I known someone out there knows the actual method to figure out how much legally a person can tow with; the vehicle they have now and or the truck their looking to purchase to tow with. I am talking about a simple guide of the meanings of like GCWR and GVWR and calculations needed. My goaded is to know exactly the weight in "all important areas" before shopping and or purchasing a 5th wheel. I have read were too many people purchase a RV and later found out that the RV/5th wheel is too heavy to legally tow and most important "safely". Please educate us fellow RV'er on all weight aspects what to look out for, meanings, how to calculate, were to look up, before we go shopping.Update 12-28-14 Time:1:35 PMI courtly hare a 99 Dodge 250 Cub Cab long bed Diesel. Possibly looking to upgrade some great day.Information on driver door. GAWR Front 2001 KG (4410 lbs.) Rear 2760 KG ( 6084 lbs.) GVWR 3992 KG (8800 lbs.) Weighted truck at scales: Front axle 3880 lbs. Rear axle 2780 lbs. Total weight of truck unloaded 6540 lbs. Yes, I have been a member for sometime now; but to me I would like to see were a person could click on a heading without digging though pages after pages. Maybe a main heading or something. With the truck data weights in hand; any shopper could easily click on a heading, see the meaning for example GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Ratings) take the weight information on any trailer and know with a little math if they are purchasing trailer that they can Safety Handle!Thanks and look forward to all your help.

Take a look here. fifth wheel towing

Do you have a truck currently?If so....what truck

It's really very simple. Most 3/4 or 1 ton trucks will be over their GVW before they are over their CGVW. So what is important is the tow vehicle has sufficient GVW for the pin weight of the 5th wheel.Generally speaking your better off with a 1 ton than a 3/4 ton because of GVW. However not all 1 tons are the same in their GVW a 2015 Ford SRW 350 has between 10,000 and 11,500 GVW depending on equipment upgrades, where a SRW 250 has a max 10,000 GVW. A 350 DRW can have a GVW between 13,000 and 14,000 again determined by equipment.If your considering a crew cab long bed you can figure on curb wt. close to 9,000 pounds with a hitch installed which would leave pin wt to 1000 pounds on a 10,000 GVW and that is not much.If your buying off the lot most dealers will have trucks with the lower GVW's but loaded with goodies because most folks like them. If they have trucks with the higher GVW' on the lot they will be plain jane work truck types. All trucks have their GVW rating listed inside the on the door pillar.We purchased our truck before purchasing our fifthwheel but we knew our maximum size and stayed within that range when shopping for it.

First, "legal" is somewhat fuzzy in terms of weight ratings. You generally aren't obliged to go thru weigh stations and unless you are grossly over weight, no one isn't going to pull you over. That doesn't mean you should ignore the weight ratings but just a clarification.The actual calculations are fairly simple. Getting the actual weights before buying is the hard part. Most people estimate on the high side (to account for loading up the truck and trailer) and just run with it. Some will take the rig to a scale and get axle by axle weights with and without the fully loaded trailer. This is the most accurate method but generally not practical to do before you buy.GWR of the truck: Max weight of truck, cargo and pin weight.GWR by axle: - With a 5th wheel, generally no weight is applied to the front axle so it is typically ignored. - ************The max weight on the rear axle is typically the controlling factor determining how big of a 5th wheel can be towed. The pin weight is typically around 20-25% of the trailer weight. (don't forget the hitch which can weigh a couple hundred pounds)CGWR: Then you have the combined max of both truck and trailer. This is mostly related to engine and braking capability.

And do not forget that everything you put in those big cabs is part of the payload. So subtract that from pin weight capabilities. The more people and pets and other stuff such as a tool box with tools, compressor,etc. the less pin weight allowed. Just food for thought.

What Size RV can I tow? Please Help! | Good Sam Community

17 Replies

Veebyes
Explorer II
Dec 29, 2014
Chuck, you have been a member here since 2003. Have you not seen any threads dealing with this issue in 11 years? Just askin.

