I'm trying to find F-350 with the 6.2 and 4.30 gears

[niknak]

I'm planning on upgrading from my 2018 White Hawk 26rk to a Eagle HT 25.5REOK (or similar). My current tow vehicle is a 2014 Tundra, so I'll have to upgrade my truck first. I do plan on occasionally towing doubles with the new rig, my 500lb utility trailer with my 1400lbs side by side. I'm looking for a used 2017 and up Ford Super Duty with the 6.2 and 4.30 gearing, I also would like the Lariat or higher trim. I do find some F-250, but they don't seem to have enough payload. Does anybody have any advice on finding them? I have been using Auto Trader and putting "4.30" in the keyword search bar. I really don't want a diesel, I understand the luxury of one, I drive semi for a living, but I really don't want the potential repairs and expenses. Any other advice on what to look for on these Super Duties?

[Nature Ist]

A word of advice to carefully check the F250 series (prior to 2020 models) bed and bedrail height above ground. The HT series pin-box height and the F series match-up leads to nose high towing, especially if you do not have the 16" wheel upgrade on the HT. This also has to be considered when selecting the hitch itself.
You will eventually find the F-250 you are looking for, but it may take some time. Not all listings will specify the axle ratio.

[niknak]

Thank you for the heads up, I want aware of that issue. Does that apply to most "half ton" 5th wheel campers?
Ya, at first I was emailing dealers asking about the gear ratio, that lead to a lot of emails. Would the F250 have enough payload for the eagle ht?

[Nature Ist]

Yes. the half ton fifth wheels are generally lower, all of the Eagle HT series are. I have an F250 (2019) with the standard real axle ratio (3.73), 6.2 gas 18" wheels short bed super-cab single rear wheel, and I am towing an HT30.5 CKTS which is 11,000GVW and the truck pulls it with no problem. I am within my towing capacity, cargo capacity etc and it handles well.

[Iraqvet05]

When I bought my F-250, I really wanted the 4:30 gear but had a really hard time finding one. I suspect the number of new gas Super Duty truck with the 4:30 gears is rather low so the number of resale trucks with the 4:30 will also be pretty low.

[niknak]

Originally Posted by Nature Ist

Yes. the half ton fifth wheels are generally lower, all of the Eagle HT series are. I have an F250 (2019) with the standard real axle ratio (3.73), 6.2 gas 18" wheels short bed super-cab single rear wheel, and I am towing an HT30.5 CKTS which is 11,000GVW and the truck pulls it with no problem. I am within my towing capacity, cargo capacity etc and it handles well.

Thank you, I do pack pretty heavy when I travel. I even thought about buying one with 3.73 and getting it regeared. What's the payload on your truck? What did you do to deal with the height issue?

[niknak]

Originally Posted by Iraqvet05

When I bought my F-250, I really wanted the 4:30 gear but had a really hard time finding one. I suspect the number of new gas Super Duty truck with the 4:30 gears is rather low so the number of resale trucks with the 4:30 will also be pretty low.

If somebody specially order it with the 4.30, they are probably more likely to hold on to it. I have talked to a few dealers that say they have never ordered a 6.2 with the 4.30. Maybe it's a way to move more diesels.

[Scott]

I work in the automotive industry. Websites like AutoTrader, Cars.com, and CarGurus all rely on the dealer putting the information into their ad for their search results. Most dealers will not put the gear ratio on their truck ad because they do not understand the importance of it to those who haul heavy trailers. From their prospective, I can understand as we are a very small subset of their client base. If you call/email them, they might not know either. Unfortunately, putting 4.30 in your search terms will most likely be an exercise in futility.

[TCNashville]

Originally Posted by niknak

Would the F250 have enough payload for the eagle ht?

My '17 F-250 with the 6.2L has 3305lbs of payload. More than a match for that particular trailer.

[kayakterp]

my 2015 with 3:73 ratio has just over 3k lbs payload.
I've also read that the 4:30 ratio is a special order so there are not a lot made.

[Nature Ist]

Originally Posted by niknak

Thank you, I do pack pretty heavy when I travel. I even thought about buying one with 3.73 and getting it regeared. What's the payload on your truck? What did you do to deal with the height issue?

