Generic questions about 5-ers

way2roll wrote:

so Pin weight should be a spec on the fiver right and what spec does that correlate to on the truck? (Tongue, carrying capacity?)

I see specs for hitch weight, is that pin weight?

And then I have all kinds of questions about non -static load. So a pin weight of x is increased by things like braking right? How is that factored?

in short, what's the easiest way to say that this truck can pull this FW?

Hitch weight and pin weight are interchangeable on 5ers. It's the force pushing down on the hitch when stationary.

They will often list an unloaded pin weight but no one travels unloaded. When you load up, the pin weight will increase. Specifically items placed ahead of the wheels will add to the pin weight and items behind will reduce the pin weight. Ideally, you want the pin weight to be around 20-25% of the trailer weight. This is why 5ers don't need weight distributing hitches and sway control like bumper pull trailers. (semis for example typically run around 50% pin weight but that's not practical for a pickup. Best to assume a percentage of the GVWR as a starting point.

Don't worry about dynamic vs static load. Yes, dynamic loading will be higher than static but the engineers already took that into account when setting the load limits.

To determine if a truck can handle (pull has an incorrect connotation), you need to look at a few criteria.
- Tow Rating: This is rarely the limiting factor. Also there is typically a separate 5th wheel tow rating form the manufacturer.
- Payload: This includes the pin weight and anything else in the truck including passengers.
- RAWR: As the pin weight sits directly over the rear axle, all the pin weight winds up on the rear axle. Keep in mind, other gear in the truck bed is largely going on the rear axle also.