Maximum 5th wheel weight for SRW

[DarrellQ2001]

I'm going to buy a new 5th wheel this spring and I know I must upgrade my truck also. I like the Excel 37IKE but it has a GVW of 18,700 and I hate DRW trucks. Is there any make of SRW that would safely handle this trailer?

[blt2ski]

I DO like Oranges better, ALtho a slightly greenish Green apple is good too. Reds are also good. Not to found of the yellow varieties. Something to do with them being in the rose family me thinks........then again, so are cherries, peaches, apricots, among other things I like too..........oh yeah, them prune things that make one run are from the rose family too!

Then again from a twuck standpoint, I have never been found of the engine/axel ratio GCWR BS. I've seen rigs with the WRONG axel but do better than the ones with the correct ratio, ALL because the transmission is taller gears, ie MUCHO taller gears in the correct ratio vs the wrong ratio! One needs to know do you "gear it fast, run it slow" or "gear it slow, run it fast". Once you figure this out, you can choose the correct ratio. Then one should also put in a factor for tire diam, since it is a gear ratio too. IE a 3.42 geared rig with 28" tires, all other things equal, will have the same shift points as a 3.73 geared rig with 30" tires, which will have the same shift points as a 4.10 geared rig with 32" tires.......

Marty

[Cummins12V98]

Marty you told me you like oranges better!

I will be the first to agree that 4:10's for me would be much better. But as I have said I am impressed with what it does towing combined 28K with the 3:42's.

[blt2ski]

Hmmmmmm this sounds like a picture on the back of a van for the local brewery scuttlebutt! Her pic is saying she is scuttle! He says that make me ?!?!?!? with a look of worry on his face!

Chris, if cummins had 4.10s, he'd be in OD all day long too! his first with 4.10s at 2000 would probably put him in the 10-15 mph range......apples and oranges is probably a good way to put the two rigs. Hopefully noted I am not trying to say one is better than the other, but both have plus and minus's about them. His 6 sp would be the better drive train if he had 3.73 or 4.10 gear sets, or 4.33 if I had my say in it, then at 60 or so, I can be running at about 1600-1700 rpm in DOD!

Marty

[Cummins12V98]

Me Again wrote:

blt2ski wrote:
Chris,

To compare cummins Dodge with yours......not a GOOD comparison. Yeah he may have 3.42 gears, BUT, his trans IIRC is in the mid 3-1 first gear range, you might be at best in the 2.8-2.9 range. So he may very well have an overall low lower than you have in first gear. Not goign to compare torque, other than stock, you would probably be 60% of what he has. Being as I do not know your specs with your bombed motor......you two may be close in the torque range, but still his overall low would be lower, so he is better off than you.

Not sure that one can use the gear ratio as a best tow rig these days as compared to the past. One needs to look at the whole picture.

For me, I try not to tow a trailer that is more than 2x the grawr. So if a SW rig has what I have seen as a 7500 lbs, max trailer is 15K, assuming I have the payload for the hw, people, and other asst and sundry junque one carries in the tow rig. I really do not care what the manufactures tow rating is. Being as I had a rig with a manufactures gcwr lower than its gvwr, that was interesting finding that out after running down the road at upwards of 12-14K with an 8600 gvwr rig with a gcwr of 8500 lbs! that out pulled a 454 with a 16k GCWR When both were at 12K! Not always a biggest engine is the baddest, or lowest axel ratio or equal.........need to look at the WHOLE picture.

marty

Actual at 2000 in first gear when applied to a gear ratio cal site I am doing 19 or 20 MPH and he is doing 18, so not that much different. I have around 760 ft/lb at the crank and he has 800. His 6 gear is not that good for towing and mine tows all day long in OD.

But they are applies and oranges in many many ways. Chris

Me thinks mine is the orange!

[Me_Again]

blt2ski wrote:
Chris,

To compare cummins Dodge with yours......not a GOOD comparison. Yeah he may have 3.42 gears, BUT, his trans IIRC is in the mid 3-1 first gear range, you might be at best in the 2.8-2.9 range. So he may very well have an overall low lower than you have in first gear. Not goign to compare torque, other than stock, you would probably be 60% of what he has. Being as I do not know your specs with your bombed motor......you two may be close in the torque range, but still his overall low would be lower, so he is better off than you.

