I am one of the many who bought the tow vehicle before the 5th wheel rv. I have a 2009 duramax cc 2500 thinking I could then get anything I wanted,i know now "Not". So here's my question, what max pin weight would you suggest that I could be comfortable with? I know a 3500 would have been the way to go. gcwr 22000 lbs.gvwr 9200 lbs.gw 6900 lbs. this is with a full tank If I got it figured correctly that leaves me with 2300 lbs. for me my wife and 5th wheel hitch and pin weight, I know I will run out of load limit before I reach my rawr. So any rvers so went thru the same thing I would like some feedback.

I know a guy who bought a 1984 F-150 with a slim cargo rating, and 351" engine. He was looking at travel trailers with a 750 pound hitch weight, but ended up with a 24' Wilderness fifth wheel, I would guess it might have had a 1,500 pound pin weight, it was tiny compartment for sleeping up in the front (think camper cabover, not really the walk in style of today). Anyway it is possible to tow way more trailer than the truck is 'rated' for. Yes you could tow fine with a 2,000 pound hitch weight, and still not go anywhere close to the tire weight rating on your rear tires. What is your front and rear axle weight? My guess is with a 6,900 pound overall weight, that about 4,000 is on the front and 2,900 on the rear axle as it sits. That leaves around 2,500 more that you can safely add to the rear axle, however it will put you over the GVWR. Are you worried about warranty problems with a 7 year old truck? I would not be either. Basically it is similar to the 3500 truck that you should have bought. . . Anyway you will know better with the next pickup. . .Fred.

Problem is the low GVWR (9200#)GVW of 6900# leaves you 2300# before reaching GVWRBUThow much weight do you have on rear axle? And how much is RAWR?Difference between the two is what you have for available payload.EX: RAWR---6084Weight ----2900Payload----3184 (3200)Subtract 5vr hitch weight, wife? and any stuff you have in truck (in door pockets,under seats, in bags etc)....400#Now you have 2800# of payload left12000# GVWR 5vr will have roughly a 2400# wet pin weightYou are under RAWR-----under rear tire loadingAnd you are over GVWR (6900 + 2400====9300) Those mfg. published max tow and combined tow numbers are magical marketing numbers based on a 'base model with 150# driver and 20# cargo'Real world is you run out of GVWR , RAWR and/or Rear Tire Load Rating LONG before you reach those magical tow numbersTake your truck fully loaded camp ready (You, fuel, wife, stuff) and go to a scale and get weighed.This will give you the real numbers......see how much weight you can add to rear axle/tires. Use 20% of 5vr GVWR as a wet pin weightLike in my example........12K 5vrYou probably would be OK with a GVWR of 12K as you would not be towing trailer at GVWR.You will be over trucks GVWR.

Some addition information on my truck.Rear tire load rating is 3240lbs.x 2= total 6480lbs.Front axle rating 4800lbs.Front axle load 4160lbs. Rear axle rating 6000lbs.Rear axle load 2760lbs.Also thanks for your information.

newrver327 wrote:Some addition information on my truck. Also thanks for your information.If you want to take the safe route, look on the driver's door sill for a yellow bordered placard, it will list the tire pressures and also state the maximum payload the truck can safely carry which includes all fluids, people, tongue/pin weights.This is from my RAM 3500 Cummins, 4x4 CC SRWI'm curious what your placard shows for payload, I would like to compare that number to old-biscuits math and see how that works out.

You understand the numbers, and yours are correct. IMO, even though I am not, many people towing FWs exceed the GVWR of the tow vehicle. I have no problem with this on a 3/4 ton truck, within reason, say 500 lbs or less. The important number is the RAWR, or tire max load.In your case, I would not be worried about adding 2,200 lbs of pin wt, plus a 200 lb hitch, as long as you don't add any additional heavy items to the bed. This will put you over GVWR, but well under rear axle and tire rating.Jerry

Max Pin Weight | Good Sam Community

Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Jan 15, 2016
Problem is the low GVWR (9200#)

GVW of 6900# leaves you 2300# before reaching GVWR
BUT
how much weight do you have on rear axle? And how much is RAWR?
Difference between the two is what you have for available payload.

EX: RAWR---6084
Weight ----2900
Payload----3184 (3200)

Subtract 5vr hitch weight, wife? and any stuff you have in truck (in door pockets,under seats, in bags etc)....400#

Now you have 2800# of payload left

12000# GVWR 5vr will have roughly a 2400# wet pin weight

You are under RAWR-----under rear tire loading
And you are over GVWR (6900 + 2400====9300)

Those mfg. published max tow and combined tow numbers are magical marketing numbers based on a 'base model with 150# driver and 20# cargo'

Real world is you run out of GVWR , RAWR and/or Rear Tire Load Rating LONG before you reach those magical tow numbers

Take your truck fully loaded camp ready (You, fuel, wife, stuff) and go to a scale and get weighed.
This will give you the real numbers......see how much weight you can add to rear axle/tires.
Use 20% of 5vr GVWR as a wet pin weight

Like in my example........12K 5vr
You probably would be OK with a GVWR of 12K as you would not be towing trailer at GVWR.
You will be over trucks GVWR.
Golden_HVAC
Explorer
Jan 15, 2016
I know a guy who bought a 1984 F-150 with a slim cargo rating, and 351" engine. He was looking at travel trailers with a 750 pound hitch weight, but ended up with a 24' Wilderness fifth wheel, I would guess it might have had a 1,500 pound pin weight, it was tiny compartment for sleeping up in the front (think camper cabover, not really the walk in style of today).

Anyway it is possible to tow way more trailer than the truck is 'rated' for. Yes you could tow fine with a 2,000 pound hitch weight, and still not go anywhere close to the tire weight rating on your rear tires.

What is your front and rear axle weight? My guess is with a 6,900 pound overall weight, that about 4,000 is on the front and 2,900 on the rear axle as it sits. That leaves around 2,500 more that you can safely add to the rear axle, however it will put you over the GVWR. Are you worried about warranty problems with a 7 year old truck? I would not be either. Basically it is similar to the 3500 truck that you should have bought. . .

Anyway you will know better with the next pickup. . .

Fred.

Forum Discussion

Max Pin Weight

About RV Tips & Tricks

Related Content

Pin Weight Increases

Factory Pin Weight vs. Actual vs. Payload???

gas versus diesel 13.8 max weight fifth wheel

Appropriate pin weight when buying 5th wheel?

Max Tow F150s