SRW Truck Max length 5th Wheel

[DanDon]

Am about to purchase a 3/4 ton diesel truck. We are going to upgrade our 5th wheel at the same time. Trying to figure out what the Max length I can safely tow. ALL kinds of stuff on line about DRW vs SRW towing weight. Not worried about that. Three or four companies now make light 10-11k 5th wheels, that are very long, with hitch weights of 1700lbs. The weight part is easily towable weight wise with a 2015 2500HD Duramax diesel. I'm not worried about weight on the single rear tires as the payload of the truck is 3000k+, the hitch weight is well within the safety range for SRW vs DRW. The rigs we like are 41-42 feet though. What I want to know is if anyone else has towed one of these new long/light 5th wheels with a SRW? Does the wind throw you around the highway? Looking for experience, not conjecture. Lot of money riding on our decision.
Thanks to everyone in advance.

[JIMNLIN]

I had a GMC 2500 4x4 crew that weighed 7200 with a full tank and me.
My GVW was 9500 giving me 2300 lbs of payload. My fiver could weigh 11200 fully loaded leaving me 100 lbs (20% of 11K) for my wife and anything else.
So I might have been 300-400 lbs over when we traveled but I couldn't take the chance for any trip of substance.
A new 1 ton duramax in the driveway and I feel much better.

One ton meaning a SRW or the DRW ?
That 9500 GVWR must have been with the 6.0 gasser. Your gonna' love the Dmax/A performance if thats the case.

SRW = 7050 lb rear spring package.
2500= a 6200 lb rear spring package.
Other wise its the same truck overall.

Whats important though if the size of the truck makes you feel better.

I have a '03 2500 Dodge/Cummins and pull a 11200 lb 5er with two slides. I use my trucks certified RAWR to determine payload as its carrying the load.
My trucks scale weights after loading the truck and hooking up the trailer show the 6000 RAWR at 5280 lb. Well under max suspension/brake/axle/tires and wheel ratings.
Front gains 60-80 lb depending on stuff in the truck.

I'm very happy with the load handling/towing/braking and over all performance with this combo.

[trcgolf]

rhagfo wrote:

JIMNLIN wrote:
2500 ? SRW ?? DRW ??
These are three separate trucks.
Dodge/Ram/Ford/GM doesn't market a 2500 SRW truck. But all three market a one ton SRW a one ton DRW and the 250/2500 size trucks.

The 250/2500 doesn't come under any 40-42 foot trailers umbrella. Some properly set up SRW trucks can handle a very light weight trailer that size. The DRW truck is a much safer overall truck for those super length trailers.

Now without any actual weights were just throwing around opinions and guesses.
We all have seen those big 40' trailers with a 18k- 20k GVWR.

That 5er the OP is looking at has a 13,501# GVWR and 11,000# dry weight, I would say well within a heavy payload 2500!

I had a GMC 2500 4x4 crew that weighed 7200 with a full tank and me.
My GVW was 9500 giving me 2300 lbs of payload. My fiver could weigh 11200 fully loaded leaving me 100 lbs (20% of 11K) for my wife and anything else.
So I might have been 300-400 lbs over when we traveled but I couldn't take the chance for any trip of substance.
A new 1 ton duramax in the driveway and I feel much better.

[trcgolf]

2014 GMC 3500hd SRW Long Bed crew cab 4x4 turbo diesel
Weighs 8120 with me and full tank
GVWR 11600 so after pin weight, of 2200
That gives me 1300 lbs for fifth wheel, wife and stuff
Should be good to go

[azrving]

Is everything accurate in your link? It really only carries 35 gallons of fresh? Seems like a miss print. I have only had one 5er but if I had to guess it would seem like it should be more like 90. My old 29 ft tub holds 60.

35 fresh?

[CarnationSailor]

The dry pin weight of the Rushmore is 2100# so the solution is to run it dry and leave the wife at home! 😉

The good news is that fully loaded I should still be under the GRAWR and the rear tire weight ratings. It was quite a surprise as I thought I had matched the truck and 5th wheel correctly.

