Pin Weight Increases

rhagfo wrote:

RobWNY wrote:

goducks10 wrote:
Plenty of 5th wheels for 2500's. Maybe not in your area I don't know.

Yeah, There's plenty in my area most on here would say are fine until you actually buy it. Then it's too heavy.

Well the current 5er you have on order, is heavier than the first you discussed.
Dry 8,499
Dry pin 1,625 19.1% of dry weight
CCC 2,086
GVWR 11,585 not what I would consider a lite 5er
At full GVWR and 20% pin you are looking at 2,317# pin

Do you really need 300# of batteries?

Yes you are correct rhagfo. The original 5th wheel I considered is about 1,200 lighter and has a pin weight that's about 600 pounds lighter. I do quite a bit of boondocking. Solar isn't always ideal and generators can only be used at certain times so having adequate battery power is essential. Not that it matters but I'll give the readers digest version of why I opted for the 5th wheel I ordered. There are only a few of the original campers I was interested in available within a reasonable distance to buy it. By the time I added the cost to go get it or have it shipped to a local dealer, the prep fees they wanted to add on, the low ball trade offer for my TT, the less than 10% off the sticker I kept hearing from the dealers, the used car salesman approach I was met with on more than one occasion, I soured on it. Then the dealer I bought my TT from back in 2013, offered 4 grand more for my TT, no prep fees, 32% off the sticker on the new camper and The B&W hitch at his cost with no labor charge to install it. It was a no brainer. So yes, it's heavier but many said I could go heavier and I save literally thousands of dollars. Now I understand that the weights aren't ideal, but if anything I will be minimally over the rated numbers. I've seen much worse going down the highway. 1/2 ton pickups pretty much towing a house, the rear end of trucks so weighed down they were almost dragging on the pavement. etc. People driving 80mph with their camper swaying so bad you swear the thing is going to whip the pickup truck off the road any second. We've all seen it. So now that I've had a little time to think about things, I'm going forward with the purchase of the new 5th wheel as it is and if I'm overweight by a little bit after putting in our camping gear, then so be it. Unless someone wants to hand over a suitcase full of money for me to buy the truck they think I need to tow this camper they can just accept that I'll be no different than 60% of all camping people on the road.