5er dry weight for a 9,500 pound total?

Thanks. Now to actually find one.

TNrob wrote:
How about this for a good fit?

Cougar xlite 25bhs 29' brochure specs:
Shipping Weight 7135
Cargo Capacity 2865
Gross Vehicle 10,000
Hitch 1285

Ram 6.4 CCSB
Rear 6500
Front 5500
Gross 10,000
Cross combined 19,800
Scaled Rear 3000
Front 3960
Me + Her + cab travel stuff 350-400
Hitch 300
Gross ready to hook up ~7660
Remaining payload ~2340

Understanding that one can't know until one loads up and weighs, how does that look for a balanced combination with a fare amount of margin for error?

I'd do that in a heart beat. As a matter of fact I do. I tow a 28' 7300lb dry 5th wheel, that has a dry pin of 1385lbs. Loaded up I'm around 9000lbs with an 1800lb pin. I tow with a 12 Ram 2500 CTD CCLB 4x4 3.73. Perfect match.
You should have no problems with the setup.

How about this for a good fit?

Cougar xlite 25bhs 29' brochure specs:
Shipping Weight 7135
Cargo Capacity 2865
Gross Vehicle 10,000
Hitch 1285

Ram 6.4 CCSB
Rear 6500
Front 5500
Gross 10,000
Cross combined 19,800
Scaled Rear 3000
Front 3960
Me + Her + cab travel stuff 350-400
Hitch 300
Gross ready to hook up ~7660
Remaining payload ~2340

Understanding that one can't know until one loads up and weighs, how does that look for a balanced combination with a fare amount of margin for error?

Looks like we are almost in the same boat, just different brands. I have a 2015 f250 6.2 3:73, looking at a 5er that comes in at 10k dry, (we are light packers, no water in the tank). I will be very close to my max. But everyone I talk to that has the same truck towing about the same weight says I will be fine.

I'm not one to say one brand is better then the other each has pros and cons, and all are built to start falling apart at so many miles. I just like the feel of a ford. But chevys do suck! lol

Let us know how your first trip goes! good luck

rhagfo wrote:

laknox wrote:
Not taking time to read all replies, but why carry full water? I carry just enough to get us to our destination, if a CG, or to the last spot I can fill up before hitting our boondock site. Usually, only about 40 miles; 30 on pavement and 10 on dirt. Check out the Jayco Eagle HT line. All but one have a GVW of 9,950.

Lyle

Well on our 5er the FW tank is forward of the axles, and we are normally a bit pin light. With the FW tank full the 5er rides smoother.

I am still within axle/tire ratings so no big deal. Several hundred pounds. I have also towed home over the Cascades with all tanks full from an equestrian event near Bend, OR, as the nearest dump station was 20 miles the wrong way.

Gotcha. I only carry whatever fresh I need to get me where I'm going. If that means full up, I do, but my tank's just about over the axles, near as I can tell. Yes, it do tow better, but when you're looking at the vertical we experience going from 1,100 to nearly 7,000 feet, and all the ups and downs between, I sure don't want to haul any more than I have to. :-) As for dumping, I'd dump excess fresh and my grey tank in the forest if I really had to. Trees can use the water anyway. :-) Seriously, though, look at the Eagle HT's. On my short list, for sure. Biggest knock is the small black tank for boondocking. I want a trailer so I =don't= have to make like a bear in the woods, for as many days as possible. :-) FWIW, I'm also looking at the KZ Durango 1500 line. They all have a 10,500 GVW, with larger tanks.

Lyle

Well, I started this thread with some guesses. Not wild guesses, but realistic conservative guesses based on experience. So I weighed the truck, full of gas and with all of the stuff that lives in truck all of the time--no passengers or driver. To trucks actual weight of 6940 pounds, 3000 of which is rear axle, I can add 320 for she and me plus 40 pounds of travel stuff like cooler and snacks and I'm right at the 7300 I guessed. Just about to the pound.

My guess of 300 pounds for hitch is conservative by a fair amount, and my rounding of 7300+300=7600 to 8000 pounds of total gross for truck ready to tow was both realistic and conservative. Even if I load our 80 pound generator and some firewood it's pretty realistic and reasonably conservative. If all of that was sitting on the rear axle, right now at 3000, that puts me at 8000 gross, with 4060 on the axle. Even if I hadn't been wrong about my rear axle--it actually being 6500 rather than 6000--I still would have had just about to pound enough capacity left for the 1900 pound pin I was guessing.