You are about to enter the tedious task of really researching your vehicle combination. My F-250 has the 10,000# GVW rating: which really doesn't mean much because there is no difference in the suspension, axle, or anything really. It's more of a legal matter for registration if you ever get weighed! My sticker payload is 3241# on a super-cab short bed single wheel gas engine, and a tow rating of 12,600#. The same truck in a regular cab long bed has 200# more in both tow and payload ratings. So you have to take into consideration what exact cab and bed you are looking at. The same truck with the diesel engine will have higher tow rating, but the payload capacity will be less because your increased engine weight is reduces your net carrying capacity. This is true with both F-250 and F-350 until you go to dual rear wheels.
If you are looking at the HT25.5 series or equivalent, you are in the trailer GVW range of 10,000# My unit is 11,000# GVW. My pin weight at max. gross weight is 1903# I am comfortably within my payload, though I am close to my rear axle max rating.
It is like pulling teeth to get the facts on a lot of these parameters. You have to be sure to use GVW trailer ratings rather than unloaded weight. Many spec sheets from Jayco and others list the pin weight of the unloaded trailer! If you tend to "travel heavy" your bigger concern will be overloading the trailer, not the truck. Jayco uses axles and suspension that are rated higher then the weight the will carry when at max GVW, but that doesn't mean the suspension isn't being worked hard.
A good place to seek towing capacity etc is a website like the Trailer Life "Guide to Towing" or Ford's website: however, I have found the Ford site to be lacking in detail.
As for how I dealt with the height issue: I ordered my HT 30.5 CKTS with the 16" wheel upgrade. It was built and shipped with the suspension mounted in the upper hole of brackets on the frame, leaving almost no room between the tires and underside of the wheel well. I moved the springs to lower hole, which helped. I also installed SumoSprings TSS-107-40 over each axle, which helped raise the height a little but greatly increased the smoothness of the ride.
The height issue is also a function of your particular hitch and pinbox. You want a close as you can get to 6" between top bedrail and underside of fifth wheel, so you need to do the math. I selected the B&W companion slider (I ordered my F-250 with the factory 5th wheel puck system) gives me 5-1/2" clearance and almost dead level.
Not all years and models of F-250 will have exactly the same conditions.
One nice thing about the Ford short bed - it is 6'9" rather than the shorter RAM or GM short-beds. If you are going short-bet, you will want the slider hitch or possibly the rotating pin box. I am very happy with the B&W companion slider because I almost never need to slide the hitch and that means I don't have to worry about the problems that have been known to occur with the rotating pinboxes and the automatic sliding hitches.
Your situation will be somewhat more complicated because you plan to tandem your trailer. That is where I would agree you might want the 4:30 rear axle. You will need to do the math to know.

[RichCarter]

FWIW, I tow a Jay Flight 24RBS with an F150 with no problem. It's a super quad-cab STX with the 3.5 V6/10 speed and the tow package but not the max tow package. The specs on my camper 2' shorter than yours but the GVWR is the same. While an F250 or F350 would do a better job, either will cost more and both will consume more fuel when not towing. Having said that, if there may be a bigger camper in your future, by all means go for the bigger truck.


BTW: If you go for the more expensive packages like the Lariat, tow capacity goes down.

[niknak]

Originally Posted by Scott

I work in the automotive industry. Websites like AutoTrader, Cars.com, and CarGurus all rely on the dealer putting the information into their ad for their search results. Most dealers will not put the gear ratio on their truck ad because they do not understand the importance of it to those who haul heavy trailers. From their prospective, I can understand as we are a very small subset of their client base. If you call/email them, they might not know either. Unfortunately, putting 4.30 in your search terms will most likely be an exercise in futility.

Ya, I find some, but not too many. I have talked to dealers that will even ask why it matters so much. I might just email a bunch of local dealers and have them look for me. I do have all winter to find one. Thanks

[niknak]

Originally Posted by TCNashville

My '17 F-250 with the 6.2L has 3305lbs of payload. More than a match for that particular trailer.

Ya, I figure if it's over 3,000, I'll be good. 2017 and up have a higher payload because of the aluminum cab, right?

[niknak]

Originally Posted by kayakterp

my 2015 with 3:73 ratio has just over 3k lbs payload.
I've also read that the 4:30 ratio is a special order so there are not a lot made.

And that's a F-250?

[2edgesword]

F-250 with a measely 3,300 lb payload?

My F-250 has a 4,031 lb payload...LOL...it's a regular cab, 2WD with roll-up windows and I have to walk around to the passenger side to unlock the door for my wife .

