Whats Your Real Weights? Truck and Trailer. The Real Deal

[juzplanekrazy]

I don’t know if it’s been done before or not but I was thinking about keeping a running list of real truck weights by year and type, and trailer weights by brand, size and what the total combined weight is of each guys rig. I was hoping the info would be a help for guys wondering about what the real weights are for a certain type of truck and to keep track of the more popular brand 5th wheel trailers. Another thing that will come out of it will be to see just how many guys really know what they are towing and if they know what their weight capacities are.
I’m sure it will take some time to compile a list and it will grow as guys add there info but I’m hoping it will help the newer guys in the long run to be directed back over to this thread in the future.
I’ll keep the TV lists to mainly the big 3 and from ¾ ton and up and I’ll try to keep the 5ers in a group by real GVW, length, and then manufacture. Any ideas are welcome as long as it makes things easier. And only real information can be given, so no guessing allowed. Only guys that have scaled there rigs or are totally certain of the weights.
Let’s see if I can keep the format real simple to type down and that will make it simpler for guys to refer back to and to keep track of.
Here we go……

TV - 2006 Dodge Mega Cab 3500 4x4, real scaled weight with full fuel, hitch, DH-DW and misc. gear = 7,500lbs. TV GVWR is 10,200lbs
5ver – KZ New Vision TH 38ft 14,500lbs loaded GVW. GVWR is 18,000lbs
Normal running TV & TH GCW weight= 22,500lbs, TV GCWR is 23,000lbs
Real Wet Pin Weight=2,950lbs

[DW-gray]

Okay, try out this Excel Worksheet. Please provide some feedback on what you think. Did it answer all the output data you wanted?

Note: This is for 5th wheel trailers.

Click here to download the Truck/Trailer Weights & Report (Simplified) v1.0

[DW-gray]

lots2seeinmyrv wrote:
Hope this isn't a dumb question...but has anyone...or does someone know how to create an Excel Spreadsheet that we can access where we can just plug all the numbers in for the trailer and the truck and then get the results calculated to see if our rigs are overloaded or not? And it calculates the pin weight?

Seems like a lot of us are confused on what our tow vehicles can handle, me included.

That is not dumb question at all. Gee, why didn't I think of that? That is something I can do. I'll get to work it right away. Just know that I want be able to provide all the specs on each type of truck. I will make it a form fill where you have to input all the required data. Give me about a week to work on it.

[Tireman9]

dieseldad55 wrote:
I am new to the forum. We've been RV'ers for several years, and have had our 5er since late '05. Now that tires are blowing out, cracking, etc., I'm finding more and more info on how important weighing your rig is, especially when looking to purchase new tires.
However, I live Sacramento, Ca.,the most ignorant and least informed community when it comes to RV's. I have visited 2 of the largest and oldest RV dealers in this area, and found that no one has a clue as to where to take a fifth wheel trailer & truck to weigh. Also, to find a tire company that can actually help you with tire requirements in relation to trailer weight is near impossible.
So, does anybody know for sure, (not looking for maybe's) where I can get my rig weighed???

You have a number of options such as CAT scales. If you get to a large RV Rally you could use RVSEF services. Any certified scale will work for getting your RV weighed. You might find a local company if you check your phone book or try this link.

You should NOT adjust your inflation for each tire based on it's real load. Tire inflation affects both load carrying capability as well as vehicle handling (turning right forces should = turning left forces). You should have all tires on an axle at the same inflation +/- 1 psi which is easy to achieve with a digital inflation gauge.

Now, knowing that all tires on an axle should have the same inflation we need to be sure no tire is overloaded. The procedure recommended by experienced tire design engineers is to:
1. Get the corner weights with the vehicle fully loaded (water, fuel, food, clothes, co-pilot, pets etc.
2. Use a published Load & Inflation table. You should be able to find that info HERE.
3. Look up the lowest inflation that has the load higher than yours.
4. Be sure to note that if you have Duals there are different load numbers.
5. That lowest inflation is your MINIMUM "Cold" inflation.
6. "Cold" inflation is measured at ambient, not in the sun and at least 3 or 4 hours after it was driven.
7. All tires leak air at about 1% - 3% per month. Also cold tire pressure changes with ambient temperature at about 2% per 10 Degrees F, so to avoid having to inflate your tires every few days as you travel around many recommend that you inflate your tires to 5 psi above your minimum. That way it will be longer before you have to add air.

Finally, If you discover you are a few (1 to 5) psi lower than you want to be, but have to drive a bit to get to high pressure air, simply make a note of the number of pounds you need to add for each tire. Drive the few miles at speeds lower than 50 and when you get to the location with air again measure the now "Hot" pressure. Check your notes and add the number of pounds you want for each tire and add that plus 1 psi to the hot pressure to get your new inflation.
If you follow this procedure I think you will find that you are back to your desired +/- 1 psi cold the next moning.

