Pickup and trailer on scale

[2001400ex]

Took my combination to the scale today. Here are the results. I have a fifth wheel with the Anderson hitch. I know my pickup is 7,700 dry but not sure which axle as I only weighed the entire setup. My fifth wheel is 9,800 dry and I loaded it with my 3 quads and everything ready for camping except water, which I rarely drive with water. My pickup tires are rated at 3,415 each and trailer tires are 3,600 each.

Steer axle: 4,560 (axle rating is 4,860)
Drive axle: 5,560 (axle rating is 6,084)
Trailer axle: 9,620 (axle rating is by 7,000, 2 axles)
Total: 19,740

It looks like I'm good except for GVW of my pickup (9,200). I don't have my owners manual but I think my GCWR is 22,000 or so. My towing from fifth wheel is 15k, and trailer GVW is 14k. It looks like my trailer is a little over 12k loaded the way I do camping. I'm pushing my max, that's for sure. Coming home Friday afternoon, pulling lookout pass from the Montana side at 91 degrees, I about met my max, I pushed it at but 65mph. Other than that, I can pull the mountain passes at the speed limit and everything feels good.

[blt2ski]

2001400ex wrote:
Thanks for the info!!! I think it's crazy in Washington, over 10k GVW being only 60mph. That means all new SRW 1 tons are limited to 60. It's also a question on truck speed limit with a small trailer. Some of what I have read says any vehicle with any trailer is limited to 60. That's nonsensical.

Look it up, RCW46.xx.xx has those words. If pulling one of the passes, and it says rigs over 10K chains required. you're required to have chains on the truck and trailer if pulling one. If pulling a trailer, i believe you need chains, even if under 10K. Does not matter if the truck is a 4x or not. Its this way in many of the states surrounding us too. At least Idaho, Oregon and California have the same basic laws. with a few tweaks here and there.

Marty

[2001400ex]

Thanks for the info!!! I think it's crazy in Washington, over 10k GVW being only 60mph. That means all new SRW 1 tons are limited to 60. It's also a question on truck speed limit with a small trailer. Some of what I have read says any vehicle with any trailer is limited to 60. That's nonsensical.

[blt2ski]

You should be paying tonnage now on your truck. Look to see what the green registration paper says under GVW. If it says 8000, that is ALL you are legal too. If 10000, again all you are legal too.
To change it, next time you pay for you yearly tag, ask to have a 10K plate registration if you have 8000. About $15 more than you pay in tonnage now. Same going from 10-12K. Going from 12-14K, you get hit with a $75 or so DOT tax. Wouls suggest you not do that unless you really need too!

The basic tonnage you have to pay for is tare/empty weight times 1.5, then go to the next higher ton. If you weigh 4700 like my reg cab C2500, I can register at 8000 lbs. My 96 crew cab was 6600, so it needed to be at 10K. IIRC I had it at 12K. Door sticker gvwr means squat here. Other than it being a performance warranty standard at dealership. Go over, they "COULD" deny you warranty coverage.

Been pulled over in my Navistar dumptruck at 150% of door sticker wt, no over weight ticket. I did get a up my gvw by 2000 lbs with in 10 days, as I was 800 or so lbs over my 26K paid for registration. If you were to get pulled over in the 10,xxx lbs relm, my suspicion is, the same would happen to you, get a 12K plate if you had a 10K plate. Maybe the same if you have an 8K plate. The WSP enforces the Federal Bridge Law road bed design limit standards. Which is max 20K per axel, with at least 40" of tire width, or 500 lbs per inch width of tire. This is the engineered point load spec of the road, that LEO/CVEO's have to enforce. Door sticker means squat!
Now if you were to run down the road at 20K lbs with current truck, about the max you could be with singles on a typical 25 series truck, or any pickup.....you would get taken off the road by a violation. It would not be weight driven per say. more like your brakes do not stop you within 25-30' from 25mph. That fine is WAY worst than an overweight ticket, along with it follows you on your driving record. Along with your truck gets red tagged and can not be driven to the nearest service facility. It gets flatbed hauled, or fixed at that site......not fun.

Look up RCW 45.xx.xx for weight laws of Washington state. RCW 46 will relate to the speeds you can go with a trailer or over 10K gvw. Max of 60 mph no matter where you are!

Reality is, going over the manufacture gvwr is legal.......remember, there are OTHER laws that might get you pulled off the road that hurt you worst!

Marty

[2001400ex]

blt2ski wrote:
Yawn......did that for many miles in a 96 crew cab I had. i was usually loaded to around 9400-10000 lbs towing a 7000 lb travel trailer, with 4 kids, rack, canoe, cross bed tool box. Did not have any white knuckle issues, including coming down the pass from govenrment camp in 30-50 mph winds, with chains on truck and trailer. Timerline to Government camp was worst, 10% grade with the road being really slick!

Make sure you have at least a 10K plate from Wa St, being as you are technically ove 10K, you should get a 12K plate, and you would be legal to 12K gvw.

You do not really need a SW3500, but if you want one........

Marty

How do your change the weight in Washington like that?

[blt2ski]

Yawn......did that for many miles in a 96 crew cab I had. i was usually loaded to around 9400-10000 lbs towing a 7000 lb travel trailer, with 4 kids, rack, canoe, cross bed tool box. Did not have any white knuckle issues, including coming down the pass from govenrment camp in 30-50 mph winds, with chains on truck and trailer. Timerline to Government camp was worst, 10% grade with the road being really slick!

Make sure you have at least a 10K plate from Wa St, being as you are technically ove 10K, you should get a 12K plate, and you would be legal to 12K gvw.

You do not really need a SW3500, but if you want one........

Marty

[ependydad]

This is good but the only true way to know what the trailer weighs (and its pin weight) is to weigh the truck separately (in the same time as the combination weight).

http://learntorv.com/how-to-weigh-a-fifth-wheel-camper-at-cat-scales/

But, other than being over on the truck's GVWR - looks like everything else is likely in line.

[2001400ex]

JIMNLIN wrote:
Your numbers show approx 2500-2600 lbs of pin weight plus 9620 lbs on the trailers axles = 12200 lb trailer. The Dmax/A and the 11.5 AAM rear axle won't have any problems with that weight.
For safety your well under axle/tire load limits. looks like another well match combo.

Yeah if I towed it more I'd definitely get a 1 ton now. In fact I'm looking forward to getting one lol. But for now it works and I'm not stressed towing.

[JIMNLIN]

Your numbers show approx 2500-2600 lbs of pin weight plus 9620 lbs on the trailers axles = 12200 lb trailer. The Dmax/A and the 11.5 AAM rear axle won't have any problems with that weight.
For safety your well under axle/tire load limits. looks like another well match combo.

[RCMAN46]

One of the most important things to know when towing 5th wheel trailers is the pin weight percentage.

Assuming your truck is 7700 without the trailer and the pin weight is very near the rear axle I get a pin weight percentage of about 20%.

Had you dropped the trailer and weighed the truck we would know for sure what your actual pin weight percentage is.

[azdryheat]

Your trailer has a GVWR of 14,200 pounds, which for a Duramax, is an easy tow. I towed a similar weight trailer; easy for a Duramax. Now I'm towing a 19,000 pound toy hauler and the Duramax is awesome.

Just be careful how much weight you put on the pin; a 2500 doesn't have much payload.

[Lwiddis]

Seems as if you are pushing...everything....weight, speed, temperature. Will there come day when...? Washington is one thing. The Soutwest is another...bring water.