Please help - need to tow more!

[mattski]

I have a 2004 f-250 SD 6.0 fx4 crew cab. I bought it when there was a huge 179k deduction for taxes. My tax-guy told me that I still cannot sell it or i will have to re-do my business taxes and will owe a lot. The problem is that i upgraded my 5th wheel toy hauler and i need to tow a lot more weight. My wife also does not want a 450 dually as she thinks that it will not be as friendly to drive in the desert (ocotillo wells,ca.) One of my friends is warning me that if i do not upgrade the transmission than i am asking for it's inevitable failure. I was looking at banks power systems and these chips that you guys are talking about and better brakes, but he says that if i push more torque through, then the tranny will blow. I just spent most of my money getting this new trailer and do not have much left for upgrades on the truck right now. I am not looking to do 100mph uphill towing this behomith trailer and I am not looking to go 0-60 in ?seconds. I just want to be able to go camping and dirt biking etc. and get by with my truck for 2-3 more years. Also - my truck only got about 8mph towing my last trailer and maybe 11mph dry. I did have that boot problem that others were talking about with their turbo hoses, but that has been fixed. We love our truck and with 4 adopted kids we need the space. Any suggestions? Thanks for reading and i appreciate any feedback - also wondering if anybody knows a good diesel mechanic in SoCal. (I am not a mechanic - if you couldn't tell - but i would really appreciate any help...)

 

[strokepower]

welcome, mattski

you can upgrade to any of the chips/programmers/tuners.... that im sure more people will suggest...your tranny will hold up if you don't do what you said you aren't wanting to do.....the extra power will improve your towing preformance...and milage...i wouldn't go spending money on a tranny just yet!

also i only know one person from california,

 

[Maxtor]

Your stock truck should be able to pull your 5er with no problem. That is what our psd's are made for. When climbing a steep grade, just down shift if needed. If you truck is in good shape, it should not have any problem pulling your larger toy hauler, just go slower (downshift) when going up a steep grade. The biggest concern is how does your truck handle your 5er going down hills? Brakes are most important. An old timer, (even older than me) once said that he could go anywhere anyone else could with his 318 ci dodge 4x4. He was right,,, He could, but it would take him a little longer to get there. Drive stock, save up your money, and then in the future if you want more power, then you can puchase a sct, or banks with the money you save.
That's my two cents anyway...

 

[mattski]

to be clear, my truck is rated to tow only 10,600 lbs. My new trailer is 12,900 lbs. dry and will probably be 17k lbs when fully loaded with toys - does this still sound o.k. to run stock for a while. Also - how can i get better fuel mileage as mine sounds a lot worse than others?

 

[bushpilot]

wait a min. youre towing more than the trucks rated for and you
wonder why your mileage sux ?

the tranny will hold up, so will the engine...start w/ reasonable mods...
4" exhaust, gauges and probably a set of air bags...buying more trailer
than the trucks rated for isnt the TRUCK or the TRANS fault.

start modding that engine and you will have issues/shortening the life
of everything...

 

[Scot]

to be clear, my truck is rated to tow only 10,600 lbs. My new trailer is 12,900 lbs. dry and will probably be 17k lbs when fully loaded with toys - does this still sound o.k. to run stock for a while. Also - how can i get better fuel mileage as mine sounds a lot worse than others?

That's all the 250 is good for 10.6K that seems low. What about gears? If I had a 3:73 and need more capacity wouldn't changing to a 4:10 or 4:30 be helpful??

Your mileage doesn't seem that bad for running ar full capacity. I get 11 towing 7k daily, it's just an oversized cargo trailer & not nearly the sq feet you have against the wind with a 5er.

 

[DaveBen]

The truck will haul it, but the CHP will NOT be happy. I see that as your biggest problem. You need more truck or a new wife.

Dave

 

[Maxtor]

to be clear, my truck is rated to tow only 10,600 lbs. My new trailer is 12,900 lbs. dry and will probably be 17k lbs when fully loaded with toys - does this still sound o.k. to run stock for a while. Also - how can i get better fuel mileage as mine sounds a lot worse than others?

My truck shows a GCWR of 23,000 pounds. Allowing for a truck that should weigh around 8000 pounds, that leaves you 15,000 pounds for your 5th wheel.
Look to find your GCWR for your truck.
GCWR= total weight of truck, trailer, and all gear, people, fluids etc. Total weight...

Again,, I think your biggest concern would be brakes. Going down a steep incline, with tight 15 mph turns, with 17,000 pounds pushing your truck, could get exciting.

Going from Eureka Ca. on the coast, east to Redding Ca. on hwy 299 is just that type of road. More than a few logging trucks, and other heavily loaded trucks have found their way to the bottom of the canyon.

 

[mattski]

Thanks! I need to check my GCWR. One of my friends reminded me that i should be able to tow more because i have the tow package and the camper package. And the 8mpg that i got was with the old trailer max gvwr of 9,000lbs. I am not sure yet what i will be getting with the new trailer, as i have not towed it anywhere but home and I wanted to figure out if i should do anything extra to the truck. Coming down a steep hill on the I8 out of Alpine the truck did really well with the trailer behind - the tow/haul feature downshifted for me and the trailer never pushed on the truck. I even braked a couple of times kinda hard with noone behind me just to see what the truck and trailer would do. I appreciate all of your input.

 

[Yellowsub1962]

keep in mind that GCWR is the max weight properly distributed throughout the vehicle's suspension.. I'm betting the rear suspension and axle are the weakest links in the set-up... Do some research and see about springs and airbags.

Also the CHP will not be happy with you if you're over any of the ratings - though you'd have to be doing something really dumb to make them look that close.

My biggest concern would be if you got into an accident... is your house/business/etc worth it?