optimal 5er carrying capacity

Just run the trailer with helium in the tires...including the spare.

Then we travel with a large helium balloon shaped like Notre Dame Cathedral tied to the roof.



.0175% better mileage! Even Randell Eaton can't beat that!

45Ricochet wrote:
JFYI ours has ~3k worth of CCC and even fully loaded for a 6 week venture I'm only at about 2k lbs of gear. 3k lbs is a lot of shoes for the DW :B
JMHO but the author's article is either old news, or bad news.

...very similar to our situation...Big Horn 3055RL with GVW of 14000 pounds and a dry weight of 10950 pounds...I live in my fiver for extended periods. The next deployment will be for 9 months. My worst case scenario so far has been when loaded for a ten day trip with no services...With 75 gallons of water, empty holding tanks and all our gear with Deb and I in the truck, we weighed 13500 pounds on a CATS scale...so loaded for "boondocking", we only had 2500 pound aboard...

Regards

JFYI ours has ~3k worth of CCC and even fully loaded for a 6 week venture I'm only at about 2k lbs of gear. 3k lbs is a lot of shoes for the DW :B
JMHO but the author's article is either old news, or bad news.

We full time and after weighing with the stuff we feel we need, including food & clothing, we're carrying about 2500 lbs. in the trailer. That includes full propane tanks and about 25 gallons of water. I carry more in the truck in bed tool box. Knowing we were going full time when we ordered the 5vr we upgraded axles and tires for a load cushion. 2 1/2 years and lots of travel we've had no issues.

My trailer, shorter than the one you are looking at (33') had a shipping weight of 9413 with a GVWR of 12300. Carrying capacity of 2887. Fully loaded with 50gal water etc, food, and all the goodies the trailer weighed 11060. So battery, propane, and personal gear etc weighed 1647 and we don't pack light. We don't have a generator or washer/dryer.

Just some numbers. I don't know how they figure in that convoluted formula but I'm under on all truck and trailer spec's and it tows fine. GCW 19300. FWIW

outwestbound wrote:
Hi. I'm considering a number of 35-40 foot 5ers for full timing. I just read a comparison guide by Randall Eaton that I bought from JR Consumer Resources. In this, the author reports that payloads (GVWR minus "dry weight")for most travel trailers and 5ers run about 18% to 25% and that the optimal range is 25% to 35%. If payload is below 18% of the GVWR, the author suggests this could be problematic as it may lead to overload.

For example, Heartland's 2014 Big Country 5er BC 3070 RE's GVWR is 14,000 and dry weight 11,298, yielding a carry capacity of 2,702 or 19.30%; just making the cut according to the author.

I'm a newbie and clueless what all my "stuff" will weigh, but my wife and I will be full timers and this ratio concerns me. I would like very much to believe that I could NOT approach the GVWR, thereby allowing a good cushion.

Could folks chime in one what "stuff" weighs. I define stuff as everything (e.g., batts, LP, fluids, all personal and household)loaded onto the 5er.

Is maxing out carrying capacity wise?
Do you agree with this author's ratios?

I really appreciate it as I don't want to buy an in adequate 5er and then be unsatisfied when we load it up.

PS: TV is not an issue. I'm getting a 1 tone DWR.

First off, how much boondocking are you planning on doing? If little to none, then there's no reason for you to travel with more than minimal fluids in your tanks, so there's hundreds of lbs you don't need to worry about. If you =do= want to boondock or dry camp, then, YES, you will need to take this into account. Full propane tanks? It's only 60 lbs, net; not a major concern, IMO. Do you want you want a washer/dryer? Then that's not a light piece of equipment, as well as the water storage for it (fresh and grey), which takes away from other payload. Generator? Most are mounted right in the front, and also take a good portion of your payload. If you never plan to dry camp, then you don't need a generator, saving 300-400 lbs on a built-in and, if you plan on doing laundry at the CG facilities, then you don't need a washer/dryer. Leaves more room for "stuff", if you need it.

CCC is almost a made-up number, much as "dry wt" is, IMO. My '04 Komfort has a 4,000 lb CCC, but I have no idea where they get that number. The only way I can figure it is that the published "dry" weight didn't include most of the interior. Even if all my 3 45 gallon tanks were full, that's only just over 1,000 lbs and I =know= I can't carry 3,000 lbs of "stuff".

Lyle

A 35 foot fiver with a GVWR of 16K is definitely going to have more load carrying capacity than a similar length fiver with a GVWR of 14K. Plane simple logic. Terms like "dry" or "shipping" are pretty much useless for most people. As a good way to make a best guess, pick trailers in that size range with at least 7000 pound 8 lug axles and as minimum 16 inch wheels.

waltbennett wrote:
First off, that 'dry weight' does not include water or propane. This is most likely why he believes in the ranges he does. The part that I don't quite go along with is that 5ers typically weigh a lot more than regular TTs. More slides, much bigger, etc. For something that much larger & heavier, a lower percentage shouldn't mean much - as long as you've sufficient cargo capacity AFTER filling the water and propane tanks. And, IMHO, any large 5er with under 3k capacity isn't one I'd want.

I believe you're right in that the author is aggregating data on too many small and large TT and 5ers and indicating too wide a range to be particularly useful. He uses an example TT GVWR of 10,200 with carrying capacity of 2,415, so 24% ratio, but 2,415 is only 17% of my initial post's example 5er.

If I understand you, you'd want carrying capacity to include 3,000lbs of "stuff" plus the fluids, batteries and propane? The longer Big Country units have carrying capacity of like 3,213ish. Looking at Heartland's Landmark line, some have carrying capacity of 3,600 and others like the 2014 LM Savannah 2,792.

It was never my intent to load all the way up to the trailer's GVWR. Rather, my goal is to have a reasonable amount of cargo + fluids, etc.; say 2,000 lbs, in a unit with a 3,500 capacity let's say, which allows around 1,500 as a cushion. The higher GVWR model selection would be for a cushion. I'm assuming what my "stuff" weights and this is what I'm not sure about.

Does this makes sense? Not counting fluids, propane, is 2,000 lbs reasonable for the average couple full timing?

Do you folks think having this "cushion" is desirable?

First off, that 'dry weight' does not include water or propane. This is most likely why he believes in the ranges he does. The part that I don't quite go along with is that 5ers typically weigh a lot more than regular TTs. More slides, much bigger, etc. For something that much larger & heavier, a lower percentage shouldn't mean much - as long as you've sufficient cargo capacity AFTER filling the water and propane tanks. And, IMHO, any large 5er with under 3k capacity isn't one I'd want.

Full timing........best done with less!

Just because you have room to stuff it....there is absolutely no good reason to stuff it full to the gills.

If you don't use something in 6 mos. then there is no reason to drag it around. It's useless, taking up space, adding unnecessary weight.
You will find that you have adequate storage.

Find the 5th wheel with a floorplan that you both like and one that the basics can be used/accessed with slides in (fridge/bathroom/bed).