Fifth wheel towing/truck capacity

anaro wrote:
Here's the story. We are looking at getting a new TH fiver. We currently have a Sabre fiver that weighs 12,300 lbs loaded. I know from catscale we have typically added 1500 lbs of stuff to our tt and to our fiver over the years. In figuring numbers I have allotted 2000 lbs for the next trailer (we have no toys but want the patio and extra bed).


These are my catscale numbers:
2014 Chevy Silverado 3500 (crew cab 4x4 duramax long bed LT package)
Truck specs
Gvwr 11,600 lbs
GCWR 24,500 lbs
GFAWR 5600 lbs
GRAWR 7050 lbs

Truck no trailer (reese 16k hitch in bed)--
Front axle 4900 lbs
Rear axle 3380 lbs
Total truck weight 8280 lbs
Available payload - 3320 lbs
Adjusted towing capacity- 16220 per numbers but manufacturer lists 16000 as my max so we will call it that.

Here is where I am confused. Does max towing capacity Apply to trailer gvwr or loaded trailer weight? We know we won't be loading these trailers to max, especially since I'm going to stay within rear gawr and payload.

For example one of the trailers I'm looking at is the Forest River vengeance 348A13. Sticker weight is 11,995 lbs. Gvwr is 16,398 lbs. Loaded would be 13,995 lbs. 23% pin weight would be 3218. This is within my limits but do I need to worry about gvwr being over? Thanks.

On edit- we are planning on upgrading to a 20k hitch.

Here is where I am confused. Does max towing capacity Apply to trailer gvwr or loaded trailer weight?

Question is more do I need to legally worry about the unit's gvwr being over the trucks listed towing capacity if I am under that loaded?

anaro wrote:
The sticker weights are the off the line factory sticker on the actual unit not the brochure weight. Question is more do I need to legally worry about the unit's gvwr being over the trucks listed towing capacity if I am under that loaded?

rhagfo wrote:

Second Chance wrote:
Forget max towing capacity. With a single rear wheel truck (which I assume from your 3,320 lbs. payload capacity), you will reach the rear axle capacity long before you max out on towing capacity. Use 25% of the trailer's GVWR to estimate loaded pin weight. If that number is more than what you have left for rear axle capacity (don't forget the weight of the hitch, too), it's too much trailer/not enough truck. A 16K fifth wheel will put about 4,000 lbs. on the pin when loaded - too much for a single rear wheel truck.

Rob

Did you
Totally read and understand what the OP was asking?

If the 5er one is looking at has a huge paylaod that you will only use less than half of.

I say the OP has good logic, it is not always the GVWR of the 5er being towed, but the actual towed weigh. He may have a good match for hi TV.

Second Chance wrote:
Forget max towing capacity. With a single rear wheel truck (which I assume from your 3,320 lbs. payload capacity), you will reach the rear axle capacity long before you max out on towing capacity. Use 25% of the trailer's GVWR to estimate loaded pin weight. If that number is more than what you have left for rear axle capacity (don't forget the weight of the hitch, too), it's too much trailer/not enough truck. A 16K fifth wheel will put about 4,000 lbs. on the pin when loaded - too much for a single rear wheel truck.

Rob