 |
10-20-2010, 07:41 AM
|
#1
|
|
Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 91
|
Calculate tow weight
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.
|
|
|
 |
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
|
10-20-2010, 08:33 AM
|
#2
|
|
Senior Member
Texas Boomers Club
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Cypress, Texas USA
Posts: 8,854
|
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
|
|
|
|
|
10-20-2010, 09:10 AM
|
#3
|
|
Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Spokane, WA
Posts: 1,545
|
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.
|
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#.
__________________
2014 Winnebago Aspect 27K
2011 Kia Soul
|
|
|
|
|
10-20-2010, 09:12 AM
|
#4
|
|
Senior Member
Texas Boomers Club
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Cypress, Texas USA
Posts: 8,854
|
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
|
|
|
|
|
10-20-2010, 04:20 PM
|
#5
|
|
Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 91
|
Thanks
That's not the answer I was hoping to hear but...hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
|
|
|
|
|
10-20-2010, 04:27 PM
|
#6
|
|
Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 91
|
Rusty, what is the GVWR of your 5th wheel?
Glen
|
|
|
|
|
10-20-2010, 07:21 PM
|
#7
|
|
Senior Member
Texas Boomers Club
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Cypress, Texas USA
Posts: 8,854
|
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
|
|
|
|
|
10-21-2010, 01:39 AM
|
#8
|
|
Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 91
|
Thanks
|
|
|
|
|
10-21-2010, 10:03 PM
|
#9
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: North America somewhere
Posts: 30,982
|
Ken Lenger's weight calculator demonstrator should help: Tow Vehicle/Trailer Calculations Demonstrator
__________________
2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD , ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG 11B5MX,Infantry retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA. " My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. John F. Kennedy
|
|
|
|
|
11-02-2010, 02:25 PM
|
#10
|
|
Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 91
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray,IN
|
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
-----------------------------
Live light, cast a small shadow.
|
|
|
|
|
11-07-2010, 02:12 PM
|
#11
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: North America somewhere
Posts: 30,982
|
Humm, it works in FF when I call it up. I must allow scripts to temporarily run on that page though.
__________________
2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD , ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG 11B5MX,Infantry retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA. " My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. John F. Kennedy
|
|
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Linear Mode
