Axle rating on new trailers

[Domi]

I was looking on the Heartland site today at new trailers. I noticed that on most of the 5th wheels I looked at the axles on the trailers were only rated to cover the dry weight and not the GVWR. Yet on the travel trailers the axles are rated to cover the GVWR.

Example the Landmark Madison has a GVWR of 18000 yet the axles are 2 X 8000 Lbs or good got 16000. That seems really light to me. The North Trail 29 RETS has a GVWR of 8600 and axles of 2 X 4400. The axels will cover a loaded trailer.

This was true of all the 5th wheels that I looked at although I did not look at them all.

Is the true of all the 5th wheels, and then I would have to ask why the light axles? Are those of you buying these 5th wheels replacing them with heavier axles when you exceed the axle weight rating? Am I missing something here?

Thanks,

John

 

[danemayer]

Hi Domi,

About 20% of the GVWR sits on the hitch. So if the GVWR is 18,000, the hitch carries about 3,600 lbs and the axles carry about 14,400. Of course that's only if you load the trailer up to the GVWR. And depending on floor plan and options, and what goes in the basement, the weight on the hitch can be higher or lower.

 

[cookie]

You are not taking in to account the weight that will be on the pin of a 5th wheel.
Typically around 20 - 25% of the GVWR is on the pin. So a trailer with a GVWR of 18k might have 4,000 - 4,500 pounds on the pin.
Take that 4,000 pounds off of the GVWR of 18,000 pounds and you have about 14,000 on the axles. That is less than the 8k rating of the axles.

Peace
Dave

 

[Ldo]

Thanks for the info. I had the same questions. Heartland should of given a greater load margin however.

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