Not sure that one can use the gear ratio as a best tow rig these days as compared to the past. One needs to look at the whole picture.

For me, I try not to tow a trailer that is more than 2x the grawr. So if a SW rig has what I have seen as a 7500 lbs, max trailer is 15K, assuming I have the payload for the hw, people, and other asst and sundry junque one carries in the tow rig. I really do not care what the manufactures tow rating is. Being as I had a rig with a manufactures gcwr lower than its gvwr, that was interesting finding that out after running down the road at upwards of 12-14K with an 8600 gvwr rig with a gcwr of 8500 lbs! that out pulled a 454 with a 16k GCWR When both were at 12K! Not always a biggest engine is the baddest, or lowest axel ratio or equal.........need to look at the WHOLE picture.

marty

Actual at 2000 in first gear when applied to a gear ratio cal site I am doing 19 or 20 MPH and he is doing 18, so not that much different. I have around 760 ft/lb at the crank and he has 800. His 6 gear is not that good for towing and mine tows all day long in OD.

But they are applies and oranges in many many ways. Chris

[NC_Hauler]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
People think I am full of it when I say I have 4,500# pin weight (25%). The fact is anything that is heavy is above the axles and mostly in front. My wife makes jewelry and those stones are heavy! plus all the "Stuff" loaded underneath in the big storage.

You're full of it alright, just don't know what "it" is:B ( just ragging you buddy):)

[Cummins12V98]

People think I am full of it when I say I have 4,500# pin weight (25%). The fact is anything that is heavy is above the axles and mostly in front. My wife makes jewelry and those stones are heavy! plus all the "Stuff" loaded underneath in the big storage.

[NC_Hauler]

blt2ski wrote:
I think it should be said, ALOT of people do not know how much they will put in there RV PERIOD!!!!! a few yrs ago, another mod bought a new trailer. Predicted 800 lbs or so. I guessed 1500! Came in at 1300 IIRC! He was surprised. A lot of folks think when I say I put some 2000 lbs in my 24' TT I am screwy. Reality is, with a family of 6, not hard to do.

Marty

Agree with you 100% Marty...hey, it's the wife and I and a couple of dogs and I'm glad I have the huge front storage area in my 5er....I don't believe, until one cleared EVERYTHING OUT of their 5er, would they appreciate some of us saying, "go by the 5er's GVW, it's more realistic".

[blt2ski]

I think it should be said, ALOT of people do not know how much they will put in there RV PERIOD!!!!! a few yrs ago, another mod bought a new trailer. Predicted 800 lbs or so. I guessed 1500! Came in at 1300 IIRC! He was surprised. A lot of folks think when I say I put some 2000 lbs in my 24' TT I am screwy. Reality is, with a family of 6, not hard to do.

Marty

[NC_Hauler]

sidney wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:

As also stated, it would depend on heavy one loads their 5er, but, how does one "speculate" on how much "stuff" they'll load into their 5er? Sometimes when you have more cargo carrying capacity, one tends to pack more into the unit because, "they can"...

Even if you speculate accurately how much stuff you will load into your 5er... you still have to speculate the weight distribution. Our rig has a huge closet that sits directly above the pin. The addition of my wife's shoes alone could put many over their TV GVWR.

Good point...and again, I believe most would be surprised just how much they put into their 5er's....we found out years ago when we traded out 5er's one time, had them both front door to front door and unloaded everything from the old 5er to the new 5er...was hard to believe, and I think a lot of people tend to "think" they're not going to put that much "stuff" in their 5er.

[sidney]

NC Hauler wrote:

As also stated, it would depend on heavy one loads their 5er, but, how does one "speculate" on how much "stuff" they'll load into their 5er? Sometimes when you have more cargo carrying capacity, one tends to pack more into the unit because, "they can"...

