SRW for pulling Fifth Wheel

[rb2boxer]

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. Problem is that I dont really want a dually, we pull maybe 10 times a year for weekends and family vacations, etc. The SRW is a much better daily option for us

I am looking at a chevy or gmc 3500 crew cab diesel with the standard bed. I would really love to hear from people with the similar truck pulling fifth wheels....any issues?

I would make sure whatever fifth wheel I bought matched the specs of the truck. The one we are thinking of grosses at 15K and a pin weight of 2500#

Thanks in advance!

[Me_Again]

blofgren wrote:


Have you actually scaled your rig loaded? I'm not sure taking the % of the dry pin weight x the GVWR is all that accurate because the pin weight will vary depending on how the trailer is loaded.

Yes! Loaded heavy.

Steer 5120
Drive 6620
Sub Truck 11740
Trailer 12780
GCW 24520
TV -8900
Trailer 15620
Pin 2820

[blofgren]

Me Again wrote:
If you create a percentage for the dry pin weight divided by the dry weight of the trailer and then apply the percentage to the GVWR of the trailer, you will be close to the loaded pin weight.


Here are our numbers. Dry pin 2435, Dry weight 13050 = 18.66 percent
18.66 percent times the 16 GVWR = 2985 loaded pin weight.

This is why we choose the BH3575el to tow with our SRW 2015 RAM 3500 4x4 SB truck.

If this trailer was pin heavy from the factory at say 2900, then loaded pin weight would be around 3556 pounds and I would have been over my RGAWR. Chris

Have you actually scaled your rig loaded? I'm not sure taking the % of the dry pin weight x the GVWR is all that accurate because the pin weight will vary depending on how the trailer is loaded.

[Bedlam]

I reweigh at least twice a year. It's more a matter of finding a working scale that is not in use than any aversion to knowing true weight.

[Walaby]

I've reweighed twice since my initial weight. Most recent was in June, when I added my bike rack to the tongue, and had two bikes on it.

Other than adding or subtracting one pound propane bottles, Im pretty well set on my weight.

Mike

[blt2ski]

How often for those of you that have weighed, do you reweigh? How many know the ave plus minus you may be depending upon the where you are going, how long etc? I had a 1000-1500 lb difference between high and low weight on my old TT! all of its 24' mind you. 5200 to 6800 on the axels, hitch wt changed too!

Variation on my GCW was greater than this difference, as what was in the bed, did I carry the canoe etc, could change by another 1000 lb difference too! Of course there was the day I came home from Snoqualmie pass skiing, but the pass was closed for 3 days, snowed some 5', had an additional 3-4000lbs of snow in and on the truck and trailer ea! Life goes on!

Marty

[memtb]

larry barnhart wrote:
A few winters ago I talked many times to the owner of a large Teton fifth and he towed with a 2003 GMC dually. He bought an early 06 duramax and I asked why not wait for the new engine and his jaw dropped. then I asked if it towed better than the older 3500 dually and yes. He then told me our 35 alpenlite was heavier than his 4 slide large Teton so what does it weigh I asked. Never weighed it so the above post I believe are true. Most don't know.

chevman

I’m guilty of not knowing, “exactly” what our present Teton weighs, we keep changing out stuff, just a bit over 20 K, is my best guess.....using a previous weigh from several years ago.
Our old ‘95 Teton weighed, 21,980 lbs......fully geared-up, propane, and water tanks filled, and ready to go! But, it was a little larger and had a few heavy features added!

One day soon, I hope to reweigh this one....for an exact weight. Suffice to say it’s heavy....but not bad to tow! Heavy enough to be stable in fairly high winds, which is comforting!

[larry_barnhart]

A few winters ago I talked many times to the owner of a large Teton fifth and he towed with a 2003 GMC dually. He bought an early 06 duramax and I asked why not wait for the new engine and his jaw dropped. then I asked if it towed better than the older 3500 dually and yes. He then told me our 35 alpenlite was heavier than his 4 slide large Teton so what does it weigh I asked. Never weighed it so the above post I believe are true. Most don't know.

chevman

[Me_Again]

If you create a percentage for the dry pin weight divided by the dry weight of the trailer and then apply the percentage to the GVWR of the trailer, you will be close to the loaded pin weight.


