OK, well I have the scale weight of the truck with me, 6575lbs. I have 265/70/17 tires with an E rating; single rated at 3195 each. I have upgraded alloy wheels, not sure what they are rated at; Big Horn package if that means anything to anybody. Door says, Front axle 5200lbs, Rear 6010lbs. I am looking at an 18' extension for towing the boat. Door says GVWR 9000lbs, doesn't quite compute to me, 5200 + 6010= 9000, not sure how that works. I have had the camper on the truck with no problems, but not both yet. Boat manufacturer says it weighs 3300lbs and they say trailer is about 1500lbs.
You need to weigh each axle separately. The rear axle is going to be the problem; you need to know how much weight is on it now. I would assume something like:
2,000 lbs (now - empty - approx)
4,560 lbs (95% of approx camper weight)
. 576 lbs (approx tongue weight X 2)
7,136 lbs (approx total weight on rear axle)
So that would be about 3,568 lbs on each rear wheel if it balances equally side to side, which probablly isn't the case. You could easily have 3,700 lbs on a tire rated for only 3,195. That is completely unacceptable.
Brad
* This post was
edited 04/24/08 05:52am by BradW *
Your pushing it too far. I had a 2003 Dodge 3500 SRW until just recently. Hauled the camper on several 2000+ mile trips and it was good. Last summer was the first time I towed the boat with the camper loaded. Coming back on Hwy 2 over Stevens Pass was a real scare. The boat pushing the tail of the truck made it too uncomfortable. My 20' Sea Ray with trailer is around 3500 lbs. The truck had air bags, sway bar, extended bumpstops, bigger tires and wheels and plenty of performance upgrades. I did not have a superhitch but just a 24" stringer a local shop fabbed up for me. After considering what it would cost to do more repairs to the truck and add an exhaust brake, it was better to trade up to a dually. It has an exhaust brake, 6 speed auto and I added a superhitch. I know the old setup weighed over 12500 lbs on a scale without the family and dogs. Try just the camper for a bit but I'll bet when you add the boat you'll know that it's too much.
Doug
2008 Dodge 3500 DRW 4x4 6spd auto. Loaded! Bought it for the bun warmers
MarionMedic wrote: 1/2 of the axle weight goes to each side.
This is ONLY true if the load is evenly distributed on the truck. Many campers (and RVs in general) have more weight on one side or the other due to where things such as appliances, batteries, LP tanks and holding tanks are located.
Quote: There is NO need to weigh each "tire" as that all changes with road surface cant/crown, winds, curves, and speed.
When someone is running over their max weight it is a VERY good idea to actually weight ALL tires to verify that one of them isn't carrying appreciably more of the load.
2007 F350,HighLine,SC,LB,4x4.6.0/Auto
2007 Outfitter Apex9.5, 270W solar, SolarBoost 2000e, 2 H2000i's, 2000W inverter, 2 20lb LP on slide out tray, 4 Lifeline AGM batteries, Tundra fridge
1995 Bounder 28' ClassA sold
1991 Jamboree 21' ClassC sold
SEMPER FI
To those of you still monitoring this post, I have the weights.
Truck empty with me
7520
Rear Axle weight
2920
With camper full tanks full, water tank 1/3 full
11,900
Rear Axle 7100
Front 4800
Driver side rear
3400
Passenger side rear
3700
I upgraded tires to a Nitto AT 285/ 70-17 "E" rated at 3750 each.
Traveled 600 miles and all was good, truck handled great with this set up. Also wife was in the truck this time. Still need a real weight on boat and trailer but I would guess it to be around 4500 - 5000. It is a 21' Chapparel.
With the AF 990 only (not the trailer) you are WAY over.
I have never been a member of the weight police, but what you are aiming down the road is beyond what is sensible or safe.
Because nothing bad has happened so far is not a license to keep on doing it. Shoot me down, tell me that my reasoning is flawed or stupid- but I hope you are not on the road next to my family when something bad happens to YOUR equipment.
I have never written anything this strong on RV.net. Take it for how I mean it- it is only to help you. Or just go and tell me I'm full of it. Maybe ignorance IS bliss.
Does anyone look at the specs that come with their trucks?? I tend to rely on what the builders indicate rather than what someone feels is OK.
2006 Dodge Ram 2500 QC/LB 4x4 Cummins/6 speed- GONE
2006 Northstar 850SC- GONE too
1993 BMW K1100RS a.k.a. Hades, the new "RV"
2007 Kaw 250R
Best friend/DW on the passenger seat
nwcamperguy wrote: To those of you still monitoring this post, I have the weights.
Truck empty with me
7520
Rear Axle weight
2920
With camper full tanks full, water tank 1/3 full
11,900
Rear Axle 7100
Front 4800
Driver side rear
3400
Passenger side rear
3700
I upgraded tires to a Nitto AT 285/ 70-17 "E" rated at 3750 each.
Traveled 600 miles and all was good, truck handled great with this set up. Also wife was in the truck this time. Still need a real weight on boat and trailer but I would guess it to be around 4500 - 5000. It is a 21' Chapparel.
The boat will put you over, again, on your upgraded tires' load ratings. Expect the boat tongue weight to add 200 - 400 lbs more to the truck axle. Maybe you need the 4000-lb rated 18" tires now.... Really, a dually would be much better here.
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