[niknak]

Originally Posted by Nature Ist

You are about to enter the tedious task of really researching your vehicle combination. My F-250 has the 10,000# GVW rating: which really doesn't mean much because there is no difference in the suspension, axle, or anything really. It's more of a legal matter for registration if you ever get weighed! My sticker payload is 3241# on a super-cab short bed single wheel gas engine, and a tow rating of 12,600#. The same truck in a regular cab long bed has 200# more in both tow and payload ratings. So you have to take into consideration what exact cab and bed you are looking at. The same truck with the diesel engine will have higher tow rating, but the payload capacity will be less because your increased engine weight is reduces your net carrying capacity. This is true with both F-250 and F-350 until you go to dual rear wheels.
If you are looking at the HT25.5 series or equivalent, you are in the trailer GVW range of 10,000# My unit is 11,000# GVW. My pin weight at max. gross weight is 1903# I am comfortably within my payload, though I am close to my rear axle max rating.
It is like pulling teeth to get the facts on a lot of these parameters. You have to be sure to use GVW trailer ratings rather than unloaded weight. Many spec sheets from Jayco and others list the pin weight of the unloaded trailer! If you tend to "travel heavy" your bigger concern will be overloading the trailer, not the truck. Jayco uses axles and suspension that are rated higher then the weight the will carry when at max GVW, but that doesn't mean the suspension isn't being worked hard.
A good place to seek towing capacity etc is a website like the Trailer Life "Guide to Towing" or Ford's website: however, I have found the Ford site to be lacking in detail.
As for how I dealt with the height issue: I ordered my HT 30.5 CKTS with the 16" wheel upgrade. It was built and shipped with the suspension mounted in the upper hole of brackets on the frame, leaving almost no room between the tires and underside of the wheel well. I moved the springs to lower hole, which helped. I also installed SumoSprings TSS-107-40 over each axle, which helped raise the height a little but greatly increased the smoothness of the ride.
The height issue is also a function of your particular hitch and pinbox. You want a close as you can get to 6" between top bedrail and underside of fifth wheel, so you need to do the math. I selected the B&W companion slider (I ordered my F-250 with the factory 5th wheel puck system) gives me 5-1/2" clearance and almost dead level.
Not all years and models of F-250 will have exactly the same conditions.
One nice thing about the Ford short bed - it is 6'9" rather than the shorter RAM or GM short-beds. If you are going short-bet, you will want the slider hitch or possibly the rotating pin box. I am very happy with the B&W companion slider because I almost never need to slide the hitch and that means I don't have to worry about the problems that have been known to occur with the rotating pinboxes and the automatic sliding hitches.
Your situation will be somewhat more complicated because you plan to tandem your trailer. That is where I would agree you might want the 4:30 rear axle. You will need to do the math to know.

Thank you so much, I'm familiar with sumo springs, I was going to put them on my Tundra before we decided to go to a 5th wheel. On the camper is a good idea.

[TCNashville]

Originally Posted by niknak

2017 and up have a higher payload because of the aluminum cab, right?

Correct albeit the entire truck body is aluminum. My truck has the 3.73 rear end and has no issues towing my 9200lb Eagle travel trailer. Would the 4.30's do a better job? Of course but I don't tow in mountains.

[niknak]

Originally Posted by RichCarter

FWIW, I tow a Jay Flight 24RBS with an F150 with no problem. It's a super quad-cab STX with the 3.5 V6/10 speed and the tow package but not the max tow package. The specs on my camper 2' shorter than yours but the GVWR is the same. While an F250 or F350 would do a better job, either will cost more and both will consume more fuel when not towing. Having said that, if there may be a bigger camper in your future, by all means go for the bigger truck.


BTW: If you go for the more expensive packages like the Lariat, tow capacity goes down.

Thank you, ya, I know that about the trim level, but the wife and I aren't giving up options. The dual climate control is the big one, and the heater/vented seats. How long of trips have you done? I was going to do this with my Tundra, but with hauling doubles/tandems I figured the biggest truck would handle it better. I have seen people go it, but I would rather be safe and not cause an accident.

[2nOZ]

I have a 2017 F250 Lariat with the 6.2 and 4.30 gears pulling a 10,000 lb 2018 28.5 RSTS FW. It pulls it with no problem and pulls it level. I can attach a photo if needed. My payload is 3,100 lbs and I am well below any and all weights.