Fifth Wheel

[V3605]

I have a 2013 Chevy 2500 CC/SB Diesel. I am looking to buy a Voltage V3605 fifth wheel. Here are the spec's.
Unloaded weight: 13.306
Hitch weight: 2936
Cargo capacity: 3.194
Length: 38'11

I need help understanding the whole weight issue. Will I be ok towing this?

Thanks

 

[LtEng5]

starting with GM's brochure for a 2013 HD truck....

http://www.chevrolet.com/content/da...chure/02_PDFs/MY13 Silverado HD eBrochure.pdf

scrolling down thru to find your truck in each spot........ Crew Cab Standard Box 4x4 Diesel

for total trailer weight with a 5th wheel...... 15,800#
your trailer............13,306+3,194 = 16,500#
your are OVER WEIGHT by ....... 700#

does cargo capacity include all water tanks full..???

for trailer pin weight/hitch weight for 5th wheel/goose neck........we look under cargo capacity............. 2,706#
your trailer..............2,936#
you are OVER WEIGHT by ......... 230#

is the pin weight rated at fully loaded...????

Now when you look at the Gross Combined Vehicle Weight ( GCVW ) under the 5th wheel/goose neck section....... 24,500#

Now look at the cargo weight chart....in the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ( GVWR ) .... we see that your truck is rated to ......... 10,000#

People will tend to think that this would now leave them with only a 14,500# total weight to be able to tow. but it is not correct.

Now this is when it will st to get confusing and ALOT of people get lost........

Some of the weights we need to see you have not listed....

weight of your truck full of fuel and you in it.

weight of your truck full of fuel, all passengers, and all gear you would normally take with you on a trip in the truck.

we also need the info off of the door sticker...... located at the drivers door useally on the door itself just below the striker latch.... sometimes also on the truck just below the striker of the drivers door....

like this one...

this particular sticker is for a 2006 Chevy 2500. the 08/06 in the upper right is the date.. August 2006.

this truck shows a GVWR of 9,200#... that is the total that the truck can weigh with all of the passengers, fuel and stuff you can fit in it.

Now if you look at the next 2 sets of numbers...GAWR ( Gross Axle Weight Rating ) FRT ( Front ) ... 4,670# and RR ( Rear )... 6084#. if you ad these 2 together it will total more than the 9,200# of the GVWR. that is all fine and dandy, but not a realistic number that can be used. These numbers/weights represent how much weight can be put on each axle.

what this means is that when you drive your truck onto a scale.... the truck has to be under the 9,200# weight. the rear axle can not have more than 6,084# on it and the front axle can not have more than 4,670# on it.

you find the total weight of the truck with all 4 wheels on the scale. X,XXX#

now find the center of the vehicle.....move the truck so that just the front wheels are on the scale and the center line of the vehicle is even with the edge of the scale. X,XXX#

do the same for the rear wheels... rear wheel only on the scale and the center of the truck even with the edge of the scale... X,XXX#

Take the scale weights and subtract them from the weight listed on the sticker from the door jamb.... this is how much weight you can add to your truck and be "legal".

Example....

Truck full of fuel with 3 passengers and gear weighs in at 8,900#, 5th wheel trailer weighs in at 12,700# full of water and whatever else we brought....

stop at a scale along the way and total of truck and trailer is 21,500#... all good right..?? we are under the GCVW of 24,500#.. yes..??..

now put just the truck on the scale while hooked to the trailer. back bumper even with the edge of the scale.....10,500# for the truck.... OH CHit!! we are over by 1,300# on just the truck. The truck is too heavy for what the door sticker says. gotta move weight some how, somewhere to get it off the truck.

DOT man see these weights....says now we have to weight the axles before you move weight around.

Back up the truck so that the center line of the truck ( not truck and trailer ) is even with the edge of the scale and only the front tires are on the scale... 4,500#.. we're ok.. under the sticker for GAWR FRT of 4,670#.

Disconnect the truck from the trailer... drive forward on the scale so that just the rear tires are on the sale and the center line of the truck is even with the edge of the scale..... 4,400#. we're ok here too....under the GAWR RR of 6,084#.

