Posted 2008-02-06 10:17 PM (#76274) Subject: What can a F250 shortbox pull?
New User
Posts: 4
I have a F250 with a shortbox and I'm wondering how big of a trailer I can pull. I have a 3 horse with a 7'sw in the LQ that it pulls well. I'm looking to buy a 4 horse trailer and I'm wondering how big of living quarters I can get. I was thinking of going with a 7'6" wide trailer instead of a 8' wide since I don't have a dually. Can a truck thats not a dually pull a 8' wide trailer and still be stable? Can anyone give me some advise on this. Thanks
Posted 2008-02-06 11:58 PM (#76284 - in reply to #76274) Subject: RE: What can a F250 shortbox pull?
New User
Posts: 4
Yes its a heavy duty and I think it can pull around 13,000 pounds. I'm finding it hard to find the weight on the LQ trailers I've been lookin at. I was just wondering what other people have pulled with their 3/4 tons.
Posted 2008-02-07 3:37 AM (#76293 - in reply to #76274) Subject: RE: What can a F250 shortbox pull?
Expert
Posts: 3853 Location: Vermont
Originally written by trouble9278 on 2008-02-06 10:17 PM
I have a F250 with a shortbox and I'm wondering how big of a trailer I can pull. I have a 3 horse with a 7'sw in the LQ that it pulls well. I'm looking to buy a 4 horse trailer and I'm wondering how big of living quarters I can get. I was thinking of going with a 7'6" wide trailer instead of a 8' wide since I don't have a dually. Can a truck thats not a dually pull a 8' wide trailer and still be stable? Can anyone give me some advise on this. Thanks
LQ??...with or without horses...
The item below will deal with square nose trailers, so that you won't ding your truck
Posted 2008-02-07 5:42 AM (#76297 - in reply to #76284) Subject: RE: What can a F250 shortbox pull?
Veteran
Posts: 296 Location: Tennessee
Originally written by trouble9278 on 2008-02-06 11:58 PM
Yes its a heavy duty and I think it can pull around 13,000 pounds. I'm finding it hard to find the weight on the LQ trailers I've been lookin at. I was just wondering what other people have pulled with their 3/4 tons.
What other people's F250s can pull may or may not be relevant to what yours can pull because not every F250 can tow the same weight. I can guess 13K is too much for your truck but it's just a WAG because you haven't given enoough info for me to know. It depends on what year, engine, cab type, spring package, tires, 2x or 4x, rear end gearing, hitch capacity/type, and transmisson you have.
You can get stock tow ratings for your truck here (2002+):
Posted 2008-02-07 8:13 AM (#76302 - in reply to #76274) Subject: RE: What can a F250 shortbox pull?
Veteran
Posts: 219 Location: Mt. Clemens, MI 48043
I would like a F250 would need a long bed not a shortbox but I just have a 150 Ford with a long bed. Before I towed/pulled/stacked anything on it. I looked at my trucks manual and then could decide what it could pull. I also talked to other people and listened. I am cautious since it is my hubby's. Just like TowJoo said you have to go with what your truck can do. You also can call or ask the dealer - they might provide you with the information.
Posted 2008-02-07 11:36 AM (#76317 - in reply to #76274) Subject: RE: What can a F250 shortbox pull?
Elite Veteran
Posts: 648 Location: Coconut Creek, FL
forget the dealers, they are trying to sell you a truck, so they will tell you anything... though there might be a few out there that do honestly know.
As to some of the comments by other posters (and they are funny when you know the history) there have been alot of lively disscussions regarding what certain SUVs can pull and there are differing opinons. If you do a search you can read past posts which might help you. There are alot of knowledgable people on this board. I think they get a bit tired of posting the same info 3-4 times a day...
FYI: I have an '04 Dodge Diesel HD crew cab short bed that is rated to pull 13,450 lbs. I have a 2H GN LQ that I'm guessing fully loaded for camping is around 8500 -9000 lbs, so of course it pulls it with ease.
