5th wheel owners, how much does your trailer weight?

89,426 Views | 22 Replies | Last: 12 yr ago by Midland CT 05
Midland CT 05
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AG
If you own a 5th wheel, what is the GVWR? My inlaws are in the process of buying a new 5th wheel, and Im a little worried that it mmight be pushing the limits oof what my truck can pull. SO, I come to TexAgs to ease my mind. if you have one, what does it weigh and what do you pull it with?
CATAGBQ04
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AG
How heavy are the 5th wheels they are looking at and what kinda truck?
JAW3336
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AG
5th wheels can range all over the the scale. Mine is 34 ft and weighs 15,000 loaded. I have a 1 ton dually diesel and would never pull it with anything lighter.
Midland CT 05
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The one they are looking at is a 41' 12,600 dry, 14,060 GVWR. I have a 3/4 ton Duramax. I'm getting a bit worried that my truck will be pushed to the limit with this trailer.
TexasRebel
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AG
need to know three things...

pickup GVWR
pickup curb wt. (weight with normal stuff inside, driver, passengers (optional), fuel, and 5th wheel hitch)
Trailer Pin wt.


we are also going on the assumption that you have the original load E tires & wheels, and no suspension modifications.
oldagwhoop
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I have a 39' 11" Sandpiper, weighs 13,900. I have a 08 F-250 Super Duty and it pulls my rig very well. I also added an offset goose neck adaptor to my RV. I highly suggest that if you don't have the long bed on your Duramax. The other reason is I needed a place to carry my generator and you can't with a 5th wheel hitch. It cost about $1000 for gooseneck adaptor and having flip ball installed in the bed. Hope this helps.
JB
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14k behind that truck is non issue. 41' is a big trailer, I would be more worried about wind/swaying with a SRW truck.

Yet on a recent trip to Colo/Wyoming, I saw hundreds of bigass 5th wheels behind 3/4tons.
TexasRebel
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AG
I thought 5ers normally had a place for a generator under the tongue.
Midland CT 05
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Rebel, most do have a spot for the generators.

The total weight doesn't really bother me much, its still 1,200 lbs less than what my manual states as the max trailer weight, and I doubt I will ever be able to fill the trailer up to its max payload.

The one thing I'm worried about is the pin weight on my rear axle. The axle is rated for 6048 lbs. 20% of the 5th wheel weight is 2,800 lbs, which is what I'm told to use when calculating this weight. I've read on several websites that the rear axle weighs about 3,500 lbs when empty. So if I add a 200 lbs hitch, and 2,800 lbs pin weight to the 3,500 empty weight, that gives me 6,500 lbs, about 400 lbs over my rear axle rating.

Is this too little of an overage to worry about?

[This message has been edited by Midland CT 05 (edited 11/4/2011 10:09a).]
milkman00
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AG
Remember that some of the trailer weight will be transferred to the front truck axle.

Seems like you could go to an RV store or website and that they would have a calculator for you to use.

Also depends how much you plan to pull this thing. For limited use, you may be fine, but if you plan to travel a whole lot, a dually would probably be a good idea.

Make sure you have good tires, but I've seen even good new tires blow out.
Midland CT 05
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Our plan is to use it for tailgating, so it will get used a majority of the time from Fort Worth down to College Station. Other than that, maybe once every other year on a summer trip to wherever.
milkman00
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AG
Not many miles to make a person want to buy a dually. Remember you can also store it in Cs between games to save the hastle of towing on back to back weeks.
TXAGFAN
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AG
1200 lbs is not much fwiw.
Midland CT 05
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We've actually looked at storing in or near college station. Problem is we can't find any with a covered spot available.

I was able to get my truck on the scale this weekend. This is with me, my wife and a full tank in the truck:

Front axle: 4040
Rear axle: 2780
Gross weight: 6820

Given these numbers, I can have a pin weight of 2380 and still be in line with the GVWR of the truck (9200 lbs.). The rear axle can take on an additional 3304 lbs, but the limiting factor is the GVWR not the rear axle rating. I convinced my in laws to try an find a lighter 5th wheel, so they come back on Saturday and say they found one that has a GVWR of 13,700 about 400 lbs lighter than the original one. I still think they need to find a lighter one.

