What is a good weight for 35' fifth wheel?

My 35 foot NuWa Discover America grosses at 16k, always over 15k when on the road. Dually handles it just fine.

Bill

Man oh man, now I feel FAT!

My 29.5 model is actually 31' on the outside. Gross 13,500 and near the limit for my dually gasser. I have plenty of pin weight capacity even with a 80 gal aux tank and my odd and ends that always end up in the bed.

The rig handles great. I won't be the first one to the top of the hill, but they pass me on the flats too. I could pull out and be on their tail if I want too. I'm not in a hurry and I bet that my equipment will last longer with fewer repairs.

Rig in sig.

My 08 Sunnybrook and all SBs have alum in the walls but they are far from the lightest RVs cuz they use goliath frames and some of the other materials are heavier, like the roofs. Mine is 31' 8" and weighs 11400 dry, 15k gvw. The guy I bought my 08 from, ordered a 34' 8" Bighorn and it is really close to my SB weights. I learned a lesson a long time ago... light USUALLY means weak/flimsy/drafty/squeaky/lowest quality components and lower priced. All (3) of our extra light RVs soon became really loose and some things literally fell apart. Craig

Our 5er is close to 34' and has a GVWR of 10,500. About 2000# lighter than our other one.this one has one more slide but has cables on the slides. starting our 6th year and no trouble with the slides for those that will tell you they are no good.

hone eagle wrote:
The trailer in my sig was on a cat scale a month ago,16,000 GW and 4044# on the pin.

And readers should note what your Tow Vehicle, is LOL!.:S

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Echoing cricky's post, in re "salesmen" or "salespersons"....

Consider this, Mook: You may know more than he/she does!

If - not yet - you will *REAL* soon!.:)

Have LOTS of "grains of salt" (BIG saltshaker) ready for what you hear from salespersons.

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MookieKat wrote:
We looked at a Ford F-350 yesterday....looks like that may be what we will need to get....I wonder even if those are able to handle all the weight? The salesman said that it will tow 14,000 lbs.

I purchased a 2013 Ford F-350 Crew Cab, Diesel Single Rear Wheel two months ago. The towing capacity for a "Travel Trailer" is 14,000#. However, the rating for a FW is 15,900#. There are lots of variables that come into play such as 4x4, cab size, engine type, differential ratio, etc. Make sure you go to the Ford website and look at the specifications and you'll see what their trucks are rated for:

Ford Towing Guide 2013 Models

Info for 2014 F 350---Maximum Conventional Towing 18,500 lbs. (F-350 Crew Cab DRW 4x2 and 4x4/F-450 DRW 4x4 with 6.7L Power Stroke™ Turbo Diesel) Maximum Payload 7,260 lbs. (F-350 DRW 4x2 Regular Cab) Maximum GVWR 14,000 lbs.

TucsonJim wrote:
I guess that it all depends on what you mean by a good weight. Here are some things to consider:

1. GVWR of the FW vs. Dry weight.
2. Hitch weight that your truck can handle so you still have enough capacity for cargo and people.
3. GCVWR - This is the gross combined vehicle weight rating. In other words, you don't want to exceed this total number with your tow vehicle, FW, all cargo, liquids (propane, gas or diesel, water, etc.), and people.
4. Fuel Economy - Typically, the heavier the FW, the lower your mileage. However, aerodynamics comes into play here also.
5. Axle Weight Ratings - You don't want to exceed the maximum rating for any of the axles in the TV and FW.

Typically, the aluminum frame FWs are lighter than wood frame construction. And yes, you're correct that many of the newer models are using newer materials to make an equivalent FW lighter than it would have been 10-15 years ago.

Good info, and -
Some of the older 5ths were better quality (throughout) than the 'newer' models. (even 5 years ago).

Some have higher quality cabinetry, etc.

Unfortunately, Some are now "orphans" - mfgr went out of business, but still an excellent choice for a used 5th. Ex: Alpenlite.

BTW - you can save a bundle of money by finding a quality used 5th..:W


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The trailer in my sig was on a cat scale a month ago,16,000 GW and 4044# on the pin.

MookieKat wrote:
We looked at a Ford F-350 yesterday.....I wonder even if those are able to handle all the weight? The salesman said that it will tow 14,000 lbs.

Maybe...Depends...some F-350's are...some are not... built to tow 14000 lbs depending on the Ford F-350 model year and how much weight it was built to tow. And more than likely the salesman has absolutely no idea (more like zero idea) how much the truck is rated to tow. You'll have to research that yourself to be sure. If you want to have some fun, ask the salesman how he determined the trucks towing capacity of 14000 lbs...then watch his jaw drop at the question. I'll bet he won't have an accurate answer...it'll be his personal "Professional" guess.

Happy camping!!! See y'all down the road!!!:)