[HamsHog]

dieseldad55 wrote:
I am new to the forum. We've been RV'ers for several years, and have had our 5er since late '05. Now that tires are blowing out, cracking, etc., I'm finding more and more info on how important weighing your rig is, especially when looking to purchase new tires.
However, I live Sacramento, Ca.,the most ignorant and least informed community when it comes to RV's. I have visited 2 of the largest and oldest RV dealers in this area, and found that no one has a clue as to where to take a fifth wheel trailer & truck to weigh. Also, to find a tire company that can actually help you with tire requirements in relation to trailer weight is near impossible.
So, does anybody know for sure, (not looking for maybe's) where I can get my rig weighed???

Hey Dieseldad55,

Go to a Truck Stop or Bekins/Mayflower moving&storage place. They have scales that you can weigh on.



Regards, Hamshog

[dieseldad55]

I am new to the forum. We've been RV'ers for several years, and have had our 5er since late '05. Now that tires are blowing out, cracking, etc., I'm finding more and more info on how important weighing your rig is, especially when looking to purchase new tires.
However, I live Sacramento, Ca.,the most ignorant and least informed community when it comes to RV's. I have visited 2 of the largest and oldest RV dealers in this area, and found that no one has a clue as to where to take a fifth wheel trailer & truck to weigh. Also, to find a tire company that can actually help you with tire requirements in relation to trailer weight is near impossible.
So, does anybody know for sure, (not looking for maybe's) where I can get my rig weighed???

[Randy_from_Utah]

Truck..1996 Dodge 2500 4X4 8800GVWR V10
Trailer..1999 Fleetwood Terry 275J EX

Trailer Manufacture's Specs:
GVWR..9000
Dry Weight..6850
Carrying Cap..2150
Hitch Dry Weight..1130
Dry Axle Weight..5720
Length..28'

Truck alone,full Tank of gas,hitch.
Front..3540
Rear..2480
Total truck..6020

Truck with 5th wheel attached:
Front..3520
Rear..3740
Tandem Trailer..6640
GCVW..12680
Hitch Pin..1260..19% of trailer weight.


Truck Front GAWR..4850
Rear GAWR...6084
Truck Tires..max load..3042
Trailer tires..max load..2830

5th wheel pretty much empty,propane tanks full,2 batteries,black,grey tanks empty.

So.. How much truck and trailer carrying capacity do I have left and how do these numbers look??

Thanks for an answer...Randy

P.S. Next time I leave town loaded I'll re-weigh and re-post.

[DW-gray]

Here is an update from my first posting. I recently had an official weigh-in at a rally. (2 people in truck, full fuel tanks, fully loaded, no water)

Truck without trailer attached:
Front Axle: 4,525
Rear Axle: 3,500
GVW: 8025

Truck with trailer attached:
Front Axle: 4,675
Rear Axle: 6,950
Total Weight: 11,625

Trailer Axles:
Front: 4,975
Middle: 4,375
Rear: 4,850
Total Axle Load: 14,200

Total Pin Weight: 3,600
Trailer Gross Weight: 17,800

Gross Combined Vehicle Weight: 25,825

[RockRiver]

My whole rig weighs 19,470 pounds.

"Rig" consists of a 2007 Chevy DuraMax, Crew Cab, Dually (with my wife & daughter inside + a full tank of fuel); and a Holiday Rambler Alumiscape, 32 foot, loaded to the gills with food, bedding, 3 bicycles on the back, etc.

When I rolled my pickup off the scale, only the trailer remained on the scale. The weight went to 8800 pounds, but I realize that's not trailer weight, as there was a considerable amount on the tongue (weight on the truck).

[me1magoo]

Yeah, 20#, I was just saying that it's a "hair" back if anything. 20# less on the front axle could have easily been that I put my cooler in the back seat instead of the front seat on the way home and it bumped the tolerance on the scales since it goes in 20# increments.
Even if it was back a hair, I doubt 20# is going to cause my front wheels to push in a turn! Anywho's- it rolls nice and I like it. I think I might upgrade to a set of airbags just to set up a bit, the lights are kind of shooting the sky with the rear suspension setting firmly on the overload springs. They are not compressed by any means, but the pads are firmly contacted against the springs when stopped and surely really press on those "woopdie doop" bridges....

[me1magoo]

OK- I get to post again since I have a new trailer!
Empty- still the same
Front 4560
Rear 3020
GVW 7580- this is 20 lbs less that last time, I doubt I lost weight, probably less fuel!
Hooked up
Front 4540- dropped 20 lbs from front axle, shifted to rear of course, just a spit back of center on the rear axle
Rear 5560- Yep, thats a 2540 lb hitch weight! Still well under the 6200 lb GAWR for the rear axle
GVW 10100 and yes that is over the 9900 GVWR, so I am officially no longer allowed to participate in weight police discussions and my badge has been revoked!
Trailer axles- 7720
Total Trailer weight is 10,260 lbs and that is with the front storage all full and nothing in the rear bedroom or fridge or any other supplies, I figure it will balance out (for every thing we put in the back we will add something in the front bedroom or closet, etc)
Trailer GVWR is 12,250 so we have plenty of room to grow as long as I do it evenly and don't add more hitch weight I feel pretty comfortable.