I saw 4-5 big 5th wheels this weekend leaving the race at TMS. An all were behind either a 2500 hd just like mine or a f250. What gives?
WildcatAg
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AG
quote:
I saw 4-5 big 5th wheels this weekend leaving the race at TMS. An all were behind either a 2500 hd just like mine or a f250. What gives?

Unfortunately most folks ignore trailer/vehcile ratings and the police don't seem to really enforce it beyond commercial vehciles.

I think you are making the correct decision in pushing your in-laws to get a camper suited for your truck.
TexasRebel
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AG
quote:
Unfortunately most folks ignore trailer/vehcile ratings and the police don't seem to really enforce it beyond commercial vehciles.


the thing is the combination "ratings" are merely suggestions. They aren't enforceable by anyone for any reason.

DPS enforces registration ratings. Unfortunately some states will let you register anything at any weight regardless of the engineered GVWR.

The federal (and most states) definition of GCVWR is the sum of the GVWR of each vehicle in the combination. For example, a pickup with 8,800# GVWR pulling a trailer of 12,000 GVWR has a GCVWR of 20,800#. If the trailer is homemade or for some reason has no rating stamped on the plate, the GVWR of the trailer is simply the weight as it sits.

Travel trailers 5th wheels happen to be exempt from the 26,001# line defining a CMV regardless of use.

when looking at actual, legally binding ratings, the axle ratings (steering, drive(s), trailer(s)) and the GVWR(s) are the only ones that matter. There is no legal definition of what something can or cannot pull.

physics defines limits though. Too little tongue weight and you've collided with something (which is illegal) and too much and you will bust your GVWR or RAWR (or your tires).

The last thing that must be considered is the minimum speed limit on the roads you plan to drive. While there might be nothing illegal about your combination, if you can't keep above the minimum, you are subject to be cited for impeding traffic.
Midland CT 05
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AG
Wow, so uhh is this 5th wheel to heavy for my truck??
TexasRebel
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AG
does it bust any of the axle or vehicle ratings as they are stamped on the B pillar?
Midland CT 05
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AG
When I took it to the scales this past weekend, the truck weighed 6820lbs - its GVWR is 9200, the rear axle weighed 2780 - its rated for 6048lbs. Ive read, and been told that you take 20% of the trailer weight to determine the pin weight. If this is accurate, the pin weight should be 2758lbs which would put me at 5538 on the rear axle, and that is below the rating. If I take the calculated pin weight plus 150lbs for the hitch itself, and add that to the weight of the truck (6820+150+2758) that gives me 9728lbs, about 500 over the rating for the truck itself.

But, here is where I get confused. I have also read and been told that the 20% calculation is VERY conservative (it is never actually this high) # to help you stay under your ratings, and that the only way to truly know what it will weigh is to take it to a scale. Well, you can exactly do that until you purchase the trailer and at that point its yours whether or not its to heavy. Another thing is that the brochure on the trailer says the pin weight is only 1750 lbs, which is only 13% of the trailer if that's the case then I would be fine.

I just don't know which is correct.
TexasRebel
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AG
you won't know for sure until you weigh it...

some of that weight will be transferred to your front axle, too.
CATAGBQ04
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AG
I really think you are overanalyzing this OP...
Midland CT 05
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CATAGBQ04 - I agree, and unfortunately that's what I do. I'm the type that has to have all the info in front of me before I will make a decision. It's a curse!
milkman00
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AG
And if you put a bunch of weight in the front of the RV as compared to the back when going down the road, your weight distribution will change too.

I have one round bale trailer that only puts 500 lbs on the bumper although it weighs 7500 lbs loaded. Each trailer is going to be slightly different.

The trailer tag is what I would start with. If you like it, buy it. Your truck should be able to pull it. If you really care that much, make the owner/dealer go and weigh the thing with his truck, and then weigh his truck empty. And then you can ponder whether the hitch height is going to greatly impact the pin weight.

And then factor in how many other people you will be hauling in your truck at the same time.

And then you can consider the next biggest issue...parking it in an uncovered lot in CS for the couple of months during football season.

I've been called the king of analysis, but I hereby give you the throne!



Midland CT 05
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AG
milkman00 - Thanks for the new title..... I guess?
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