Need weight verification Please!

[mike_filby]

Hello All!
I am thinking of buying a 2017 Raptor 355TS. I want to make sure my truck will handle the weight. From what I can tell it will but I want to verify with professionals!

I have a 2011 Silverado 2500HD, Duramax, crew cab and short bed. My trucks GAWR RR is 6200lbs and 5th wheel towing capacity of 16,700lbs

The Raptor 355TS has a weight of 14,400lbs and a hitch weight of 3400lbs.

If I understand everything correctly, my truck will be able to tow the Raptor. I am also thinking I will need to install air bags to help level out the load and for better handling. Any and all information is greatly appreciated!!

Thank you for your help!
Mike

[JIMNLIN]

If I understand everything correctly, my truck will be able to tow the Raptor. I am also thinking I will need to install air bags to help level out the load and for better handling. Any and all information is greatly appreciated!! Thank you for your help! Mike

Yeah the truck will need some serious help with carrying that oversize load.
Check out our truck camper forums as those folks carry 4k-6k truck campers and more importantly know how to safely mod the trucks rear suspension to carry those heavy loads. They don't get so grumpy when others don't want to do it their way.

Many use 19.5" wheels and tires however rear suspension help varies. Its one thing to mod the truck rear suspension for more load carrying capacity ....but when 15k-16k pushing the back of the truck around with just two tires on curvy downhill runs can be a handfull other help is needed.
Instead of bags I would first suggest the main spring pack and upper overload spring pack from a 3500 SRW.... then is the time to add bags.
Do some research on bags. Their good for helping a bit with the load and leveling but when pumped to high pressures can cause bad handling and is very hard on the single point on the frame their pushing against. Cracked frames pictures at that point have showed up over there.

[Txsurfer]

I thought in some cases 3/4 share the same axle with a 1 tons? Usually only an extra spring is added. So how is that really any different then adding bags? I haven’t seen many I bent my axle towing a 5th wheel threads..

[lincster]

crazybanshee wrote:
Hey Linster most of these threads end the same way. Someone asks a question and they are given all the right answers but when someone agrees with PO it is over and done. Yet I still keep reading them.

Aint that the truth!!!!!

[Old-Biscuit]

sin cal hd wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:

sin cal hd wrote:

joebedford wrote:
I know others have different opinions, but my opinion is that if your truck needs airbags, you don't have enough truck.

Air bags help redistribute weight to the front axle and back to the trailer axles. They also give a more comfy ride.

NOPE>......

Go to the scales.
Weight truck/trailer combo W/O air bags inflated

Then re-weigh with them inflated

There will little change in trucks F/R axle weights and trailer axle weights

Air bags pump up the rear of truck but the pin weight is still there being carried by tracks rear axle.
Air bags are NOT like w WDH which uses a 'fulcrum principle' to transfer weight.
Air bags have no 'fulcrum' to lever weight any where but UP


Go ahead and weigh and then post those numbers.

YES. I'm a truck driver when I dump the airbags on the truck the psi increases on the drive axle and back t o the trailer. When bags are full, the weight distributes back to trailer and steers. When you air up the bags your raising the rear, the weight needs to go somewhere. It doeant stay at the rear axle. Its subtle transfer but enoigh to make a difference. I play with axlenweifhts everyday. Air bags do just that. Just because it's on a pickup doesn't change their purpose.

You yourself say it does in your second statement. It's subtle but true enough at these weights.

GO weigh your combo with and without air bags then post those axle weigh numbers.
There is no FULCRUM in play to transfer weight

[crazybanshee]

Hey Linster most of these threads end the same way. Someone asks a question and they are given all the right answers but when someone agrees with PO it is over and done. Yet I still keep reading them.

[sin_cal_hd]

Old-Biscuit wrote:

sin cal hd wrote:

joebedford wrote:
I know others have different opinions, but my opinion is that if your truck needs airbags, you don't have enough truck.

Air bags help redistribute weight to the front axle and back to the trailer axles. They also give a more comfy ride.

NOPE>......

Go to the scales.
Weight truck/trailer combo W/O air bags inflated

Then re-weigh with them inflated

There will little change in trucks F/R axle weights and trailer axle weights

Air bags pump up the rear of truck but the pin weight is still there being carried by tracks rear axle.
Air bags are NOT like w WDH which uses a 'fulcrum principle' to transfer weight.
Air bags have no 'fulcrum' to lever weight any where but UP


Go ahead and weigh and then post those numbers.

