Axle Weight Limits

[MasterChief]

My Bighorn Fifth Wheel has two axles rated at 6000 lbs each. The RV's dry weight is 11,400 and max loaded weight rating is 14,000 lbs. Can anyone tell me how they figure out the weight limit for axles. With two 6K axles I would think the max load rating would 12K ??



Mike

 

[E7mack96]

is the 14K on just the trailer axles, while hooked up to your truck?

 

[DOrlando]

This came up here while looking into a disk brake upgrade on my fifth wheel.



It's kinda underhanded but legal, the rest of the weight is resting on your hitch in the truck bed.

 

[LRutigliano]

On a 5th wheel, approx 25% of the total weight is in your bed.



For example, my trailer weighs 10. 8k. The trailer axles are at 8kand I have approx 2. 8k on the trucks rear axle.



Take the combo to a scale and you should see approx 8500lbs on the two axles and 3000+lbs additional on the rear axle of the truck.



Keep your trailers tires at max pressure always. If not, the sidewalls can flex excessively and lead to tire issues.



Hope this helps,

Louis

 

[TRLRTRSH]

Yep, What LRutifliano said.

Our rig is 10. 8K on axles, when we were fulltiming.

 

[steved]

Keep in mind, it also depends on the trailer...

Mine is rated at 4800#s GVW, and has dual 2800# axles (5600#s total). I have an approximately 400 pound hitch weight...

I know its small, but in my case the GVW is the determining factor, not axles.

steved

 

[Jim Smith]

I have heavy 5th as well. You should check the tire weight capacity. My previous tires were rated at 3025 per tire and I now have 3425 per tire. I kept having sidewall failures.

 

[MasterChief]

Thanks all. We left on the 20th to Florida for Christmas Vac. I had my 5er maxed out with cargo and water. My 5er is rated at 14K with 12k axles. We stopped at the scales and weighed 11980 on the axles and 2K on the king pin. We were 21980 total weight with a full tank of fuel two people dog, tools and generator.

From Virginia Beach, Va to Pensacola we averaged 14 MPG. I felt much better understanding how the weight over the king pin factors into the axle weight total.

 

[TRLRTRSH]

Chief, you can greatly reduce the weight by NOT topping off the water. Only carry enough to get you to your destination. Unless you will be dry camping of course

At 8. 33lbs per gal of water you add about 450 lbs for just 75 gals. Our rig carries 110gal of water for a total of 916 lbs, That is a lot of WEIGHT one is pulling around with full tanks.