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10-20-2010, 07:41 AM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 89
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Is it accurate to calculate tow weight of a 5th wheel like so?
GVRW (5th wheel) - Pin Weight = Towing Weight.
I'm assuming the pin weight becomes part of the tow vehicle's GVW but I haven't been able to confirm the above formula.
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10-20-2010, 08:33 AM
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#2
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Moderator Emeritus
Texas Boomers Club
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Cypress, Texas USA
Posts: 6,626
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In sizing a towing vehicle, you need some idea of the actual loaded weight of the tow vehicle with all options, accessories, driver, passengers, cargo, hitch, full fuel tank, etc. - this is higher than the manufacturer's published curb or base weight which is a base vehicle with only a 150 lb driver. If you already own the proposed towing vehicle, a trip to the scales may be the best $8.00 you ever spent! With this laden curb weight of the tow vehicle (LCW), the following formulas may be used:
Maximum allowable loaded trailer total weight = Tow vehicle GCWR - Tow vehicle LCW
Maximum allowable loaded trailer pin/hitch weight = Tow vehicle GVWR - Tow vehicle LCW
These formulas can be used for either 5th wheel or TT-type trailers. A conservative approach is to use the trailer's GVWR for estimating its loaded total weight and 20%-25% (5th wheel) or 10%-12% (TT) of the trailer's GVWR for estimating its loaded pin/hitch weight.
These formulas will keep you within the manufacturer's tow vehicle ratings. That's important to some purchasers, and not to others.
Rusty
__________________
2011 Dodge Ram 3500 Laramie Cummins 6.7L/6 speed auto/4.10LS crew cab LB dually
2004 Doubletree Mobile Suites 36RE3 5th wheel
Come join us on a TEXAS BOOMERS rally!
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10-20-2010, 09:10 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Excel Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Spokane, WA/Brenda, AZ
Posts: 1,398
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 19gc45
Is it accurate to calculate tow weight of a 5th wheel like so?
GVRW (5th wheel) - Pin Weight = Towing Weight.
I'm assuming the pin weight becomes part of the tow vehicle's GVW but I haven't been able to confirm the above formula.
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If you scaled your fifth wheel and it weighed, say, 15,000#, that would be the tow weight of that fifth wheel. Yes, some of the weight is transferred to the bed of the truck, but the truck would still be towing 15,000#.
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10-20-2010, 09:12 AM
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#4
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Moderator Emeritus
Texas Boomers Club
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Cypress, Texas USA
Posts: 6,626
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To Linda's point, the total weight of the trailer is what's being towed. Some of the weight is, indeed, carried on the trailer's axles, and some is transferred to the tow vehicle as pin or hitch weight, but that doesn't change the trailer's total weight.
Rusty
__________________
2011 Dodge Ram 3500 Laramie Cummins 6.7L/6 speed auto/4.10LS crew cab LB dually
2004 Doubletree Mobile Suites 36RE3 5th wheel
Come join us on a TEXAS BOOMERS rally!
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10-20-2010, 04:20 PM
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#5
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 89
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Thanks
That's not the answer I was hoping to hear but...hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
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10-20-2010, 04:27 PM
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#6
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 89
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Rusty, what is the GVWR of your 5th wheel?
Glen
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10-20-2010, 07:21 PM
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#7
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Moderator Emeritus
Texas Boomers Club
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Cypress, Texas USA
Posts: 6,626
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The Mobile Suite's GVWR is 16,000 lbs. The truck's GCWR is 26,000 lbs with a trailer tow rating of 18,400 lbs. It'll go over the scales soon.
Rusty
__________________
2011 Dodge Ram 3500 Laramie Cummins 6.7L/6 speed auto/4.10LS crew cab LB dually
2004 Doubletree Mobile Suites 36RE3 5th wheel
Come join us on a TEXAS BOOMERS rally!
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10-21-2010, 01:39 AM
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#8
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 89
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Thanks
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10-21-2010, 10:03 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: North America somewhere
Posts: 4,925
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Ken Lenger's weight calculator demonstrator should help: Tow Vehicle/Trailer Calculations Demonstrator
__________________
"As nightfall does not come at once, neither does oppression. In both instances there is a twilight where everything remains seemingly unchanged. And it is in such twilight that we all must be aware of change in the air - however slight - lest we bec
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11-02-2010, 02:25 PM
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#10
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 89
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray,IN
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Hi & thanks
I tried the calculator, but it doesn't work in Opera, Chrome or Firefox (in my descending order of choice). It works  in IE Explorer but crashed repeatedly. Blame that on IE Explorer.
So I found another one that's more universal if anyone else has had problems.
Nothing wrong with Lenger's calculator, just using it. All my info is organized in Opera, so it was a pain jumping back & forth.
Here's the other one:
Fifth Wheel Weight Calculator
The site also has a TT calculator.
__________________
Glen
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Live light, cast a small shadow.
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11-07-2010, 02:12 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: North America somewhere
Posts: 4,925
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Humm, it works in FF when I call it up. I must allow scripts to temporarily run on that page though.
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"As nightfall does not come at once, neither does oppression. In both instances there is a twilight where everything remains seemingly unchanged. And it is in such twilight that we all must be aware of change in the air - however slight - lest we bec
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