So, with all of my guesses about the truck confirmed, and given 2000 pounds left for pin weight, I look again at the camper assumptions.

Our hideout was factory spec 2485 cargo, but the yellow sticker says cargo may not exceed 2040 pounds, meaning the dry weight was 445 low. Covered with my factory lies guess of 500 pounds. Hideout is gross rated at 6800 pounds, we have it loaded with far more stuff than we need, and it scales just under 5800 with 2 batteries, 60 pounds of propane, and a full 45 gallons of fresh water tank. That's basically 1040 pounds for everything. Figuring we'd somehow find the need to carry even more stuff we don't need than we do now, I just used that 1000 pounds as cargo, and added 500 more for utilities and 500 for water. That's enough for 60 gallons of water, 4 batteries, 14 gallons of propane, solar power plant, and Lord only knows what else.

So I come to a number of 7000 pounds as factory ship weight, and figure I'll be safe starting there, no matter what the gross weight is. If I find a 9800 or even 14,000 GVWR 5er, if it's shipping weight is 7000 pounds, I'll still be good to go, and most likely have room to spare.

So, that's how I made the guesses I made. I have ZERO experience with fifth wheel RVs--only with small travel trailer. I tossed my OP out to see if experienced people could/would confirm my train of thought so that I could shop with reasonable confidence. From some of the answers I feel pretty good I'm on the right track, and if anything underestimating.

Thanks to all for your help.

laknox wrote:
Not taking time to read all replies, but why carry full water? I carry just enough to get us to our destination, if a CG, or to the last spot I can fill up before hitting our boondock site. Usually, only about 40 miles; 30 on pavement and 10 on dirt. Check out the Jayco Eagle HT line. All but one have a GVW of 9,950.

Lyle

Well on our 5er the FW tank is forward of the axles, and we are normally a bit pin light. With the FW tank full the 5er rides smoother.

I am still within axle/tire ratings so no big deal. Several hundred pounds. I have also towed home over the Cascades with all tanks full from an equestrian event near Bend, OR, as the nearest dump station was 20 miles the wrong way.

Not taking time to read all replies, but why carry full water? I carry just enough to get us to our destination, if a CG, or to the last spot I can fill up before hitting our boondock site. Usually, only about 40 miles; 30 on pavement and 10 on dirt. Check out the Jayco Eagle HT line. All but one have a GVW of 9,950.

Lyle

op wrote:
Why do I have 5500 front + 6500 rear = 12,000 pounds, while the GVWR is only 10?

The truck maker is free to choose any of the GAWRs and the GVWR he wants for any particular truck.
The truck maker may choose to use the sum of the GAWRs for a GVWR if needed.
Brakes are a function of the trucks FAWR/RAWR = 12k lbs of braking performance. A 10k trailer may have two 5200 lb axles = 10400 lbs of braking performance. Just another reason GVWR or a payload sticker or a GCWR isn't used for any legal load limits.

Ford markets a 10k F250 and F350 SRW.

Ford also markets a heavy service package for the F250 which is the same package as the F350 SRW

Ford also markets a 10k gvwr F350 SRW and a 11.3k gvwr F350 SRW in the same exact truck.
My point on using Ford is to show how silly getting wrought up in a GVWR and its payload number can be..... in many cases.

The 6.4 2500 Hemi is a strong performer. It has about the same 15k+ lb tow rating in the 3500 DRW with the same 6.4 and A6 66RFE tranny and the same 11.5" AAM rear axle.










IdaD has some good points.

TNrob wrote:
So the only reason not to push it right up to its stated limits is whether it's motor and gearing can give enough to pull? The truck itself is capable well beyond its rating?

Not the engine as much as suspension, axle weight ratings and tranny gearing.

As far as "the truck is capable well beyond it's ratings....?"..No, that's why you have ratings..I go by GVWR, I don't go over that...most don't use GVWR, they go by manufacturers RAWR..so, to me, THAT'S max limit..If I use my RAWR..it's 9750#..If I go by AAM's rating it's 11,500#..BUT, "I'm" going by the manufacturer of the trucks recommended ratings...At what point, by pushing the limits of the trucks towing capacity do you stress the tranny?, drive train, tranny?, front or rear suspension?, the brakes? Just saying, if you buy a truck that you are wondering if it will work, OR trying to figure out how to "beef it up" to maybe make it work, you yourself are questioning your decision!...