Mounting Generator

STUPID SYSTEM! Dupe deleted.

TGPILOT wrote:
Okay, big question here now is, what does it cost to add a receiver or a double receiver for safety and the platform needed to carry a 200 lb. generator and fuel?

I know that different places are going to have different prices and the way they do it. Appreciate it if several of you guys could weigh in on this and any suggestions you may have for the install and where to get it done.

I did a bumper replacement and added a 2" receiver on the heavier bumper just last year. This was =only= to carry a bike rack or light cargo platform. Welder who did the job said he had no issues with 300 lbs, and maybe a bit more, on it. Job was right at $350, including materials and time for a single receiver. He'd originally quoted me about $550 for a full-on 300 lb tongue/3000 lb trailer hitch. As we've had him do a lot of work for us, I figure an off-the-street quote would likely be $100-200 higher for the trailer hitch and $50-100 for just a cargo-class receiver. That's at one specific shop in Chandler AZ; YMMV... :-)

FWIW, were I do add a heavy cargo-only rack, I'd definitely go 2 receivers for extra stability and would likely want it heavy enough to handle 500-1000 lbs, not that I'd load it that heavy, I just like over-built. :-)

Lyle

Okay, big question here now is, what does it cost to add a receiver or a double receiver for safety and the platform needed to carry a 200 lb. generator and fuel?

I know that different places are going to have different prices and the way they do it. Appreciate it if several of you guys could weigh in on this and any suggestions you may have for the install and where to get it done.

Buster52 wrote:
The 10% ratio is for bumper pulled trailers. I do not know what the ratio is for 5th wheel trailers.

5th wheels carry ~20% (plus or minus 5%, perhaps) of their total weight as pin weight.

Rusty

I thought it over and yes there is a multiple factor on the axle, but it isn't 2 to 1 ratio. You need 10% of the load weight of the trailer on the tongue, or in this case 5th wheel hitch. Most trailer axle is back of center to achieve this ratio. The small trailer I built the axle is about the 75% in distance from the hitch. My 5th wheel I would say the axle is around 60%. So a 100 lbs on the bumper would be 60 lbs less weight on the hitch. This 60 lbs was carried by the real axle on my truck, but now carried by the trailer axle. 100 lbs load plus the 60 lbs the rear axle of my truck is not caring come to 160 lbs weight gain on the trailer axle. The 10% ratio is for bumper pulled trailers. I do not know what the ratio is for 5th wheel trailers.

RustyJC wrote:

Buster52 wrote:
Yes, I have the generator and it has very little time on it. I cannot see how adding weight on the back doubles the axle weight. Will look into it. Thanks

It's really simple if you consider that ALL the weight of the 5th wheel is carried one of two places - either as pin weight or on the axles. Therefore, just as an example, if I start with a 5th wheel that weighs 14,000 lbs total with 20% of that as pin weight, then I have 2,800 lbs pin weight and (14,000 - 2,800 =) 11,200 lbs on the axles.

Now, if I add 500 lbs to the rear of the 5th wheel and, because of the teeter-totter effect (actually, forces and moments) unload the pin weight by 200 lbs, then the total weight of the 5th wheel is 14,000 + the 500 lbs I added = 14,500 lbs, right?

However, I removed 200 lbs of pin weight, so my new pin weight is 2,800 - 200 = 2,600 lbs. If I subtract the new 2,600 lbs pin weight from the new 14,500 lbs total weight, then I have 11,900 lbs that can only be carried on the axles, so my axle weight went up by 11,900 - 11,200 = 700 lbs by adding 500 lbs to the rear of the 5th wheel.

Rusty

I wish you would not do that, my head hurts now!

NC Hauler wrote:
It would remove very little from the pin weight....I would want to make perfectly sure that the hitch was solidly affixed to the frame of the 5er,....I'd hate to have it break off while doing 60 mph down the interstate.

This is how I mounted mine. :B

I agree with the theory but I believe that the 200# loss of pin weight is incorrect. As in most trailers the center of the axle carriage is 2/3 the distance from the pin to the rear bumper however weight distribution can be whatever the manufacturer chooses. If this is a tandem axle the "walking linkage" also plays a part. It is best to weigh the trailer before and after the the mod to be sure.

I made a heavy bumper and mounted 3 receivers plus a basket to carry generator and full ice cooler. I did not have any problems what so ever. Been on there last 5 years.

Obviously my college phsysics regarding levers and fulcrums is lacking. Thanks. I uderstand the arithmetic, it's just hard to wrap my brain around 500lb becoming 700.