Friends of mine have an F-250 HD crew cab short bed and they haul a huge 4-Star 3H 8 or 10' LQ with a mud room. they travel all over the country going to Cowboy Mounted shooting events and he says it pulls it fine. (However I have heard he had to replace the transmission....)
My favorite quote was about a small SUV that someone said should only be used to pull a lawnmower.....
Posted 2008-02-07 1:51 PM (#76327 - in reply to #76302) Subject: RE: What can a F250 shortbox pull?
New User
Posts: 4
Thanks for the website link, that helps. I'm pulling with a 2006 F250 super duty 6.0L diesel, shortbox, extended cab. The only thing i'm not sure on is the rear axle ratio. I will have to look that up. I've asked a lot of horse trailer dealers and truck dealers and it just seems like they want to make the sale. No one really can seem to give me an honest answer as to what I can pull. I think the website link will help the most. Thanks!
Posted 2008-02-07 5:19 PM (#76348 - in reply to #76328) Subject: RE: What can a F250 shortbox pull?
Veteran
Posts: 296 Location: Tennessee
Why not?
Why not what?
N/M, I see what you're asking now. Both trucks have a 8800 lb GVWR, but the second truck weighs more than the first and therefore has less pin weight capacity. Assuming a wet weight of 7400 lbs, that leaves about 1400 lbs of pin weight capacity. Fifteen percent of 10,400 lbs is 1560 lb pin weight. 7400 + 1560 is 8960 lbs. Truck + trailer equals 19,260 lbs, which is under the GCWR even though the truck itself is over it's rated GVWR.
Posted 2008-02-07 6:48 PM (#76350 - in reply to #76348) Subject: RE: What can a F250 shortbox pull?
Expert
Posts: 1416 Location: sc
Originally written by Towfoo on 2008-02-07 6:19 PM
Why not?
Why not what? N/M, I see what you're asking now. Both trucks have a 8800 lb GVWR, but the second truck weighs more than the first and therefore has less pin weight capacity. Assuming a wet weight of 7400 lbs, that leaves about 1400 lbs of pin weight capacity. Fifteen percent of 10,400 lbs is 1560 lb pin weight. 7400 + 1560 is 8960 lbs. Truck + trailer equals 19,260 lbs, which is under the GCWR even though the truck itself is over it's rated GVWR.
TN must be different than SC. The GVWR is not a legal number here, the truck is registered/legal to carry whatever weight you pay for....within tire capacity.
Posted 2008-02-07 7:57 PM (#76356 - in reply to #76274) Subject: RE: What can a F250 shortbox pull?
Veteran
Posts: 246 Location: Northern IN.
now that doesn't make any sence... they're going to worry about tire capacity, but not overall vehicle capacity (suspension, u-joints, brakes, etc.). That would mean that a F-550 and a F-150 could both legaly pull the same amount of wieght as long as their plates were of the same weight rating and their tires were the same load range. That ain't right, talk to y'all later...
Posted 2008-02-07 9:49 PM (#76363 - in reply to #76356) Subject: RE: What can a F250 shortbox pull?
Expert
Posts: 1416 Location: sc
Originally written by Broken Bit on 2008-02-07 8:57 PM
now that doesn't make any sence... they're going to worry about tire capacity, but not overall vehicle capacity (suspension, u-joints, brakes, etc.). That would mean that a F-550 and a F-150 could both legaly pull the same amount of wieght as long as their plates were of the same weight rating and their tires were the same load range. That ain't right, talk to y'all later...
F150 and a F550? Thats a bit of a stretch.
Really its no different than how the big rigs run. Most of them are speced at 80,000#. When they run overweight/wide load/whatever as long as they have the tires/axles/brakes to hold it up and stop the load and pay the fees they keep right on going.
Posted 2008-02-08 1:33 AM (#76374 - in reply to #76350) Subject: RE: What can a F250 shortbox pull?