Even if you speculate accurately how much stuff you will load into your 5er... you still have to speculate the weight distribution. Our rig has a huge closet that sits directly above the pin. The addition of my wife's shoes alone could put many over their TV GVWR.

[NC_Hauler]

Old-Biscuit wrote:

hmknightnc wrote:
As others have said you are limited by tire capacity with a SRW 1 Ton truck. It highly depends on the truck and gear you have in the truck but as a general rule with a 1 Ton SRW you should stay below 14k# GVWR of a FW, for a 3/4 Ton you are looking at no more than 12k# GVWR FW. The trailer you are looking at is squarely in Dually country

There's the MFGs published specs and numbers and then there's the real world........

The above quote is in the Real World.

I get a chuckle when folks post MFGs. published numbers without posting ALL the little caveats/footnotes that are noted in the tiny print.

By the time the truck is optioned out and one actually goes across a set of scales loaded up camp ready they can't believe the numbers.....where did all that payload capacity go? what happened to that magical tow rating? my tires can't handle that kind of weight?
the truck weighs more than the sticker? Bah.bah.bah......

I wish MFGs would not publish any numbers and just state.........you need to weigh your truck in order to know what it can carry and/or haul!

Agree 100% with you on what manufacturers publish as to how much one can tow with their trucks, it's joke...one really needs to do the math and look at all the specs.

I think an 18,700# 5er is too heavy for a 3500 SRW truck, if OP doesn't want a dually, they may want to look at getting a lighter 5er.

Ram dually in my sig has RAWR of 9750, GVWR of 14,000# and with 4:10, a GCWR of over 36,000# (though I would NEVER think of that), and the RAWR could be higher by going to higher weight rated tires. But, my 5er weighs in at only 16,050, with a 3300# pin weight, having weighed my combo at this time, I'm well under the trucks GVWR.

As also stated, it would depend on heavy one loads their 5er, but, how does one "speculate" on how much "stuff" they'll load into their 5er? Sometimes when you have more cargo carrying capacity, one tends to pack more into the unit because, "they can"...

I'd tend to err to side of safety and either go with a lighter 5er or look at any of the Big 3's 3500 Dually's.....

[blt2ski]

Chris,

To compare cummins Dodge with yours......not a GOOD comparison. Yeah he may have 3.42 gears, BUT, his trans IIRC is in the mid 3-1 first gear range, you might be at best in the 2.8-2.9 range. So he may very well have an overall low lower than you have in first gear. Not goign to compare torque, other than stock, you would probably be 60% of what he has. Being as I do not know your specs with your bombed motor......you two may be close in the torque range, but still his overall low would be lower, so he is better off than you.

Not sure that one can use the gear ratio as a best tow rig these days as compared to the past. One needs to look at the whole picture.

For me, I try not to tow a trailer that is more than 2x the grawr. So if a SW rig has what I have seen as a 7500 lbs, max trailer is 15K, assuming I have the payload for the hw, people, and other asst and sundry junque one carries in the tow rig. I really do not care what the manufactures tow rating is. Being as I had a rig with a manufactures gcwr lower than its gvwr, that was interesting finding that out after running down the road at upwards of 12-14K with an 8600 gvwr rig with a gcwr of 8500 lbs! that out pulled a 454 with a 16k GCWR When both were at 12K! Not always a biggest engine is the baddest, or lowest axel ratio or equal.........need to look at the WHOLE picture.

marty

[Me_Again]

The new RAM 3500 SRW that I tested had 18" tires rated to 3750 with a 7K RAWR. So they should be able to handle around 3500 lbs of pin weight. My issue would be that they only offer the 3:42 gears in the SRW models. Cummins12V98 tows his MS with these gears, stating his only issue is getting the load moving from a stop on a steep grade, which happens from time to time. That happen to us on 64 in NM. We pull off the road at over 10,000 foot on an uphill wide stop to look over the valley, and let slow traffic get further ahead of us. I could not get my turbo to spool and blacken the mountain top, with 4:10 gears an CVW of 20K! When around the corner to the top and a sign reading 10,500 feet.

Chris