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ChiefStan · 12-17-2012, 05:34 AM

I am looking for some guidance on my truck's capabilities. I have a 2008 GMC 2500HD Duramax Crew Cab Long Bed 4X4. I am interested in buying a 2013 Infinity 3750FL 5th wheel. The dry wieght of the 5th wheel is 12,250..not sure what the pin wieght is but I definately don't want to have to buy a 1 ton to get the 5th wheel, If anyone has any knowledge or experiance with my situation please provide your opinion

Thanks,

bailer6334 · 12-17-2012, 06:33 AM

At first glance the 5er looks to be too big for your 2500. The GVWR of the trailer is 15,000lbs and the "dry" hitch weight is 2,423lbs. Actual pin weight could be in the 3,100lb range at a minimum when the trailer is loaded.

I suggest you take your DMAX to the scales full of fuel and anything else you take (wife, dogs etc), and weigh the truck. Then subtract that weight from the sticker on the door (payload) and you have the safe payload -"pin weight" your truck can handle.

Also recommend never using "dry weight" as you don't travel dry. As a general rule you can figure 20-25% of the trailers GVWR as the pin weight until you can weigh the truck/trailer combo.

Can the truck pull the 5er. Yes. Should it, don't know until you figure the payload capability.

450Donn · 12-17-2012, 07:03 AM

BTDT. Had a 2004 D/A ext cab scaled ready to camp 7500 pounds. Hitch to my 13,500 pound fiver 10,500 pounds. Way over the trucks 9200 GVWR. I would arrive at the camp site so nervous it would some times take me a couple hours to settle down. Traded it at 8000 miles for a truck that was actually rated and capable of handling the load and never lookd back. The experience is totally comfortable now. While your trucks actual numbers may be a bit different the end result will be the same. You will be over every number on the truck. It is not a good match. Instead think in terms of a fifth wheel with a 10,000 or less GVWR

ChiefStan · 12-17-2012, 07:24 AM

I have gotten a couple of responses from my thread and it looks like I may be overloading my truck. One other question, could I improve my payload by adding air bags or overload springs or is it a frame issue. I am just trying to understand the weakness of the 3/4 Ton vs the 1 ton and is there anything I could do to beef up my truck to accomidate the 5er

Thanks

tuffr2 · 12-17-2012, 07:35 AM

The 3750 is a real nice unit. Park your truck next to the Infinity - you will see how small your truck is and that it does not look right. The 3750 is 40 feet long and will weight 15,000lbs when loaded. Finding a smaller lighter 5th wheel that you like will be difficult now since you saw the 3750. There are other threads on this forum maybe less than a week old that explains all the weight guidelines that are very good. It even has great examples. A 3/4 ton truck has alot of limitations - the 3750 will exceed several of them.

tuffr2 · 12-17-2012, 08:02 AM

Checkout the thread 'Truck Tow Specs' On 12-6 at 11:55am there is an excellent explanation with examples.

wincrasher · 12-17-2012, 08:17 AM

I'd agree with the others that this just a bit too big for your truck.

In 2011, GM upgraded the rear end and structure on the 2500's to give you more payload and towing capacity. But even this trailer is too much for one of those.

I doubt you'll find a front living room plan that would have a low enough pin weight - probably around 2000 dry, no more than 2500lbs loaded.

I'd suggest you look at lighter weight trailers - the Columbus line is fairly light, yet still good quality, but there are others.