Veteran
Posts: 296 Location: Tennessee
TN must be different than SC. The GVWR is not a legal number here, the truck is registered/legal to carry whatever weight you pay for....within tire capacity.
Not familiar with SC motor vehicle laws, but I guess so. I have regular auto tags on my F250 because I'm not commercial.
It seems strange to me that SC doesn't consider a federally regulated weight rating to be a "legal number."
Posted 2008-02-08 3:48 AM (#76377 - in reply to #76274) Subject: RE: What can a F250 shortbox pull?
Expert
Posts: 3853 Location: Vermont
You can NEVER change the GVWR rating on a truck by adding air bags, different spings or the similar. The only time the weight (load) carrying capacity of a (straight)truck can change is if a "tag axle" is added to the vehicle. The tag axle itself has it's own GVWR tag. The weight tag inside the driver's door of the truck is combined with the weight tag on the tag axle for a new combined GVWR. The axle weight laws themselves in many states will not allow full usage of "proposed new GVWR". An example is a standard 33,000 GVWR straight truck. Add a tag axle which has it's own GVWR tag of 22,000 lbs. Can you now have a legal ride with GVWR of 55,000 lbs? NO, the axle laws will most likely limit you to 46,000 lbs.
If you are hauling in a commercial activity, should you exceed the manufacturer's GVWR of the 10,000 lbs total, you are then required to log. You may also be subject to fines should you be stopped, scaled and found to exceed the GVWR plate located inside the driver's door of the vehicle.
Posted 2008-02-08 6:49 AM (#76379 - in reply to #76374) Subject: RE: What can a F250 shortbox pull?
Expert
Posts: 1416 Location: sc
Originally written by Towfoo on 2008-02-08 1:33 AM
TN must be different than SC. The GVWR is not a legal number here, the truck is registered/legal to carry whatever weight you pay for....within tire capacity.
Not familiar with SC motor vehicle laws, but I guess so. I have regular auto tags on my F250 because I'm not commercial. It seems strange to me that SC doesn't consider a federally regulated weight rating to be a "legal number."
Laws are frequently strange. In SC you have to have weighted plates on any class 2 or larger truck, more weight = more money. I too am non commercial, though I have a CDL. Went through this whole thing again a few years ago when I got my Dmax.....big confusion at the DMV about weighted plates, long story short I ended up on the phone with the SCDOT and this is what they told me....axle limits are 12,000 steer, 20,000 single, 38,000 tandem.......no problem there. He said with the smaller trucks as long as youre registered for the weight and the tires are rated accordingly youre fine. Apparently some states go by axle ratings, some go by the manufacturers GVWR.
Posted 2008-02-08 7:05 AM (#76381 - in reply to #76274) Subject: RE: What can a F250 shortbox pull?
Veteran
Posts: 296 Location: Tennessee
That's interesting. I got to thinking (dangerous) about how cars all have a GVWR but you don't ever see people getting pulled over because they have too many bags of cement mix in their trunk. I guess it's the same with trucks.
How does your insurance handle it if you're in an accident and you are over the GVWR of the vehicle?
Posted 2008-02-08 3:41 PM (#76431 - in reply to #76381) Subject: RE: What can a F250 shortbox pull?
Expert
Posts: 1416 Location: sc
Originally written by Towfoo on 2008-02-08 8:05 AM
That's interesting. I got to thinking (dangerous) about how cars all have a GVWR but you don't ever see people getting pulled over because they have too many bags of cement mix in their trunk. I guess it's the same with trucks. How does your insurance handle it if you're in an accident and you are over the GVWR of the vehicle?
They handle it the same way as if you run a red light and get in a wreck........or drive drunk and get in a wreck. Theyll pay, but you probably wont get you policy renewed.
If you want to get really dangerous, think about the fact 66% of the country is overweight..........now think about the payload of a Toyota Corolla. There are plenty of situations it wont take bags of cement to be over the GVWR.
What can a F250 shortbox pull?
