15K fifth wheel hitch

Since you are going to buy a fifth wheel, why not go first class all the way. Buy a 25k air safe hitch or another brand air hitch. I know they are expensive . But you get what you pay for. I have the 25k air safe hitch . You won't know the 5th wheel is behind you. Plus nothing moves in the 5th wheel. You can look behind you at the 5th wheel as you go down the road and just see it floating back their. The 5th wheel and the truck are not in a bind.

Notice that the post was about a hitch.

Jim2007 wrote:
Hi All: I have a dodge 2500 3/4 ton truck with a fifth wheel hitch that is rated at 15k (15,000lbs.). Maximum pin weight is 15,000 x 0.20= 3000lbs. Correct on this so far? So when I buy a 5th wheel I need one that has GVWR of 15000lbs. or less and a pin weight of 3000lbs or less. Correct? Thanks for the comments. Jim2007

I have a same as '03 2500 Dodge/Cummins with a 13350 lb tow rating. Yours is similar. I pull a 11200 lb 5th wheel trailer. I also pull other trailers up to a 16k GN tri axle that require me to be scaled. I know all of my trucks and trailer actual axle weights.

Our 2500 Dodge trucks has a 6000 RAWR. My particular truck has a 2860 unladin rear axle weight which leaves 3140 lb for a payload. When I'm loaded up the trucks 6000 lb rear axle is around 5100/5300 lbs depending on how the trailer and truck is loaded.
My truck is around 100-150 lbs over the mfg 9000 GVWR but well under all axle/tire load ratings which is the biggie for safety reasons.
Your trucks weights will vary as we all carry differing amount of "stuff". I would weigh your trucks front and rear axle weights separately. That way you know your trucks capability.

Jim2007 wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:
You need a 5vr with a 12,000# max GVWR (or less depending on diff. gearing) because your 2500 will run out of actual payload capacity, RAWR and Rear Tire MAX Load Ratings and trucks GVWR above 12,000# gross trailer weight.

You can check your model tow rating HERE

You want your hitch to be rating for more than trailers GVWR.
But you really need to match 5vr with your trucks ratings

Thanks for the hot link to the dodge web site. As it turns out my truck can handle less payload than the 15k hitch (as you noted). So I will need to use the truck payload capacity to determine the correct weight for the trailer. Jim2007

Jim2007, Old-Biscuit is a bit optimistic on the 5er GVWR for towing with an 2001 Ram and stay within ALL ratings!

The killer is the 8,800# Ram GVWR, I pull a 5er with a GVWR of 12,360#, I tow it at about 11,000# wet, and EXCEED my GVWR by a good bit. That said this TV has a Camper package which has 3500 springs. I still have between 600# to 700# of rear axle capacity and don't have a need for bags or Timbern's! This is not a worry as the truck tows and drives great, even on very narrow state highways.

It is YOUR call as to what you do.

Old-Biscuit wrote:
You need a 5vr with a 12,000# max GVWR (or less depending on diff. gearing) because your 2500 will run out of actual payload capacity, RAWR and Rear Tire MAX Load Ratings and trucks GVWR above 12,000# gross trailer weight.

You can check your model tow rating HERE

You want your hitch to be rating for more than trailers GVWR.
But you really need to match 5vr with your trucks ratings

Thanks for the hot link to the dodge web site. As it turns out my truck can handle less payload than the 15k hitch (as you noted). So I will need to use the truck payload capacity to determine the correct weight for the trailer. Jim2007

The point is there are other things to consider besides the capacity of the hitch.

With a 2500 Dodge, odds are most of the truck's own ratings will be reached or exceeded long before the trailer weight reaches 15,000lbs.

That said, if you go by GVWR you are generally pretty safe on not overloading the truck, because the trailer's actual loaded weight will be somewhere below the GVWR. You're planning for "worst case."

Pretty close OP. Do you have the Pro Series 15k hitch?

The 15k is the max trailer weight the hitch is rated to handle. The pin weight should be 3750 lbs max IIRC on that hitch. They all vary some. It just depends on the actual hitch.

But yes, it sounds like you have the concept correct. It's good practice to have a hitch that is higher rated than the GVWR of the trailer..

Thanks!

Jeremiah

TXiceman wrote:
Notice, he said GVWR which is the maximum weight and not DRY WEIGHT.

Ken

Notice he has a 2500

Notice, he said GVWR which is the maximum weight and not DRY WEIGHT.

Ken

You need a 5vr with a 12,000# max GVWR (or less depending on diff. gearing) because your 2500 will run out of actual payload capacity, RAWR and Rear Tire MAX Load Ratings and trucks GVWR above 12,000# gross trailer weight.

You can check your model tow rating HERE

You want your hitch to be rating for more than trailers GVWR.
But you really need to match 5vr with your trucks ratings