Typically the 150's are lighter overall including hitch weight. HOWEVER, it all comes down to how you load the unit. Example, throw all of your stuff in the front and nothing in the back and you can increase pin weight significantly to the point of overloading the truck. Put everything in the rear and nothing in the front and you can under load the truck.

I have a 303 and am sitting good on my axle loads with full tank of fresh water and everything loaded minus a few things in the pantry (it's over the wheels so no real pin weight change).

My weights are in post 31. https://gdrvowners.com/forum/gdrv4li...1-303rls/page3

The gas-powered engine will save a LOT of payload--up to 500lbs (I think).

My former truck, a 2017 Platinum F-250 with the 6.7L diesel, had a payload of 3,124 lbs. A conservative guess...your truck will have about 3,500 lbs of payload.

Without going through too many pencils, use the trailer's GVWR with an assumed 20% pin weight. (This is a "worst case" scenario which means you've packed the trailer to it's maximum weight.) Remember that the pin weight is carried by the truck.

For the 260RD the GVWR is 9,995lbs * 20% = 2,000 lbs pin weight. (Again, unlikely you'd pack to the maximum but if your truck can handle the worst case scenario you'll have "enough truck".)

You should be fine with your 250, even if you pack out the interior of the truck with stuff...but I'd ask your Ford salesman to get a firm payload number for you from a similarly equipped truck or from the factory before making a decision on a trailer.

Whatever you do, don't ask the RV salesperson* if your truck can tow the trailer you're looking at...the answer invariably is "yes", even if you happen to be looking at a Momentum 399th (GVWR of 20,000lbs!).

Howard

*There are honest dealers and salespeople...but from anecdotal stories they are the exception, not the rule.

Skidlm

I am quite confident that the gasoline F250 that you describe can safely tow any Grand Design Reflection 150 Series 5th wheel. The 150 Series are specifically built and balanced to keep the pin weight towards the lower end of what is normal for a 5th wheel. I recently researched 2022 Superduty trucks to tow my Reflection 303RLS (a little heavier than the 150 series that you are considering) My choices came down to a gasoline F250 or a diesel F350 . . . both with about 3400 lb payload as howson Howard has estimated. (I went with the diesel engine, so went with the F350)

My perspective is based on "normal" loading of both the trailer and the truck and is my personal opinion based on my research and the information that you have provided.

Rob

Thanks. The numbers on the 280RS are: UVW: 8,566 lbs | GVWR: 10,995 lbs | Hitch Weight: 1,384 lbs | Length: 30'11". I understand keeping payload at 20-21% or less but how big of a fifth wheel can this truck pull if payload was within specs? Can I pull that? Or is 10k my limit because of the truck specs?

It's not about how much the truck can pull--it's about how much the truck can carry (payload). Some would argue it's also about how much the truck can stop (which is directly correlated with the maximum payload and GCWR rating). I have yet to read about or calculate a setup where the first limit reached ("weakest link") in a towing setup is NOT payload.

Note: Edited above to add GCWR based on Rob's response further down this thread. -hw

If you haven't already, check out Keep Your Daydream's Payload Problems video, linked in a Reference Material thread: https://gdrvowners.com/towing-and-hi...n-i-really-tow There's a lot more in the Towing & Hitches Reference Material subchannel--hope you check it out.

In "theory" the maximum weight of trailer is determined by the truck's GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating) minus the weight of the truck. This would be a number in the range of 22,000 - 7500 = 14,500. (This is a guess . . . actual numbers would be required). As howson Howard has described, you will almost always reach your payload limit before you reach your GCWR limit. Typically, towing a 5th wheel can get closer to GCWR than towing a TT, because the weight is carried over the axle of the truck.

The truck brakes are validated to be able to stop the GCWR without assistance from brakes on the trailer.

Note that the hitch weight in the numbers you have referenced for the 280RS is for an unloaded trailer as it is shipped from the factory. Almost everything that you carry in the trailer will increase this hitch (pin) weight towards the GVWR of the trailer. If you tow with empty tanks, you will not likely reach the trailer GVWR. A more reasonable expectation would be about 1500 lbs of stuff loaded into the trailer for a towing trailer weight of 10,000 lbs with a pin weight approaching but less than 2,000 lbs

Rob

Hello,
I know this is crazy and hard to grasp totals. You may want to check out Changing Lanes on YOU Tube. Chad breaks it down step by step with easy to understand instructions. They are also a GD owner and they also have a very helpful web site https://changinglanesrv.com/

A new F250 gas will have at least 2800# payload (probably more). The 150 series 5th wheels are designed with a very low pin weight to accommodate 1/2 ton payload numbers. Pin weights are typically 12-15% for 150 series (but stiull too much for 1/2 ton trucks in my opinion). How you load the trailer and the options you choose it will affect this weight.

For 3/4 ton gas trucks pulling 5th wheels, you will typically see your payload numbers are sufficient for many 5th wheels (and all 150 series in my opinion), but pay attention to 5th wheel towing numbers. Some can be quite low (under 15,000#).

Howard gave a lot of good advice. If you can find a very similar truck on a lot, look at the door sticker and your payload will likely be within a couple hundred pounds.

Skidlm on Ford's SD website there is an elusive section regarding payload and towing info, based on a vehicle's configuration to include engine, wheelbase, cab, etc. It is very specific. It can't account for every available feature on every available vehicle, but if you look up your configuration and compare to the table, and then deduct 10% for a safe margin, I think you will be very close to what your truck will be capable of. I expect that you would be fine with the 150 series and some of the smaller reflection series trailers. I have found that trailer kitchen placement affects pin weight significantly. A rear kitchen will offset a front mounted bedroom, while a center kitchen will add pin weight when loaded. Its not just food, we all seem to pack a lot of kitchen gizmos in there as well!