Would you recommend a 5th wheel for me?
Hello, I'm retiring next year and want to hit the road. I've done a lot of RVing in my life, but always as the passenger in someone else's rig. This time I want to go solo. I'm a 50 year female. ...
Forum Discussion
OnTaMove wrote:cherrykiss3 wrote:
I have a 1 ton dually diesel that I drive every day. Yes I park out in taxi land at the store but that is ok with me.
Free exercise!!
Lets assume I pick out a 5th wheel first and then start shopping for a truck.
Obviously, I need to look at the truck's towing capacity. But how do you figure for load capacity? In other words - some percentage of the weight of the trailer has to be assumed to be "in" the bed of the truck. Is there a rule of thumb for this? Or is it something specific that the trailer manufacturer sets out?
And where do I get the hitch: the truck vendor, the trailer vendor, or a third party?
You need to pay attention to the "payload" capacity of the truck. That is the weight, over and above the actual weight of the truck, that it can carry. For example: if your truck weighs 7500 lbs., and you have a GVW of 10,000 lbs., you have a payload capacity of 2500 lbs. This weight includes fuel, passengers, gear, anything added in to the truck. Then you consider the "pin" weight of the fifth wheel. That is the weight of the trailer that will be in the bed of your truck being supported by the rear axle. This weight rating is provided by the trailer manufacturer. All these weights combined should not be over your GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight).
Most RV dealers will sell and install a hitch suited to the 5er you select.
This may all sound overwhelming, but it's not that bad. There are a lot of folks on this site willing to lend their experise, and you learn by doing. Best of luck with your decisions, and keep us informed.
