I have a weight dilemma.. what would you do?

[upsfella]

2500 Silverado Diesel GVW 10,000
Rushmore Washington 5ver 15,500
I have 20" rims on pickup 20% of 15500 is 3255 +8380= 11635
Would you look at trading pickup for dually or spend money to beef up my current unit?
I'm not sure if this is the place to put this but I'm looking for as much input on this forum as I can get. Thanks for you help. By the way pickup only has 1000 miles on it!! Ouch.
I know, I know probably should have done more research. I would love to here some thoughts and suggestions.

[Grit_dog]

Not sure who missed their miralax yesterday and is bound up!
Love this site, could not be better comedy!

[wing_zealot]

So let me see if I got this right. You can feel the difference in braking between an 3500 SRW and a 3500 DRW (real wheels both have not lost traction)?
Now that there is impressive!

[Lantley]

travelnutz wrote:
Lantley,

Sorry to have to enlighten you. If the trailer brakes are properly adjusted and employed, they alone stop the RV trailer's forward motion and also pull backward on the tow vehicle. If not, there's an excellent chance of a jacknife condition in the rigs future. Especially on gravel, loose stone, wet or slippery road surfaces, etc. The trailer should never be allowed to push forward on it's tow vehicle when braking! The tow vehicle's brakes only should be the braking source if or when the trailer brakes fail!

Doesn't matter if it's a 1/2 ton pickup or smaller or and 1 ton pickup or larger! The fact remains constant!

Not my problem if you do NOT have your trailer brakes properly adjusted. That is until you fail to stop and hit me or jacknife or lose control and hit me. Then I will have a problem that will very quickly become a real problem for you and you can certainly count on it!!!

What ever happened to learning how to tow properly and legally before actually towing an RV over about 3500 lb or a utility trailer or boat? Most states have laws that are required to be adhered to. Ever hear of "Liability"?

No enlightenment necessary. Put those text books and degrees away and actually drive the trucks. You just may get some real world enlightenment yourself.
Same trailer different trucks. Dually always stops much better regardless of how well the trailer brakes are adjusted. Brakes maybe adjusted perfectly or they may be out of whack the dually will always stop better.
It appears a few others have read your diatribe and have had similar results as mine. Stopping their trailers driving a dually.
In the end there is nothing here for me to debate with you. I have already experienced the braking difference for myself.
The truck's braking ability can have a dramatic effect on stopping the trailer. The trailer's brakes will be assisted by the trucks braking system when you have a large enough truck.
You can enlighten others if you like. But I'll take a pass on your braking rhetoric.

[Grit_dog]

To the OP, I would have no problem tugging that 5ver with a brand new Dmax. Some good tires and something to shore up the rear suspension and hit the road.....
But you do. It have enough understanding or experience to push the limits of your tow truck IMO.
Find a bigger truck or smaller trailer.

[debraindi]

No dough the 3500 DRV has more stopping ability for the same RV being towed compare to 2500 . I think the comparison is 3500 SRW and 2500 SRW. DRW is hydro boost braking and have bigger brakes. the way I check my braking is to let the rig roll and manually set the trailer brakes that stops the rig. I believe the truck brakes are designed to stop the legal GVW and not the towing capacity.

[08UltraRider]

travelnutz wrote:
Kind of comical seeing all the posts citing the truck's brakes when pulling a large trailer. The trailer brakes stop the trailer anmd pull backwards on the tow vehicle if adjusted properly. Having the truck's brakes stop the trailer is asking for a jacknife to happen! The trailer MUST pull backward on the truck when braking! Different when hauling a truck camper as it has no axle nor brakes so the truck brakes must stop both.

That's funny or is it comical? :h

On their own the brakes on my current 3500HD dually are designed to stop a 13,000 pound truck and the last truck I had was a 2010 2500HD where the brakes on it were designed to stop a 9,200 pound truck. Theoretically the dually is 29% better.

At the controller I setup the properly adjusted trailer brakes to the point just before lockup with either truck. I feel that familiar tug whenever I step on the brake pedal in either truck/trailer combo.

Except that the dually has better stopping ability so from a practicable standpoint.... yes that combo does stop better than it did when the over loaded 3/4 ton pulled the same trailer. This with the trailer pulling backwards on the TV.

[travelnutz]

Lantley,

Sorry to have to enlighten you. If the trailer brakes are properly adjusted and employed, they alone stop the RV trailer's forward motion and also pull backward on the tow vehicle. If not, there's an excellent chance of a jacknife condition in the rigs future. Especially on gravel, loose stone, wet or slippery road surfaces, etc. The trailer should never be allowed to push forward on it's tow vehicle when braking! The tow vehicle's brakes only should be the braking source if or when the trailer brakes fail!

Doesn't matter if it's a 1/2 ton pickup or smaller or and 1 ton pickup or larger! The fact remains constant!

Not my problem if you do NOT have your trailer brakes properly adjusted. That is until you fail to stop and hit me or jacknife or lose control and hit me. Then I will have a problem that will very quickly become a real problem for you and you can certainly count on it!!!

What ever happened to learning how to tow properly and legally before actually towing an RV over about 3500 lb or a utility trailer or boat? Most states have laws that are required to be adhered to. Ever hear of "Liability"?

[silvercorvette]

I had a Dodge long bed dually and upgraded to a Chevy long bed dually with 4 wheel drive. 4WD is something you may never need but if you ever get into a dicey situation the 4WD may be worth its weight in gold. I thought that the 2 extra wheels would give me all the extra traction I needed but got into un-paved lot where it got a lot of rain over night after I parked overnight I had a Dodge long bed dually and upgraded to a Chevy long bed dually with 4 wheel drive. 4WD is something you may never need but if you ever get into a dicey situation the 4WD may be worth its weight in gold. I thought that the 2 extra wheels would give me all the extra traction I needed but got into un-paved lot where it got a lot of rain over night after I parked overnight.



