Any Fuzion 322 or 310 owners towing with a GMC 2500 HD?

jaeger63 · 03-15-2014, 07:30 AM

I'd like to hear from any Raptor 300MP, Fuzion 322 or Fuzion 310 owners who are towing with a 2500HD Duramax. These are the toy haulers I've been seriously researching and hoping to find a good deal on a used one here in the near future. I'm now questioning whether or not I can safely pull one of these models with my 2010 GMC 2500 HD Duramax. It appears the pin weight will exceed the payload rating by a few hundred pounds after I load the camper with water, fuel, and cargo. However I would still be well within the GCVWR. I'm not afraid to go over a little on the payload rating as long as its not unsafe. BTW I do have airbags but I doubt that makes any difference as far as safety goes? Thanks for any input!

Festus2 · 03-15-2014, 07:37 AM

You might want to read the recent posts in the Towing section in the "5th Wheel Hitch Recommendations". A similar question was asked there.

C130 · 03-15-2014, 01:33 PM

What's your GCVWR on the Duramax? I pull a 2011 Fuzion 322 Touring Edition with a 2011 F250 so assume the trucks are similar. It pulls it fine but my next truck will probably be a dually. I'd rather have too much truck than not enough. Part of my problem is I don't put enough weight in the garage of the toy hauler making my pin weight higher than it should be I think. I have air bags on the truck and the only thing I don't like is Texas has a lot of concrete roads and the joints cause the truck and trailer to bounce and it's pretty bad at certain speeds. I'm not sure this has anything to do with the truck or just part of pulling a 5th wheel. I'm looking at installing a Trailair Tri-Glide to the 5th wheel to see if this helps. Just got home from camping for a week and the truck pulls the 322 great power wise but I'd love to pull it with a dually one time just to compare how it feels.

jaeger63 · 03-15-2014, 08:31 PM

Thanks much C130. I do appreciate the reply.

Al Sandoval · 03-15-2014, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaeger63

I'd like to hear from any Raptor 300MP, Fuzion 322 or Fuzion 310 owners who are towing with a 2500HD Duramax. These are the toy haulers I've been seriously researching and hoping to find a good deal on a used one here in the near future. I'm now questioning whether or not I can safely pull one of these models with my 2010 GMC 2500 HD Duramax. It appears the pin weight will exceed the payload rating by a few hundred pounds after I load the camper with water, fuel, and cargo. However I would still be well within the GCVWR. I'm not afraid to go over a little on the payload rating as long as its not unsafe. BTW I do have airbags but I doubt that makes any difference as far as safety goes? Thanks for any input!

Pull a Fuzion 322 with F 350 dully all over USA handle and pulls great

jaeger63 · 03-15-2014, 10:44 PM

C130 my GVWR on my 2500 duramax is 9200. What is it on your F250? Man I had no idea this was so involved with all the weight numbers and trying to stay legal! Have you ever been stopped by State patrol or had to pull onto scales? If so, were you within the correct weight limits?

Wing-in-it · 03-16-2014, 03:19 AM

I too have a HD2500 Duramax & was thinking the same way as you & decided NOT to buy the toy hauler, because the numbers just aren't there.

Pin weight on the 310 is 2770

Pin weight on the 322 is 2895

Per Keystone

Look at your "payload" capacity. Mine is an "08" it's 2741lb. 2 wheel drive & crew cab

Total your 29lbs over gvwr without the Hitch, fuel & passengers. And that's with the lighter 31 Fuzion.

No matter how you look at it you'll be over the limit. These toy haulers are just plain heavy & you got to have a bigger truck. JMHO

Mark

Dwighop · 03-16-2014, 03:45 AM

I see these overloaded trucks every week at the dirt track. It is scary to think most have no idea how heavy these things are.

C130 · 03-16-2014, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaeger63

C130 my GVWR on my 2500 duramax is 9200. What is it on your F250? Man I had no idea this was so involved with all the weight numbers and trying to stay legal! Have you ever been stopped by State patrol or had to pull onto scales? If so, were you within the correct weight limits?

