I'm about to buy a 5th wheel toy hauler for my family. I currently have a 1995 2500 4x4 CTD and would like to use it to haul the 5th wheel.

The trailer has an empty weight of 10500 and a max full of 13500. The book says the GCVR is 16000.

Am I dangerously exceeding the max amount my truck can haul, and if so, what WILL do the job?

Thanks for your time!

RamBob

 

Not only do you have to consider the weight of the trailer but since it is a 5er you need to look at total pin weight. Will the rear be able to handle the weight. Not sure of the math but i believe pin weight works out to be around 25% of trailer weight. I'm sure someone will chime in with correct info.

 

You can take that gcw crap and throw it out the window, You might need to get airbags but with the millage on a 95 it might be tuff on the engine. My gwvr on mine is 9000# I crossed the scales this morning at 22343# and pull that everyday at work with mine and do it at 65-70 mph up a hill down a hill

 

That 47 re won't like it

 

Mileage on the truck is only 115K. I've been told that it's just been broken in, and I believe it. I've hauled horses from NV to CO effortlessly in a 3 horse slant with a tongue weight of 1000 lbs.

I know that there have been transmission issues with this model, and I wouldn't bat an eye at replacing it. Could I replace it with the 48 RE?

This has been a great truck and I would hate to get rid of it (especially just to buy a 5er) but if this truck can't handle it, it makes me wonder what can.

 

With the 5er you could be looking at 2500 to 3000 pounds for pin weight. you could be maxxing out the rear, plus with single tires the weight will be extremely heavy.

 

The later duallies have substantially higher GCWR's. Mine was equipped to get the highest available in 2002 - 21,500 lbs with HO/6-speed/4.10 axle.

Rusty

 

You need to stuff your truck with everything you will be carrying before the trailer and go weigh it. Subtract this from your GVWR and this will tell you what your 'allowable' payload is. Also, you will need to keep below your FGAWR and RGAWR. 5th wheels generally have pin weights of 20 to 25% of their weight. With a single rear wheel, you will run out of payload/ RGAWR. Generally, this limits you to 6000lbs for the rear axle with load range E tires.

From your trailer estimates, that will have a pin weight of 2100 to 3375. (20 to 25%, empty to full)

You may want to browse www.rv.net. Good posts for RVs

 

So...GVWR - Loaded Truck Weight = Allowable Payload.
(8800) - (6900 est.) = 1900.

Is 1900 the max I can pull, or is it the max that can be placed over the rear axle, or is it the max "pin weight"?

I still think I'm not getting this!!

 

If your truck has a gvwr of 8800# and your truck fully loaded with 2 people weighs 7500# that only gives you 1300# for pin weight(or total weight added to the truck) to be legal. But like posted above checkout rv.net lots of good info on towing. Check makers brochure for empty and loaded pin weights for the trailer you want to buy.

 

wow your in pahrump? Do you go to dumont?

I think your truck can do it. Do fast....no, but do it. If your looking at going to local places....I don t think you ll have much problem, around here I think its realatively easy. Nice, weather most of the time, decent roads etc....

You will have to outfit the truck correctly. First though I would question truck height? I had to raise my trailer to get decent bed clearence. With a single wheel.......make sure you have good tires, high load ratings. You can save alittle weight if you have to buy tires, get some aluminum wheels too, weight off the truck is mor weight you can add back on towing.

You ll want good tow mirrors, (i use best top (*****)) a trans temperature gauge and probably a larger trans cooler for summer use. Might want to consider a mag tec rear cover too. You might need air bags....or overloads if you don t have them. (I think you should if it has a towing package)

If its stone stock......you ll probably want more power....and need to keep tabs on the engine, so you ll want a egt gauge and maybe a water temp.....or boost gauge. Then get a 4 inch exhuast, and raise the boost and get a mild fuel plate and a 4000 gsk ......you ll want a exhaust brake eventually, and need the 60 lb valve springs that come with the 4000 gsk.

You could do all the mods to the truck for around 2000 esspecially if you shop around.

 

In this example.....1900 is all the weight you can add to the truck front or rear or both and still be legal. This assumes that you don t exceed front or rear weights independently also...Or most importantly the tires!


Is your truck a reg cab or are all slts extended?

My 4x4 dually quad cab with 4 alcoas weights 7200......relatively cleaned out, but full of fuel.
BTW I m in Vegas.

 

This is not true. The GVWR goes out the window when you put a trailer on the truck. From there on you use axle capacities and tire capacties. Dodge has a notation in the manual for the GVCWR but that is not a binding weight so far as law is concerned. If it was it would be on the door jamb.

Look in the FMCSA handbook, the little green one, and it will give the definations of these terms. GVWR is the load rating for the vehicle alone. Hook a trailer to it and the GVCWR becomes the issue. States have different methods of computing the GVCWR, but almost always it does not involve a figure that Dodge came up with.

Also the combination weight is the same for single wheel or dual wheel on second gen trucks. So in theory the single can haul more weight if you are trying to use the Dodge figures from the manual.

I have been DOT checked with my truck as a single wheel truck (2500) while weighing near 30k and never had a problem with it. But make sure your tags cover the weight.

 

You can put only so much weight on the rear of the truck before it starts to overload.

 

this is very true. With the proper tires for the work this is up near 5000 pounds. 14 ply rated tires will give you 3750 per tire and that gives you a 7000 max and the truck is stable at that weight. Been there many times.