5th Wheel Size/Weight Limit

[SMcGrady]

I'm thinking of getting a 5th wheel. I haven't towed anything with my truck yet and I am not sure what I should consider to be the max size/weight I can pull with my set-up. I would probably pull it over the Cascades a couple of times a year (Hwy 90 & 2) and a few other short trips around the West side of Washington State. I know that this truck is made to haul, but I am not wanting to stress my truck to the point where it shortens it's life...



Any help would be appreciated. :-laf



Thanks,



Scott-

 

[GAmes]

... ... ... ... . where it shortens it's life...

:-laf:-laf:-laf



good one.



OK, if you constantly tow 15k or more, yes that could be a concern. Look in your owners manual for Dodge's towing capacity opinion. Since you are out of warranty, let you conscience be your guide. If you don't have much experience towing I would recommend you start at the lower side, say 6000 lbs.

 

[jelag]

Scott... . I'm in Spokane and we hauled with an 04 a 22K lb trailer for 240 K miles around the northwest... . we now use this truck for in town stuff... .

My boy owns a 04. 5 and tows a 12K lb 5er with no problem, and with my 05 dually I tow a 14K lb 5er... .

All my stuff has more miles than your 99... . I'd just do it and not worry... these trucks are great for towing.....

 

[RVTRKN]

IMO your only limited to what you can safely tow in which there will be lots of opinions here on that. You can tow up to your trucks limit, for as long as you own your rig. The CTD will handle whatever you throw at it, its the other components that will fail. That is why I like standard trany's, they seem to last longer except for an occasional clutch every now and again. As long as you maintain a good maintenance schedule as recommended in your MY truck you should be good to go for a long time. Your CTD engine was originally designed for 60K pounds for medium duty application. My C&C is registered for up to 26K pounds which is over the rating of my trucks warranty, so if you don't have a warranty to worry about, its your axle limits that dictate what you can haul per DOT regulations. In your sig you have a 2500 which will limit the rear axle weight, but a moderate size 5ver should be OK and not having to bother with the DOT scales slightly over weight wont hurt it

 

[Jim W]

This is what I pull with my truck. My DW and I just got back from a trip to the Black Hills in SD. I had the truck scaled at a Loves in Newton IA, weight slip put the steer axle at 4740, drive axle at 8520 and the trailer weight at 3640 for a total of 16,900 LBS. I had just fueled and was fully loaded except water ( I do not carry any water until we camp). My fuel milage ranged from 10. 5 to 9. 7 depending if we were going up hill, highest elevation was 5000 ft. I am pulling a 2006 F270RKS Amer-Camp gross trailer weight is 11,700 fully loaded.

 

[SMcGrady]

Thanks for the replies!

I think I am most worried about towing with an automatic. I am not having any problems with mine... yet. If I ever do, it will be my chance to upgrade that too I guess...

Scott-

 

[Wiredawg]

I know your question is about weight, but a related question is what do you want to do with it. I bought a 36 ft Travel Supreme w/ triple slides (dry weight 12,900, net weight 16,800, and gross weight 18,000 lbs). I lived in it for 6 years. You can get much lighter if you are doing week-end and short excersions.



Hope this helps and good luck picking an RV. We love ours and have met the best folks RVing.



take care, Wiredawg

 

[Bob Cochran]

My total rig weight is a little of 21,000# and in my opinion it is not so much what you can pull as to what you can stop in a reasonable distance. I can probably pull 60,000# or more but try stopping that load not to mention going down grades. Do you have to have an exhaust brake NO if you know what you are doing but gosh it sure helps the pucker factor on steep down grades. In the end it all depends on experience and what you are comfortable with. I have heard this argued by may if you are in an accident and you exceed the manufacturers weight ratings you can be in deep trouble. I have heard rumors of this but know of no specific document instances of someone held responsible if in an accident and over weight. Come to think about it I know of no instance of a rig combination being weighted after and accident. Maybe somebody else does. I hope this helps in your decision.

 

[BBeck]

IMO your only limited to what you can safely tow in which there will be lots of opinions here on that. You can tow up to your trucks limit, for as long as you own your rig. The CTD will handle whatever you throw at it, its the other components that will fail. That is why I like standard trany's, they seem to last longer except for an occasional clutch every now and again. As long as you maintain a good maintenance schedule as recommended in your MY truck you should be good to go for a long time. Your CTD engine was originally designed for 60K pounds for medium duty application. My C&C is registered for up to 26K pounds which is over the rating of my trucks warranty, so if you don't have a warranty to worry about, its your axle limits that dictate what you can haul per DOT regulations. In your sig you have a 2500 which will limit the rear axle weight, but a moderate size 5ver should be OK and not having to bother with the DOT scales slightly over weight wont hurt it

Can you expand on what you mean by the axle weight limit dictates what you can haul per DOT?



I have 23k miles on the truck now, so what are the concerns of being in warranty still and exceeding the GVWR?



Thanks,

Brad

 

[RVTRKN]

BBeck: DOT only recgonizes the axle ratings, for example the steering axle (front) is different than the drive axle (rear). Your ratings are on the drivers side door and will give axle limits. Dodge will void a warranty if you pull over there GCWR limits, but DOT does not care about it. Your limited to total combined length and axle weights. If you have a class C license pulling a 5ver or TT, you don't have to go through scales but if its obvious that you are over weight the highway patrol can make you weigh it. The worse case scenario is to have an accident and kill someone and DOT finds out your over the axle weights. My C&C is registered for up to 26K, if I go over that, its a stiff fine, but as long as my axle weight are within the ratings (including the trailer axles) its only a registration tax issue and I will be fined as well as holding me at the scales until corrected.



Don't forget you will need Class "A" license for going over certain weights and numbers of axles, @ three axles. Hope this helps and check with your DMV for your State regulations

 

[BBeck]

Thanks, it does.



I have about 500 lbs before reaching GAWR on the front and over 3000 lbs on the rear before reaching that GAWR.



I asked because I can't understand how the GVWR is so low compared to the axles. I understand that there can be something else that is the "weakest link", but when the truck is the same as the 3500 SRW, except for some helper springs in the rear, you would think it would be rated the same.



Brad

 

[jelag]

Scott

In your first post you didn't mention the issue with the transmission... get a point to shoot temp gauge from harbor freight for 39 or 49 bucks and when you've got it nice and warm pull over and shoot the pan...

My BIL found his 03 or 04 dually (don't remember which it is) was running 240*F at the pan... hotter than he wanted. . he went back an installed an additional cooler and gauge and now he never sees over 200*F. on the long hard pulls...

As I mentioned above we almost always exceed the GCWR but stay within the DOT rules... We have apportioned plates on the trucks... the dealer has never asked about the weight of the trailers when doing warranty work... . All are out of warranty except the 08 5500... so now its not an issue. .

 

[SMcGrady]

Scott



In your first post you didn't mention the issue with the transmission... get a point to shoot temp gauge from harbor freight for 39 or 49 bucks and when you've got it nice and warm pull over and shoot the pan...



My BIL found his 03 or 04 dually (don't remember which it is) was running 240*F at the pan... hotter than he wanted. . he went back an installed an additional cooler and gauge and now he never sees over 200*F. on the long hard pulls...



As I mentioned above we almost always exceed the GCWR but stay within the DOT rules... We have apportioned plates on the trucks... the dealer has never asked about the weight of the trailers when doing warranty work... . All are out of warranty except the 08 5500... so now its not an issue. .

Good points. I plan to put in a trans temp gauge before I haul anything. I think an additional cooler makes sense