Axle capacities

[sandblast]

A friend is looking at a 2008 Keystone Raptor 3814SS.
After searching the Keystone archived spec`s still can not find individual axle capacity for 3814SS. Looking at gross weight divided by three axles is still a guess at best. TIA.

[4x4ord]

My Citation 5th wheel has two 8000 lb Dexter axles. Citation rates the axles at 7000 lbs each. I don't know why that is ... could be the suspension is limiting? Could be they want extra capacity to provide for loading one side of the trailer more than the other? So the GVWR of my trailer is 15500 lbs with a total axle capacity of 14000 lbs and it has 2 x 8000 lb axles.

[joebedford]

No but it didn't matter because I was under the original GVWR.

[CALandLIN]

joebedford wrote:
Despite what some have said, toyhauler axles DO fail. My first hauler Victory Lane 35SRV came from the factory with 6000lb axles. They bent flat. Factory replaced everything between the frame and the ground under warranty including 7000lb axles and upgraded springs, wheels and tires.

Did they increase your certified GVWR while they were at it?

[joebedford]

Despite what some have said, toyhauler axles DO fail. My first hauler Victory Lane 35SRV came from the factory with 6000lb axles. They bent flat. Factory replaced everything between the frame and the ground under warranty including 7000lb axles and upgraded springs, wheels and tires.

[CALandLIN]

Retired JSO wrote:
Try crawling under and look for the tag on the axles. My old Work and Play had 5200 on the sticker on the side of the trailer. After a crawl under, discovered they were stamped 6K.

Yup! That's called "load capacity reserves".

[Retired_JSO]

Try crawling under and look for the tag on the axles. My old Work and Play had 5200 on the sticker on the side of the trailer. After a crawl under, discovered they were stamped 6K.

[Wild_Card]

redhooker wrote:
Also numerous toy haulers as well as standard fifth wheels have axles and tires that add up to less than GVWR. An 18k GVWR fiver might have two 8k axles. I will not own a trailer equipped like this.

A trailers axles will never see gvwr. So that would make a trailers suspension more stiff and ride like ****.

[CALandLIN]

sandblast wrote:
A friend is looking at a 2008 Keystone Raptor 3814SS.
After searching the Keystone archived spec`s still can not find individual axle capacity for 3814SS. Looking at gross weight divided by three axles is still a guess at best. TIA.

After looking at the specs for that 3 axle trailer and doing some math I would say it has 3 5000# axles derated to about 4700# GAWR ea. That can be verified by having someone look at the vehicle certification label found on the LH FWD external section of the trailer.


The math for determining GAWR axle loads goes like this. Subtract the trailer manufacturer's recommended tongue/hitch weight from the GVWR and divide by 3. The result is the minimum load capacity allowed for the vehicle certified GAWRs.


The following is an excerpt from the FMVSS standard the vehicle manufacturer MUST comply with.

"On RV trailers, the sum of the GAWRs of all axles on the vehicle plus the vehicle manufacturer's recommended tongue weight must not be less than the GVWR. If tongue weight is specified as a range, the minimum value must be used."

[time2roll]

My GVWR is exactly the axles plus dry pin. As for the OP this is the last thing I would worry about. Never read about axle failures.

[deltabravo]

redhooker wrote:
Also numerous toy haulers as well as standard fifth wheels have axles and tires that add up to less than GVWR. An 18k GVWR fiver might have two 8k axles. I will not own a trailer equipped like this.

I guess the RV manufacturer "fudges the numbers" and says "axles don't support the entire weight, some of it his hitch / pin weight"

BAD business practice in my opinion.

[redhooker]

Also numerous toy haulers as well as standard fifth wheels have axles and tires that add up to less than GVWR. An 18k GVWR fiver might have two 8k axles. I will not own a trailer equipped like this.

[azdryheat]

People forget that toy haulers aren't loaded the same as 5th wheels. As weight is added to the garage the pin weight gets lighter. My almost empty (scaled) pin weight is 3500 pounds. If I add 2000 pounds to my garage my pin gets lighter, not heavier.

[Old-Biscuit]

That trailer has a dry weight of 12,045# with a dry pin wet of 2639# (22%)
GVWR is 16,500#---wet pin roughly 3630# (12,870# on 3 axles)


Triple axle....would hope that they are 6000# but could be 5200#
(RV MFG. do not put axles rated for GVWR...they put axles adequate for weight carried by axles (minus pin weight)


Crawl underneath and look for tag on axle


Call Keystone Customer Service
Phone (toll free): (866) 425-4369

[CALandLIN]

The vehicle certified GAWRs for that trailer, with dual axles will be 7000# ea..


Using the new RVIA tire load capacity recommendations, to provide 10% in load capacity reserves per axle. The minimum tire load capacity - via inflation - will 3850# per tire.