Going to buy RV...Have questions

[RRoton]

I have been looking at several RV dealers web sites, and none of them list the Towing Weight or Pin weight of the 5th wheel RVs.

I am wondering what the ballpark weight is on a 30 foot one.

My truck is a shortbed, so I think I should get a slider type hitch, Are there any MANUAL sliders that don't require drilling holes in the frame?

I have given up asking salesmen. They will tell you anything to make a sale. They all want to drill holes in my frame.

I know about the Superglide 16K, and 24K. They are a little pricey, but so far they are the only ones I have found. I thought a manual silder would be less expensive.

I'm getting into a whole new area here which I know nothing about, so any help or advice would be appreciated.

 

[FCecelin]

try checking with the manufactures web sites for weights . Some may not be accurate . But at least you have a ballpark figure

 

[B.G. Smith]

http://www.drawtite-hitches.com/5th_wheel_hitches/16k_slider5thwheel.html http://newmarcorp.com/include/content.asp?close=yes&content_id=13 Welcome to the world of "Hey, you can pull this one with a half ton pickup" salesmen. You can still get a manual slider. I think you have to buy a special mounting kit for your truck, no drilling of the frame allowed. The sites above show a hitch and some hitch weights. The actual loaded weight will be quiet a bit higher. bg

 

[JoelCool]

I'd suggest you check out rv.net and look around in the 5th wheel, tow vehicle and towing sections. There is a lot of really good help there from Knowledgeable people.

 

[mbaston]

Check the TSBs. https://www.turbodieselregister.com/membersonly/tsb/03tsb.htm

You can drill the frame but there are reasonable requirements. I have no drill Pullrite on mine.

 

[RRoton]

Thanks everyone for your help. The links were very helpful.



Yes Mbaston I know there are certain places where you can drill, But I sure would not trust an RV dealer to do it. I think the safest thing is to get a NO DRILL hitch. The fact that I have a short box, and need a slider, kind of limits my choices.

I see your hitch is a 25. 5K. What is the size and wieght of that Montana RV?

 

[RustyJC]

Originally posted by RRoton

I am wondering what the ballpark weight is on a 30 foot (fifth wheel).

A conservative approach is to use the 5th wheel's GVWR for total loaded weight and 20% of the 5th wheel's GVWR for loaded pin weight.



You might also want to go over to the forums at iRV2.com for some additional insight.



Rusty

 

[mbaston]

I only have a 30 foot that has a GVWR of about 11K but transport others up the Alaska Highway. The big hitch is overkill, but I got it, including installation for 500 bucks. The added strength sure won't hurt on the rough highway.

 

[Rosco]

RRoton,



I should be picking up my new Wildcat 29bhbp next week. Per the brochure my empty/dry pin weight is 1340. This is on a 33 foot fiver with an empty weight of 8130 and a 11,500 GVW. However, be careful as brochure figures tend to be on the light side.



Also watch out, our 2500's get overloaded very easily. For giggles, I took my rig down to the truck stop and jumped on the scale to see what I weighed. I tipped the scale at 7820. That included me at 245 pounds, my baby daughter in her car seat, and a full tank of fuel. Additional weight comes from the Pullrite Superglide hitch and toolbox mounted in the bed. Once my wife jumps on board at 120 pounds the truck will weigh 8,000 pounds. So basically that leaves me roughly 1000 pounds of legal payload leftover. I already know I will be at least 500 overweight with my fiver. However, theres no way the wife will approve a new truck so the Timbrens will be going in soon.

 

[GMOSS]

Take a look at the Husky (or Valley) 16K slider. I got the under bed rail mount (UBS) and it doesn't require drilling of the frame. It has brackets that clamp around the frame and support angle iron under the bed. I went this way so I could remove the hitch and have no bed obstruction. But you do have to drill (4) 2 1/2" holes in your bed. The kit comes with rubber plugs to cover them up when the hitch is out. It took me about 6 hours to install myself and and costs less than $1000 complete. Overall I'm happy with it.



30E35RB Titanium 5'er

Dry Pin 1,657#

GVWR 10,994#





Glen

 

[RRoton]

This afternoon, I ordered the Reese 16K slider, and the NO DRILL installation kit by Hidden Hitch. Everything including shipping came to $893. 07

 

[CROW]

One thing to watch out for when reviewing the fifth wheel manufacturers published pin weight in a brochure is the weight of a front bedroom slide. If a bedroom slide is an option, the pin weight will be considerably more than that published in the manufacturers brochure. If the bedroom slide is a standard feature then the pin weight will include the weight of the slideout. Good Luck on your search.