SRW for pulling Fifth Wheel
I am looking to buy a new truck because we intend to upgrade to a fifth wheel within the next few years. I have read a ton of articles and posts saying that a dually is better and the truck to have. P...
Forum Discussion
Walaby wrote:
I believe the reason many people recommend using GVWR to ensure one has adequate capacity with their TV, is it would represent the potential worse case weight of the trailer, when loaded.
I get the 'first glance' usage of GVWR for evaluating a trailer, but to me, the danger of this advice is that the GVWR of the trailer does NOT represent the worst case scenario. The GVWR of a trailer indicates how much load that trailer is able to carry - it has nothing to do with how much a person will actually put in! The vast majority of RV owners are going to load what they are going to load - with no consideration of weight.
The person who has 10,000 of free capacity to tow a trailer, who then buys a 9,000 pound 'dry' trailer is going to be the same weight, in the end, regardless of whether that trailer has a GVWR of 9,500 or 12,000. In this case, they may pull out at 10k, within the ratings of the truck, but OVER the ratings of the trailer if they buy the lower GVWR vehicle. This makes them significantly less safe than buying the rig that has a GVWR over their capacity.
I just think it points people in a false direction of thinking that GVWR on a trailer will somehow impact it's final weight. There are trailers out there with cargo capacities under 500 pounds. Those people may have a trailer with a GVWR that fits within their specs, but most of them have well exceeded that GVWR on the trailer anyway.