My F250 is 10,000 pounds. I'd say 80%-90% of the trucks pulling 5th wheels, at least the toy haulers, are technically overloaded. I've never had an issue but I'm very close to the limit. I had it weighed once but the guy operating the scales was beyond worthless and had no interest in really helping me. I think I really needed to unhook and get the total weight of the truck with all of us in it then weigh again with the toy hauler attached.

Question, does the published pin weight of the toy haulers assume the garage is at max allowed capacity therefore reducing the pin weight to their published numbers? The pin weight was my issue, higher than published by several hundred pounds. I now keep the fresh water tank near full therefore reducing the pin weight. I have friends pulling the 40'-42' toy haulers with F250's and I'd definitely stay away from that size without a bigger truck. I've never heard of anyone having and issue with the police though, not saying its okay, just not an issue that I know of. Dually is the way to go but most people are not going to drive one for daily use. My son turns 13 next week and my plan is to give him my truck when he's 16 and I'll get a dually for myself then I don't have to worry about it. I'm not sure the dually's are legal either though with the 42 foot toy haulers. I was at a motocross track last year and a guy pulled up with a brand new 42'-43' toy hauler decked out to the max. Custom ordered, 3 AC's, double pane windows, fully body paint, etc. Numerous dirt bikes and a razor in the garage. Pulling it with an older model F250 and he said it pulled it fine. A friend with a brand new F350 dually pulling a similar toy hauler told the guy he was full of crap. The guy had a hard time just backing it in to his spot, truck bed twisted every which way while he was turning. He was extremely overloaded and pulling the nicest toy hauler I've ever seen.

SAD · 03-16-2014, 06:34 AM

My opinion (perhaps not a popular one) is, as long as you are OK on your rear axle weight.... Meaning the lower of either: a) tire capacity stamped on sidewall at proper inflation or b) GAWR on your federal/DOT label stamped in door jamb... You will be "ok".

The discussion that gets "interesting" is using GVWR for determining payload VS using rear GAWR...

What is true however, is "safe" is a state of being rather than a specific weight. A guy pulling a pair of jetskis with a dually can be UNsafe; while a guy pulling a large 5er with a 2500/250 can be SAFE...

bsmith0404 · 03-16-2014, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Festus2

You might want to read the recent posts in the Towing section in the "5th Wheel Hitch Recommendations". A similar question was asked there.

Same guy looking for specific input from someone with the RV he wants to buy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by C130

What's your GCVWR on the Duramax? I pull a 2011 Fuzion 322 Touring Edition with a 2011 F250 so assume the trucks are similar. It pulls it fine but my next truck will probably be a dually. I'd rather have too much truck than not enough. Part of my problem is I don't put enough weight in the garage of the toy hauler making my pin weight higher than it should be I think. I have air bags on the truck and the only thing I don't like is Texas has a lot of concrete roads and the joints cause the truck and trailer to bounce and it's pretty bad at certain speeds. I'm not sure this has anything to do with the truck or just part of pulling a 5th wheel. I'm looking at installing a Trailair Tri-Glide to the 5th wheel to see if this helps. Just got home from camping for a week and the truck pulls the 322 great power wise but I'd love to pull it with a dually one time just to compare how it feels.

Get a mor-ryde or trail air pin box, that will take most of the bounce out of your trailer. After feeling the difference, I won't own another one without it. I've heard some people claim balance of the trailer will take care of it too, but you could spend days trying to figure out how to load your gear to get the proper balance, if that is in fact the case.

720Deere · 03-16-2014, 07:43 AM

What you need to know is what your ready to travel rear axle weight is on your truck. Add the advertised pin weight plus at least 5% to that weight and you will find out real quick what your truck is capable of. If your tires are only rated for 3042 lbs each, you are going to be well beyond safe with any of the mentioned trailers. Some 18" tires are rated for 3640 and 20" at 3750. Tires are going to be your limiting factor since even though your particular truck may list a lighter rating, the rear axle is rated beyond what you need by its manufacturer.

SAD · 03-16-2014, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 720Deere

What you need to know is what your ready to travel rear axle weight is on your truck....

Very important point I neglected to mention. Fill truck with fuel, wife, dog, cooler, firewood, etc.... Get weighed (separate front and rear axle weights)...

