Thinking about a 5er (can I do it?)
I have owned 3 travel trailers over the years and have towed them many thousands of miles. Never had any issues. We are thinking of moving up to a fifth wheel. I have never towed a 5er and I wanted...
Forum Discussion
donn0128 wrote:
14K fiver translates into 3000 pounds of pin weight! Do you honestly believe once you have the truck loaded with fuel, hitch, family and family stuff you still have 3000 pounds of capacity before you exceed the trucks GVWR rating? To know, load everything you normally have on board for a trip and hit the scales. Subtract scaled weight plus 250 pounds for a hitch from the trucks GVWR. That will be your real honest load carrying capacity, read that as pin weight. Pin weight roughly equals 20% of the trailers total weight. Since you really have no idea at this time a trailers weight, use a trailers GVWR for all your calculations. Better safe than sorry!
OP here. I loaded up the wife, dog, Baby Q, toolbox, fifth wheel hitch, full tank of gas and other misc stuff. Took the truck to CAT scale. Came in at 6900. 3760/3140 front/rear. 9500 GVWR minus 6900 equals 2600 available for pin weight. What kind of margin should I figure?
Weights seemed low. Fully loaded with all of the above it came in within 30 lbs of the advertised curb weight. I re-weighed today without DW and came in 100 lbs less at 6800. Makes sense as DW weighs 100 lbs soaking wet. (don't tell her I told you)
