Community Forums

Old Bill · 12-04-2016, 01:30 PM

I'm buying a fifth wheel that has a shipping weight of 1735 and a pin weight of 1405. My question is, does the 1735 include the Pin weight?

MGrawe · 12-04-2016, 01:41 PM

Old Bill, check your numbers; I think you are looking at 17350 for a total weight. Shipping weight is not a common weight like gross weight or towing weight. I would guess the 17k number includes your pin weight because most 5er axles are rated at 7k or 8k. This sounds like you have 2x axles at 8k = 16k plus your pin 1405 = total weight of 17405 (give or take a few pounds either way). But this calculation would be your max (full) weight. Is this a new RV? If so, best is to review your manufacturer site; it should list axle and pin weights.

h20ski · 12-04-2016, 01:42 PM

Your title is correct Axle + Axle weight = Dry weight.

Most of the time the specs are going to be on the low side. So it my look like this.

Axle + Axle weight + battery + propane + full hot water heater + dealer installed options = Dry weight

Hope this helps.

Dave

birddog2you · 12-04-2016, 01:42 PM

That weight doesn't make sense. With a pin weight of 1405 that would put your weight around 7000 lbs. That would be my guess. More info is needed.... pin weight is usually around 20 percent of dry total weight.

SmokeyWren · 12-04-2016, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Bill

I'm buying a fifth wheel that has a shipping weight of 1735 and a pin weight of 1405.

No, you're not buying a 5er with shipping weight of only 1,735 pounds, or even 1,735 kilograms (which is about 3,751 pounds). If the dry pin weight is accurate and in pounds, then I would guess a shipping weight around 7,000 to 8,000 pounds.

Quote:

My question is, does the 1735 include the Pin weight?

Yes, the shipping weight of the trailer includes hitch weight, whether weight on 5er's kingpin, or weight on a gooseneck ball, or tongue weight of a travel trailer.

The shipping weight would be the weight on the trailer axles plus the weight on the front landing gear when the trailer is on a CAT scale and not hooked up to any tow vehicle. Pin weight is close to the weight on the front landing gear, and shipping weight includes that weight.

wingnut60 · 12-04-2016, 05:30 PM

birddog,
I'm with you on that--neither the gvwr nor the pw make any sense when put together.
He has a Nissan Frontier to tow with--the 1735 'shipping' weight may be the dry weight.
But then the 1405 pw would suggest a dry weight of around 7000, so the 1735 is probably 7350 or thereabouts...maybe a typo involved.

Smokey,
I don't think he is going to get anywhere towing a 10,375lb trailer with a Frontier.
Even a 7350 'dry/shipping' weight doesn't look right to me for a Frontier.

Joe

SmokeyWren · 12-04-2016, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wingnut60

Smokey,
I don't think he is going to get anywhere towing a 10,375lb trailer with a Frontier.

Naw, you saw my post before I edited it. I was thinking 13% tongue weight instead of 18% pin weight. CRS! 1405 pin weight @ 20% would be 7,025 dry trailer weight.

More likely is pin weight of 18%, which would be dry weight of 7805. Granted, anything over around 5,000 gross trailer weight will be too much for a Frontier. But hopefully he's also going to upgrade his towing machine to a heavy duty half-ton such as the F-150 with HDPP, or maybe a three-quarter ton pickup.

Old Bill · 12-05-2016, 06:19 AM

My question was okay, but my weight spec was wrong. The shipping weight is 7,035, not 1,735; the Pin weight of 1,405 was right.

If I'm reading your replies right, then you're all indicating that the Pin weight is included in the dry (shipping) weight. That helps me with my weight calculations regarding my new truck's max payload and towing numbers.

BTW, forgot to update my Signature before my posting; I've now corrected that as well!

Thanks all.

wingnut60 · 12-05-2016, 07:16 AM

So now you need to know what the trailer actually does weigh as ready for camping, and what the actual pin weight is.

SmokeyWren · 12-05-2016, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Bill

The shipping weight is 7,035, not 1,735; the Pin weight of 1,405 was right.

BTW, forgot to update my Signature before my posting; I've now corrected that as well! 2017 F150 Screw, 2WD, HDPP, MaxTow,3.5L EB

Good for you! You have one of those rare new F-150s with HDPP.

With a shipping weight of 7,035 we can expect a wet and loaded trailer weight of around 9,000 pounds, with wet and loaded pin weight of around 1,600 pounds. 7800 GVWR minus 1600 leaves you a max wet and loaded weight of the F-150 of 6,200. That 6,200 includes the 5er hitch installed, and the toolbox and people and pets and jacks and everything else that weighs more than a handkerchief in or on the pickup. That's doable, but you still must be aware of any extra weight you want to haul in the pickup while towing. Hit the CAT scale early in your first RV trip to determine how close you are to the GVWR of your F-150. Add the weights on the front and rear axle to determine GVW, then compare GVW to GVWR.

Old Bill · 12-05-2016, 01:52 PM

SmokeyWren. . .
Truck and Trailer both on order; truck is at least another 6-8 weeks out and the trailer another 3-4 weeks out. I plan on getting the axle weights before I load anything, then will get the weights when we're packed and ready to go. I'll follow up on this thread and post the weights.

Superslif · 12-05-2016, 04:58 PM

The shipped weight will be what the unit weighs. The whole unit...A good deal of manufactures will post a "shipped" weight. My last two RV's it was written in marker right next to the entry door. Another RV was written inside of the first cabinet door. I looked at a small 5th wheel last week and it was written down next to the VIN number plate. As shipped this RV weighs xxxxxxx