I am beginning to research a new camper. I want to ensure I am within my weights. I have an 07 chevy crew cab short bed 2500 duramax. I am currently hauling a 24 foot TT that is no where near our limit so Ive never been worried about it. But,... I want to make sure I dont buy too big a fiver for the truck. Is there a page that will help me understand? I don't understand pin weights, all the gvw's and all other abbreviations.
Queen Bee and the Hornets Nest
Jill, Jason, the Boy, 3 Girls and our Poodle Mix, Rascal.
2005 Keystone Hornet 24 RSL
2007 2500 HD CHevy with a duramax.
I would think that there would be a sticky at the top of this forum with basics... Strange that there isn't.
GVWR = gross vehicle weight rating = maximum your vehicle is rated to weigh loaded, hitched up, and ready to camp. Yours is 9200lbs.
GFAWR = gross front axle weight rating = maximum amount of weight your front wheels are designed to carry. Also called FAWR.
GRAWR = gross rear axle weight rating = same as above, except for the rear wheels. Yours is 6084lbs.
pin weight = the amount of weight at the 5th wheel pin
pin = the hitching point on a 5th wheel trailer
Take your truck, load up the family as if you were going camping, and get the truck weighed with separate axle weights if possible.
9200lbs - 250lbs for a 5th wheel hitch - your trucks actual weight = amount of pin weight your truck can handle. Average for a truck like yours is around 2000lbs, but you will want to check for yourself.
Here's where it gets fuzzy: "Dry" pin weights are usually inaccurate, and useless because they change when you put your stuff in the trailer. "Dry" trailer weights are useless for the same reason.
How do you know how much a trailer weighs without actually weighing it?
A dealer will not let you hook on, load your stuff, and take a trailer to get weighed. You have to make assumptions.
A SAFE (IMHO) estimate is to take 20% of the trailer's GVWR (the maximum the TRAILER is rated to weigh) as the loaded pin weight. This means you should be looking at 5th wheel trailers with a 10,000lb GVWR or less.
Not completely accurate, but gets the basic metrics of HOW2 of what the
various ratings work in the food chain to the pavement.
Not totally accurate as the tongue/hitch/etc weights don't go directly down, but
'through' the TV via the hitch ball.
Length used to have rule of thumb, but that one doesn't work anymore
as there has been many, many changes to the TV/Trailer/Hitch systems.
It boils down to whatever works for you, your setup and where/how you
drive.
'Dry' weights are bogus, but real. Just know that is is the 'stripper'
model, not what the real world version will weigh.
Best to weigh your setup axle by axle, both empty and fully loaded.
Then figure it out from there using the above metrics.
-Ben Picture of my rig
1996 GMC SLT Suburban 3/4 ton K3500/7.4L/4:1/+150Kmiles orig owner...
1980 Chevy Silverado C10/long bed/"BUILT" 5.7L/3:73/1 ton helper springs/+329Kmiles, bought it from dad...
1998 Mazda B2500 (1/2 ton) pickup, 2nd owner...
Praise Dyno Brake equiped and all have "nose bleed" braking!
Previous trucks/offroaders: 40's Jeep restored in mid 60's / 69 DuneBuggy (approx +1K lb: VW pan/200hpCorvair: eng, cam, dual carb'w velocity stacks'n 18" runners, 4spd transaxle) made myself from ground up / 1970 Toyota FJ40 / 1973 K5 Blazer (2dr Tahoe, 1 ton axles front/rear, +255K miles when sold it)...
Sold the boat (looking for another): Trophy with twin 150's...
51 cylinders in household, what's yours?...
Try to stay under 12,000 GVW, that will keep you in the ball park. As mentioned a slider with the short bed, or a sidewinder will work as well. You will not have a lot of pin weight left if your truck is 4WD. My truck weighs 6800LB with a full tank of fuel, so with that alone you only have 2400lb left without a single person in it. Deduct for hitch, and people ready to camp, you get the picture. I am sure you have read all this before, but the numbers are there for safety reasons, stay within those ( or as close as you can get) and all will be well.
2010 Jayco Eagle Super Lite 31.5 FBHS
08 Chevy 2500HD LTZ Duramax CC/SB/4X4
Reese Signature Series Hitch
Thanks everyone,... Looks like Im needing a new truck to get the one I WANT to work. So,... come on Indy RV show, I need to find a new camper for my "next" list.
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