Maximum 5th Wheel Tow Capacity of a 2006 Ford F-250

Heavy-duty vacations require a heavy-duty truck.The 1999-and-later F-250 doesn't hearken from the same lineup as its smaller F-150 brethren. The F-250 is actually part of Ford's Super Duty lineup, which was engineered from the outset for light commercial duty. The important thing to remember is that the trailer hitch type itself doesn't really matter in terms of the vehicle's overall capacity; it simply allows the truck to get closer to its rated capacity.

The Fifth Wheel Assembly

For all intents and purposes, the fifth wheel's towing capacity is so high that it almost makes no difference. Smaller bumper-mounted hitches -- known as Class I through Class IV -- ultimately limit the truck's towing capacity to between 2,000 and 10,000 pounds. The fifth wheel's capacity is so much higher that the hitch itself no longer plays a role in determining the truck's payload capacity.

GCWR and Towing

The gross combined weight rating -- the weight of the truck and trailer together -- determines your truck's towing capacity, and it varies by the engine and gearing. The V-10 and diesel engines with 4.10-to-1 gearing offer a whopping 20,000-pound GCWR, which works out to about 15,000 when you subtract the weight of the truck. The GCWR of a 5.9-liter equipped F-250 comes in at a comparatively paltry 15,000 pounds; about an 8,900-pound towing capacity when you subtract the weight of the truck.

References & Resources"Haynes Repair Manual: Ford Pick-Ups, 2004 thtough 2009"; 2010; Haynes PublishersEdmunds: F-250 XL Regular Cab SpecsCar Direct: F-250 SpecsPhoto Credit Andy Reynolds/Lifesize/Getty ImagesRead Next:

Print this articleCommentsRelated Articles & Videos

View the Original article