Regardless of which method utilized for determining payload (GVWR or GAWR), knowing what you have available with your truck loaded and optioned like you bought it... It's important.

jaeger63 · 03-16-2014, 11:53 AM

720 deere,
I'm not sure what the current tires I'm running are rated at. There not the stock tires that came on the truck but are instead BF Goodrich mud terrains. What rating would you say I need on my truck to be safe for any of the toy haulers mentioned at the beginning of this post. I'm currently deployed overseas for work and cannot go check my tires for the rating. Thanks much

I'm very impressed at the amount of knowledge available on this site. For someone like myself who is looking to buy his first RV the information I'm gaining is so valuable! Thanks very much to all who have posted!

bsmith0404 · 03-16-2014, 01:51 PM

tires for 2500s are going to be E rated, regardless if they are stock or not. Illegal for tire dealers to put less on due to GVWR. E rated tires on a 16" or 17" wheel are going to be rated right around 3200 lbs. That will match up with your axle rating.

C130 · 03-16-2014, 04:42 PM

My rear GAWR is 6100 pounds and GVWR is 10,000 pounds on my 2011 F250. I can't find the paperwork from my one time I had it weighed but if I do I'll publish the numbers. I have air bags installed but only run about 20 psi in them as it seems to sit about level or slightly nose high. It had very little sag without the airbags, 1"-2" at most.

You'll have no issues pulling the 322 but its hard to stay within the legal limits on a single rear wheel truck. Watch how many trucks pulling 5th wheels are DRW though, not very many. I do know my next truck will be a dually though. Interested in seeing what he weights increase to on the 2015 trucks also.

Cnc_hemi · 03-16-2014, 05:38 PM

I have a 310. And my 2012 sierra 2500 hd handles it like a dream. Loaded or unloaded. Have pulled it to destin fl 4 times in the last 12 months from Baton Rouge. The truck has never bottomed out but I did add air bags to help level the camper. Truck only sits about 1" lower with the 310 then it did with my old Laredo.

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Cnc_hemi · 03-16-2014, 06:14 PM

This pic was before I added the air bags.

LSU TIGER FAN
2013 FUZION 310
2012 GMC 2500 HD SIERRA DURAMAX 6.6L

Htfiremedic · 03-16-2014, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by C130

What's your GCVWR on the Duramax? I pull a 2011 Fuzion 322 Touring Edition with a 2011 F250 so assume the trucks are similar. It pulls it fine but my next truck will probably be a dually. I'd rather have too much truck than not enough. Part of my problem is I don't put enough weight in the garage of the toy hauler making my pin weight higher than it should be I think. I have air bags on the truck and the only thing I don't like is Texas has a lot of concrete roads and the joints cause the truck and trailer to bounce and it's pretty bad at certain speeds. I'm not sure this has anything to do with the truck or just part of pulling a 5th wheel. I'm looking at installing a Trailair Tri-Glide to the 5th wheel to see if this helps. Just got home from camping for a week and the truck pulls the 322 great power wise but I'd love to pull it with a dually one time just to compare how it feels.

I have to second that. I moved up from an F250 to an F350 DRW. the stability is amazing, the ride is better and DW is happier!

Sent from my iPhone

rnkburg · 03-17-2014, 05:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaeger63

720 deere,
I'm not sure what the current tires I'm running are rated at. There not the stock tires that came on the truck but are instead BF Goodrich mud terrains. What rating would you say I need on my truck to be safe for any of the toy haulers mentioned at the beginning of this post. I'm currently deployed overseas for work and cannot go check my tires for the rating. Thanks much

I'm very impressed at the amount of knowledge available on this site. For someone like myself who is looking to buy his first RV the information I'm gaining is so valuable! Thanks very much to all who have posted!

The lugs from the mud terrain will make the truck walk with the weight on it.

Someone posted that all the tires will be e rated when out on, that is incorrect. Many 3/4 trucks owners on the road have put oversized tires on them, maybe its one or two sizes up, or maybe its much larger. Tire shops will put a D rated tire on there as some of the larger d rated tires have the same weight capacity. I am not getting into the great truck debate but just want to bring up those two tire points.

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