There is a sticky right at the top dealing with this very same question. Pages & pages of it.
NC_Hauler
Explorer
Dec 29, 2014
Chuck .. wrote:
I known someone out there knows the actual method to figure out how much legally a person can tow with; the vehicle they have now and or the truck their looking to purchase to tow with. I am talking about a simple guide of the meanings of like GCWR and GVWR and calculations needed.

My goaded is to know exactly the weight in "all important areas" before shopping and or purchasing a 5th wheel.

I have read were too many people purchase a RV and later found out that the RV/5th wheel is too heavy to legally tow and most important "safely".

Please educate us fellow RV'er on all weight aspects what to look out for, meanings, how to calculate, were to look up, before we go shopping.

Chuck, Kind of need to know what truck you have....You should also be able to look on the drivers side door jamb and let us know what your trucks GVWR is along with it's front and rear axle ratings are.....all this will help probably more than some of the towing guides one can look at...a lot of variables go into it.

For example, a 2500 regular cab, short bed, 2 wheel drive truck could carry more than same type 2500 with a crew cab, long bed and in 4X4 configuration.

Again...if you could let us know what truck you have and it's configuration, it would help quite a bit...probably some in here with the exact same truck...
john_bet
Explorer II
Dec 29, 2014
And do not forget that everything you put in those big cabs is part of the payload. So subtract that from pin weight capabilities. The more people and pets and other stuff such as a tool box with tools, compressor,etc. the less pin weight allowed. Just food for thought.
valhalla360
Navigator
Dec 29, 2014
First, "legal" is somewhat fuzzy in terms of weight ratings. You generally aren't obliged to go thru weigh stations and unless you are grossly over weight, no one isn't going to pull you over. That doesn't mean you should ignore the weight ratings but just a clarification.

The actual calculations are fairly simple. Getting the actual weights before buying is the hard part. Most people estimate on the high side (to account for loading up the truck and trailer) and just run with it.

Some will take the rig to a scale and get axle by axle weights with and without the fully loaded trailer. This is the most accurate method but generally not practical to do before you buy.

GWR of the truck: Max weight of truck, cargo and pin weight.
GWR by axle:
- With a 5th wheel, generally no weight is applied to the front axle so it is typically ignored.
- ************The max weight on the rear axle is typically the controlling factor determining how big of a 5th wheel can be towed. The pin weight is typically around 20-25% of the trailer weight. (don't forget the hitch which can weigh a couple hundred pounds)
CGWR: Then you have the combined max of both truck and trailer. This is mostly related to engine and braking capability.
stickdog
Explorer
Dec 29, 2014
It's really very simple. Most 3/4 or 1 ton trucks will be over their GVW before they are over their CGVW. So what is important is the tow vehicle has sufficient GVW for the pin weight of the 5th wheel.
Generally speaking your better off with a 1 ton than a 3/4 ton because of GVW. However not all 1 tons are the same in their GVW a 2015 Ford SRW 350 has between 10,000 and 11,500 GVW depending on equipment upgrades, where a SRW 250 has a max 10,000 GVW. A 350 DRW can have a GVW between 13,000 and 14,000 again determined by equipment.
If your considering a crew cab long bed you can figure on curb wt. close to 9,000 pounds with a hitch installed which would leave pin wt to 1000 pounds on a 10,000 GVW and that is not much.
If your buying off the lot most dealers will have trucks with the lower GVW's but loaded with goodies because most folks like them. If they have trucks with the higher GVW' on the lot they will be plain jane work truck types.
All trucks have their GVW rating listed inside the on the door pillar.
We purchased our truck before purchasing our fifthwheel but we knew our maximum size and stayed within that range when shopping for it.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Dec 29, 2014
Do you have a truck currently?

If so....what truck
The_Mad_Norsky
Explorer
Dec 29, 2014
Take a look here. fifth wheel towing

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What Size RV can I tow? Please Help!

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