Properly sizing truck! Newbie needs advice.

[D & K]

We want to do this right. Ordered Cameo 31ks3. Due in 7 weeks so can't weigh yet. Manuf. says 10,975 dry w/appox 2600 carrying capacity (with "typical options"). Hitch weight 1890. Do you buy truck based on max. (13,800) capacity? When do you pull it full of water (over 600 #'s).

Truck we're considering is a Chevy (08) Duramx, Auto., SRW, 4 x 4 w/3.73. Max 5r capacity is 14,600. 9900 capacity. Trk. wt is 6900 (does that include fuel? --can't find that answer).

Looks like we have over 1500 extra towing capacity, but with hitch/passengers/fuel & stuff may exceed capacity of truck by 200#. Not likley but could happen and like we said we want to do this right.

Need advice! Thanks!

[D & K]

We want to do this right. Ordered Cameo 31ks3. Due in 7 weeks so can't weigh yet. Manuf. says 10,975 dry w/appox 2600 carrying capacity (with "typical options"). Hitch weight 1890. Do you buy truck based on max. (13,800) capacity? When do you pull it full of water (over 600 #'s).

Truck we're considering is a Chevy (08) Duramx, Auto., SRW, 4 x 4 w/3.73. Max 5r capacity is 14,600. 9900 capacity. Trk. wt is 6900 (does that include fuel? --can't find that answer).

Looks like we have over 1500 extra towing capacity, but with hitch/passengers/fuel & stuff may exceed capacity of truck by 200#. Not likley but could happen and like we said we want to do this right.

Need advice! Thanks!

[D & K]

Forgot to mention GCWR is 22k.

[D & K]

Further info. We're using 250#'s for fuel weight estimate (34 gal. at 7#) and using 250#'s for hitch weight (16k draw-tite or reese).

[450Donn]

You don't mention if it is a 2500 or 3500HD? So based on what I know it must be a 2500HD. The trucks GVWR according to the manufacturers sticker on the door post is 9,200 pounds. The truck as you are ordering it will scale with hitch, and all the stuff we tend to load into them at about 7500 pounds. That does not leave enough room for the real pin weight and not be overloaded. This is a real hot topic right now, so I will try and giver you some general guidelines to go by.
1) A TT hitch weight will be approx 15% of the trailers GVWR. A fifth wheels pin weight will be approx 20% of the trailers GVWR
2) Depending on what and how you feel about towing you will read that a) it is safe to tow at the max rear axle rating, or b) you never want to tow over the trucks GVWR and or GAWR
From personal experience, and I have been doing this since 1977, towing a heavy fiver with a 3/4 ton truck is not any fun.
Given the 13,800 pound trailers GVWR I would estimate the pin weight at 2760 pounds. This does not count the hitch weight, or anything you add to the truck over a 150 pound driver and 5 gal of fuel! My suggestion is to get a dually and forget any thing less. You might not want to hear that, but that is my opinion based on your desctiption.

[D & K]

Hi Don & Lori,

It's a 3500. It appears to be borderline to me on the SRW. I've been thinking exactly that a duelly is the way to go even if not a preference.

A friend who's a real truck guy said to do a Dodge, but they're only at 13,600 for the same 1 ton SRW. To get towing had to go to 4.10 rear end and then lose on mileage. Ford looks like it has plenty based on numbers, but redesign has no track record and gets worse mileage. Left Chevy and it's borderline. Looks like Chevy duelly might have to be the choice.

Do you size based on fully loaded 5r? Don't think you'd haul it full of water except those last miles from civilization heading towards boondocking. Also, do you know if the 6900 truck weight is supposed to be including fuel?

Dealers and websites don't offer good info. I've done the math so many times wife things I'm overdoing. I want to be safe for us and for you. Plus concerned about liability.

Thanks for your help.

