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Kingw2001 · 05-26-2013, 01:10 PM

My truck is rated for 10500 lbs. I travel for work so I will be full timing in my 5 th wheel. The 5er that I really want is 10800 lbs dry and I will always pull with dry tanks. I spend 8 weeks at a time in one place so I won't have to pull it very often. My question is does this sound like a bad idea as far as weight or is this doable? I'm very concerned with weight but I also need what's best for my family and I which consists of my wife 6 and 8 year olds. Any suggestions welcome.

jesilvas · 05-26-2013, 01:20 PM

You'll have to include all your stuff which would be a lot.
There's lots more people who are way overloaded so I'm sure you'd be ok, but there's always a chance of issues.
What truck do you have?

Kingw2001 · 05-26-2013, 01:31 PM

2005 Chevy 2500 hd 6.0 gas 4.10 rear end 2 wheel drive with the tow package

Kingw2001 · 05-26-2013, 01:34 PM

Also thinking about air bags if needed and my wife will also have her SUV crossover so there's always the option of loading her car up to help with the weight

SkiSmuggs · 05-26-2013, 02:23 PM

You can figure on at least 1500 lbs more loaded and 300-500 lbs more on pin weight.

450Donn · 05-26-2013, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kingw2001

My truck is rated for 10500 lbs. I travel for work so I will be full timing in my 5 th wheel. The 5er that I really want is 10800 lbs dry and I will always pull with dry tanks. I spend 8 weeks at a time in one place so I won't have to pull it very often.

So your going to be out for 8 weeks at a time and not bring a change of clothes? or food? Or dishes, pots pans for cooking? Dry weights are really meaningless. What is the trailers GVWR? You will never see a trailer dry so forget that piece of useless information. With your truck you really need to consider a fifth wheel with a GVWR around 9000 pounds or a TT which would be a far better solution.

Kingw2001 · 05-26-2013, 02:53 PM

I realize I will have all this gear. My point is I'm not going to be pulling every weekend like a recreational camper as my job keeps me at one place for 8 weeks just wandering how critical the rating is as I'm in construction and anytime there is a weight rating on something it can actually handle 4 times that. And I've also loaded 3000 lbs in material in the back of my truck with no problem even though its not rated anywhere near that.

Kingw2001 · 05-26-2013, 02:55 PM

Also as stated above if I'm feeling to Heavy my wife can carry a lot of gear in her car to help out

Ray,IN · 05-26-2013, 07:50 PM

It will not take long for you to reach the conclusion you really need a larger truck if you go ahead and buy this trailer that is too heavy for your present truck. You might "get by" in the plains states, but when you get jobs in the mountain states circumstances will change drastically. Just because the mfgr. says the unloaded gross weight is 10,800#, doesn't mean it actually weighs that amount. Have the dealer weigh the trailer "as-is" to find out the actual UVW.
Your truck may not have the actual towing/hauling capacity you think. What does it weigh now? Don't forget to add the weight of the hitch to the actual weight. Subtract that weight from your GCWR; that will be your maximum towing capacity.
This weight calculator will help properly and safely match your truck to a 5th wheel trailer.

jesilvas · 05-26-2013, 07:55 PM

No offense, it seems like you've decided what you wanna do.
Like I said, you could be fine, but you're more likely to have issues than with a bigger truck.

hjsdds · 05-26-2013, 08:01 PM

Kingw2001, the discussion about overloading, under-loading, matching, etc., etc., pickups and pullers has been discussed on this and other forums ad-infinitum and ad-nausea-um. I bought my first pickup in 1972

and promptly overloaded it with a slide-on that weighed over 8,000 pounds (note the "stuff" on the roof). Went through many red lights with a horn blaring when the light changed at an inappropriate "moment".

My next fifth was 32' and weighed 9,000 pounds, it was perfect for the pickup.

My next fifth was 36' and weighed 12,500 pounds loaded, I did pull it with a 1 ton pickup but I knew that although it could pull it, I couldn't stop when the brake controller failed, which happened to me twice. Second time it happened I was going down hill and it was truly a "depends" moment. Only having a lots of pulling time under my belt saved me from buying the farm.
I knew that if I wanted to RV I needed to "fix this", which was to buy a puller with adequate brakes to handle that load (an MDT).

All the pickups built today, whether Ford, Chevy or Dodge are capable of pulling incredible loads from responsible to the realms of absolute idiocy and unfortunately they "encourage" the idiocy with their sales brochures. Let me show you my own "idiocy".

I bought this pair as a set, the fifth is 40' and weighs loaded 22,500 pounds and that's a converted Dodge pickup 3500 (1 ton). Yes, it would pull it but I had to "plan" my stops well in "advance" and from way back. After one year and too many "depends" moments I bought and converted a truck proper for that fifth.

You certainly can pull what you plan with the pickup you own, just make sure your fifth's brakes are in tip top shape and serviced and don't skimp on the controller, I would recommend a Maxbrake. You might be "somewhat" overloaded but luckily for this group and the industry (RV industry and pickup industry) the overabundant lawyers haven't discovered the fact that they could make some serious money prosecuting RVers in overloaded pickups. I'll bet you the first time it happens Ford, Chevy and Dodge will recall and burn all of their sales brochures.

hjs

Kingw2001 · 05-26-2013, 08:25 PM

No offense taken. I'm obviously new to this and that is why I'm asking. I wasn't sure how accurate the ratings were or why as I've done a lot of pulling with my truck but usually within a hundred miles. It's always been skid steers and construction equipment well over 10000 lbs but not very often. I hope to get a one ton soon but just payed off this one and don't like taking out loans. I truly appreciate all the insight. I've just seen so many massive 5ers bring pulled by 3/4 ton pickups that I assumed the ratings that are labeled on the truck were way low. Thanks again all

myredracer · 05-26-2013, 08:30 PM

It's payload capacity more often than not that is the limiting factor. And don't believe what the payload sticker says on our door jamb. The sticker on our 3/4 ton says the payload capacity is 2800 lbs but after going to the scale it is only 1,800 lbs. But it can pull a respectable 12,500 lbs which sounds pretty good at first until you look at the real max. payload.

If you want to add a wife, kids, dog, groceries, and camping stuff in the TV, that all comes off before you have a payload figure left for your 5-er. You'll likley find that you can't tow much of a 5th wheel with your 3/4 ton. You might be able to pull a larger unit by going to a conventional trailer.

hjsdds · 05-26-2013, 08:37 PM

Kingw2001, if you pulled construction equipment with pickups than you are already familiar with the fact that you can pull with pickups way beyond what their "rating" is. I was not concerned about doing it for years but it was also during years when my trips were relatively short. Once we were able to start serious RVing, (4-5-6,000 miles round trips) we made a decision that "better" pullers were essential.

hjs