Do I need air bags?

[MLWalton]

The 5th wheel I'm considering getting has a hitch weight of 1990lbs and just curious if I need air bags. My truck is a long bed CC 4x4 6.2L with a rear GAWR of 6340lbs. Thanks.

[MLWalton]

Thanks spud1957 I bought this truck to pull a 5w and sure don't want to over load it.

[spud1957]

MLWalton wrote:
The 5th wheel I'm considering getting has a hitch weight of 1990lbs and just curious if I need air bags. My truck is a long bed CC 4x4 6.2L with a rear GAWR of 6340lbs. Thanks.

You will be over your trucks rating pulling that trailer with the 3:73 gears. Ford rates your truck at 12,500. That's assuming a 150 driver only and a 15% pin weight (SAE J2807 specs).

I would only consider that trailer if I had 4:30s. Rating goes up to 15,000.

Should rethink your choice.

[Big1]

Okay this is what I wanted to hear I will be going out in it next month I had bought the air lift bag with the jounce but I had them to refund my money until I take it out, I think that I can save that money for something else, more diesel fuel. Thank you.

[rhagfo]

Big1 wrote:
I have been looking at getting air bag myself since I just bought my new 1 ton I haven't had a chance to take it out yet but I did hook it up to see how much it sag, what do you think and yes my legs are up off of the blocks.



My 5'er gvwr is 12700 lbs
20% of that is 2540 lbs
Truck payload is 3800 lbs

Okay I'm going to try it without air bag after my first run and see if I want them or not. The truck do look level so will I benefit on getting bags still?

You shouldn't need bags with a 2018 Ram 3500 SRW, I towed and carried a 12,500# scaled 5er with a 2,700# pin with our 2001 Ram 2500 and never needed bags to level.One other thing, you won't be able to tell until you run down the road a ways.
In the picture you look level.

[rhagfo]

Old-Biscuit wrote:

MLWalton wrote:
The one I'm looking at is a 2019 Keystone Cougar 366rds.

Dry weight ----- 11,202#
Dry Pin -------- 1,990#
18% dry pin ratio (low for 5th wheel---typically 20% - 25%)


GVWR ----------- 13,990#
18% ------------ 2,518#

Wet pin will be closer to 2800#


Truck Payload.....3176#
IS that from Data Sticker ON your truck or from Mfg. Brochure???

From truck sticker
3176 minus wet pin 2800 ====657#
Then subtract 5th wheel hitch weight
Then substract ALL Passengers/Stuff in cab etc

Run out of payload.......which is NOT that big of a deal

More importantly is the trucks rear axle rating and tire load ratings
With a 6340# RAWR you will have room to carry that 2800# WET Pin

(I have a 6200 RAWRT and my WET PIN is 3080#. Puts be AT RAWR and under Rear Tire Load Rating)

Well that might be the case, as the TV is a 6.2 gas, the issue is what is the TV's rear axle gear ratio?? Anything less than a 4.10, and that TV will be struggling to pull that 5er.

[Big1]

I have been looking at getting air bag myself since I just bought my new 1 ton I haven't had a chance to take it out yet but I did hook it up to see how much it sag, what do you think and yes my legs are up off of the blocks.



My 5'er gvwr is 12700 lbs
20% of that is 2540 lbs
Truck payload is 3800 lbs

Okay I'm going to try it without air bag after my first run and see if I want them or not. The truck do look level so will I benefit on getting bags still?

[Grit_dog]

You’ll want something helping the suspension very likely. Depends on year and equipment on the truck, but the couple newer F250s I’ve had,’12 and ‘15 models had very compliant rear springs.

[Old-Biscuit]

MLWalton wrote:
The one I'm looking at is a 2019 Keystone Cougar 366rds.

Dry weight ----- 11,202#
Dry Pin -------- 1,990#
18% dry pin ratio (low for 5th wheel---typically 20% - 25%)


GVWR ----------- 13,990#
18% ------------ 2,518#

Wet pin will be closer to 2800#


Truck Payload.....3176#
IS that from Data Sticker ON your truck or from Mfg. Brochure???

From truck sticker
3176 minus wet pin 2800 ====657#
Then subtract 5th wheel hitch weight
Then substract ALL Passengers/Stuff in cab etc

Run out of payload.......which is NOT that big of a deal

More importantly is the trucks rear axle rating and tire load ratings
With a 6340# RAWR you will have room to carry that 2800# WET Pin

(I have a 6200 RAWRT and my WET PIN is 3080#. Puts be AT RAWR and under Rear Tire Load Rating)

[JRscooby]

rhagfo wrote:



Well, the dry weight and dry pin let you know how little pin percentage the manufacturer is stating, usually in the 15% to 17% which puts one in the hole already. Some small 5er have huge payloads, and many large 5ers have small payloads, so small 5er will never likely reach GVWR.

If I had a way to prove it, I would bet most 5th wheel RVs are closer to GVWR than to any published dry weight. And I would bet a pretty high percentage are over the ratings.

[MLWalton]

azdryheat wrote:

MLWalton wrote:
The 5th wheel I'm considering getting has a hitch weight of 1990lbs and just curious if I need air bags. My truck is a long bed CC 4x4 6.2L with a rear GAWR of 6340lbs. Thanks.

What is your truck's payload rating? Subtract 1990 from that and see what's left.

Payload is 3176lbs so it seems I would have 1186 to spare.

[MLWalton]

The one I'm looking at is a 2019 Keystone Cougar 366rds.

[Old-Biscuit]

1990 Pin Weight........that sounds like it is DRY pin weight based on DRY trailer weight from MFG. Brochure


Not going to be even close to what the WET Pin weight will be


Post Year/Brand/Model along with DRY Weight & GVWR of that 5th wheel

Air Bags just help level out a sagging suspension from being overloaded.
They so NOTHING to increase load capacity

[rhagfo]

JRscooby wrote:

rhagfo wrote:


JIMNLIN, covers it pretty well! It would be nice to have the “Dry” and GVWR of the 5er then we would have a better idea as to what the pin could weigh in the end.
Also Ford F250’s tend to have soft springs and squat a bit more. Load it up hook it up look at it and weigh it.

IMHO, the only use for "Dry Weight" numbers is to sell too much trailer to a fool. When shopping, the number to look at is the GVWR, and the percentage of that you carry on the hitch. If those number will fit in the ratings of the TV, you can get to good. Load up for a trip, run across the Cat. Drop the trailer, and do it again. Find a 3rd grader to do the arithmetic for you, then decide what you need to leave home.

Well, the dry weight and dry pin let you know how little pin percentage the manufacturer is stating, usually in the 15% to 17% which puts one in the hole already. Some small 5er have huge payloads, and many large 5ers have small payloads, so small 5er will never likely reach GVWR.

[azdryheat]

MLWalton wrote:
The 5th wheel I'm considering getting has a hitch weight of 1990lbs and just curious if I need air bags. My truck is a long bed CC 4x4 6.2L with a rear GAWR of 6340lbs. Thanks.

What is your truck's payload rating? Subtract 1990 from that and see what's left.