Towing Information

Pulling a 5th wheel trailer is like driving a semi pulling a trailer. When going around bends in the road you go to the center line and turn because the rear end of the 5er will turn short if you don't. When making turns you have to turn wide as the 5er will turn short. It doesn't follow the truck's tracks. When backing look at the wheels of the trailer not the rear end of the trailer, to see where the trailer is going. 5ers don't react as fast as a TT. When backing into a spot it's handy to have a spotter whom you trust. You can use hand signals or portable radios or phones. Don't let your attention wander when getting into a sight. Be aware of your surroundings and that's up as well as the sides. Do your homework on what the GVWR is on your truck not what it can pull. That's the load it can take after you have everything in the truck that you're going to travel with. Gear, people, fuel, hitch,elephants, etc. If you can, get the truck weighed with all that in the truck and then subtract that from the GVWR and that tells you how much weight you can put onto the truck, namely the weight of the king pin when the 5er is loaded.

pcaffrey wrote:
Sticker on the door of the truck states 2982 LBS. The pin on then trailer I'm looking at is 1740, is that loaded or empty?

Almost certainly that's a dry weight. What's the GVW of that FW? Take 20% of that number to get a very rough idea of the pin weight you could have. To reiterate, this is a worst-case scenario since most people never get close to the GVW of their RV. Yes, there are a couple guys here, with very heavy and well-built FWs, that =do= load their FW over the placard GVW, but they do so with full knowledge of what they're doing and with the advice of the mfr. These guys really are true exceptions and will admit it.

Lyle

I didn't see the specs on the trailer but the 1740 lb figures most likely will be a dry pin weight.

Your 2500 GM has a 6200 RAWR that will carry all the pin weigh. Its common to weigh a truck front and rear axles separately that way you know exactly how much "payload" the truck will carry.
Many 2500 GM trucks can weigh in the 2800 lb range which leaves around 3400 lbs for a payload. Actual scale weights when the truck is road ready will give you the exact numbers.

Sticker on the door of the truck states 2982 LBS. The pin on then trailer I'm looking at is 1740, is that loaded or empty?

pcaffrey wrote:
New to this forum and have no experience with 5th wheel units, have towed TT's for many years. Here is the question, truck is 2016 Chevy 2500 HD, 6.0L 6 speed, 4.10 gears. Looking at a Larado 30 ft bunkhouse 5th wheel, 2006. Wt 8445/11500. Bunkhouse is a must. Truck towing capacity is 14200. What if any issues am I likely to encounter. Thank you.

First off, check the =payload= numbers for the specific truck you're looking at or own. Yellow sticker on the door pillar driver's side. An 11,500 GVW FW is likely to have anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 lbs on the pin at GVW, that that's =much= more critical to the setup than is the "tow rating". Yes, the GVW #'s are a worst-case scenario and you'll likely never hit GVW, if you pack smart, but you just might find yourself in it one day, and want to be safe if you do. Don't forget that the payload listed on the sticker is for 1 150 lb driver and full fuel. Add the hitch, wife, kids, pets and "stuff", and all that comes off the available payload for the pin. If you can, see if you can find others that own the exact FW you're looking at and have real-world weights on their setup.

Lyle

AirBiscuit wrote:

robwhite61 wrote:

1ofmany wrote:
One "issue" you might experience is that backing fifth wheels is different than backing a conventional trailer. With practice and patience, you will soon catch on.

And lots of both! :B

Explain? How is it different? I will need to know this myself shortly. Everything I read is that it's easier to tow and easier to maneuver.

I can say, for myself, that in backing the 5er is slower to start maneuvers and slower to correct, and slower to correct "over steer" situations.

I could jackknife my old bumper pull into a spot and set it on a gnats ass. The 5er is more of an "angle it in slowly" type of situation.

robwhite61 wrote:

1ofmany wrote:
One "issue" you might experience is that backing fifth wheels is different than backing a conventional trailer. With practice and patience, you will soon catch on.

And lots of both! :B

Explain? How is it different? I will need to know this myself shortly. Everything I read is that it's easier to tow and easier to maneuver.

1ofmany wrote:
One "issue" you might experience is that backing fifth wheels is different than backing a conventional trailer. With practice and patience, you will soon catch on.

And lots of both! :B

One "issue" you might experience is that backing fifth wheels is different than backing a conventional trailer. With practice and patience, you will soon catch on.

I had exact same truck, gasser 6.0 with 4:10 axle (2012) and towed 12k fiver in signature. You will be ok, but will feel hills. Let the engine wind out to 4000+ rpms when needed, watch transmission temp and let transmission work going down hill to keep from overheating brakes. Watch payload, you will be at limits with 2500.