I'd say pin weight will be you limiting factor, but look for something less than 12,000lbs dry.

wingnut60 · 12-17-2012, 08:42 AM

Payload can't be changed--handling and rear-squat may improve with options, but payload is set by factory. And, for a SRW, you never want to go over the tire rated loading.
Joe

450Donn · 12-17-2012, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiefStan

I have gotten a couple of responses from my thread and it looks like I may be overloading my truck. One other question, could I improve my payload by adding air bags or overload springs or is it a frame issue. I am just trying to understand the weakness of the 3/4 Ton vs the 1 ton and is there anything I could do to beef up my truck to accomidate the 5er

Thanks

Tried all that, air bags, higher rated tires. And after throwing a lot of money at the problem, the solution was and always will be the correct tool for the job. You need a lot more truck or you need to shrink your sites to reasonable. Your truck is capable of carrying a certain load, probably somewhere around 1700-2000 pounds in real world. That translated to a fifth wheel with a GVWR of no more than 10,000 pounds. Or around 28 feet long.
This argument has raged for as long as I have been on RV forums, and it will never get resolved. There is one school that believes RAWR is the only thing to worry about. There are others that think tires are all you need to be concerned with. Bottom line is the manufacturers slap a federally mandated sticker on every vehicle stating the maximum weight that that vehicle has been certified by the manufacturer to carry. There is no law except common sense that says you cannot load it more. But doing so will bottom line end up with an unpleasant towing situation sooner or later. Why run the risk if you don't have to?

RVluvin · 12-17-2012, 09:08 AM

This info is out of the owners manual of my 07 Duramax. A C-2500 Crew Cab Long Box HD (2WD), 6.6L Deisel has a Maximum Trailer Weight of 15,100 lbs, GCWR is 22,000 lbs. Fifth wheel or gooseneck kingpin weight should be 15% to 25% of trailer weight up to 3,000 lbs. There's no info listed for a 4WD, but should be about the same.

Unless your going to load more than 2,500 lbs of water and RVing gear, I would say you'll be ok, but I'm no expert.

The maximum towing for the C-3500, Dual Rear Wheel is 16,400 lbs, which is what I have and used to tow a 36' 5er that had a front living room, using a Valley 1,600 lb hitch. Never had a weight issue at all.

Best of luck

elkhornsun · 12-18-2012, 01:00 AM

Your truck is rated for over 14,000 lbs. and a friend has pulled a 13,500 5th-wheel all over the western USA for months at a time each year with no problems at all with his 2005 2500HD Duramax truck. His only regret was in selling his 28' trailer for this one that is 35' long as it has greatly reduced available campsites for he and his wife.

You only want to be sure the rear tires can handle the load of the rear of the truck with the pin weight of the trailer. "E" rated tires can vary in their load rating by 1000 lbs. and this will have a bearing on safe towing and hauling.

Twenty years ago there was a difference between the strength of a 3/4 ton and a 1-ton truck but times change even if some folks have difficulty keeping up. With Chevy and Ford there are 3/4 ton trucks that have higher payload capacities than some of their 1-ton trucks and only Ram with its 2013 heavy duty trucks is using a weaker chassis on the 3/4 ton trucks.

ChiefStan · 12-18-2012, 06:25 AM

Elkhornsun,

Can you tell me if your friend with the 2006 DMAX 2500 is running air bags or any other type of suspension upgrade to pull his 35' 5er....or is he just running the standard rig

Thanks

RustyJC · 12-18-2012, 06:46 AM

In that same trailer towing guide that gives the maximum trailer tow rating is an admonition (check the fine print) that the manufacturer's GCWR, GVWR and GAWRs are never to be exceeded. With a 5th wheel, it's not just what the truck is rated to PULL (even that's with a base model truck with no options or accessories and only a 150 lb driver), but what it's rated to CARRY insofar as pin weight is concerned - that's a function of the truck's GVWR and rear axle GAWR.

Rusty

ChiefStan · 12-19-2012, 04:21 AM

All,

I decided to buy the Infinity 3750FL, prepared to upgrade to a 1 Ton truck if needed. So yesterday, I took the Infinity up the Ute pass with my 2008
GMC DMAX to my place. the truck didn't struggle at all...it pulled it right up the pass around 55mph with no effort had more power than I expected but didn't want to go any faster with the switch backs and handled pretty good. Apparently, the Infinity 3750 FL must be ballanced pretty well...it didn't squat my truck too much and pulled very well. I appriciate all the advice I recieved from this thread, thanks for taking your time to help me out.
ChiefStan