Towing

[whogan]

Who is towing what with what? I'm concerned about 5th wheel hitch weight.



Thanks

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Sorry, not real sure I understand your question - lotsa folks here are towing lotsa different stuff - I pull a 24 ft fiver - exactly WHAT are your concerns as to hitch weights?



Are you looking for DC specs for you particular truck?

 

[whogan]

I'm looking at a 5th wheel trailer with a hitch weight 500 lbs. over my max. payload. Is anyone else dealing with this kind of problem?



Thanks

 

[rblomquist]

500lbs shouldn't be a problem. Heck, just load up more stuff in the back of the 5ver.

 

[Casey Balvert]

Typically trailer manufactureres understage hitch and pin weights. Once you load it up, you can be sure you will be a LOT more than 500 pounds over. Weight it to be sure. I do. But then I am a stickler for safety. FWIW.



Casey

 

[klenger]

Read this web page to see how the weights grow from what the specs claim.



http://www.klenger.net/arctic-fox/weight/index.html

 

[Tom G]

Big 5th Wheel?

Hi whogan:



Not sure what type of truck you have but lets assume [you know what they say about assume, LOL] you have 3500 Dodge Ram Quad Cab like mine.



Its in bed load rating is 4,090 with a trailer weight of 9,450 or a Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) of 16,000 lbs. with a 3. 54 rear axle.



4,090 lbs is a bunch and I don't know of any 5th wheel trailer with that kind of weight on the hitch but I am not familiar with all the rigs out there either. Many of the 30-35 foot 5th wheels pulled by my friends only put about 1200-1750 lbs. of weight in the bed of a truck with the 5th wheel axles carrying the rest of the weight.



I guess the best thing to do is to weight it or consult the manufacture.

 

[JWhitcomb]

I wouln't worry about 500 more tongue weight, there are lots of people out there hauling 5000 pounds in the bed of a 3500. If you are talking about just the weight rating of the hitch, 500 extra does not sound dangerous.

 

[whogan]

My 2500 dressed to hookup is 7400lbs. That puts my hitch pin weight at 1400lbs. So its not difficult to see the problem. I have a 27 ft. FW with a pin weight of 1200 lbs. Obviously, trailers have gained weight over the years. I think I knew the answer before I asked the question.



Thanks Gentlemen

 

[RustyJC]

We tow a 36' triple slide 5th wheel with a 13,500 lb GVWR and a 10,900 lb dry weight. We are right at the 13,500 lb rating with empty tanks loaded and headed down the road. This is because since our 5ver left the factory (where its dry weight was recorded), we've added a 2nd A/C, a washer/dryer and all our "stuff". Therefore, from our experience, the safe thing to do for many (not all) 5vers is to use the GVWR as the actual loaded weight for your thumbnail calculations.



Our 5ver carries about 20% of its weight on the pin. Therefore, we're running 10,800 lbs on the 5ver's axles and 2,700 lbs pin weight. Loaded and headed down the road, we're at 21,180 GCW (21,500 GCWR) and 10,380 GVW on the truck (10,500 GVWR).



Rusty

 

[BigMike]

Need to post your signature so folks know what you're driving. Believe me a 2500 will easily handle your 27' 5er.

 

[pwr2tow]

1,200 lbs on the 5th wheel plate in a 2500 is nothing, Alot of people use 1500's (1/2 ton) pickups with that kind of weight so I say you are o. k. with a 2500 (3/4 ton).



Ron

 

[VietDoc]

Why I switched

Whogan,



I think I understand your question or problem. You are trying to stay with-in the GVWR of your 2500, but can only add 1400 lbs (for a total of 8800lbs GVWR) and your trailer hitch weight takes your truck to 500 lbs over the GVWR.



There are many posts here and I read almost all to learn all I could about towing from the membership... .



That's why the wife & I are switching from a 2500 to a 3500 due to the same payload problem. Like Casey, I am a stickler to stay within Dodge's limits even though IMO DC keeps the numbers low and de-tune's the Cummins to protect themselves for warranty issues especially with the auto transmission trucks.



There are many factors, but tire load capacity is my concern. We just bought a 14,000 lb dry trailer with 2,400lb dry hitch weight. The 3500 SRW payload is around 3000lb (we really don't like the dually). The truck will handle a lot more than 3000lbs, but the tires will not!! Even 315/70-R17s are Load Range D and 3195lbs each. The same truck with duals, the payload is around 4500 lb.



For the short term I will load light and use the stock tires. Then wait for a 17 inch tire with a higher load range or buy Alcoa 19. 5 inch wheels and go to load range F or G tires for hauling.



I agree with the others, weigh your rig. Find out what is on each of your truck axles with your 5er on. Then look at your tire capacity among other things.



Bottom line... no matter what the weight, you have to decide whether to pull or not. You will get opinions both ways. Being within the limits doesn't guarantee you are safe and conversly being over the limit doesn't mean you are unsafe.



let us know how it goes.



Doc

 

[John Berger]

Whogan, you need to get a real transmission in that truck and then you'll have plenty left over. Just kidding. Like Rusty said, figure the GVWR of the 5'ver as what the trailer will always weigh and then put 20% of that weight as the pin weight which is in your bed. I'm towing a 32 ft. double slide Montana with a GVWR of 12,500 pounds. If fully loaded that puts the pin weight at 2500 pounds, with 10000 pounds over the trailer axles. Other than the hitch, the toolbox is the only thing in the bed of the truck. I have alot of leeway relative to the truck GVWR. Even 500 pounds over, your truck will pull the snot out of that trailer and if you drive sensibly, you probably won't hurt the other stuff on the truck (brakes, bearings, etc. ) The liability aspect of towing with the exceeded weight is your biggest concern.





I concur with VietDoc. You could be well under safe weight limits and still not be fine. When my TT swayed out of control on us last June, I was well under weight limitations for the trailer and the truck, combined and individually. It was a matter of not enough weight (drained galley tank, depleted propane tanks) that made the trailer lighter at the tongue and more prone to sway... and brother did it sway All totaled, I figure about 140 pounds was the difference between totaling our travel trailer and getting it home safely that night.

 

[whogan]

Thanks everyone. I get the message.