With the front weighing in at 4,500 and the rear weighing in at 4,400...thats only 8,900#. So how did the truck get to 10,500# total weight..??? the trailer pin weight is putting the truck over the 9,200# mark.

Back up the truck and reconnect to the trailer...... Pull the trailer onto the scale and disconnect the truck and pull the truck off of the scale. Trailer weighs in at 12,700#.... Hhhmmmmm......

Hook back up to the trailer and back up so that the trailer tires are of the scale and the center line of the trailer ( front most bunk house including what is over the pick up bed to the rear bumper ) is even with the edge of the scale. disconnect the truck and trailer. This is the pin weight.

Pin weight is 1,600#... pretty light for a 5'r...

8,900 + 1,600 = 10,500

so some how we no need to move 1,300# of stuff out of the pick up and into the trailer as far to the rear as we can....... to put this truck back to a "legal" driving ability.....




Confused yet...????


Something to keep in mind is that the weights you have from the trailer manufacture, should be for fully loaded.....check to make sure they are.... If so then you have some room to play with; as in concern to the weights. You may never get to being fully loaded, you would just have to check the first couple of trips out and see what you are for weight. But you are right on the very edge for being over thou.....

Overall length is not of an issue for the truck itelf..just how comfortable are you going to be driving/pulling/maneuvering it into the camp spot....



Will the truck pull it..?? Yes

 

[Big Block 88]

^^^^nice write up on gcwr gvwr, that said i would never hesitate to pull somthing less than half a ton "too heavy". The engineers are very conserative IMO on what these trucks can pull.

Biggest issue would be ass sag it may need airbags depends how the trailers axles sit and how the load distributes

 

[jevanb]

IMO you are way over on your trucks rear axles.. at 2900 lbs that is empty pin add propane, hitch,camping stuff in the basement, gas for the generator, and all the other junk that gets thrown in the bed and now you are looking at #3400 lbs pin weight .. I would never attempt this weight with my family unless I had a DRW truck but that is just me. If you have no other option then I guess you know what you are going to do.. You will hear stories from the masses here saying you will be OK, (I tow this all the time!!!) but remember you are not them.. and are they telling the truth?? get into a accident and now the ball game changes, could be denied coverage from the INS co. and hefty fines from the cops... enjoy your trailer if you do get it..

 

[V3605]

Thanks everyone for the great information. Went back and used the information LtEng5 gave me. I did the math, everyone of Voltage 5th toy haulers wheels will make me over weight. I agree with Jevanb be safe then sorry later. Back to the drawing board for other toyhaulers.

 

[matt78]

My buddy just bought a 40 plus ft voltage. He sold his bighorn, well he kinda wishes he had not. All 5th wheels have problems but his list is adding up, only one trip and the dealership had to go to where he was staying. Like I said they all have issues but for 80, 000 they should be a little better imho.

 

[btexpress]

I also have a Voltage 3605, There is no way I would tow it with a 2500. I have a 2003, 2500 that towed my 3605 home from Danville Virginia to Louisville Kentucky. After which I bought a 2011 3500 Dually, without referring to the horse power difference, there is now way to compare the two vehicles in the way they drive and feel. Sure any one can tow anything they want, but that doesn't make it safe to do so.

 

[Big Block 88]

IMO you are way over on your trucks rear axles.. at 2900 lbs that is empty pin add propane, hitch,camping stuff in the basement, gas for the generator, and all the other junk that gets thrown in the bed and now you are looking at #3400 lbs pin weight .. I would never attempt this weight with my family unless I had a DRW truck but that is just me. If you have no other option then I guess you know what you are going to do.. You will hear stories from the masses here saying you will be OK, (I tow this all the time!!!) but remember you are not them.. and are they telling the truth?? get into a accident and now the ball game changes, could be denied coverage from the INS co. and hefty fines from the cops... enjoy your trailer if you do get it..

The aam 11.5 is rated at 8600 pounds. Itself the springs are the weak links air bags solve that. I did bend the axle in my lbz so they do bend, but i was well over loaded, stupid on my parts it also broke the factory hitch but we are talking north of 10k pin it was just in the field at low speed.

Moral of the storry it can be done a dually would be better, or a dually conversion is an option as well. Perhaps not practacle though