spoon059 wrote:
Seems to me that 4000 lbs pin weight would have me in a dually.
On the other hand, if you decide that a more comfortable daily driver is more important then you need to downsize the 5th wheel you're looking at.
Without researching every make/model/trim level, I would estimate that a reasonably equipped 1 ton SRW diesel truck will have about 4000 +/- payload. Subtract weight of hitch, passengers and any gear in the truck and you are probably around 3200-3500 lbs for actual hitch weight.
spoon, indeed, if the 5th wheel pin weight alone was 4000 lbs, we would have to have a duelly.
The Vilano 320, loaded, washer dryer & portable generator, would likely have a pin weight of around 3700 lbs. Added to weight of occupants and hitch - that would put us around 4300 lbs. payload requirement. Just a couple of hundred pounds too-much payload weight, for the 1-ton SRW truck we like.
Yes, there are a number of 1-ton pickups, SRW, with 4100 lbs payload capacity.
Thus, we are now looking at another 5th wheel model, with a somewhat lighter estimated dry pin weight (2400 lbs) - which when reasonably loaded would bring the 5th wheel pin weight to around 3400 lbs.
With loaded 5th wheel at 3400 lbs pin weight, combined with the weight of hitch and occupants in the truck, one of those SRW 1-ton pickups will meet the need, and likely keep us a little bit under the payload limit of the pickup.
We want to avoid DRW and long bed. Our truck will serve as a daily driver far more than it will serve as a towing machine, so by considering a 5er with a lighter pin weight, we're trying to keep the truck more comfortable for our daily errands.
