Community Forums

first5thwheel · 02-29-2012, 05:46 PM

Sounds like very good advice jmtandem. To be additionally safe, not only a final way in will be done before going down the freeway, but as well I am going to try and significantly reduce the NCC by a thousand pounds if possible. I figure if I can take an additional 180 lbs off that pin percentage it will help. One thing in my favor is where I am heading with the 5th wheel (Seattle) will be a seaonal run which means I can make an extra trip to my desitnation with the truck loaded with heavy items on a first run without the trailer, and come back for the trailer practically keeping the trailer close to only 10 thousand pounds instead of the 11300. Once we are in our seasonal location if I decide to do any road trips thereafter I will not be lugging extra weight with me. I appreciate all of you who have pointed out different options and suggestions. Bottom line I just want to be safe on the road and keep my Ram from uncessary stressors while pulling. (breaks and transmission) as I will not be putting an exhuast break on my rig till next summer. One good thing about my trip north I can do the coast highway and avoid the grapevine and then cut over to the 5 freeway at Crecent City and I should stay pretty level till I hit my final destination of Seattle area. We want to spend the whole summer there and head out of there come Jan 1. My 5th Wheel has a winter package on it, but we will not be in any sub-zero temps till we head back south for a warm Winter stay either in Vegas or San Diego.

PapaBear1 · 02-29-2012, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RustyJC

Even if someone has an identical truck, his/her driver, passenger, cargo, accessory, 5th wheel hitch weights and pin weight of his/her 5th wheel will differ from yours, so what may work for him/her may or may not work for you. Sorry, but to be accurate, you need to do the math with the weights of your actual truck and 5th wheel loaded up and ready to camp - or better yet, load up as above and go to the scales and get actual weights for the truck's front axle, rear axle and the trailer axles.

Rusty

That's what I did with mine, went in to get the print out, and found that with half tank on fresh water, I am within 100# of GCVW and just barely under ratings for all my axles.

Rusty is right.

PapaBear1 · 02-29-2012, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by first5thwheel

Awesome thought. So my plan will be to definitely reduce the trailer weight, and what weight I do put inside the trailer that I can keep toward the rear of the trailer. If I decide to carry some water in the black tank for scrubbing while driving that will unfortunately ride ahead of my trailer axels, but I will comensate for that by lightening the load. Thank you for your advice. Being new to this I do not have the knowledge of such things, so any advice helps. An example of this is keeping the weight in the back of the trailer behind the axels...would have never in a million years thought of that and how it would help. Great Stuff !!!!!!

Paradoxically, of your total weight can handle it, to balance the weight in the black tank you can add water to the fresh, usually behind the axles.
Enjoy the head trip, long before you take the road trip!

jmtandem · 02-29-2012, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by first5thwheel

Sounds like very good advice jmtandem. To be additionally safe, not only a final way in will be done before going down the freeway, but as well I am going to try and significantly reduce the NCC by a thousand pounds if possible. I figure if I can take an additional 180 lbs off that pin percentage it will help. One thing in my favor is where I am heading with the 5th wheel (Seattle) will be a seaonal run which means I can make an extra trip to my desitnation with the truck loaded with heavy items on a first run without the trailer, and come back for the trailer practically keeping the trailer close to only 10 thousand pounds instead of the 11300. Once we are in our seasonal location if I decide to do any road trips thereafter I will not be lugging extra weight with me. I appreciate all of you who have pointed out different options and suggestions. Bottom line I just want to be safe on the road and keep my Ram from uncessary stressors while pulling. (breaks and transmission) as I will not be putting an exhuast break on my rig till next summer. One good thing about my trip north I can do the coast highway and avoid the grapevine and then cut over to the 5 freeway at Crecent City and I should stay pretty level till I hit my final destination of Seattle area. We want to spend the whole summer there and head out of there come Jan 1. My 5th Wheel has a winter package on it, but we will not be in any sub-zero temps till we head back south for a warm Winter stay either in Vegas or San Diego.

Perhaps this goes without saying but Dodge builds into their trucks margins so I would not worry too much about 180 pounds here or there. And if you travel as light as possible you should minimize any weight issues. Have a great trip!