Fried Okra

I've got a 2010 f150 4x4 3.31 axle and have been looking for a camper with a dry weight of hopefully less that 5000 lbs. I see all the gvrw and all those other acronyms and don't know what they mean. How do I decipher those numbers? Are the numbers on NADA site Dry weight or what.

I thought that I had found a really clean, priced right 25' fifth wheel but nada shows it as 6400 lbs. I think that's way too heavy for my truck. I think that my limit is gonna be about 23-24 foot bumper or fifth wheel. need some feedback. Thanks Jimmie

smokeywren

Dry weight is a useless spec. Ignore it and compute a realistic wet and loaded weight.


The max wet and loaded weight of a trailer is the GVWR of the trailer, or if the specs don't include GVWR then add shipping weight plus CCC (cargo carrying capacity).


To get the specs for any trailer, go to the website of the manufacturer and look up that model of trailer. Here's one example:
http://www.keystonerv.com/media/1771267/24sabwe.jpg


The specs say 28' long, but that's tip to tail. The actual box is about 24' long, as the model number suggests. GVWR is 7,800, so that's also a lot heavier than you were looking for. Even though Keystone says it's "half ton towable" they lie. Very few half-ton pickups can tow a 7,800-pound TT without being overloaded.


Or find a trailer with that model number that's for sale on the internet, and look at the specs for that trailer.
http://www.bretzrv.com/product/new-2...abwe-390821-29


GVWR of the trailer will be on a sticker somewhere near the outside front of the trailer, or maybe on the tongue.


Compute max tongue weight of a tandem-axle travel trailer (TT) as 13% of the GVWR of the trailer.


Fifth-wheel trailers have more hitch weight than TTs. Average TT hitch weight is about 13% of gross trailer weight, but average hitch weight of the lightest 5ers is about 17% to 18% of gross trailer weight. Plus, if you think a 6,400 pound TT is too much for your truck, then the lightest normal 5er is going to be even less suitable because of that 4-to-5% additional hitch weight of the 5er.


NADA specs are accurate if you know how to read them. Ignore any "dry" or shipping weights, including hitch weights. Use the GVWR (or shipping weight plus CCC to estimate GVWR) for the max trailer weight, and 13% of GVWR for the estimated wet and loaded hitch weight (tongue weight or TW).


If your tow vehicle is a half-ton pickup with GVWR less than 7,500 pounds, then stop thinking about a 5er. They don't make normal 5ers you an tow with an F-150 without being overloaded unless your tow vehicle is a Ford with the Heavy Duty Payload pkg.



Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is the maximum weight that the trailer can weigh without being overloaded. That includes weight on the axles as well as weight on the hitch.


GAWR (gross axle weight rating) is the maximum weight that can be on one axle of a trailer or tow vehicle. So for a tandem-axle TT, the combined GAWR of both axles should be compared to the axle weight of the TT on a scale to determine if the trailer is overloaded.


Gross combined weight rating (GCWR) doesn't apply to a trailer. It is the most combined weight of truck and trailer that the tow vehicle can pull without overheating anything in the drivetrain, and without being the slowpoke holding up traffic on hills and mountain passes.

acdii

Very good write up. Some points to add. On the drivers door is a yellow Lawyer sticker that specifies the maximum payload your truck can carry. That is before any dealer or customer add-ons such as bedliners, toppers, caps, running boards, etc. There is also the GVWR of the truck listed on another tag. So, with you, and a full tank of gas in the truck, take it to a scale and weigh it. Subtract from the GVWR the weight the scale shows, that is your actual max payload, which bone stock + driver should be right about where that lawyer tag says it is. Add to that your gear and passengers, and subtract the whole from the GVWR, that is your maximum tongue weight.

Now that you have your MTW, look at the GVWR of a trailer, and mulitply that by 13% to determine average TW and see if it lands in your MTW rating. Keep in mind that you could go up to 15% TW depending on how you load the trailer, so you want some wiggle room.

If you find that you are exceeding it by 100 pounds, you would still be OK, the truck can easily handle a couple hundred more than the lawyer tag says, but legally, you want to stay as close to max as possible without going over.

petrie

One thing that needs to be said is stopping power.

What I mean is just because the truck can pull does not mean you can stop.

Everyone is okay if the truck takes a while to get up to speed. And a lot of people will pull at 75 80 mph. Which is all good until you have to slam on the breaks and that is when you realize that your truck can not stop the weight of the trailer. And yes trailer brackets help but only to a point.

Also when you are going down hill the trailer WILL push you down. And if you are to heave you become a "run away" meaning that your brackets get to hot and lock up or they just stop working.

The wieght limit of the truck is really the limit of what it will take to stop safely.

Just something to think about

acdii

As long as you stay under Combined, you will be OK. Just as long as Combined doesn't mean all the weight is up front on the TV. Balancing that load is the key to a safe rig. Once you get everything in the correct spots for a well balanced rig, make notes on where everything is so you put it all back in the proper place every time.

acadianbob

Well, I'd say dry weight is the basis for a computed wet and loaded. My experience is add several hundred pounds for trailer options and about 700 pounds for "stuff". Our scale weight is always real close to 1,000 pounds over dry.

acadianbob

I'd focus on the payload rating. GVW can be misleading depending upon whether you have an aluminum truck or not.

IMO, with the right 5er, you can manage on 1,800 pounds of payload; but you'd need a dry pin weight of 1,000 pounds and take care with what you load into the 5er. A more realistic minimum payload, for most people, is more like 2,300 pounds.

As mentioned, beware of "1/2 ton towable". Many have pin weights of 1,300 or more (dry) and are unrealistic for most 1/2 tons.

Not picking on you Smokey . . . . just a fine tune perhaps.

acdii

I couldnt imagine pulling a 5r with a 1/2 ton, a gooseneck maybe, but not a 5r. I see it, a lot, but wouldnt do it myself, way too much weight over the rear end.

acadianbob

You don't know that in every case; although I agree many are overloaded. And how many 2500's and 250's are overloaded? Maybe most! It all comes down to creating the right combinations.

acdii

I did TT shopping this month. There was not one single 5r that was under 1800# pin weight. Considering that 25% of the load is on the pin, where a tag along is 15%. (Max Values) An 8600# 5r would have a pin weight of 2150#, well over the payload of any F150. A tag along at 8600# would have a 1290# TW. The only 5r you could pull with an F150 would have to gross out at 6500#.

Best way I found to shop for a trailer, look at your payload lawyer tag, take a weight and multiply by 15%, keep doing that until you find a weight that falls into your payload range, with the truck loaded as it will be when traveling, and shop for a trailer that meets that GVWR.