Forum Discussion
Glen_Schumann
Jan 13, 2013Explorer
avvidclif1 wrote:
Since you don't have any numbers on your vehicle loaded and ready to pull look at the Max Pin weight of 3500 and subtract the weight of the hitch you plan to use. Subtract another 1-300 lbs for misc junk in TV bed(tool boxes, etc). While shopping around the trailers will have empty weight and empty pin weight. From that figure the percentage of the trailer weight that is on the pin. Then go the other way and look at the GVWR for the trailer and using the percentage figured above calculate the max pin weight on the trailer when fully loaded.
Now that you are probably completely lost here's an example which will make sense. You look at a trailer with empty weight of 10,000 and it has a pin weight of 2000. That means 20% of the trailer weight is on the pin. Now look at the GVWR for the trailer (how much stuff you can put in it + empty weight). If it is 13,000 multiply that by number you found of 20% and you get 2600 lbs. If that 2600 plus hitch plus other stuff totals less than 3500 you are good.
Figuring the back way, most trailers have 18-20% of their weight on the pin. Subtract 500 for hitch etc gives 3000 for pin on TV. A trailer with a GVWR of 15000 and using 20% pin weight is exactly 3000.
Look at the numbers on any trailer that interests you. If the GVWR is 15000 or less you are probably OK. You will have to figure your own percentage for pin weight on that trailer if it's close.
Those are strictly my opinions based on what I have read. I'm not an injunir, I didn't even get a whiff of the fumes when the train went by.
Cliff has it nailed. I would just add that how you load you trailer can have an impact. 100 lbs at the back end of the trailer (behind the axles) takes weight OFF the pin while 100 lbs in from of the trailer axles ADDs wieight to the pin.
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