The long bed comes in handy, it gives me room for a 95 gallon AUX tank.
It allows me to pick and choose stations with the easiest access. It isn't bad down south but there are some area in the north east that are very difficult to get in and out of. I passed by a few stations in N.J. where I would have had to un-hook my RV in order to get in and out of. If you just consider dollars. some diesel stations in N.Y. charge over a dollar of a gallon more in N.Y but I will never come close to breaking even on what I paid for my tank set up but the connivence and piece of mind is priceless

[azrving]

If 3/4 and 1 ton are the same why buy a one ton?

[Lantley]

Travelnutz while I agree in theory the trailer brakes stop the trailer. The trucks brakes do significantly affect stopping the trailer.
My dually will stop whatever it is towing much faster /stronger/better than a SRW truck. I challenge your statements because I am basing my comments on experience towing with a dually vs. towing with a SRW truck.
The dually has more braking power and will control/stop the trailer significantly faster.
The features of the truck also impact trailer braking. Exhaust brakes are another way the truck stops the trailer.
Claiming that one can rely solely rely on the trailer brakes to stop the trailer is misleading. Especially for newbies that have no experience and don't know any better.

[travelnutz]

CWSWine,

Yes there are pressure monitoring plates that can be used to check both static load and dynamic load pressures as in weight. Normal road imperfections, bumps, and dips, etc are a given and are figured into the suspension design and truck component capability and capacity. You mentioned the axle/tire ratings and using that as an example. GM's 2500HD AAM rear axle is rated at approx 6100 lbs by GM because that is the max OEM tire capacity at full inflation on the production truck. That same axle is rated at approx 10,000 lbs+ by AAM who actually manufactures the axles used. The 2500HD, 3500HD SRW, and the 3500HD DRW axles are the same diameter so what happens in a 2500HD is the same thing that happens in the 3500HD. The tires are the weak point, not the axle. Most years of production, the axle is the same for all 3 truck models but has a different part number for the DRW OEM's because of the different plate required welded on the end and slightly shorter length for dual wheel mounting.

What is not known is what instant shock pressures resulting from hitting a large chuck hole as they vary infinitely in depths, size, and contour shapes. Impossible to know all holes or sppeds they are encountered at during a truck's/vehicle;s life. What if you run over a 3" or 4" dia branch or log on the road or raised RR track and at what speed? 130% of max GVWR is a gross understatement as it can be well over 200% but you notice that normally the tires do not blow out nor does the axle break or bend nor does the truck's frame. Hitting hard enough can or will cause the need for a realignment of the front suspension/steerling/wheel adjustment alignment. Possible to break a spring. The design used in the OP's truck will withstand much more than you think as these factors have been included in the engineering design and certifications.

DRW's give a wider stance which improves stability and also give a higher carrying capacity on the rear axle. Double? Nope! read the tire info on the sidewall. Different weight capacity if used in dual configuration VS single. Same tire but different capacities! There are pros and cons to having either a SRW or DRW truck pulling the same RV unit. Trucks pulling RV's are driven differently by various drivers, speeds, cornering, brake use, type of roads and climate, flat areas and mountains, etc, so one size and or type does NOT fit all. The OP is pushing the limit of RV size and weight with his 2500HD truck but if driven properly, it can do the task he has. It's a decision the truck owner must make for his or her personal type of usage.

Kind of comical seeing all the posts citing the truck's brakes when pulling a large trailer. The trailer brakes stop the trailer anmd pull backwards on the tow vehicle if adjusted properly. Having the truck's brakes stop the trailer is asking for a jacknife to happen! The trailer MUST pull backward on the truck when braking! Different when hauling a truck camper as it has no axle nor brakes so the truck brakes must stop both.

So many people and RV'ers are simply mind set and fail to use common sense and therefore, think they need a class 8 chassis cab truck tractor just to pull a 15,000 lb RV.

[Me_Again]

http://www.ricksontruckwheels.com/tires-195-truck.php + Air Bag is a route some go. But that will cost ckise the the 4K truck swap you talked about. Chris

[debraindi]

CWSWine wrote:

travelnutz wrote:


Nearly 4 decades (now retired) of doing vehicle engineering, component design, testing, etc contract or by invite for GM, Ford, and Chrysler Corps with my owned engineering operation. Mostly trucks, vans, and SUVs. Also our 51st year of RVing ourselves. Just want to help RV'ers enjoy and be safe.

Maybe you can verify information I got from a retired vehicle engineer that now teaching engineering at the college level. He said there are test done with plate between the 5er hitch that can measure weight changes while towing. He stated the scale weight is a static weight and that while towing the pin weight can vary by 30% or more. Hitting the dip in road or going down steep hill and applying the brakes shifts weight forward onto the pin. Is this true? So that 3,000 lbs pin weight can jump up to 3900 lbs or more. That is why you should leave a margin between max axle/tire ratings and stay close to the CC of the TV.

When I first started Rving this year and have I 10,000 miles on my Impact . I would be pulling along nicely an hit a bad place in the road dam it that was rough but the Harley in the the garage was riding safely.

[slickest1]

I too think for the size of the trailer I would go to a dually. I would also make sure it had the proper transmission cooler and on a diesel an exhaust brake. The dually will most likely have the sie of tires that will pack the weight with some extra margin.
The wife will look at the new dually and fall in love with it and say I am glad we are rid of that other thing. It is a long shot but Maybe!