Safe Towing Weight

[Ataylor]

I'm thinking about buying a 28ft 5th wheel that will probably be in the 6000-7000 lb. range. The owners manual says that my truck (1987 F350 CC 4x4 , C6, 4.10) is rated up to 9100 lb trailer weight. I will be pulling it though the Sierras and my truck is NA. Is this too much for the truck at those elevations (7000-8000 ft)? I'm not worried about going slow. Just want some opinions.

Thanks,
Archie

 

[DragRag]

You will be 100% fine with that kind of weight. Put a trans cooler on it if it doesn't have one already, or plan on refilling the trans when it pukes it all on the ground from over heating. Been there, not doing that again. Yup, your not going to be winning any races without a turbo.

 

[The Warden]

You'll be okay with an n/a motor, although as DragRag pointed out, you're not exactly going to be a powerhouse at the higher elevations. If you can shell out the $$ for a turbo, you'll thank yourself...and, in any event, IMHO a pyro's a must for pulling that kind of weight at that altitude, regardless of how stock the truck is.

Just my $.02...

 

[OLDBULL8]

Get a good mechanical coolant gage and a tranny temp gage. Don't need a pyro if you don't have a turbo. That's XX2 on the aux cooler for the tranny.

 

[RLDSL]

Put the biggest tranny cooler you can find on there, swap it to synthetic fluid. Check your timing and make sure it's advanced as far as you can stand it. set it at min 9.7 deg btdc by the pulse method, if you are going to be up in the mountains at altitude above 3500 ft on a regular basis, you may want to shoot for around 10-10.2 deg and cut your fuel screw BACK to where you dont have any black smoke unless at full throttle and then only briefly. Running n/a having excess fuel at altitude will only raiseyour egts, and bog you down, it will not get you over the mountain, leaning out and bringing the timing up will give the power needed to pull. Keep teh RPMs up above 2500 while climbing

My trailer is heavier than yours and so is my truck , the combination is around 18k and it pulled fine before I put teh turbo on . It would run with the big trucks out on the highway. climbing hills I would be passed by some and would pass some others. Can't ask for much more than that. I wasn't setting any speed records, but it was pulling just fine. The addition of teh turbo was icing on the cake

 

[oldmisterbill]

A good E40D is a great transmission. Ive grossed over 26,000 many times with one. As RDSL said a big humpin cooler (or 2 in plumbed parallel) is definitely a transmission saver. I run 2 big haydens and never got over 200*. Trans is lasting great (of course it is semi retired now) but did great when towing 700 to 1000 miles daily day after day. I towed heavy with no turbo for a while it was slower but did the job. DO NOT , turn up the fuel with no turbo. You will be asking for problems and the privilege to write a great big check.

 

[SparkandFire]

I just got back from a run up from Scotts Valley (up 17) to Grass Valley and back and didn't have any trouble with my 26' fifth wheel (with close to 8000 lbs of my wife's stuff in it, no doubt)

One thing I have learned is to not lug the engine at all, it's probably a little less of a concern with the auto trans because it will downshift itself early enough.

I had a tendancy to run in 4th gear longer than I should (because with the healthy IP and the turbo I had plenty of power) and I would notice the EGT's creeping up. As soon as I kicked it into 3rd it cooled right down...

Just keep your RPM's up and you should be golden!

 

[nsjames]

my box truck weighs 12.5 empty and has a GVW of 21.5. N/A 7.3

you'll take 2 miles to get to highway speed and drop down to 45 in the passes, but it will get there.

You'll still get to laugh at all those guys with new trucks that pass you because you'll get twice the mileage and don't have a $500 truck payment every month.

 

[bike-maker]

My trailer is just under 31'. It weighs 8000 dry and empty. And my truck is N/A and should weigh about the same as yours. It pulls it fine, just don't plan on going anywhere fast. It pulls great up to about 40mph, then all that frontal area of the trailer starts catching the wind and slowing it down.
Start working out your right calf muscle..........or it will cramp up from stomping the go pedal to the floor. And your truck will run the best it ever has after working the hell out of it.

 

[hesutton]

Get a trans temp gauge, a coolant temp gauge, and a PYROMETER! An N/A will make high EGT much easier and more ofter than a turbo'ed IDI. I've pegged my N/A 6.9's pyro on modest hills with only 1500lbs in tow. If you're going to pull a 7000lb camper up a mountain, you need to have a pyro on there.

Heath

 

[RLDSL]

Whatever RPM you happen to be running at, always remember, The general rule of thumb is never climb a mountain in a gear that you can't accelerate to full RPM at 2/3 throttle. contrary to popular belief, You can be lugging an engine at 3 grand! if you are flooring it and not gaining any ground, then you are lugging the thing!, now if you've got the ability at 2/3 throttle to accelerate ok, then it's fine to floor it so long as your egts stay civilized but if you are not able to accelerate to full RPM at 2/3 throttle, then back out of it and drop a gear and wind it up and let the engine run in the range where it wants to run
With a c6 you've got slippage ( ok for you slushbox purists, torque multiplication that helps to compensate for the lack of gear choices and keeps the rpms up but will generate extra heat in the box, but it does keep you wound up tight instead of bogging down
Similar reason that I like my brownie so that I can keep teh rpms up and always have the right gear to keep the rpms where the engine wants to be to pull

 

[robmoore11]

What do you guys figure a safe max trailer weight would be for a 1990 f250 7.3 idi. Truck has an oversized rad and I think trans cooler as well. And I Think it also has a 1 ton rear axle. Single rear tires though.

 

[robmoore11]

And Also what is the n/a idi I keep seeing on here? I'm new to fords.

 

[rhkcommander]

And Also what is the n/a idi I keep seeing on here? I'm new to fords.

Naturally aspirated. Aka not force inducted like turbos/supers

 

[RLDSL]

What do you guys figure a safe max trailer weight would be for a 1990 f250 7.3 idi. Truck has an oversized rad and I think trans cooler as well. And I Think it also has a 1 ton rear axle. Single rear tires though.

That's a loaded question. What kind of trailer are you talking about, bumper pull, gooseneck, 5er ,pintle hook ? with or without brakes? need a bit more information