Here are our numbers. Dry pin 2435, Dry weight 13050 = 18.66 percent
18.66 percent times the 16 GVWR = 2985 loaded pin weight.

This is why we choose the BH3575el to tow with our SRW 2015 RAM 3500 4x4 SB truck.

If this trailer was pin heavy from the factory at say 2900, then loaded pin weight would be around 3556 pounds and I would have been over my RGAWR. Chris

[Walaby]

Thinking about it,.. you're probably right. I have seen people who I would suspect are overweight/over capacity. We all have Im sure.

I still maintain that, as a purchaser, if I use the Trailers GVWR to determine if my tow vehicle is sufficient, then there is a higher degree of likelihood that I will be okay once I purchase vs not thinking about it at all.

Certainly more likely than using dry weight

That's my whole point (or was).

Mike

[Bedlam]

I have to agree - Most people I speak with have no clue how much weight they are actually carrying or towing. This conversation usually starts if they notice I drive a Ram 5500, so there are plenty more I never speak with about capacities.

[IdaD]

Mickeyfan0805 wrote:

Walaby wrote:
I don't think it's the VAST MAJORITY.

There is always the 1 percenters. For those people, it doesn't matter. If they don't care about the numbers, they don't care about any numbers.

Mike

Walk through a campground someday and ask how many people have pulled their rigs onto scales, calculated the weight of their fluids, or itemized their load to estimate weight. I would be shocked if that number were as high as 25% (and I would bet it's lower than that). I'm not suggesting that the vast majority of people are overloading their trailers, but I am suggesting that most do not actually know how much weight they are putting into the rig.

I could be wrong, and I'd love to find out that I am. But from the people I know in camping, and the many conversations we see emerge here, I just don't see it.

I agree and would be surprised if more than 5% of people have weighed their camper trailers or really know how much their trailer weighs loaded, wet and ready to camp. I've never ran my current setup or previous setups over a scale.

[Mickeyfan0805]

Walaby wrote:
I don't think it's the VAST MAJORITY.

There is always the 1 percenters. For those people, it doesn't matter. If they don't care about the numbers, they don't care about any numbers.

Mike

Walk through a campground someday and ask how many people have pulled their rigs onto scales, calculated the weight of their fluids, or itemized their load to estimate weight. I would be shocked if that number were as high as 25% (and I would bet it's lower than that). I'm not suggesting that the vast majority of people are overloading their trailers, but I am suggesting that most do not actually know how much weight they are putting into the rig.

I could be wrong, and I'd love to find out that I am. But from the people I know in camping, and the many conversations we see emerge here, I just don't see it.

[ShinerBock]

Hannibal wrote:

ShinerBock wrote:


The math still does not add up. What rear gear did each truck have and at what speed did you pull these hills to get these rpms?

2003 SO Cummins Ram 47rfe/4.10. 2010 5.4L F250 5spd TS/3.73. 60~mph.

Yep, your rpm numbers don't add up according to the math of the gear ratios and speed you said you were going.

With a locked torque converter, your 2003 Ram is not at 2,900 rpm at 60 mph in either 2nd, 3rd, or 4th. At 60 mph, you would be at 3,700 rpm in 2nd, 2,600 rpm in 3rd, and 1,800 in 4th. The only way you would be at 2,900 rpm would be if you were going 65 mph in 3rd.

In your 2010 Ford, you would be at 4,980 rpm in 2nd, 3,500 rpm in 3rd, and 2,260 rpm in 4th. Unless your Ford didn't have its torque converter locked which if that were the case then you were not getting full engine horsepower.

[Walaby]

Mickeyfan0805 wrote:

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.

I don't think it's the VAST MAJORITY.

There is always the 1 percenters. For those people, it doesn't matter. If they don't care about the numbers, they don't care about any numbers.

Mike