[450Donn]

Went to a Dodge Quad Cab dually and don't regret it one bit. Fords from what I have been reading are the worst on economy ratings. Any of the "new" diesel trucks will not be as good as the previous generations due to emissions. All I can really tell you is that my Dodge pulling the same load as previous truck will pull in the mountains in 6th gear with the cruise control on and still give me 10-11 MPG. Basically I do not really try to recomend a truck to anyone because everyone fots a truck differently. I like my Dodge is all I can say. I think GM has some better features, but after the last fiasco with a GM product I was not willing to do the engineering for them again. My suggestion is to out and drive all three on the same day and if possible on the same roads to find which is best for you. The Dodge dually with 4.10 rear end is rated at 23,000 pounds combined. So you are well within range no matter what. Good luck and let us know what you decide.
Don

[D & K]

Thanks again. I think we'll go with the Chevy 3500 Dually as we can get the 3.73. It'll tow 16k, plus have the truck payload we need. We're only over about 200 #'s on the SRW, but would travel and sleep better with a 10% fudge factor. Love the Dodge engine (and the exhaust brake) but to get the tow rating had to get the 4.10 and therefore lose the mileage.

I'm amazed at how much bad info. there is. We wouldn't have known the right questions to ask without help from folks like you.

Thanks again.

[CD]

D&K
I would get the 410. It's best for towing. I had 354 in my 1st 01 dodge and didn't like having to shift every time I went up a hill. The 410 just keeps pulling. Having of the same year etc. I was able to compare milage on the same trip and the 410 was only about about a 1/2 mile less.

[Ray,IN]

Visit: HERE, click on weight calculators, then select either fifth wheel or travel trailer to use the prefered calculator. Notice it only uses the trailer GVW for calculations. It also gives you the option to select the 20% safety option that most full-timers use.
This removes all the guess-work from safely and properly matching a trailer with a tow vehicle.

[Randy the sly old fox]

D&K I think that the DRW is the only way to go with the 3500HD. The payload of the 3500HD SRW is only 700lbs more than the 2500HD.

[The Big Kid]

I will throw in a Dodge Dually vote now, and will point something out.

the numbers other than the max gross vehicle wieght will not be right.

truck - in no way will a SRW 3/4 or 1 ton wieght 6900 with hitch, driver and fuel. I have scaled my previous 3/4 ton, and current 1 ton to discover that the 3/4 ton without hitch or me was 7100, and my 1 ton, with me and hitch is 8400.

the trailer with the advertised CCC(cargo carrying capacity) of almost 3000 lbs, was way off. I queried this and discovered that the dry wieght did not account for propane, awning, ladder, air conditioner. In some models it does not account for options such as oven, water filters, larger tires TVs, stereo systems etc. the "dry wieght" is based on the nominal "BASE model".

Pin wieght advertised at 1800, in reality is 2800 loaded over the scale. I never did get a scale reading before I took the unit home.

once you add wife/kids/dogs/food/clothes/dishes/games/TV/computer, movies etc - you will find yourself amazingly close to max wieght.

truck ratio - 3.73 is nice, but you will have better power to the ground with 4.10 when towing. If you intend to tow often, and in hilly terrain, the 4.10 will offer better pulling, with minimal difference in fuel economy.

When I did a coast to coast interstate drive (I90), I just set the cruise a little under the speed limit (I wasn't the slowest guy on the road), and loafed along.

[RustyJC]

Yep, that's the real world! With driver, passenger, 2 Shelties, full fuel tank, 5th wheel hitch, cargo, in-bed tool box and contents, etc., my truck scales out at 7680 lbs.

Published dry weights of a 5th wheel are typically less than useless for the purposes of sizing a tow vehicle. That's why many of us recommend using the 5th wheel's GVWR as the total weight and 20% of the 5th wheel's GVWR as the pin weight of a loaded 5th wheel for sizing purposes.

Rusty

[TXiceman]

I'll jump in with Rusty. But my Ford dually rolls on the scales at close to 8000#.

You will see lots of folks pulling a pretty fair sized 5er with a 3/4 ton truck. There is no way that the truck is under it's GVWR rating. Lots of them were lead astray by the knowledgable salesperson .

The only way to know for sure is load up the truck and head for the scales.

Ken