GCW (Gross Combination Weight) 17,820 lbs
This pulls well and definitely is more noticable than my old 8000 lbs trailer and at 35' vs 28' long and 13' vs 12' high it is a lot more wind resistance and definitely gives the truck a workout! Not 'hard' to pull but definitely makes it grunt a little more to take off on a hill and get up to speed and also really puts a dent in the fuel tank on the highway at 65!! No faster though, 60 is my normal, 65 is max.

[AlbertG001]

Newbie-5th Wheel Rig. Just picked up a new Keystone HE Cougar Bunkhouse 33.5 ft. As soon as I left dealer went to truck scale with truck, driver and 5th. Have a Chevy 2010 HD Diesel 3/4 ton crew cab. standard bed. Rated: 23,000 Towing/Truck

Trailer Specs: 7410,Capacity 2590= Total 10.000 and Hitch 1390
Truck: Front=4300, Rear=3240 Total=7540 W/O 5th
5th wheel: 6180 Axles,
Truck hitched to 5th: Front=4320, Rear= 4620 total 8940 W/O Wife.
Total of both Truck & 5th = 15120

If I calculated correctly: Truck Front 4300, Rear 4620, Hitch wt. would be 1380 took above rears: 4620-3240=1380. Factory specs = 1390.

Truck rated at 9200 lbs.GVW
As mine sits: 4320+4620+20%/200+120 = 9260 Total

I searched to find a 33 footer with Bunks that I could tow without going too much over on truck capacity but I think this one should do fine.

[Tireman9]

ramcneal wrote:
Look at http://www.catscale.com and search for San Diego. Here's one that I found.

HWY 905 & Piper Ranch Road
Otay Mesa, CA 92154

There are probably other scales around, but you definitely want a certified scale. The CAT scale that I use has several large pads which make it easy to place each axle on a different pad. All except for the trailer axles since they are so close together. Not having separate values for the two or three trailer axles doesn't seem to be an issue since you just take the trailer weight and divide it by two or three (# of axles) and you know how much weight the trailer axles are carrying.
snip....

What happens if you're over the GCWR. Good question. There are people on this forum and other forums that I read which will say you'll end up in purgatory if you go over any of the ratings. GVWR, GCWR, GAWR. At the same time there are folks at the opposite end who practically feel if your truck can move the weight you're fine. I'm in the middle, but lean towards the first group. The manufacturers have built these trucks with work loads in mind. To go over those numbers means you'll wear out parts of your truck at a faster rate than normal at a *minimum*. Going over the ratings could also be extremely unsafe for you and others around you. snip....
Does that help?

Well the idea that your axles are equally balanced does not seem to be supported by some of the very limited data posted here.
One example where the owner took the effort to get the individual axle loads found Fwd axle 4170lbs, Cnt axle 3890lbs, Rr axle 4330lbs.

31% to 35% of total on that three axle unit. Now add the potential 2 - 3% or more side to side variation and you are not very equal especially if you are bumping up against a max load on a tire

One other item I do not see mentioned in this thread, but plenty of complaints in other threads is tire failures. Usually tires are the "weakest link" so if your GVWR is exceeded there is all probability that one or more of your tires are overloaded.

If or when you have a tire failure I hope it is only your RV that is damaged and there is no personal injury or damage to other motorists.

[jmqualls]

2010 Dodge dually 4X4 ATTA 50 gal in bed fuel tank
Sunnybrook 31BWFS
22,300 loaded

[John_Holveck]

I had a F250 Ford with 7.3 engine (I ordered it with the same axle as an F350) and pulled a trailer that weighed close to 14000 loaded (I can't remeber the exact weights but was a little more than the door sticker but neither axle was over weight) and never had any trouble pulling or stopping even in the Rocky Mountains. That 7.3 engine is about bullet proof. I made the mistake of trading for a 6.0 and didn't pull nearly as well. I now have a 2008 6.4 F350 DRW and pull a 15000lb trailer with a combined gross wt. of about 23400 and my owners manual says that the combined gross wt. is 23500 It makes a good combination.

[sirdrakejr]

You are correct. The trailer weight is the total MINUS the pin weight for the wheel's weight. If the pin weighs about 1600# and the wheel weight is 6980, the the total trailer weight will be the total of the two: 8580#.

Sounds about right to me and the truck should handle that well. You also need to weigh the truck with everything EXCEPT the trailer on it. Then you will have the true figures for the trailer and truck separately.
Frank