[Mag_numb]

I have been trying to sort out and wade through the world of GVRW's etc....perhaps someone can help me decipher if this the below trailer is workable towning with a 2003 LB7. Any Help you guys can offer would be great, I know many of you have already had to figure this out........I want to be able to tow within the limits of the truck. I live in alberta and half the province is a mountain so I want to be able to pull this up some steeper stuff. I will have a chip for this thing, and that should help a little. Please let me know what you think. I am putting airbags on the truck, I just want to be sure that if I get pulled over I won't be ticketed for being overgross....

here are the specs.


32QB-M5-BS
Length: 36' 6"
Exterior Width: 8'
Exterior Height: 12' 4"
Hitch Dry Weight: 1852
Gross Vehicle Weight: 12192
Unloaded Vehicle Weight: 10276
Net Cargo Capacity: 1916
Fresh Water Capacity: 56
Grey Water Capacity: 80
Black Water Capacity: 40
Tire Size: ST225/\75R15(D)
Furnace Size (BTU's): 35000
Water Heater: 10
Awning Length: 17

Thanks Mag

 

[Monster truck]

should be able to do it, it will give it a workout but itll do it. Have you done any mods to the truck? is a a stick or auto? its going to be almost right at 12k lbs total. Is it a fith wheel style?

 

[Mag_numb]

Yes it's a 5th wheel style.

I have a chip for it, so I could do a modest 60hp or so, and with the Airbags I assume that will help in terms of the suspensions ability to handle the weight. I don't know what the max load in the box is for this truck however so I would assume a real world pin weight of over 2000#....I don't know, better to assume the worst and go from there....

let me know what you think.

There are no other mods such as exhaust or intake done, that's why I would only push a max of 60hp if not closer to 40hp with a chip...

 

[Todd E]

First and foremost with any truck......get it weighed !!!!!!!

Go to a public scale with truck full of fuel and weigh it. Then consider passengers and other weights that will be in truck. Add that to the actual truck weight and come up with a total weight for the truck. You want to look at the gross combined vehicle weight rating on the truck. This will be the weight of the truck(real world) + what you can add to it towing. Forget tow rating and look at GCVWR !!!! I know a dmax can move mtns, but they have rating for safety reasons !! I do not know what the payload is. You can go to Trailer Life Magazine: America's Number One RV Magazine and find the link to tow ratings. Look up your model, gear ratio, etc and it will give you all the info. The air bags aren't gonna help you "tow" more, they just assist in squating the rear end. If you need help, post your vehicle info and I'll look it up for you.

What's up front in the camper ? If you add personal effects to that area, it's gonna add weight to the pin box. It's a lot of work, but safe towing warrants weighing truck, camper, etc under real world conditions. I think that pin weight you listed pushes the payload on my truck, though I'd have to look to be sure.

Are you gonna need a slider hitch ? I have a CC SWB and I had to put a slider in to keep from busting out the rear window while rear backing and tight turns. My 5er has an extended pin box. If this model camper has the pin more up under the overhang, I know you will need a slider.

I know this is long and there is more info that could be added. If you have specifics just ask. Been hauling a 5er for several years. Only recently did I get the DMax.

 

[Mag_numb]

Thank you Todd E

I appreciate your help. I will do some research into it...baring that I might just post my info up here so you can help me. Again thanks for the reply!!

Mag

 

[railbird]

I have about the same setup and I'm a little overloaded on the truck. The gross on the truck is 9200 and I'm about 9400 with wife, grandson and friend, and full fuel. My hitch weight is supposed to be a little less than yours but I have the trailer loaded with all our camping stuff. The capacity of the trailer is 2000 or so and I imagine we have about 1000 in it. The truck has no problem pulling it but, legally speaking, I am over a little.

 

[TYREBOYZ_DEMAXIN]

if you want to stay with in the legal limmits i would do as todd e mentioned but i do know the duramax will easily handle that weight seeing i ran a load of logs that scaled at 41k with the truck and trailer,ya i was overloaded but i'm here to say the stock duramax handle it perty well other then it down shifted every hill but that was on a 1ton dually..

