Fifth wheel towing question

[minihub67]

Pin weight question for my fifth wheel friends..

In my trailer hunt with my 04 2500 ram Diesel quad cab 6.3ft bed.. I have after people added full tank etc.. 1,980lbs of payload left. I still have to account for curt hitch, and trailer pin weight. I know the rule is 15-25% of GVWR for pin weight, seems I would be ok maybe at 20% with units below.

How does one reconcile this.. I know this is a hot topic sometimes.. just looking for guidance. Tks

The Grand Design 260RD would be 1899lbs with 20% rule... the 230RL maybe even better. I also like the Cougar 24RDS but it would be 1998lbs at 20% GVWR..

Crazy the payload issues to stay legal. with these trucks... How solid is the 20% formula? I doubt I would load to GVWR.

I would have to order the "Cougar".. no real way to hook to etc.. the UVW pin shows 1430lbs, UVW trailer 7393lbs. GVWR trailer 9990lbs.

Thanks for any feedback.. I know it's potential "touchy" subject.

Doug

I am adding this reply from someone with the grand design 230RL and his weights.. seems to make me have a good set up, some wiggle room from the 20% rule. Seems I should be ok with my available payload assuming his weights are accurate?

Maybe these number can help. We took our 230 RL all set up for camping across the CAT scales a couple of weeks ago. Out actual trailer weight came in at 8040 lbs. Our UVW from the factory was 7076 lbs delivered. Our pin weight loaded for camping was 1480 lbs. We tow with a 2019 F250 4x4 crew, 6.75 box with the 6.2 gas. Payload is 3196 lbs on the yellow sticker. Happy travels!

[Grit_dog]

Cummins12V98 wrote:


Yer not afraid of electrolysis?

Huh?

Is that how you old guys shave, these days?
Cuts down on razor burn or what?

[memtb]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

richclover wrote:
We (friend and me), installed a B&W Turnover Ball hitch in the bed of my Ram 2500 Cummins yesterday. Works well with the Anderson 5er hitch Plenty of room for the toolbox and space around the hitch for cargo.

Right Todd, the mud gets spendy in the local car wash!

Yer not afraid of electrolysis?

Generally I’m “pretty well grounded” 😉 memtb

[Cummins12V98]

richclover wrote:
We (friend and me), installed a B&W Turnover Ball hitch in the bed of my Ram 2500 Cummins yesterday. Works well with the Anderson 5er hitch Plenty of room for the toolbox and space around the hitch for cargo.

Right Todd, the mud gets spendy in the local car wash!

Yer not afraid of electrolysis?

[memtb]

richclover wrote:
We (friend and me), installed a B&W Turnover Ball hitch in the bed of my Ram 2500 Cummins yesterday. Works well with the Anderson 5er hitch Plenty of room for the toolbox and space around the hitch for cargo.

Right Todd, the mud gets spendy in the local car wash!

We lived on an Alkaline road before the county upgrade to gravel......it justified the purchase of a 4000 psi pressure washer! :B Todd

[richclover]

We (friend and me), installed a B&W Turnover Ball hitch in the bed of my Ram 2500 Cummins yesterday. Works well with the Anderson 5er hitch Plenty of room for the toolbox and space around the hitch for cargo.

Right Todd, the mud gets spendy in the local car wash!

[memtb]

richclover wrote:

memtb wrote:
Congratulations Rich, I think you will quickly fall in love with that 5er! We pretty much didn’t have winter except for February. The same cannot be said for your neck of the woods.....southern Wyoming got hammered pretty good.

How soon are you gonna take that new rig up the Hams Fork? Twenty or so miles of gravel/dirt road oughta break it in nicely! :B you gotta place to put an elk or two in that new rig? 😉 memtb

Thx Todd!

Yeah, we’re loving it. Now I just have to figure out how to hitch and tow.

The last time we traveled the Ham’s Fork road it had rained and snowed. There’s nothing worse than mag water mud! Might be some time before we tow there.

Wet “Mag Roads”.....it just doesn’t get better than that! :M My wife and I had the opportunity to enjoy these when traveling to/from work.....only added to “not” wanting to go to work! 😉 memtb

[richclover]

memtb wrote:
Congratulations Rich, I think you will quickly fall in love with that 5er! We pretty much didn’t have winter except for February. The same cannot be said for your neck of the woods.....southern Wyoming got hammered pretty good.

How soon are you gonna take that new rig up the Hams Fork? Twenty or so miles of gravel/dirt road oughta break it in nicely! :B you gotta place to put an elk or two in that new rig? 😉 memtb

Thx Todd!

Yeah, we’re loving it. Now I just have to figure out how to hitch and tow.

The last time we traveled the Ham’s Fork road it had rained and snowed. There’s nothing worse than mag water mud! Might be some time before we tow there.

[memtb]

Congratulations Rich, I think you will quickly fall in love with that 5er! We pretty much didn’t have winter except for February. The same cannot be said for your neck of the woods.....southern Wyoming got hammered pretty good.

How soon are you gonna take that new rig up the Hams Fork? Twenty or so miles of gravel/dirt road oughta break it in nicely! :B you gotta place to put an elk or two in that new rig? 😉 memtb

[richclover]

Hi, Todd, hope you’re wintering well!

Glad to see this thread since we just took delivery of a new Chaparral 336TSIK fifth wheel. After years of towing bumper pull campers this will be a learning experience! Book weights for the 5er are 12,000 gross, 1880 hitch. My Ram Cummins is rated to tow 17,000, 6500 rear axle. Load range E SRW tires, rated just over 3500 each.

I’m thinking of a goose neck ball in the truck short bed topped with the Anderson hitch. Of course the whole rig will be properly weighed.

Good thing the dealer here in Mesquite, NV, delivered the new unit to our RV park spot since we’re here with the Ram half ton, no 5er hitch!

Yeah, we’ve been running away from winter once a month since November 😉

[Cummins12V98]

I have two skinny full length springs with bags and a 6k pin, works well!

[memtb]

crcr wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
... I'm not sure about the 2004 dodge but might be that the difference between the 3/4 ton and 1 ton SRW is just the rear springs...so while you can't officially change the ratings, upgraded springs may make if functionally identical.

I have a 2004 3/4 ton and you are correct, only difference between the 3/4 and 1 ton for that year is one additional leaf spring on the 3500. My truck has air bags with onboard compressor, so after hooking up my TT I can inflate my bags to level the truck and/or to a desired pressure, then when unhooking, I deflate the bags to 10 lbs. For a 3/4 ton of that year, IMHO, adding air bags is a better towing solution than adding a leaf spring.

^^^^^^^ This ^^^^^^ Plus the tire rating as previously mentioned! memtb

[minihub67]

Thanks to all of you for the feedback.. much appreciated!

[Cummins12V98]

minihub67 wrote:
yeah.. the three I am interested in have GVWR right at 10K. all hitch weights UVW of under 1415.. one of them 1195lb.. I calculate 1980lb payload left after people, full tank gas.

You will be just fine but "PAYLOAD" is just about as meaningful as "towing".

10k 5er will net you 20% pin or 2k pin. BALLPARK, well within your RAWR.

[Grit_dog]

With that truck, worst case is you’re over the tire ratings. But that is easily and economically upgraded. Can be as simple as some 18” or 20” takeoff wheels and tires from a newer model.
Chassis and drivetrain is the same as a dually. Except might want or need to shore up the springs a bit once you’re at max loaded weight.