YES. I'm a truck driver when I dump the airbags on the truck the psi increases on the drive axle and back t o the trailer. When bags are full, the weight distributes back to trailer and steers. When you air up the bags your raising the rear, the weight needs to go somewhere. It doeant stay at the rear axle. Its subtle transfer but enoigh to make a difference. I play with axlenweifhts everyday. Air bags do just that. Just because it's on a pickup doesn't change their purpose.

You yourself say it does in your second statement. It's subtle but true enough at these weights.

[lincster]

What?????

Salesman say “just add air bags and you can tow anything”.

That isn’t true!!!???

Lol

[rhagfo]

fj12ryder wrote:

sin cal hd wrote:

joebedford wrote:
I know others have different opinions, but my opinion is that if your truck needs airbags, you don't have enough truck.

Air bags help redistribute weight to the front axle and back to the trailer axles. They also give a more comfy ride.

Re-distributing the weight is pretty much non existent. You wouldn't be able to see any difference between inflated and non-inflated, there just wouldn't be enough change. Not with mine anyway.

You may get a better ride though. I do with my air bags inflated to about 50 psi. It gets the rear suspension off the overloads.

X3
Air bags don't change the weight on the axles, just make up for soft springs. Don't use the myself as TV rides level without them.

It scares me that people believe that just leveling the back of the TV changes the amount of weight that the rear axle is carrying!

[fj12ryder]

sin cal hd wrote:

joebedford wrote:
I know others have different opinions, but my opinion is that if your truck needs airbags, you don't have enough truck.

Air bags help redistribute weight to the front axle and back to the trailer axles. They also give a more comfy ride.

Re-distributing the weight is pretty much non existent. You wouldn't be able to see any difference between inflated and non-inflated, there just wouldn't be enough change. Not with mine anyway.

You may get a better ride though. I do with my air bags inflated to about 50 psi. It gets the rear suspension off the overloads.

[Old-Biscuit]

sin cal hd wrote:

joebedford wrote:
I know others have different opinions, but my opinion is that if your truck needs airbags, you don't have enough truck.

Air bags help redistribute weight to the front axle and back to the trailer axles. They also give a more comfy ride.

NOPE>......

Go to the scales.
Weight truck/trailer combo W/O air bags inflated

Then re-weigh with them inflated

There will little change in trucks F/R axle weights and trailer axle weights

Air bags pump up the rear of truck but the pin weight is still there being carried by tracks rear axle.
Air bags are NOT like w WDH which uses a 'fulcrum principle' to transfer weight.
Air bags have no 'fulcrum' to lever weight any where but UP


Go ahead and weigh and then post those numbers.

[sin_cal_hd]

joebedford wrote:
I know others have different opinions, but my opinion is that if your truck needs airbags, you don't have enough truck.

Air bags help redistribute weight to the front axle and back to the trailer axles. They also give a more comfy ride.

[Old-Biscuit]

mike.filby wrote:
This is not the only place I have asked this question. I have also asked people who carry heavy loads and that obviously understand these trucks better than most. And most of the heavy haulers that know these trucks say yes it is heavy but the truck can handle it. For those that say do the math, show me a formula or an online calculator that will give me the numbers to prove who is right or wrong. I have searched and searched and can not find one. I understand your caution and frustration, but there seems to be a lot of confusion on the 5th wheel hitch weight towing capacities of trucks. Most don't know and just buy a bigger truck as a precaution. As I have understood it for years, once you go to a triple axle, you have to have a dully. Yes weight still has a factor in all this. So please provide me with some documentation to prove me and others wrong. Again, thank you all for your input. As much as you think I have ignored it, I did take it into consideration.

No complex math formula needed...just simple arithmetic---adding/subtracting

And that method has been discussed and posted already


But I have a quick and easy hands on method for you..........just read it in another post concerning F250 towing/payload

GO to Big Box Lumber/Hardware store.
Purchase 3400# of sand in bags. Have store load them into your truck bed.
Drive around for a week carrying that load in bed of truck.
Take a trip across some Scales and weigh truck.

:E :S

3400# is the DRY weight of that 5th wheel and will only increase as you load trailer for camping..

Hold onto sand purchase receipt so you can return the sand


Otherwise ........just take the advice of that performance shop

[fj12ryder]

The engineers that design trucks simply don't know too much about what they're doing. That's why all those people on towing forums know so much more than the truck designers. It seems strange that truck placards and posted weights are ignored, but tire capacity or axle rating, and those are gospel.

[lincster]

Seriously???

Provide documentation?

I think every truck manufacture already does that when they provide tables, weight ratings etc.
Do u seriously think engineers that design brake size, rotor size, frame cross section etc, don’t use formulas?
That is just an ignorant thing to say.

I can say these things cause I have an engineering degree so I have done the math.