Quote:
Originally Posted by jergeod
Tell me more, Ram says I am good for 1420 in the box on this truck per serial number and 8460 gvw for the trailer. Not looking to go big and heavy. Keystone has a few that fit the numbers. Make me not want to do this.
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WAGged (guessed) numbers are usually inaccurate. You need real numbers.
The GVWR of a tow vehicle (TV) is a real number. It's the maximum weight that can be on the tires of the TV. Rear GAWR is a real number. It's the maximum weight that can be on the rear tires of the TV.
Tow rating is not a real number - it's a WAG based on faulty assumptions. Payload capacity is not a real number. It's also a WAG based on faulty or unlikely assumptions.
So you want to use the GVWR or rGAWR as your limiter as to how much trailer you can tow without being overloaded, and ignore tow rating. On most pickups the GVWR will be your limiter. On some the rGAWR will be the limiter. GVWR limiter is easier to calculate, and it will be close to the rGAWR limiter, so I use GVWR. That means you have to weigh the wet and loaded TV to determine payload capacity available for hitch weight.
So load your Ram up with everybody and everything that will be in it when towing. Everything. Passengers, kids, pets, toys, tools, jacks and jack stands and jack base, campfire wood and anything else that weighs more than a handkerchief. Drive to a truck stop that has a CAT scale, fill up with gas, be sure all passengers are in the TV, and weigh the wet and loaded TV.
Subtract the weight of the wet and loaded TV from the GVWR of the TV. The answer is the payload capacity available for hitch weight. If you don't already have the 5er hitch installed in the TV, then subtract 200 pounds for the weight of a good 5er hitch and install kit from the payload capacity available for hitch weight. The answer is the payload capacity available for kingpin (pin) weight.
5er RV trailers have about 20% pin weight. So divide the payload capacity available for pin weight by 0.2 (20%) and the answer is the max weight of any 5er you can tow without being overloaded. Be conservative when estimating the weight of the wet and loaded trailer. Use the GVWR of the trailer, or if GVWR is not published then use dry weight plus cargo carrying capacity (CCC) as GVWR.
And no, you don't want to be overloaded. Not even 100 pounds overloaded when you are hauling precious cargo in the TV.
Those real numbers should "make you not want to do this".