I have a 2004 f150 supercab 5.4 4wd with 6.5' bed with 116k miles.
I am looking to buy a slide in camper, I am looking at a 1997 Elkhorn by fleetwood slide in camper. The camper is 2500lbs dry and i was wondering if my truck can handle that?
When looking online i find all kinds of different answers.
HELP!!!

 

you need at least a f250 to carry that load if you use that truck 1/2 ton you run the risk of breaking your leaf springs and possibly your drive axles plus it won't drive anywhere like it should. and make sure that it has an 8' bed

 

Just asking,
If a 150= 1/2 ton
250= 3/4 ton
350=1 ton (2000 lbs)
To safely haul 2500 lbs dry plus any addl would a 350 be a better choice ?
What about a duely ?

 

used to be that a 3/4 ton was made as tough as a 1ton but I don't know any thing

 

You are not alone. Move over and make room for me.
Seriously though, The build sticker on the driver's door may help clarify some of this.
There are various GCW(Gross cargo weight ratings) and GVW (Gross vehicle weight ratings) on these stickers. I'm pretty sure they are spelled out as to what the vehicle can safely carry.
Also , there are limitations by what the tires are rated for , and all these things get into the picture making it a little complicated, but always better safe than sorry.
To add to that I believe the 150 and 250 used 5 lug nuts while the 350 used 8.

 

every F250 I've ever seen had 8 lug nuts even the brand new ones and I see a whole bunch of them 'cause I help out a friend who works at a tire shop almost daily. And no disrespect intended Hanky

 

I stand corrected and you are probably right too. What I may have been thinking about was the 350's had the floating rear axle. In either case it was a pain to have to remove the 8 nuts vs 5 nuts. I changed so many of them I did them in my sleep. The darn rims would rust around the hub or not even fit properly after someone overtightened the wheel nuts and spread the rim holes. Thanks for correcting me!