At any rate, it's what I have now so I will just have to see how it handles and go from there. (I took delivery on both at the end of the year so haven't had the rig on the road yet.) I plan on putting air bags on the 2500 in the spring.

[avvidclif1]

CarnationSailor wrote:

draknor wrote:

DanDon wrote:
Again looking for people who have done it. I understand that DRW would be better but a 1 ton truck is about 6-8k more and that puts the trailer out of reach money wise. We already have the truck ordered. It gets here next week. Its a 2015 2500HD Silverado SRW crew cab with 4WD and Duramax Diesel. Payload is 3000 lbs. Towing capacity is 17,700 lbs.

We're looking at TVs and TTs/FW as well, so I've been trying to figure out the same kinds of things you're looking at!

I looked a Chevy's site for the 2015 Silverado 2500HD. I clicked on the Capabilities tab, and added the Crew Cab, standard box, Duramax 6.6L 4WD - should be pretty much what you've got, right?

Scroll down and expand the "Trailering and Payload" - here's the numbers I see:
Max GVWR: 10,000 lbs
Curb weight: 7384 lbs
Max Payload: 2793 lbs

So that's pretty close to your stated 3000 lbs payload figure. (You may have already done this research, but there's a lot of speculation on this thread about what your numbers actually are, so hopefully this helps).

Allow a couple hundred lbs for family / cargo, and let's say your max pin weight is 2500 lbs. Given the typical 20-25% pin weight for 5ers, and you are looking at a max FW trailer weight of 10-12.5k lbs (to remain within GVWR). Obviously this is well under the stated max trailer weight of 17.1k lbs - but you'd have to have payload capacity of >3400 lbs to carry 20% of that max trailer weight and stay under GVWR.

These kinds of numbers drive me bonkers :?

I'm also a little jealous. I've been looking at the '06-era Dodge Ram Megacabs, and I wouldn't get that much payload even with a 3500 SRW w/ 4WD 😞

I also checked out the Chevy website for the 2015 Silverado 2500HD, Crew Cab, standard box, Duramax 6.6L 4WD and was expecting a payload of 2793 pounds. When my truck arrived, the sticker payload was listed at 2300 pounds. I still can't figure out where the 493 pounds of payload went. I have the LTZ trim package and the Z71 option. The Z71 option should add no more than 75 pounds. I can't believe the LTZ trim package added 400 pounds. ?????

Kinda puts you over on payload with the Rushmore, doesn't it?

[CarnationSailor]

draknor wrote:

DanDon wrote:
Again looking for people who have done it. I understand that DRW would be better but a 1 ton truck is about 6-8k more and that puts the trailer out of reach money wise. We already have the truck ordered. It gets here next week. Its a 2015 2500HD Silverado SRW crew cab with 4WD and Duramax Diesel. Payload is 3000 lbs. Towing capacity is 17,700 lbs.

We're looking at TVs and TTs/FW as well, so I've been trying to figure out the same kinds of things you're looking at!

I looked a Chevy's site for the 2015 Silverado 2500HD. I clicked on the Capabilities tab, and added the Crew Cab, standard box, Duramax 6.6L 4WD - should be pretty much what you've got, right?

Scroll down and expand the "Trailering and Payload" - here's the numbers I see:
Max GVWR: 10,000 lbs
Curb weight: 7384 lbs
Max Payload: 2793 lbs

So that's pretty close to your stated 3000 lbs payload figure. (You may have already done this research, but there's a lot of speculation on this thread about what your numbers actually are, so hopefully this helps).

Allow a couple hundred lbs for family / cargo, and let's say your max pin weight is 2500 lbs. Given the typical 20-25% pin weight for 5ers, and you are looking at a max FW trailer weight of 10-12.5k lbs (to remain within GVWR). Obviously this is well under the stated max trailer weight of 17.1k lbs - but you'd have to have payload capacity of >3400 lbs to carry 20% of that max trailer weight and stay under GVWR.

