I am looking at purchasing a used Ford F-250 2WD, V-10, extended cab, short bed. It's in fabulous shape and the deal I have in the works is really reasonable. What I thought I understood about towing specs has been turned upside down. I have never paid attention to published maximum trailer weight ratings in truck brochures. I have always calculated whether or not a truck is big enough by using the formula of GCWR (combined maximum loaded truck and trailer weight) minus GVWR (maximum loaded truck weight) equals maximum allowable trailer weight. If my trailer weight comes in under that weight, the truck will work fine.
Using that formula I should be able to pull an 11,800 pound trailer. My trailer is less than 10,000 pounds. No problem, right? That's what I thought until I decided to dig deeper. I've been using a couple of those weight calculation worksheets that work with CAT scales and according to them this truck isn't big enough. I don't have actual weights for the trailer and I don't even own the truck yet. I tried to fudge the actual scale weights with figures I thought were on the heavy side but I didn't enter anything over any gross weight ratings. No matter how I adjusted them, the trailer was too heavy for the truck. Now I am completely afraid of a truck I thought was WAY bigger than what I needed.
This shouldn't be this difficult. Is anyone out there towing a Sundance or something comparable that has a GVWR of 9,900 pounds using a 2008 Ford F-250 extended cab, 2WD, V-10, short bed? I'd like to know your experiences. Thanks!
Using that formula I should be able to pull an 11,800 pound trailer. My trailer is less than 10,000 pounds. No problem, right? That's what I thought until I decided to dig deeper. I've been using a couple of those weight calculation worksheets that work with CAT scales and according to them this truck isn't big enough. I don't have actual weights for the trailer and I don't even own the truck yet. I tried to fudge the actual scale weights with figures I thought were on the heavy side but I didn't enter anything over any gross weight ratings. No matter how I adjusted them, the trailer was too heavy for the truck. Now I am completely afraid of a truck I thought was WAY bigger than what I needed.
This shouldn't be this difficult. Is anyone out there towing a Sundance or something comparable that has a GVWR of 9,900 pounds using a 2008 Ford F-250 extended cab, 2WD, V-10, short bed? I'd like to know your experiences. Thanks!