 

[Todd E]

41k.......wow:cool That's a load !!!!!

Just wanted to say, I wasn't trying to play "mr legal" in this thread. I, maybe like some of you, hold a Commercial Drivers License and deal with load/safety issues associated with having it and driving down the road. That's where my level of caution comes from. :gearjamin

 

[charlann]

If you have a dually I would say yes, for a more definitive reply to your question go to RV.net 5th wheel forum and pose your question there.

 

[benb21601]

I bet a 325bhs by Jayco would be better!:thumbsup

 

[Billr]

5th Wheel Pin Wt

Our 2K8 TD 4x4 access cab 6.5 has a max gross wt of 9200 lbs and actually weighs 7600 lbs when full of fuel (w/additional tank). This leaves 1600 lbs cargo load capacity. The pin wt of a 5th wheel we are considering buying is 1360 leaving us with a safety margin of only 240 lbs. Does anyone have any experience in this area?
Thanks
Bill

 

[Mag_numb]

I bet a 325bhs by Jayco would be better!:thumbsup

HA!!!!!

as it turns out, this is exactly the unit I got. Cool eh? the 325BHS is fantastic. My wife and I are loving it along with our little one. In terms of our truck this unit is right on the money for weight. It tows very nicely. It's a great weight considering it's 36' for 2008. Cheers!


Mag

 

[Mag_numb]

Our 2K8 TD 4x4 access cab 6.5 has a max gross wt of 9200 lbs and actually weighs 7600 lbs when full of fuel (w/additional tank). This leaves 1600 lbs cargo load capacity. The pin wt of a 5th wheel we are considering buying is 1360 leaving us with a safety margin of only 240 lbs. Does anyone have any experience in this area?
Thanks
Bill

Trust me, if you have a safety margin of 240lbs you are fine. If you have a margin of 0 lbs you are just fine. you are within limits.

However one thing to know is that the total weight of vehicle must include passengers and luggage as loaded for the road, not just the fuel....so that includes the wife kids and dog + full tank.

I know others might be more cautious than me, if you are within a couple hundred pounds over *seriously 200lbs or so* then you will be fine! you truck will stop fine and no one will die, nor will your truck fall apart. I know some other people l might jump all over me for this, but seriously you need to be a complete headcase to worry about a couple hundred pounds. If you have seen the rigs going down the road pulled by *not enough* trucks like I have then you know there are people out there with real problems. Likely as not though they will never have a problem, but I wouldn't push it like that.

Another thing is don't load the trailer up with water etc and fill up at your destination...something else to consider, there is no reason you will need to pull that trailer at max gross.....1500lbs of stuff is far more crap than people need for a couple weeks of holiday *in most cases*

Anyhow I hope this helps. Either way, it looks like you will be very close to or right on the money for weight. Just make sure your GCVWR is within limits, most people will run up against GVWR or RAWR before they bump into GCVWR.

Cheers.

 

[New2DMax]

I am running a 2002 34' Jayco Eagle with bunks and a 16' slide. I bought the truck and trailer as a unit from a private party so I knew it should be fine. It already had the extended pin box and a slider hitch. I added the BullyDog powerpup setting 1 just for the extra buffer. I could tell in reaction time and hill climbing ability. I also upgraded to the 265 vs 245 tires. Programmer took care of the tire height issue and the bigger tires had a slightly higher rating.

As far as GCVW and the gross on the trailer, this package works well together. The trailer has the 15" D rated tires. If it was really as heavy as the tag says, these tires wouldn't survive. I pulled this rig from central lower Michigan, through the U.P. over to Minnesota. We had no issues at all. I had to learn clearances and tail swing, but that didn't take long and I didn't break anything.

Only problem I see is my wife doesn't want to drive at all with the trailer hooked up. I will work on that one though.

Hope this helps.