your trailer and look at the GVWR. 20% of that is what you're truck will need to carry or should be able to carry.

If you've never weighed your truck before I suggest that you find a Cat Certified scale or equivalent. The one by my house has multiple pads so that I could place each axle of the truck on a different pad. The trailer's dual axle were on the same pad, but that was fine since the trailer is designed to distribute the load. The scale then gives you a listing for each axle and a total. The cost was $9. Someone mentioned that certain scales won't charge you if you just want the value and not the printed copy.

Another thing to keep in mind is how you pack your trailers. At first I was really worried that I would need a new truck and couldn't afford it. My trailer has a GVWR of 13,500. That would have pushed my truck's weight to 10,200 which is over the 9,900lbs GVWR of a 3500 SRW (remember I've got a 2500 which I've modified the suspension). I loaded up the trailer with our stuff for a weekend and towed it to the scale. The trailer only weighed 11,000. After thinking about it I shouldn't have been surprised. My wife and I are primarily weekend campers which means we load and unload everything which forces us to keep stuff to a minimum. Now, if we were full timers or spent a couple of months a year in the trailer our load would be much higher. So think about what you'll take a long on a trip.

I've had a couple of close calls with drivers of small vehicles doing the dumbest things in front of me. Things which forced me to slam on the brakes. The truck/5th wheel didn't even cause me to brake a sweat. I had a few experiences with my old TT which was a 29' Wilderness. Things could go bad quickly in that setup.

Hope some of this helps.

 

Most of the newer 5'ers have a rounded nose and will be no problem especially with a long bed. I have a low profile box (2" above rail) in my short bed and with the rounded nose on mine I have never come close (knock on wood ) yet.

 

"First, do not believe anything that a RV manufacturer says about pin weight for their 5th wheels."

I believe they are advertised weights before options. Options are slide outs, fridges, stoves, ac's etc etc.

 

Busboy, by the time I'm pulling the camper regularly, the truck will have 285/75/16 E's on it. I'm going to check some numbers and may have some more questions. Thanks again, everyone.

 

Here's the numbers. GVWR - 8800, GAWR(front) - 5200, GAWR(rear) - 6084. So, the total weight of the vehicle, including pin weight, should not exceed 8800lbs. measured at the ground. Am I thinking correctly? Gotta weigh the truck and see what it is. Thanks again to all.

 

My 2001 weighs 7410 lbs with 5ver hitch full fuel wife and I and misc tools in box. So the max pin weight I can carry is 1390lbs. See the rear GAWR is 2X the stock tire limit (3042lbs). I weighed mine recently with some waste water in tanks up front and also some potable water up front. Truck was 9922lbs split 4664lbs front 5258lbs rear. Well within our GAWR for both axles and as you can see above our GVWR of 8800lbs. Truck looked and drove normal. That meant pin of 2508lbs.

 

You probably will really want to watch weight then....

You list having 3.55 gears, so increasing your tire size by 2 sizes will really give you a tall gear for towing.

I have 3.73's with the higher HP engine and tow 10,000lbs and sometimes I wish I had 4.10's.

 

A lot of what is being discussed depends on how often and how many miles you intend to tow. If you are talking some long hauls, you will be hurting with larger tires and a 3.55 rear end. Wow, you sure don't want a very big rig with that ratio plus larger tires. I have stock tires and run a 4.10. You will find most average state and county highway running will be in something other than 4th gear. I have to come out of 6th gear at about 52 on a level road. I am pulling 16,000 pounds, but still, you have to watch those rpms.

And, again, I warn you about pin weight - - a 2500 weak point is the amount of weight you can put in that bed. My pinweight is 3200 and I come real close to my GVWR when both fuel tanks are full, the water tank is half full and we are ready to hit the road. It jumps up there in a hurry. You put all the air bags on that 2500 you want - - that does not change the ability of those two back tires to carry the weight and pin weight comes up in a hurry. Don't push your luck and ruin a fun trip and then have to spend a bunch more money to correct your mistakes - - it ain't worth it. I know - - I had a 2500 V10 (lots lighter than the diesel) before this 3500 - - a world of difference in brake size, brake type (full disks), stability and peace of mind while humming down the highway. If you keep that truck, keep the fiver small and light. This is not the time to let bravado overcome common sense. I shudder when I see some combinations come by me on the highway at 75 - - OMG. Where can I get off the road??? Life is too short all ready.

Bob

 

This jab looks like it was aimed at me so I thought I would respond. I never claimed that air bags would raise any other limits found on the vehicle. Air bags simply provide the same ability to suspend the load as the extra leaf spring found on the 3500 SRW of the same model year. Tires are another weak link which I've left alone on my truck. I forget the exact rating on my tires but they are around 3100lbs each. I'm not foolish enough to think my truck would be safe to drive if I kept the weight under 12,400lbs.

 

I wasn't "jabbing" anybody - - I'm not a jabber. I was just stating a fact from what I read on forums all over the web - - even 1500 owners trying to make their truck a "big boy" and endangering other drivers as well as themselves. It sounds like you are being very careful with what you do - - don't be so sensitive. I am trying to give someone that is asking questions some tips on being careful and not exceed important limits on their truck. I have to watch my GVWR on my 3500 dually and come within 300 pounds of maxing it out when fully loaded and carrying full water. So, how much more careful does a 2500 owner have to be and need to know the ratings of their truck? Newbies need to know the facts. No jab intended - - just the facts. By the way, the GVWR on my 3500 dually is below the rating you gave your 2500. Hmmm???? How about filling in your profile so we know what you have - - that helps us discuss things with more insight.

Bob

 

Yeah, I figure most of the driving will be OD off at about 65 max. Most of the campers we've found are in the 7500# range "dry". The bags were more for stability/ride comfort than extra weight support. This will probably be a 6-8 times a year, weekend trip set up for now. If it goes beyond that, we'll probably upgrade truck and trailer. Thanks guys.

 

My profile was filled in, but I didn't have a signature. That should be fixed now. I wasn't being sensitive, in fact I don't think anyone has ever accused me of being sensitive.
Dodge Towing is a link I've used before that allows you to select the year and options that effect the towing capacity. It gives the GVWR and payloads and is a pretty handy reference. My 2006 Dodge 2500 stock has a GVWR of 8510. A 2006 3500 SRW has a GVWR of 9900lbs. I looked up your 2003 3500 DRW and was surprised to find its GVWR was only 9900. The 2006 version of that truck jumps to 12,200.

I can't fault you for wanting to point out the errors that one can easily make with the towing capacity. If one is not careful they are a danger to themselves and others around them.

 

You are close - - it is actually 11,500#. I would not be towing what I have at 9900. I weigh in at 8200. Pin weight loaded and full of fluids is 3200 - - OUCH - - 100 pounds to spare. Wish it were more. Happy trails.

Bob

 

Hmm. thats odd, I would have thought the '03 would be higher gvwr then my '98. gvwr on mine is 11,000#. A 03 only 9900?

Ahhh, 5ver posted as I typed

 

It is interesting to see what other Rv'ers are doing for pin weight as most have no clue as to how much they are carrying. My last 5ver was 12500 GVWR 34 feet with a large basement up front. You could really load it up but the potable water tank and the galley tank were in the very rear which meant you could carry more potable water and possible leave the galley tank full to offset what you had loaded up front. My latest 5ver is only 32 feet but all tanks are up front as well as the basement. On top of that it's a Titanium which has an extra 5-6 feet forward of the pin. This greatly increases pin weight, and I have learned to travel with waste tanks completely empty and next to no potable water. Interesting enough my dry pin weight is quoted as being 1709lbs.