These kinds of numbers drive me bonkers :?

I'm also a little jealous. I've been looking at the '06-era Dodge Ram Megacabs, and I wouldn't get that much payload even with a 3500 SRW w/ 4WD 😞

I also checked out the Chevy website for the 2015 Silverado 2500HD, Crew Cab, standard box, Duramax 6.6L 4WD and was expecting a payload of 2793 pounds. When my truck arrived, the sticker payload was listed at 2300 pounds. I still can't figure out where the 493 pounds of payload went. I have the LTZ trim package and the Z71 option. The Z71 option should add no more than 75 pounds. I can't believe the LTZ trim package added 400 pounds. ?????

[SkiSmuggs]

If I had read threads like this instead of the specs for my truck, I would never have towed anything. I don't understand why a truck rated to tow 12K and a payload of 2000 lbs is not enough to safely tow a 10K fiver with 1700 lbs of pin weight even with fuel and family. My 9500 lb fiver is well below my 11.2K tow rating and my 1650 lb pin is, in fact, 550 lbs over the GAWR as measured on the scales. I added HD shocks and overload springs like Ford does for the HD payload option. In 12,000 miles of towing in the mountains of VT, NH and even WY, I have never had trouble with handling, stopping or going up a long mountain pass. I have never wished I had more truck for THIS fifth wheel. My F150 does double duty as a commuter vehicle for my daily 70 mile commute and that is why I got the F150 instead of a Super Duty.
That said, I now have an alternate vehicle for commuting, expect to RV more and my next fiver will be 4 season, so much heavier. I have ordered an F350 PSD SRW to deal with it. I expect to drive it a lot less because it will be less fun and cost more to drive, but it will be an even better tow machine. Today's Ford trucks are much better than trucks of 10 years ago, but not everyone is keeping up with that. I admit that prior to the F150 Ecoboost, no one made a truck that I wanted, but damn! this has been a great 1/2 ton!
2015 Half-ton towing

[trcgolf]

Not to much for the engine...too much for GVWR ..ok by rear axle rating which makes no sense either.. Add my two axle ratings and its 11000+... Yet gvw only 9500. ...tow rating for fiver is 13000+ yet gvw only 9500. All of this makes no sense
Odds are it wouldn't happen but getting stopped in Canada and being weighed or in an accident and being over GVWR would not be good. Would it void the warranty? If tranny went and you exceed weight rating.
I have heard they impound your trailer until you lighten the load somehow or get another vehicle. I guess I am too conservative....

[rhagfo]

trcgolf wrote:
My 2013 2500HD GMC weighed 7200 with full tank and me. My fifth wheel max weight was 11200 lbs putting 2200 lbs in the bed for pin weight. My GVWR was 9500 leaving me exactly 100 lbs for the misses and anything else. The dealer did not understand that...their only concern was max towing capacity.
I just switched to a SWR 3500 long bed.... took a small bath on the trade but better to be safe than sorry.

Wow, 11,000# GVWR fiver too much for a new 2500!

Well I do very well with a 2001 2500 and a 12,360# GVWR 5er. Yes over the sticker GVWR of the TV, but well under the axle ratings!
I feel so relaxed towing this 5er it is great.

[trcgolf]

I got a one year newer..diesel.... 1 ton loaded
It was a small bath.

[lynndiwagon]

Pulled that rig thousands of miles with 125,000 miles on that red beauty....yep that's me.

[drfife]

lynndiwagon wrote:
Wow trcgolf, did you determine what the differences were between the two pickups before taking that bath?....other than the stickered GVWR.

I have a 2012 GMC 3500HD.

The only difference between a 2012 GM 2500HD and 3500HD SRW are the rear overload springs, and door sticker.

[garysol]

lynndiwagon wrote:
Wow trcgolf, did you determine what the differences were between the two pickups before taking that bath?....other than the stickered GVWR.

Asks the guy towing a trailer with a 15,500gvwr with a 10 year old 3/4 ton....