Hey guys,

Would really like a reality check from you guys, trying to do this right and stay legal.

Tow Rig in sig.

5th Wheel: 2011 Cyclone 3950 - 14,000 dry weight
100 gal - 835 pounds
30 gal fuel - 186 pounds
2 2008 yfz 450 - 760 pounds (wet)

Total: 15781

Max 5th wheel 17450 for the rig setup.
Hitch weight is 3195.

Leaves me 1669 but more like 1500 pounds for gear food and everything else correct? Thanks for the help, really trying to do this right.

 

What year is your truck ?? Can't figure load without that.

Dave

 

Sorry,

Its a 2010. I'll fix my sig line..

 

You need to confirm your vehicles GVW. It took awhile to chase all this stuff down as it spread over 3 web sites.

Dodge Says;

Your GVW is 10,500lbs
Your Trucks Curb Weight is 7367 lbs

Add this to the Curb Weight
Fuel 34 gallons 255 lbs
GN Equipment EST 100 lbs
Passengers (2) Est 350 lbs
Total Truck Weight 8072 lbs

GVW rating subtract Truck weight=2428 lbs remaining for trailer pin weight.

Gross Combined Weight Rating with 4.10 gear is 24,500lbs (Dodge)
Truck 8072lbs Trailer GVW 17450 =25,552lbs

Your loaded trailer 15780 + truck = 23852lbs Leaves 648lbs for combined rating. Pin weight at your trailer weight =3090lbs (20% of your trailer weight)
3090 + truck weight = 11,162lbs

Your truck is beyond its GVW by 662lbs. Overloaded.

I was surprized to see the Mega was 1000lbs less in GVW than the crew cab at 11,500 and sometime later in the year, 12,200lbs. ?? They might change a rear ratio to get to that and the 25,400lbs max Combined rating.

If you already have the trailer, hook up go to a certified scale and get the entire rig weighed. You want Front Axle weight, Drive axle weight, and trailer weight. A three pad scale is best for this. I use a moving companies scale.

Make sure the truck is full of fuel. If you can't unhook at the scale to weigh the truck first, do it first and then do it with the trailer. The differance in the first scale weight on the drive axle and with the trailer is the pin weight. What ever your going to carry in the back of the hauler, needs to be in there as it might lessen the pin weight a little.

The trucks GVW is comprised of the truck, fuel, passengers, tool box, if there, aux fuel tank, if there, and towing equipment, bed liners and what ever else you might have in the truck. If your truck GVW is 11,500lbs you'll be OK with the trucks GVW with the trailer at 20% pin weight of your 15,781.

If you have questions, I'll be glad to answer them for you. E-Mail is Coastaldav@Bellsouth.Net. or PM or post another reply.

Dave

 

Dave,

Thank you for your reply. Looks pretty much like i'm screwed.. We signed for the trailor and I was going off the max trailor loaded weight of 17,400 from Dodge and the GCWR of 25,400. I know my truck will be right around 8,200 with 2 passengers, dogs, fuel and 18k pull-rite hitch. I do plan on installing air-bags to help the rear.

So if I subtract the 25400 from the GVW of 8,200 that will leave the trailor to weigh in at 17,200. That still leaves me legal for GCWR but over on the truck GCW. Confusing... I will get it to the scales.

 

Without running a bunch of numbers I catch pin weight as being low. You can't go by what they say pin weight is because they state it as dry. By the time you load it up, pending the distribution of weight, your pinweight could be at least another 500 pounds. Dave is right on with his numbers - - he loves that stuff. LOL

Bob

 

I only figured 100lbs for the GN (Goose Neck) If you have a fifth Wheel hitch you'll need to add another 100lbs to the truck. Truck GVW now 762lbs over.

Your truck is rated at 24,500lbs, not 25,400lbs GCWR. As metioned above at your predicted trailer weight, your OK for CGWR, but over for the trucks GVW. If the trailer is over your weight, your to heavy. Using the 8200lbs truck weight, your gross combined is within 520lbs with the trailer at 15,780lbs.

Please check the door sticker and confirm your GVW. All the info in previous post is based on having an 4.10 gear. If 3.73 or less the info is not correct.

