Forum Discussion

bkcauley's avatar
bkcauley
Explorer
Jan 24, 2015

5th wheel weights vs tongue.

Sorry if this is in the wrong area. Ive towed a travel trailer with a hitch weight of roughly 825 and it was very comfortable, ive found a few light 5th wheel campers I like and was wondering what would be a good pin weight to stay around. My truck is a 2014 gmc sierra 1500 crew cab with 3.42 gear and 1680 available payload. I only travel alone im 150 add 200 for full fuel so that knocks it down to about 1300-1330 ish. Ive found some that are 1250 I like but I also have to count in the weight of the bed receiver which I have no clue how much that weighs. Would I be cutting it to close? or should I just stay with the TT's?
  • It can be done if you're very careful. Figure the hitch at abt 200 lbs and you're down to 1100 lbs payload. The pin weights on 5th wheel trailers run from 15-25% of the GVWR. You always want to figure the pin weight based on the GVWR to be safe. Most use 20% to figure with so a 5th wheel with a GVWR of 7500 lbs will have ~1500 lbs of pin weight. If it went to the 15% side 1125 lbs.

    It can be done but your limiting factor is the available payload and there are not many 5th wheels that light.
  • The 150-200 pounds is for the fifth wheel hitch and rails. Has nothing to do with the fifth wheel weight.
  • agesilaus wrote:
    Stick with a TT. The fifth wheel hitch weighs 150-200 pounds.

    Figure 15-20% for pin weight on a fifth wheel. At the minimum get your truck with a full tank weighed at a scale to see if that door sticker is correct.


    Don't you mean 1500 to 2000 pounds?
  • Stick with a TT. The fifth wheel hitch weighs 150-200 pounds.

    Figure 15-20% for pin weight on a fifth wheel. At the minimum get your truck with a full tank weighed at a scale to see if that door sticker is correct.