Community Forums

Auggie56 · 04-29-2018, 08:05 PM

All these things we put into our trailers puts weight on in a hurry. I have yet to find if loading was as critical as with a bumper tow unit.

Thanks

Auggie56 · 04-30-2018, 04:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Auggie56

All these things we put into our trailers puts weight on in a hurry. I have yet to find if loading was as critical as with a bumper tow unit.

Thanks

I Googled the subject and found posts here on this forum. Imagin that, the search function wasn't working to my inputs.

Thanks

**Spdracr39** · 04-30-2018, 04:50 AM

It is all about the tow vehicle and its capacity. Not as critical as a TT because of little to no sway.

xrated · 04-30-2018, 05:00 AM

It's also easier to overload a truck with a 5ver vs. a tow behind, given the two different trailer are the same approx. Weight. TTs usually put approx 13-14% of the GVWR of the trailer on the tongue, whereas a fifth wheeler will usually put approx 20% of the trailer GVWR on as pin weight.

Go Dawgs · 05-05-2018, 06:58 AM

I really don't think that much about it. I make sure my truck can handle the GVWR on the trailer (well within specs), my hitch is also within specs, and the first time I load I weigh. I live in mine FT and I don't collect things so not much changes from season to season when traveling.

nothermark · 05-05-2018, 10:30 AM

Off hand I think the weight distribution matters but most owners have been conditioned to ignore it. I don't know how fiver folks would know their actual pin weights. That might be something they should be checking.

CARLnJANIS · 05-07-2018, 01:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nothermark

Off hand I think the weight distribution matters but most owners have been conditioned to ignore it. I don't know how fiver folks would know their actual pin weights. That might be something they should be checking.

Check my pin weight along with the axle weights before each trip. Easy to know pin weight. Weigh truck first. Then weigh truck and trailer. Subtract total weight of truck from the total weight of truck with trailer attached. The difference is the amount of weight added by the trailer, another words, pin weight.

Below is my truck with trailer unloaded.

Total weight of truck with trailer attached: 14,700 lbs.
-----------------------Total weight of truck: 10,620 lbs.
----------------------------------Pin Weight: 4,080 lbs.

With the GVWR of the trailer at 18,750 lbs., the pin weight is 21.8% of trailer GVWR. I can get close to 25% loaded. However, the truck and trailer axles, the pin box and the hitch are all within the weight rating for each.

chunker · 05-07-2018, 06:44 AM

Another loading method is weigh the truck alone getting axle weights for both. The with the same truck weight, weigh the truck and trailer getting 3 weights on the scales. You then will have front and rear axle weights plus trailer axle weights. Comparing truck only and truck with trailer rear axle weights gives actual pin weight. Important to have the same truck weight on the second weighing to be accurate.

nothermark · 05-08-2018, 06:13 AM

I was aware of how to do it with commercial scales. My point was more along the line that the pin weight exceeds what can be done with a bathroom scale or similar and a pull behind.

My real question is how many people really bother. I am fairly sure some folks here do from watching the conversations. I wonder how that translates out into the world at large as I have seen a steady decrease in technical knowledge in the general public.

RoadEyePie · 05-09-2018, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CARLnJANIS

Check my pin weight along with the axle weights before each trip. Easy to know pin weight. Weigh truck first. Then weigh truck and trailer. Subtract total weight of truck from the total weight of truck with trailer attached. The difference is the amount of weight added by the trailer, another words, pin weight.

Below is my truck with trailer unloaded.

Total weight of truck with trailer attached: 14,700 lbs.
-----------------------Total weight of truck: 10,620 lbs.
----------------------------------Pin Weight: 4,080 lbs.

With the GVWR of the trailer at 18,750 lbs., the pin weight is 21.8% of trailer GVWR. I can get close to 25% loaded. However, the truck and trailer axles, the pin box and the hitch are all within the weight rating for each.

I thought the weight of the truck with trailer attached was the Gross Combined Weight? Which should not exceed the GCWR.

CARLnJANIS · 05-10-2018, 01:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by manwithnorv

I thought the weight of the truck with trailer attached was the Gross Combined Weight? Which should not exceed the GCWR.

You are correct if you are including the trailer axles. The discussion was about pin weight. The weight on the trailer axles do not figure into the calculation of pin weight, so I did not include the trailer axle weights. My figures were for the truck only.

Total weight of truck with trailer attached: 14,700 lbs.
-----------------------Total weight of truck: 10,620 lbs.
----------------------------------Pin Weight: 4,080 lbs.

These numbers are generated by an Excel spreadsheet. I take the weights off the scales ticket, plug them in, and the spreadsheet calculates truck weight and remaining payload, trailer weight and remaining payload, pin weight, and the combined weight and weight over/under GCWR.

Just to add, the weight on the trailer axles was 13,740 lbs. giving a combined weight of 28,440 lbs., 1,560 lbs. under the GCWR. The GCWR of the F450 is 30,000 lbs.

CARLnJANIS · 05-10-2018, 02:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nothermark

My real question is how many people really bother. I am fairly sure some folks here do from watching the conversations. I wonder how that translates out into the world at large as I have seen a steady decrease in technical knowledge in the general public.

There are people on both ends of the spectrum. Some like myself are borderline OCD while others are willfully ignorant. I dated a girl back in the 80's who ruined the engine in her car. She didn't know you were supposed to have the engine oil changed.

There are RV owners that take meticulous care of their RV's while others just do minimal maintenance and when enough things break, they buy a new rig.