The Best Heavy Duty Pickup Truck for Towing A 5th Wheel/Gooseneck Trailer Can Pull 40,000 Lbs
The trucks in the heavy-duty pickup segment have been taking turns one-upping each other’s maximum tow ratings for years. The latest king of the heap is the Ford F-450 Super Duty with its 40,000-pound gooseneck towing capacity. But the Blue Oval didn’t stop at trouncing everyone else’s tow rating: it added a backup camera that works with the tailgate down and a 360-degree camera system that can eliminate blindspots even with the longest trailers. The Ford F-450 is currently the best heavy-duty pickup truck for towing a 5th wheel/gooseneck trailer.
What is the towing capacity of the Ford Super Duty 5th wheel?
Ford advertises its 2023 F-450 Super Duty’s maximum towing capacity as 40,000 pounds–when configured with the 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel V8 and pulling a gooseneck trailer. Obviously, a 5th wheel setup will allow the truck to pull just as much, while the F-450 with a standard trailer hitch should be good for 30,000 pounds.
General Motors’ current heavy-duty trucks are rated to tow 36,000 pounds. The heavy-duty Ram has a maximum trailering capacity of 37,090. The 2023 F-450 is the first truck in its segment to break the 40,000-pound barrier. But Ford has added multiple high-tech features that contribute to the F-450’s status as the 5th-wheel-towing king as well.
According to Ford, it leveraged advanced technology to improve visibility while towing with the new generation of Super Duty:
“Camera views provide every angle, from simulating a drone to making sure customers can see behind the truck even when the tailgate is down. Hitching and towing has never been easier…Our goal was to leave drivers with zero blind spots.” Andrew Kernahan, Ford Super Duty chief engineer.
How much can a 6.8-liter gas V8 tow?
The new 2023 Ford Super Duty has a new base engine: a 6.8-liter gasoline-powered V8. It makes 405 horsepower and 445 lb-ft of torque. In the F-250 this engine’s standard towing capacity is 14,800 pounds.
The 2023 Ford Super Duty lineup will retain its 7.3-liter gasoline V8 engine option. This engine makes 430 horsepower and 485 lb-ft of torque. At the time of writing, that makes it the most powerful gasoline V8 in its class. In the F-250, this larger gasoline V8 can pull 17,200 pounds on either a 5th wheel/gooseneck or on a regular trailer.
The Ford Super Duty’s biggest towing numbers are put up by the available 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8. The regular tune makes 475 horsepower and 1,050 lb-ft of torque while the high-output variant bumps that to 500 horsepower/1,200 lb-ft of torque. Even in the F-250, this diesel engine can haul 18,200 pounds on a regular trailer or 23,000 pounds on a 5th wheel/gooseneck trailer. It is this engine that can pull a 40,000-pound 5th wheel/gooseneck in the 2023 F-450.
How much can a Ram 3500 5th wheel tow?
Equipped with the high-output Cummins turbodiesel, the Ram 3500 can haul a 37,090-pound 5th wheel/gooseneck trailer. The current segment leader is the 2023 F-350 which bumped that number to 38,000 in its latest redesign.
Die-hard Ram fans may not care about a few hundred pounds of towing capacity difference. But it’s worth noting that for 5th-wheel trailer owners, Ford is pioneering some high-tech solutions to eliminate blind spots. It now has a 360-degree trailer camera system, and reverse cameras that help you line up your 5th-wheel trailer when while the tailgate is down. Hopefully Ram will incorporate similarly advanced features in its next generation of heavy-duty pickup trucks.
Next find out which feature makes the Ram 1500 the best half-ton pickup for 5th-wheel towing or see the 2023 Super Duty reviewed in the video below:
