New 5th wheel and towing issues

[kimomjtb]

hi everybody it's been a few years since I've been here and I'm back with some issues that I hope someone can help with ....we recently upgraded our 31 foot travel trailer to a 38 foot fifth wheel and we are having some towing issues and don't know what to do about it ... we've talked with people at the camping place and the garage that worked on our truck recently ...seems like no one seems to know what to do... we have a 2003 Dodge 3500 Cummins turbo diesel 5.9 automatic quad cab I'm pretty sure its a 3.73 gears .short bed We have a husky sliding hitch ...on a recent to adventure with this new camper we were all over the road it was handling terrible it was a white knuckle experience... We recently had a lot of work done on the truck to get it ready for the new camper including new tires shocks airbags, steering box as well as a number of other things ...the tires were at around 80 psi on the truck ..and I want to say 50 on the trailer does that sound about right? The air bags were at 75.....are air bags a bad idea? what do you think this issue with all over the road was... Don't know any thing about pin weights and G VCRs and all that **** ..if .anybody could just help out a little I would truly appreciate it ....my husband is just all in a tizzy.thanks ..here is the specs to the trailer.....the hitch is right over the axel...please let me know if you need any more information That I may have not mentioned here .thank you so much..



Hitch Weight
UVW
GVWR
CCC
Exterior Length
Exterior Height
Exterior Width
Fresh Water
Gray Water
Black Water
Awning Size



385BH

1,940 lbs.
12,320 lbs.
15,940 lbs.
3,620 lbs.
41' 1"
12' 10"
100"
64 gal.
83 gal.
86 gal.
16 ft

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone

[crcr]

duplicate

[mkirsch]

Maybe the problem is much simpler. You say you have a slider hitch.

What position is the hitch in when you are towing normally? It should be in the FORWARD position. The pivot pin should be directly above the center of the rear axle of the truck.

If for some crazy reason, you are traveling with the hitch in the rearward position, this may be the cause of your problem.

[emillsboro]

I got rig weighed at CAT scales. Go online and google CAT scales to find closest place. Also online go to "Trailer Life" towing guide where they have step by step guide and you can fill in the weights and get a report of your rig's max and min condition. You'll have to weigh the combine rig and then just the truck separated from 5er. I did it on two separate trips to scales. Cost is about $10 each weigh in. Tell operator it is first time weigh in. Note, the button to talk to operator is way up high for semi drivers. You'll need a step ladder or a stick to reach the button. Position your front truck axle on the front scale, your truck rear axle at the second scale and the 5er on the last scale. Once operator tells you they have the weight pull off scale and go inside to pay and get weight report.

[Crabbypatty]

Besides making sure your TV is fit and ready for towing service, which is rule #1, you need to ascertain pin weight and overall gross vehicle weight. In addition to running tires at proper pressure as you could have had a blow out, you also need to load the fiver properly, rule #2. If you place to much stuff at the rear, you will unload the pin and be waggin the tail on the dog alot! Very dangerous.

[kimomjtb]

Thanks everyone....some great info here...can't change tow vehicles for at least a year or two...we pretty much will only be traveling a three hour radius two to 4 times a year for the time being..would like the option to travel farther in future..hopefully using all the info here we can get a comfortable tow in the mean time because we are not towing with the experience like we just had....before air bags and new tires the short tow we did was nothing like the last experience...got to get the correct air pressure in FW,TV and airbags...any suggestions where to exactly start will all of the above? TV Tires are new michelins 265/70r17..did we get the wrong ones? Thanks again....

[rhagfo]

Old-Biscuit wrote:

First off

5th wheel is too heavy for that vintage of 3500 (I tow a 14K 5vr and am right at rear axle/rear tire load ratings and over trucks GVWR)

Trailer tire pressure.........50# :H
What is tire psi on sidewall. My tires are 16" 110# (I run 100#)


Air bags...........75#
I don't have air bags but 75# sounds like a lot of pressure to be running.

X2 to Old Biscuit's statement above!

SRW 2003 Ram has stock 265/70-17 E tires rated at 3,195 ea total max rear axle making the Max to carry on the rear axle 6,390#. At GVWR that would be just shy of 3,200# pin.

I like Old Biscuit run over my GVWR, but well within axle, and even more within the optional 265/75-16 E @ 3,415# ea.

I tow a 12,360# GVWR 5er with a 2001 2500, and I will say it tows like a dream.

If your 3500 was a 2014 or newer, yes, but you just don't have enough tire to carry that heavy of a pin.

In addition, you will NOT have a good towing experience until you fix that steering issue. Try a steering box brace, and check all your tie-rod ends. Look closely at the track bar, and drop tire pressure in the front to about 60psi.

[Beavis01350]

Thats a lot of air in the bags, I only run a max of 50 in mine and my advertised pin wieght is 2600. My 5'r is stickered at 11,200.

[jaycocamprs]

kimomjtb wrote:
So not to sound stupid but never weighed any set up...where do you do this and is there a guide to get the numbers...PIn weight ect ? I am a woman and do not understand this and dh is an electrician ..we hook up and we tow.....we don't travel far ..2 hours max and we dont go a lot ...but we invested in this new trailer so we can possible start to travel more...I know I know not good but that is why I am here to learn....any links that would help me I would appreciate it...

Find a Cat Scale near you. You weigh the truck and trailer, then the truck by it's self. The difference is the pin weight. Look at the door sticker for the GVWR and the axle ratings and compare to your loaded scale weights.

[Big_Dog2]

You indicated the truck tire pressure was at 80 psi. Was that the front tires at 80 psi as well as the rear? Check the sticker on the driver's door for max tire pressure under load. My 06 Mega has a max pressure of 60 psi for the front and 75 psi for the rear (for max load). With the fiver, you will not be increasing the load on the front tires significantly. The above may or may not be a factor in how your rig is handling.

[kimomjtb]

RCMAN46 wrote:
You need to hit the scales.

Without weights of the truck only and weights with trailer all you will get is guesses as what is wrong.

I suspect you have a very low pin weight percentage.

So not to sound stupid but never weighed any set up...where do you do this and is there a guide to get the numbers...PIn weight ect ? I am a woman and do not understand this and dh is an electrician ..we hook up and we tow.....we don't travel far ..2 hours max and we dont go a lot ...but we invested in this new trailer so we can possible start to travel more...I know I know not good but that is why I am here to learn....any links that would help me I would appreciate it...

[kimomjtb]

kimomjtb wrote:

rhagfo wrote:
Pin weight should be 20% minimum of total 5er weight.
Is the 3500 SRW or DRW?
Does the the truck wander empty?
Did you have ball joints checked/replaced
4X2 or 4X4?
Is the 5er level when connected to the TV?

Yes trailer is level


It is a SWR
There is a lot of play in the steering when not hooked up and that is why they replaced the steering box,but it still is lose after......took it back and they checked it along with making sure the wheels were balanced correctly....
The ball joints were just replaced,it is a 4x4

There was a gust of wind while we were on the highway,and wow,thought we were,going to go off the road...never had a problem towing the travel trailer...

[RCMAN46]

You need to hit the scales.

Without weights of the truck only and weights with trailer all you will get is guesses as what is wrong.

I suspect you have a very low pin weight percentage.

[kimomjtb]

rhagfo wrote:
Pin weight should be 20% minimum of total 5er weight.
Is the 3500 SRW or DRW?
Does the the truck wander empty?
Did you have ball joints checked/replaced
4X2 or 4X4?
Is the 5er level when connected to the TV?

It is a SWR
There is a lot of play in the steering when not hooked up and that is why they replaced the steering box,but it still is lose after......took it back and they checked it along with making sure the wheels were balanced correctly....
The ball joints were just replaced,it is a 4x4

There was a gust of wind while we were on the highway,and wow,thought we were,going to go off the road...never had a problem towing the travel trailer...

[donn0128]

Light pin, tires, overloaded. You need to laid like your going camping and hit the scales.

[Old-Biscuit]

First off

5th wheel is too heavy for that vintage of 3500 (I tow a 14K 5vr and am right at rear axle/rear tire load ratings and over trucks GVWR)

Trailer tire pressure.........50# :H
What is tire psi on sidewall. My tires are 16" 110# (I run 100#)


Air bags...........75#
I don't have air bags but 75# sounds like a lot of pressure to be running.