Howard
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Registered: 11-13-2007
Location: Loreto/Manhattan Beach/Kona
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Mood: I'd rather regret the things I've done than regret the things I haven't done.
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Weight question
Not exactly the right forum for my question so forgive me. I know that someone out there can solve my question as I am overwhelmed by all the
numbers.
Here is my question. Can the below pickup truck handle a 5,000 LB cab over camper safely and properly? I just bought this truck and thinking about
buying a cab over camper that weighs 4,100 LBS. dry so I figure 5,000 LBS. by the time I put water, propane, clothes, gear, food, etc. The estimated
5,000 LBS. does not include me, possibly a passenger, my dog and all sorts of camping gear.
2000 - Ford F350 7.3 Diesel CrewCab Dually Longbed 4X4 (I will put air bags on her)
It did come from the factory with camper package that allegedly beefs up the suspension
I have been told that the truck weighs somewhere around 8,700 LBS with a full tank of gas
The GVWR is 11,200 LBS
The front GAWR is 5,200 LBS
The rear GAWR is 8,250 LBS
All of the above numbers have no meaning to me.
Anyway, with the above in mind can I put a 5,000 LB cab over camper on this truck and if not, what is the total weight that I can put on the back?
Thanks for your help,
Howard
We don't stop playing because we grow old;
we grow old because we stop playing
George Bernard Shaw
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rts551
Elite Nomad
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Registered: 9-5-2003
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I would think no problem even without airbags. Your truck comes with overload springs from the factory. We put a 9 1/2 ft Caribou -3500lbs- on our
8800GVW F250 without a problem (in fact it road better with the camper:tumble
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TMW
Select Nomad
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Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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The GVWR is 11,200 LBS
It is the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. It is the maximum weight the truck can safetly weight with everything loaded on it. Camper, people, gas etc.
As per the manufacture.
The front GAWR is 5,200 LBS
It is the Gross Axle Weight Rating for the front axle. It is the maximum weight that can be put on the front axle as per the manufacture.
The rear GAWR is 8,250 LBS
It is the Gross Axle Weight Rating for the rear axle. It is the maximum weight that can be put on the rear axle as per the manufacture.
You may want to take it to a scale and weight the truck, then each axle. Usually moving companies have scales the public can use. I think a truck has
a 60/40 split and with your crewcab long bed maybe even 65/35 or 70/30 or more and if your truck weights 8700 the rear at 40% would be 3480 lbs
leaving you 4770 for the cabover. That's close to 5000 lbs.
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TMW
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Interesting that the Ford Fleet Specs for this truck show a rear GAWR of 9750 lbs
https://www.fleet.ford.com/truckbbas/non-html/2000/BBFSD00A....
see page 49.
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watizname
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Registered: 8-7-2009
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Put on the airbags, and you won't be disappointed. They really help, even if the specs say you can carry the weight.
I yam what I yam and that\'s all what I yam.
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Howard
Super Nomad
Posts: 2353
Registered: 11-13-2007
Location: Loreto/Manhattan Beach/Kona
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Mood: I'd rather regret the things I've done than regret the things I haven't done.
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I do plan on putting on air bags but still cannot figure out if the truck can carry 5,000 LBS.
Anyone, anyone?
We don't stop playing because we grow old;
we grow old because we stop playing
George Bernard Shaw
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RnR
Senior Nomad
Posts: 836
Registered: 5-1-2010
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Howard
I have been told that the truck weighs somewhere around 8,700 LBS with a full tank of gas
The GVWR is 11,200 LBS
The front GAWR is 5,200 LBS
The rear GAWR is 8,250 LBS
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First off, you need to find out what the truck weighs. Just use a public scale. Then, re-run the following calcs with accurate numbers.
Your three "door sticker" weight ratings are:
GVWR - Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, That's the combined total of everything when rolling down the road.
If the gross rating is 11,200 and the truck weighs 8,700, the payload can be a maximum of 11,200 - 8,700 = 2,500 lb. A WHOLE lot less than the 5,000
lb weight of the camper.
However,
GAWR - Gross Axle Weight Rating, Front and Rear, seem to be okay.
Using TW's axle weight split of 60% front/40% rear for the truck weight. And a guesstimated camper weight split of 10% front/90% rear -
Front: (8700)(60%) + (5000)(10%) = 5,720. You are over by 520 lbs. Not significant.
Rear: (8700)(40%) + (5000)(90%) = 7980. You are under by 270 lb.
Your axle/component loadings are right at the manufacturer's ratings. So, there shouldn't be any structural or mechanical failures.
Your GROSS loading would be 2,500 lb over the manufacturer's rating. But, you see these types of trucks hauling these types of campers all the time.
My personal thoughts are that the axle ratings are structural and the gross ratings are more performance oriented.
As in, the brakes are rated to stop the gross weight within the federal prescribed stopping distance. Or, exceed the gross rating and the truck may
not be able to perform swerving and/or evasive maneuvers, or may be subject to rollovers, or .....
You really can't buy a bigger/heavier standard pickup. You will be exceeding the manufacturer's specs so drive carefully and conservatively. But, as
I said, you see these trucks hauling these campers all the time.
So, Go for it!
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monoloco
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If an F-350 dually won't handle your camper, I don't know what pick-up would.
"The future ain't what it used to be"
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TMW
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Location: Bakersfield, CA
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Ditto Mono.
I had a 1980 chevy 3/4 ton with 8 foot bed and I had a Six Pac cabover on it. Only added some springs in the rear for the weight. I don't know how
heavy it was but the only time I got scared was going down I-8 near the lookout tower and a cross wind moved me from the right lane to the left in a
fraction of a second. I think I was doing maybe 55mph. After than whenever I was in that area I slowed to like 40.
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