3500 SRW Aisin 3.42 with 15,000 5'er - opinions ?

[magothy1]

Looking at this truck. Pretty sure I've settled on the 5'er, I just don't want to go heavier than 15 thou. Truck comes with 18" wheels. I'll be doing short trips for a couple years. I really want to get the rig to Alaska for a summer and have the daughters and families and grandkids up. Does it seem reasonable rig-wise ?

Thanks.

 

[dieselshadow]

Want to add a link or two?

 

[magothy1]

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventorylisting/mySavedListings.action#listing=250338502

5'er is a 34' Cameo

 

[Jim W]

Please expand on the truck and 5er you plan on pulling with the truck! Such as are you planning on buying a Long Bed, Short Bed, Crew Cab or Mega Cab, Reg Cab, 4X4 and so forth, all of this will help to answer your questions.

 

[AH64ID]

Pin weight will likely be your issue on a SRW with a 15K GVW trailer, as you won't have the rear axle capacity to support a 25% pin weight of a 15K 5er.

 

[jhenderson]

Pin weight will likely be your issue on a SRW with a 15K GVW trailer, as you won't have the rear axle capacity to support a 25% pin weight of a 15K 5er.

You’re over estimating pin wt. recommendations are 20%. I pull an 18,500lb gn, loaded to gross at least once a week with my srw without any problems. Well within rear axle capacity every time I’ve weighed it.

 

[magothy1]

My apologies to the moderator, I've tried to add a link to the truck that's for sale, and it won't post. My bad.

The truck is a 2017 3500 Big Horn, crew cab, LB, SRW, Aisin trans, 3.42 rear. Ad says 12300 GVWR. Looking at a table from Dodge I see payload of 4330, rated for trailer weight of 16,860. At a trailer weight of 15,000, with 25% I'd have 3750 on the pin. Not much allowable payload there., if I'm reading the table correctly. Looks like the Aisin trans is heavier than the 68RFE.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Pin weight depends on the layout of the RV and what you add to it! Both of my last DRV's have pin weights of 25% and that number or close to it are more common than people think. Comment based on tandem axle 5er's, triples have less pin thpically.

 

[Cummins12V98]

20% is 3,000# and 25% is 3,750#. This is based on your RV's LOADED weight. Just because it says 15k GVWR does not stop gaining weight at 15k. My DRV has a 21k GVWR but the scales say 23k. Bottom line weigh your rear axle ready to tow and subtract that number from the RAWR. Take that number x 5 for 20% and that will give you what the RV can weigh at that pin.

 

[AH64ID]

You’re over estimating pin wt. recommendations are 20%. I pull an 18,500lb gn, loaded to gross at least once a week with my srw without any problems. Well within rear axle capacity every time I’ve weighed it.

20-25% is the recommendation for a 5er. 25% seems to be more common than most want to think, at least in what I have personally seen.

RV's will typically have higher pin weights than a gooseneck trailer due to how they are built and having a bedroom above the pin. It doesn't get any lighter when mama loads the bedroom up either. Certainly possible to tow a 15-19Klb GN within the RAWR of a SRW, but harder to do on a 5er.

Planning on 25% will reduce the potential issues when the loaded trailer is put on a scale.

 

[Wiredawg]

Lots of heavy STUFF in front of the axles on mine... washer and dryer, 2ea 30LB LP bottles, 6500W genset, basement full of necessities, loaded up bedroom AND two front slide outs. Weight adds up fast. Triple Axle rigs actually tend to have lighter pin weights.

Cheers, Ron

 

[jhenderson]

20-25% is the recommendation for a 5er. 25% seems to be more common than most want to think, at least in what I have personally seen.

RV's will typically have higher pin weights than a gooseneck trailer due to how they are built and having a bedroom above the pin. It doesn't get any lighter when mama loads the bedroom up either. Certainly possible to tow a 15-19Klb GN within the RAWR of a SRW, but harder to do on a 5er.

Planning on 25% will reduce the potential issues when the loaded trailer is put on a scale.

Nothing is set in stone. Where’s the fresh water tank. Up front? Don’t fill it til you’re at your destination. In the rear? Fill it at home to remove pin wt. Bringing gear? Load the rear of the trailer instead of the truck bed. Coolers and such are heavy but very transportable. When you tow commercially you learn to load for proper wt distribution. There’s plenty of room in a trailer to load ancillary equipment in a manner that will reduce pin wt.

 

[AH64ID]

Nothing is set in stone. Where’s the fresh water tank. Up front? Don’t fill it til you’re at your destination. In the rear? Fill it at home to remove pin wt. bringing gear? Load the rear of the trailer instead of the truck bed. Coolers and suck are heavy but very transportable. When you tow commercially you learn to load for proper wt distribution. There’s plenty of room in a trailer to load ancillary equipment in a manner that will reduce pin wt.

Exactly. Which is why I said likely, it’s mandatory to think about with a SRW and a 15K 5er.

 

[Wiredawg]

Nothing is set in stone. Where’s the fresh water tank. Up front? Don’t fill it til you’re at your destination. In the rear? Fill it at home to remove pin wt. Bringing gear? Load the rear of the trailer instead of the truck bed. Coolers and such are heavy but very transportable. When you tow commercially you learn to load for proper wt distribution. There’s plenty of room in a trailer to load ancillary equipment in a manner that will reduce pin wt.

Great Point. I can't believe I'm going to mention this, but getting a rear kitchen is an easy way to have unit heavier behind the axles. Only downside, and it's a big one, you really have to secure stuff, because it's just like having an earthquake in the kitchen every time you take it out.

JH makes the best point so far.

Cheers, Ron

 

[jhenderson]

Don’t start being nice to me. The shock could do me in.

 

[Wiredawg]

Don’t start being nice to me. The shock could do me in.

I was making a MEAN face while I was typing, if that helps

 

[Cummins12V98]

In our Mobile Suites the rear is the living area then kitchen. EVERYTHING that’s heavy is forward of that. I have a HUGE basement and it gets used!

Simply no adjusting to make my pin less than 25%.

To CYA a person should allow for 25% plain and simple. If I want to carry my full 100 gallons water I do without concern.

 

[AH64ID]

That’s part of my thinking. I very rarely camp with hookups, let alone in a campground so my water comes from home.

Plan on 25% and be happy if it’s 23%.

I’ve been on the ragged edge of tire ratings and it’s noticeable in the cab, hence the reason I ended up with 19.5’s on the 05.

 

[SnoKing]

We towed a 16k 5er with our SRW.. I picked one with a 2435 dry pin weight. Pick one with a 3K dry pin weight and you will have issue with RGAWR.

 

[magothy1]

Thanks, folks, I sure appreciate all that. I had some issues getting logged so I'm late to the discussion. Sure appreciate the insights.