Well I just had a friend haul my NEW fifth wheel trailer to the TA CAT scales. Are these scales correct? My loaded trailer weighs in at 11,700 lbs, with a pin weight of 2,340 lbs. I am about to purchase a new 3500 2x4, SRW, 373 rear end, 48RE, 5.9 HO ENGINE . QUAD-CAB., LONG BED. The GVWR for this truck is 9,9OO LBS. I'm over this by 200 lbs. Everything else is under weight, GCWR, AND MAX. WEIGHT OF TRAILER. Do I have enough truck ?? I really don't want a DUALLY. And why is it that DODGE uses 25 % of loaded trailer weight to figure their KING PIN WEIGHT. When everyone else uses anywhere from 15 to 20 %. Are they trying to sell bigger trucks to the R -V ING PUBLIC or are they afraid their ( GVWR's ) for these trucks don't match up to FORD OR GM'S??? [undecided]

 

Speaking from experience, I'd sure go with 4.10's instead of 3.73's. It really pulls a lot better when you have the auto. :

 

And why is it that DODGE uses 25 % of loaded trailer weight to figure their KING PIN WEIGHT. When everyone else uses anywhere from 15 to 20 %. Are they trying to sell bigger trucks to the R -V ING PUBLIC or are they afraid their ( GVWR's ) for these trucks don't match up to FORD OR GM'S??<br><br><br><br> Huh?

 

I'd get the dually. Yes you will have plenty of gear, plenty of power and a great truck. ( my 3.73 rear end with the 6 speed is awesome, use every gear empty or full don't need it empty) starts off like a rabbit full and heavy, great! The dually will get you a lot flatter turning towing that huge beast. I blew a tire with my old F--D crew cab dually 6.9er and hardly even noticed, I drove into the next town before I even worried about changing it. I had the guy at the tire shop change it for me. Single for that much weight is just right at the max and I chose to play it safe. I know a guy who blew a tire on a corner towing and ended upside down in the ditch trailer and truck. I saw the results laying in the ditch and was forever a dually kind of guy. I also like the 3.73 because I get now right at 21 mpg running to work at 70 mph. I got 20 the first tankful. Measured, no fuel gauge computer in mine!

 

[quote author=jsr21 link=board=20;threadid=11302;start=0#107797 date=1045951418]<br>And why is it that DODGE uses 25 % of loaded trailer weight to figure their KING PIN WEIGHT. When everyone else uses anywhere from 15 to 20 %. Are they trying to sell bigger trucks to the R -V ING PUBLIC or are they afraid their ( GVWR's ) for these trucks don't match up to FORD OR GM'S??<br><br><br><br> Huh?<br>[/quote]<br><br>Probably because the 25% figure is closer to reality. My 11,500 pound fiver has a pin weight of just under 3,000 pounds. Do the math. FWIW

 

I've just bought a 3500 dually but have been pulling my 5er with my 2500 5.9HO with 4.10 gears. The 2500 set this way has a towing capacity of 13,500.When I was testing the new 3500 with the 373 gears on the 6 speed I found it just didn't have the grunt my 2500 with the 410 rear had. And that's with the new HO putting out 50lbs more torque than my 2500. So when I ordered my 3500 I got the 4.10 gears. Also with that pin weight you need a dually. The extra stability is worth the extra truck mass. Good luck....

 

I have a trailer that is in the same ballpark as yours.<br> I have pulled it with a srw F350 and a 3500 Dodge dually.<br> My Ford had the same gvwr of 9900 lbs. It weighed in at 7050 lbs or so with full fuel, me and a hitch in it. I don't know the empty weight of a Dodge 3500 SRW but I assume it weighs more than the Ford? Are you sure you are over your gvwr? The Ford srw F-350 would not be over with those numbers.<br>FWIW Randy

 

With 3.73 Axle Ratio [i] You Can Tow 13950 lbs2
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) [i] = 9900 lbs
Payload [i] = 3020 lbs1
Curb Weight [i] = 6877 lbs
Curb Weight Front/Rear = 3890 / 2987 lbs
GAWR [i] Front/Rear = 4750 / 6150 lbs
Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) [i] = 21000 lbs

The above is copied from the Dodge Trailer Towing calculator. Using the trailer you have just purchased with a pin weight of 2340 pounds, this leaves you a payload of 680 pounds. Allowing 100 pounds for the hitch and that drops to 580 pounds. Allow 350 pounds for two humans and you are at 230 pounds left over for payload. That payload gets eaten up pretty fast. Good thing your pin weight is relatively light. DC's estimated pin weights are general estimates only. Your actual pin weight is what counts. That truck will do the job but it doesn't leave you a lot of payload.

 

balvert, You forgot the weight for 35 gals. of fuel, 35 gals. @ = ?? Thanks

 

35 gals fuel @ 7 lbs/gal = 245 lbs, you are 15 lbs overweight, better eat a light lunch

 

Just let 15 lbs of air outta the tires and you'll be ok...

 

Properly set up a tandem tractor pulling as tandem trailer is 50% (trailer) kingpin weight, a single axle tractor is 25% and a tag along is 10%. So to handle properly your truck should have 25% on the kingpin. Many RV's use less but at the expense of proper handling. When you get the truck hooked up get to a scale and weigh the pull axle and make sure that the tires are heavy enough for the load. My truck has an 8800 pound gvwr and I pulled the 30,000 gross loads for many thousands of miles with it. But used 14 ply rated tires for the job. Never had a problem. Later I went to dual wheels but I run sometimes over 7,000 rear axle weights. That is around 5000 king pin weight. I put the dual wheels on at 126,000 and now have 176,000 on it.

 

8) Curb weight normally includes a full tank of fuel and all<br>other vehicle fluids.. and it includes 150 lbs for a driver.

 

In the long run you'll be happier with the dually - better wieght distribution in cross-winds, and the added safety of still having a good tire when 1 blows out. I never thought I would like a dually, but had no choice when I bought my '99. As time went on, I got the 5th wheel, and found the value of having a dually when thowing 5er's. The dually has really grown on me, and I really like the better handling when towing. The SRW is fine for tongue-pull trailers, but I would never again want to tow a 5er wothout the DRW. FWIW. 8)

 

Interesting comments so far. Let me throw this in:<br><br>My +- 8000# Furd as it sits REALLY should be a dually. But I need SRW so my Knaphiede Service body has an honest flat floor of roughly 4x8. The service bodies for duallies have wheel humps mucking up the floor.<br><br>I don't tow 5ers or GNs with this setup... but do pull an approx. 4000# loaded tow behind tank trailer.<br><br>I have blow rear tires twice (neither while towing). One Kumho radial, and one Discount Tire branded radial. Never had the slightest issue of control.<br><br>But now have bucked up and got Michelin LTX 235/85 - 16 on it and haven't had ANY tire issues in 50K.<br><br>So if you DO go SRW.... DO NOT SCRIMP ON TIRES!!!!!!<br><br>Lastly. My buddy has '91 and '01 ('91 D-250 Reg.cab SRW) and ('01 2500 SLT Quad cab SRW). Diesels. He pulls heavy boats, car trailers etc. We recently towed a car trailer up to Chicago with the '01, loaded it up with MINIMUM 5000# (more likely 6000 - 6500#) (with probably another 1K in the bed) and towed it back. NO PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER. And we had some pretty serious tongue weight too!<br><br>Are you clear as mud yet?<br><br>