What Can I Tow Calculators

ependydad wrote:
For #3- I've been round and round in my head with what an appropriate range is for fifth wheel pin weights . My camper has a dry pin at 16% and wet/heavily loaded at 18%. The challenge is that this is for newbies who truly have no idea. My prior alternate calculator was designed to help estimate the actual pin percentage and weight. I plan on adding that, but I still don't know what to do with this utility. I think including as low as 15% is potentially giving false hope when it's a seemingly rarity.

What I've found helpful is to calculate the pin weight % from the empty/dry/shipping weight. My experience has been that when loaded, it will still be close to the same %.

For example, my pin weight % calculated according to the brochure dry weights is 16%. I weighed the trailer on the way home from the dealer (empty and new) and it calculated to 17%. Loaded now, it calculates to 15%.

The point is that the buyer must do enough work to "know" what the estimated pin weight will be. He cannot just use 15% because he likes the results it gives. If he happens to choose a trailer that is close to 25%, there is no way to load it that will ever bring it much below that figure. OTOH, if he always assumes 25%, he will needlessly spend much more for a bigger TV than he really needs or buy much less trailer than he can realistically tow.

As you can tell, I'm not part of the "you can never have too much truck" crowd.