New 5th Wheel.... Worried

[VAPOTEET5]

I just recently upgraded from a 8,000lb TT to the Coachman Chapparel 360IBL..Dry weight of this beast is 12,170lbs. My TV is 2011 Chevy Silverado 3500 4*4 turbo diesel crew cab w/8' bed. Max trailer weight for this truck is 16,800lbs and GCWR* is 24500lbs. I know I'll lose a little stability with the single rear axle. I haven't picked it up yet so my Question is what will be the biggest difference? I had Reese sway bars on my 37' TT and I saw little to no sway. Just a little worried here peeps......What do you think?

[Cummins12V98]

avvidclif1 wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
The real question is can your truck handle a minimum 3,360# pin at 20%? Or easily up to 25% at 4,200# pin????

The 360IBL has a GVWR of 14,000 lbs for 2800 lbs pin at 20%.

Thanks I was looking at the wrong number!

IMHO 20% is a minimum if 25% you are looking at 3,500#

[phillyg]

I think you'll be happier with the new.

[drfife]

You will be fine.

Ignore the naysayers here.

[avvidclif1]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
The real question is can your truck handle a minimum 3,360# pin at 20%? Or easily up to 25% at 4,200# pin????

The 360IBL has a GVWR of 14,000 lbs for 2800 lbs pin at 20%.

[noteven]

Don't sweat the pin weight - overloading pickups is a time honored tradition.

[kennethwooster]

You will love the 5th. It will back different. Just takes practice. Really nice going down the road, even in a strong wind.

[Golden_HVAC]

A fifth wheel without anti-sway bars?

It will tow so much better than your travel trailer ever did. The hitch pin is 1" or 2" forward of the rear axle, and causes the trailer to 'swing' the same direction as the truck is pointed. It also puts some weight on the front axle, while most is on the rear axle.

You picked a 3500 truck, it should have plenty of cargo rating for the 2,500 pound pin weight. You might want to stop by a scale anyway, to check the truck both without and with the trailer.

Remember that the fifth wheel hitch comes in a 200 pound crate! They are not light. Your truck GVWR might be 11,000 pounds, and the empty weight with that heavy diesel engine option is going to be well over 7,500 pounds.

Good luck, have fun camping!

Fred.

[john_bet]

You stated the dry weight of that beast, but what is the GVW of that beast? Seams like everyone has talked about their loaded and rolling weights.

[Cummins12V98]

The real question is can your truck handle a minimum 3,360# pin at 20%? Or easily up to 25% at 4,200# pin????

[alboy]

I pull a 15 k fiver with a newer 2015 3500 SRW GMC Dmax,i cannot believe how easily it handles the load and how stable it is on curvy mountain roads.A very relaxing towing experience.

[JTrac]

We pulled our fifth wheel with a 2012 GMC 3500 srw for the first two years we had it. We changed to the dually last year and have towed about 10K miles with it. We made the change because we were at the limit of 2012's capacity. While the ride is better because the new truck is built to handle heavier weights there is not a lot of difference in performance. Stability is often mentioned as an advantage of a dually but honestly I can't tell any difference. Both trucks pulled it straight down the road. You will be fine and will probably get a better ride with your longer wheel base than I did with my srw with the shorter bed.

[rattleNsmoke]

You should have ZERO issues. You'll notice a big sigh of relief once you're hooked up and underway. Fivers tow sooo much easier and more stable than a TT. No more feeling your being sucked into a passing semi's lane when they pass. Five minute hook-ups and disconnects are a major advantage too. Relax, and have fun!

[rhagfo]

robwhite61 wrote:
Once you get the 5er behind you, you'll be amazed at the difference. First time I towed ours, I couldn't believe how stable it feels. I felt little or no affect when tractor trailers passed me. There is a rather large learning curve on backing the 5er into a spot. The best advice I've seen is go to a school parking lot on a weekend and practice, practice, practice!

Issues, I don't think so, I tow a 12,360# GVWR 5er @ about 11,000# +/-, with a 2001 Ram 2500 and have zero stability issues. You should be greatly surprised how nicely and less stressful pull/carrying that 12,000# will be compared to that old 8,000# TT!

[robwhite61]

Once you get the 5er behind you, you'll be amazed at the difference. First time I towed ours, I couldn't believe how stable it feels. I felt little or no affect when tractor trailers passed me. There is a rather large learning curve on backing the 5er into a spot. The best advice I've seen is go to a school parking lot on a weekend and practice, practice, practice!