A Super Duty, is NOT a Super Duty

Hansel

Member
This is more of a vent than anything else, I have a 01 F-250 7.3L powerstroke. We last year bought a Prowler P289, we ran the truck and trailer over the CAT scale's over the weekend, and let me say, I'm baffled at the result's.

My truck as it sit's without the camper came in at 8080lbs, now the GVWR is 8800lbs.

The total of both the truck/camper came in at 17,520lbs which I'm allowed 20K combined.

Problem, the pin weight is at 22% so it's a tad nose heavy, my issue is that the truck is way over the weight. So why in the world does Ford make a truck that they call a "Super Duty" that has such a low carry capacity?? In fact the 5th wheel we have is a light camper compared too most that way over the 10K mark dry, am I just missing something???
 

TxCowboy

Well-known member
That truck may have been "super duty" in 2001. It isn't now. If nothing else, the smaller diesel engines produce way more usable HP than the old 7.3L did plus have a ton of computer monitoring which the 2001s definitely did not.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Super Duty is a marketing term to make the truck sound tough. In terms of towing and payload capacity and other specs, Super Duty has no meaning.

3/4 Ton trucks, with a few exceptions, have a payload spec that doesn't match up well with most 5th wheels.
 

avvidclif

Well-known member
Yeah but that old 2001 7.3 engine will still be rolling and towing when all the new fangled computer jobs have died and gone to the junkyard.
 

Hansel

Member
Super Duty is a marketing term to make the truck sound tough. In terms of towing and payload capacity and other specs, Super Duty has no meaning.

3/4 Ton trucks, with a few exceptions, have a payload spec that doesn't match up well with most 5th wheels.

I have a friend that has a new F-250 with a 6.7L and I don't have his weight number's but it seems like even the newer truck's don't have a lot of carry capacity. I mean most 5th wheels nowadays are pushing over 10K so that means a pin weight 2K or more so I just don't understand what's going on at Ford making truck's that honestly not able too carry that much.
 

MTPockets

Well-known member
The vast majority of truck buyers never use the capacity of the truck.. F-150 sells more than any other, and add all the other 1500 series trucks, most have all the capacity they need. The F250, 2500 series trucks handle even more and compared to the F150, you could call it Super Duty. F350, F450, F550 etc... Each with a spec designed for a specific job.. The biggest mistake people make is getting a truck before they know what they need, or getting a trailer too heavy for their truck...
 

Hansel

Member
7.3 is the only good Diesel engine that Ford has ever had the rest are junk even the newer 7.6

The EPA along with Ford making International angry was the death of the 7.3L, I still don't trust the 6.7L I just get sick and tired of all the marketing BS that Ford spreads around about the new diesel engine. I for one am not going too be a guinea pig too a new diesel engine, I'd have too say that if I needed a new diesel truck, I'd have too take a serious look at the GMC with the Isuzu engine.
 

crors7

Active Member
Opened a can of worms there, didn't you! Buy that thing sounds good!
5dc03580f2e59c8c410a58b6faa4f4df.jpg
 

SNOKING

Well-known member
Except for those with ultra light 5th wheels and no plans to ever upgrade, no one should buy a 250/2500 truck. The SRW 350/3500 should be the minimum starting TV for most that want to tow a 5th wheel. To my dealers credit, they asked all about my truck as we were closing the deal on the new BH3575el!
 

TravelTiger

Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
Except for those with ultra light 5th wheels and no plans to ever upgrade, no one should buy a 250/2500 truck. The SRW 350/3500 should be the minimum starting TV for most that want to tow a 5th wheel. To my dealers credit, they asked all about my truck as we were closing the deal on the new BH3575el!

But they should have asked before showing you a 5ver. A dealership let you fall in love with a coach, and almost close the deal, before asking? What if you had said a Tundra? Would they have sold it to you anyway?

Our dealer never asked. They made us sign a "agreement" that we understood having an appropriate tow vehicle was our responsibility. While we were quite versed in towing, most are not.


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Hansel

Member
But they should have asked before showing you a 5ver. A dealership let you fall in love with a coach, and almost close the deal, before asking? What if you had said a Tundra? Would they have sold it to you anyway?

Our dealer never asked. They made us sign a "agreement" that we understood having an appropriate tow vehicle was our responsibility. While we were quite versed in towing, most are not.


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When we were getting our's, I asked the sales guy about the pin weight, he then pulled out his phone, and then I gave him all my truck spec's and he told me I could tow a 13,500 trailer because the truck has a max 20K combo weight. They didn't seem concerned about the pin weight as much as the total combo weight.
 

asherwin

Well-known member
Bought the Big Country first, then went looking for the truck. By the numbers only the dually would do the job. Payload was the difference maker.
 

Bones

Well-known member
But they should have asked before showing you a 5ver. A dealership let you fall in love with a coach, and almost close the deal, before asking? What if you had said a Tundra? Would they have sold it to you anyway?

Our dealer never asked. They made us sign a "agreement" that we understood having an appropriate tow vehicle was our responsibility. While we were quite versed in towing, most are not.


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Funny you mention that. Look at what I noticed this past weekend.

tundra.jpg

tundra 2.jpg
 

IronJ

Well-known member
id tow with my 6.7 (there we no new 7. 6 fords available the day I bought mine) ANY DAY over my old 7.3......not that the 7.3 was bad, but from a practical performance and capability standpoint its not even worth the argument

and as for the ratings on the 3/4 ton trucks, there are a lot factors that keep them low......in any case I agree...you cant tow much 5th wheel with a fully loaded 4wd 3/4 ton.....at least by the "numbers"....

cuz I know first hand that a new 3/4 ton truck will yank a 18k lb trailer around with no problem whatsoever!! .. not saying I recommend it, or its wise....just saying...

I would say the 6000lb ccc on my dually , qualifies at as "super duty" for me tho...lol...our old 7.3 dully (while still chugging along at over 290k miles) does not even begin to compare with the 6.7 (especially one that has the epa junk removed :cool:
 
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