Gvwr on a 5th Wheel

**Chronobomb** · 04-19-2019, 04:51 PM

Hello,

I had a question about the GVWR and wanted to make sure I understood the issue. If you buy a 5th wheel with 2 7k axles, then your trailer weight should never exceed 14k lbs? Does this mean you should transfer any extra weight to the tongue weight as long as it does not exceed your trucks cargo capacity minus the tongue weight? So if my trailer weights 15k after loading it, I need to transfer the extra 1k to the front of the 5th wheel? Or should the extra 1k be moved to the bed of the truck?

Thank you,
Brent

**cfowler55** · 04-19-2019, 05:11 PM

In an ideal world at 15k lbs. gross , the axles will be carrying 12k and the truck 3k. This is based on the recommended 20% pin weight. Now someone will chime in and say it should be more , or less , but this is an estimated weigh % that is typically used to get you in the ballpark. And it will probably never be exactly that.
So , 7k axles should have a decent cushion on a 15k GVWR fifth wheel.

**boyscout** · 04-19-2019, 05:18 PM

I asked a factory rep about the fact that the axles were rated for 7K each, but our trailer's GVWR is 16,800. Part of the answer is indeed that some of the weight is carried by the pin but that's not all of it. I don't want to impart the rest from feeble memory, but the short answer is that the GVWR is safe. Someone more authoritative will probably jump in to explain the rest.

Each GD trailer has a label showing its GVWR as well as that trailer's actual unloaded weight as it left the factory, so simple math reveals how much weight can be added to the trailer (including the weight of any liquids in the fresh, black, and gray tanks).

Unless you have an unusually heavy-duty truck you probably do NOT want to deliberately weight onto the pin. In typical loading a lot of us work to keep weight OFF the pin, to stay within tow vehicle limits and to improve handling.

Hope this partial answer gives you some comfort.

**Chronobomb** · 04-19-2019, 05:27 PM

With your trailer weighing 16800 lbs, then you should have 14k on the trailer axle and 2800 lbs on the 5th wheel hitch? Or would a CaT scale read your trailer weight as 16800 if fully loaded?

**Country Campers** · 04-19-2019, 05:31 PM

I do not know the formula for choosing an axel weight for a trailer , not sure if there is one , when you subtract the axel weights from the gross vehicle weight this does not always lead to the actual pin weight. My trailer gross weight is 10995 , axels 5200 each so I would have only 595 for pin weight. For the general rule of thumb as stated above is gross weight x 20% gives an idea a reasonable pin weight.

I have always had a hard time understanding why some trailers axel weights are so far from gross weight while others are very close.

Brian

**Country Campers** · 04-19-2019, 05:34 PM

Originally Posted by Chronobomb

With your trailer weighing 16800 lbs, then you should have 14k on the trailer axle and 2800 lbs on the 5th wheel hitch? Or would a CaT scale read your trailer weight as 16800 if fully loaded?

If you weighed the trailer by itself then yes at gross weight the trailer alone should not weight more than 16800. Also on the cat scales each axel should not weigh more than they are rated for.

Brian

**Chronobomb** · 04-19-2019, 05:54 PM

My DRW has an rear axle capacity of 9,800 lbs. fully loaded, it’s about 4200 lbs. if you add a 3k pin, I’m still 2,600 lbs under my max capacity for the truck. How can I use this extra capacity?

**Country Campers** · 04-19-2019, 06:09 PM

Originally Posted by Chronobomb

My DRW has an rear axle capacity of 9,800 lbs. fully loaded, it’s about 4200 lbs. if you add a 3k pin, I’m still 2,600 lbs under my max capacity for the truck. How can I use this extra capacity?

Not sure you need to use all the weight capacity.

Brian

**Chronobomb** · 04-19-2019, 06:26 PM

We want to do a cross country trip. I’m trying to figure out how to balance the gear without going overweight on the axles. I did a rough estimate that gear, accessories, and my wife’s shoes are around 3k lbs. at the moment. I only have 2k capacity on the trailer which means I need to pack the 1k extra on the truck. Wasn’t sure if that could be stored on the front of the 5th wheel over the pin, or does it need to go in the bed of the truck.

**Cate&Rob** · 04-19-2019, 06:55 PM

Originally Posted by Chronobomb

We want to do a cross country trip. I’m trying to figure out how to balance the gear without going overweight on the axles. I did a rough estimate that gear, accessories, and my wife’s shoes are around 3k lbs. at the moment. I only have 2k capacity on the trailer which means I need to pack the 1k extra on the truck. Wasn’t sure if that could be stored on the front of the 5th wheel over the pin, or does it need to go in the bed of the truck.

Hi Brent,

About 23% of the total weight of your loaded 5th wheel will be on the pin and 77% will be carried by the trailer axles. If your loaded trailer weight is 15000 lbs, 3450 will be on the pin/hitch in the box of the truck and 11550 will be on the trailer axles (approximate guesstimate numbers).

Rob