Community Forums

SEMO Mike · 10-03-2008, 07:38 AM

Is there a pickup which can legally and safely tow a 30TKE. It is well-built but heavy. We love the 30TKE but my DW will not tolerate driving a MDT around town. Thanks, MIKE

SEMO Mike · 10-03-2008, 07:38 AM

Is there a pickup which can legally and safely tow a 30TKE. It is well-built but heavy. We love the 30TKE but my DW will not tolerate driving a MDT around town. Thanks, MIKE

LindaH · 10-03-2008, 08:10 AM

We have the fifth wheel and truck in my signature. In 2007, the GVWR was 15,000# and, at 15,000# we are within the truck's GVWR and GCWR. The newer 30XXX rigs now have a GVWR of 17,500# in both the Limited and the Classic...the RT still has a GVWR of 15,000#.

I haven't looked at the specs of the new pickups, but I believe the only 1-ton truck with dual rear wheels that can handle 17,500# is the Ford F-350 with the Tow Boss option. You could, of course, look at the Ford F-450 and F-550 or Dodge or Chevy equivalent.

rockintom · 10-03-2008, 08:31 AM

Linda is right....you could do the F-350 with tow boss (very important) package. If you did that stay on the close side of 16,000# GVWR lbs. and you'll be fine. With a 30TKE it would be pretty easy to do...unless you're like some of our pack rat friends. Just because they (PI) says you can pack in 4,400 lbs of stuff, doesn't mean you have to. We FT and carry about 2,500 lbs. in our 35FLR (pack some stuff in the LB bed of our truck) Don't even think about getting an Excel without disk brakes if you towing with a PU! HTHs

porscheracer · 10-03-2008, 09:55 AM

At least teke a look at the new Dodge D4500 pickup series. Seems like a marriage of class 4 capabilities with a class 3 footprint.

ExcelRVGuy · 10-03-2008, 05:12 PM

the reason the new 30' fifth wheels have a 17,500# GVWR is because we increased the axle size to 2 7000#. The actual weight of the coach has changed only a small amount. We just felt that we would like to increase the payload capacity.

For anyone considering a 30' fifth wheel who might not feel comfortable with the higher GVWR, Peterson Industries will be glad to decrease the GVWR down to an amount that you feel comfortable with. This is perfectly legal, as it is the manufacturer who establishes the GVWR of the coach, based on a variety of formulas.

So, for example, if your tow vehicle is only rated to tow 15,800#, we can "de-rate" a 30' or even a 33' down to 15,800# GVWR.

I hope this helps.

Bryan

rockintom · 10-03-2008, 06:51 PM

Thanks Bryan,

Could you further explain "de-rating" the rig. Is it something done on paper...or actually doing some changes on the build of the rig?

Are we saying basically the same thing in my previous post....don't load the rig up close to the CCC? Thanks rockin'

TXiceman · 10-04-2008, 04:40 AM

What you are "rated" to tow and what you can actually tow within ratings are two different numbers. The manufacturers tow ratings are a maximum which are based on a theoretical base model vehicle with only a 150# driver in it. They have no accessories, options, tool boxes or a 200# 5er hitch included. For every pound you add over this base model weight, you decrease the towing rating by the same amount.

So you r 15,800# tow rating will be a bit lower than this in real life when you add the hitch, passengers and other truck cargo.

My F350 CC DRW truck tips the scales a tad over 8000# when ready to hitch up to the trailer. You really need to weigh your truck and find your real world laden vehicle weight (LVW).

Next thing to do is to find the GCWR in the owners manual for your truck, with it's axle and cab listed. Now the GVWR is on the drivers door jamb.

GCWR - LVW = max LOADED trailer weight.

GVWR - LVW = max Loaded trailer pin weight.

Basically derating the trailer entails simply stamping the GVWR sticker with a lower number. I would not let them reduce the axle ratings to a lower rated axle. As long as the stamped number is less than the maximum number that can be stamped on the sticker, you are OK.

Some states determine you drivers license class by adding the GVWR of the truck and the trailer together. The 5er we had had a GVWR of 14,400# and the truck was 11500# GVWR which added together is 25,900#. Up to 26,000# Texas accepts the standard motor vehicle class drivers license. At 26,001# the requirements change.

ken

RustyJC · 10-04-2008, 05:17 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by TXiceman:
Some states determine you drivers license class by adding the GVWR of the truck and the trailer together. Up to 26,000# Texas accepts the standard motor vehicle class drivers license. At 26,001# the requirements change. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Just for clarification, insofar as driver's license classification is concerned, Texas goes by the tow vehicle manufacturer's GCWR if a GCWR exists. If not, they calculate a GCWR by using the sum of the GVWRs (which, by the way, is technically inaccurate as it counts the pin weight of the 5th wheel twice. A sum of the GAWRs would be more accurate.)

That's why so many vehicles have a 26,000 lb GCWR.

Rusty

LindaH · 10-04-2008, 09:08 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by TXiceman:
So your 15,800# tow rating will be a bit lower than this in real life when you add the hitch, passengers and other truck cargo. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Ken is absolutely correct.

Take our truck for example: It has a "published" tow rating of 15,600#. However, our truck (with a full tank of fuel, us, our dog, a fifth wheel hitch, 2 Honda 2000's, 2 full 2-1/2 gas cans, and the other miscellaneous junk we carry in the truck) weighs 7,975#. 23,100# (GCWR) minus 7,975# = 15,125#. We don't travel with a full fresh water tank except for the very shortest distance possible (which usually means we wait to fill up when we get to the campground...we do a lot a dry camping), so our "going down the road" weight of our fifth wheel is probably somewhere in the 14,500# - 14,700# range (we might weigh a little less since we've gotten rid of some heavy items since we had our setup weighed in the spring of 2007, but haven't reweighed yet).

Bruce and Jenna · 10-04-2008, 09:56 AM

We tow a 33RSE, some bigger than a 30TKE, with the truck in our signature. We're 1,000 below the rating for our truck. Didn't want any more truck than necessary, so we didn't consider the F450. Easy to tow, stable, no problem.

BTW - we had no allegiance to any truck manufacturer. We bought the 2007 F350 because it had the biggest towing capacity in its class at the time.

Roam America · 10-04-2008, 10:45 AM

Please listen to the folks here and take their responses to heart. Do the math and make sure you have a bit of a buffer meaning the TV can handle more than the trailer actually weighs. To mimic the Toyota commercial - If you can tow 10K #'s you better be able to stop 10K #'s. That is a point that many people miss.

I am prompted to write this from a campground where right across from me is a 40' toyhauler with triple axles and a 3/4 pickup TV. OMG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am not saying that you always need a 1 ton TV with a 5er. There are smaller, lightweight 5ers that can be pulled with a 3/4 ton. Yours, and your families, safety is all about WEIGHTS and RATINGS. Do the math so that you have a safe match of TV and RV.

I have an F-450 by choice. My RV is 16,500#'s. My truck can pull up to a 24K trailer. Is it overkill? For my current 5er, yes. But if we get another trailer down the road, the ones we are looking at are all 20K #'s.

MakinSmoke · 10-04-2008, 12:25 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Is it overkill? For my current 5er, yes </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

John,
I like the way you think! Stopping may be more important than pulling.

rockintom · 10-04-2008, 12:38 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by MakinSmoke:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Is it overkill? For my current 5er, yes </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

John,
I like the way you think! Stopping may be more important than pulling. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Amen and Amen...that's why I be talkin' disk brakes on the rig. Sure helps my "toy truck" git r stopped! Glad you finally made it back Virg, we missed ya!! rockin'