Fifth wheel too heavy for my truck?

Ryno86 wrote:
Ok folks,
Just got back from the scales... front - 4520, rear - 3080, total - 7600. This is a full tank of diesel and my wife and I in the truck. Our 2 kids are about 40 each and the 2 dogs are about 20 each... so what's the verdict?

Well that leaves you two numbers to work with, the easy one is GVWR and you have 1,600# of that left for the pin. yep load up to that and go.
Now the rub and time for you to make a decision on your own. This is not a recommendation just my experience.

Based on those numbers, and assuming a minimum you have a 6,000# rear axle you have 2,920# that you can put on the rear axle.

Below is Donn's experience, while his 5er is smaller than mine, slightly larger than what you are looking at!

Donn0128 wrote:
From my proapective and having towed a similar weight fiver with a 2500HD Im going to say you will,hate the experience.
My 2004 similarly equipped with two adults and a large dog scaled at 7500 pounds. With fiver hitched scaled weight was 10,500 pounds. RAWR was way over tire rating, and it sagged like a mother. Pulled fine thanks to the D/A combination, but was simply not enough truck. Up graded to a dually and the difference was night and day. There is no way in heck I would suggest you will be OK. But, you will need to find out for yourself whether your comfortable or not.

Myself I have a different experience.

Our TV is a 2001 Ram 2500 5.9 Cummins, 5 speed manual with 3.55's and a PacBrake EB. I also don't have bags only great shocks.
Our 5er is a 2005 Copper Canyon 293 FWSLS
GVWR is 12,360#
Dry listed is 9,820# less battery and propane, tows at 11,200# +/-.

I find this combination is a dream to drive and tow with, we drive about 90% on state highways two lane roads that are less than straight, and usually less than for flat.

I will say our 2500 has a Camper Package it didn't change the listed 8,800# GVWR one pound, but I did gain the same springs as the 3500 DRW!

So now comes decision time, you need to decide if you think your TV will do well towing over GVWR, as your listed dry pin is 60# over what you have for payload before exceeding your GVWR.

I only exceed my GVWR, I still have about 500# to go on the rear axle.

I don't know what Donn's rig looked like hooked up, the picture he paints is not pretty. I see a TV nose in the air and tail dragging sure hope it didn't look that bad.

That said we enjoy our 5er, and the towing experience, I am sure there are many that had the same experience as Donn, but there are also many that have the same experience myself.