 

CoastalDav is dead-on. The link here is for you to play with.


http://changingears.com/rv-sec-calc-...eight-fw.shtml

 

your over the manufacturer's recomendation but , not over the legal limits. If you look and see a lot of us guys who haul commercially, which means we deal with the real weight police and fedral dot guys gross around 32k or more and do not recieve any tickets for that. My 40 ft gn wieghs 8k empty and most of my loads weigh 10k and up to 18k. I get stopped and inspected all the time by the DOT and they have not yet once whipped the scales out of their suv and weighed me.. The scale houses have never said anything in regards to my weights. I even crossed the scales into Ky with 19k on the trailer and all they wanted was paperwork. Your truck will be fine towing that trailer, dont let all the paranoid weight poilice guys on here scare ya.

 

Rich; He asked for someone to check his figures. No one here is paranoid about weight. I'm tagged over my GVW as well just in case.

 

didnt say you were but theres quite a few on here that start screaming legalities and stuff about being over gvw.

 

Thanks everyone for the replies. Yes, I am paranoid about it, haha. The GVW for my truck is 10,500. I tried to call Dodge today and would of been better talking to myself. I have a June 2010 build date on the truck and the brochure from the Dodge website says the GCWR is either 24,500 or 25,400. The 25,400 being late availability for a dual wheel which I have. So after that go-around I decided to call the Ca DOT and they didn't have a clue either, whether they go off of the GVW or GCWR. I knew I was in trouble when I had to explain what both of them meant. I think I got the same person I talked to at Dodge. So on my way down the I-5 I stopped to talk to whom I thought to be the experts at the scales. I then basically got told that the GCWR is for civil liability and that the only thing he could find in the big DOT legalities book is that since the trailor is over 15,000 pounds I need a Class A restricted drivers license for California.

 

well there the ones to talk to as long as you dont excede your tire ratings they dont care. when you go over those they will right you a ticket or two

 

CA goes by the vehicle tires/axles according to this from CA DMV web:

3. Q - Can I declare an operating weight higher than my vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)?

A- Yes, but only if you are declaring the weight of your vehicle in combination with a towed vehicle and its load (the Combined Gross Weight). NOTE: A declared Combined Gross Weight does not authorize a truck without another vehicle in tow to exceed the truck's authorized axle weight limits.

Your question is asked every day over on the RV forums. This from a email from a CA CHP commander to a RV poster concerning being over the manufactures GVWR/GCWR:

Q: “Many of the owners travel over their tow vehicle GVWR and /or
GCWR. Are there any state laws against this? Or does the owner just
take the risk if they wish?”

A: The California Vehicle Code (CVC) does not contain a law that
specifically limits the amount of weight a vehicle may tow based on the
towing vehicle GVWR or GCWR. There are, however, laws that limit the
amount a vehicle may tow based on other criteria.

V C Section 35550 Maximum Weight on Single Axle or Wheels
(snip)
(1) The load limit established by the tire manufacturer, as molded on at least one sidewall of the tire.

Keep in mind the vehicles tire capacities are determind by the vehicle manufactures axle ratings.

Your 2010 3500 DRW has a 9750 RAWR that will carry the 5ers pin weight. The DRW may have a rear unladin weight of around 3500 lbs which leaves over 6000 lbs for a payload for everything.

I would make a trip or two and then decide if airbags are needed. Not sure where in CA you travel but many toy haulers on one of the forums says chip watches the TH crowd close on licensing (non commercial CDL over 15 GVWR trailer) and weights, east out of LA.

 

My .02 is do not exceed tire ratings under any circumstances! As for the rest, I have always used the rule of thumb to do my best not to exceed an axle capcity and try to balance it as much as I can. I would recommend air bags as you can adjust air pressure for ride and stablity. You can actually take weight off of the front axles and steering can float. Air bags can help put some of that back for better control. Being over the GCVWR or GVWR isn't that big of a deal if you are in specs for the axles and tires. The rest is controled by the driver. There is a limit but would say a fudge factor of up to 1k can be safe with a maintained truck and trailer. Drive smart, slow down in poor road conditions and surfaces and don't tail gate. Watch the gauges and have fun.