Elkridge Hitch Weight

['Lil Guy']

Price for the Ram 3500 VS the 2500 CTD was minimal. I couldn't make myself pull the trigger on a 3500. Now, looking at the Lone Star model I have, the max payload is 2291#. Towing with the 6.7 isn't an issue here.

Everyone says the Pin weight is about 20% of TW. So for safety reasons, I've ruled out the full size Elkridge. Looking at the Extreme Lite edition, the pin weights vary quite a bit. I figure to have about 1500 pounds of payload left after hitch and junk.

I've looked at the E289 and like the floor plan but it shows a TW of 8287 with a pin weight of 1725. Now, looking at the E285, the TW is 7718 with a pin weight of 1260. The E289 PW is 21%. The E285 PW is shown at 16.5%.

Is this the way the TT is set up with more weight to the rear? This seems doable. I want a safe rig and I know those are dry weights. What do the vets here think? Am I destined to get another towable TT instead of a 5th wheel? I'm guessing the hitch will be about 100 pounds. Not sure. I already have the prep and was told I don't need a slider to tow one of these units with my 6'4" bed. .

BTW, my salesman at Lone Star RV said my rig will pull anything. I think he wants to sell me the biggest unit he has. Even the little E22 shows to have a PW of 1420 with a TW of 7012. That's 20.3%. If we can't feel completely comfortable towing one of these units, I'll start looking at a larger TT. I know, some people pull the big 5er's with a 2500 but I want to stay in it's limits. Any thoughts here? Thanks in advance.

 

[mobilcastle]

I would take the GVWR of the trailer and figure about 22%. That is a good starting point.

 

[johnpsz]

I have a ram 2500 and a E30 extreme light, the largest of the lightweight models. I have airbags and truth be told I probably don't NEED them but like the feel using them. As for pin weights going by the literature is dry weight. Even with mine setup for camping and full tanks I can lift the trailer off the jacks with just adding about 45-50 pounds of air. I didn't do it on purpose the first time but do it all the time now for my initial hookup pull test.

As for the slider I also have the short bed truck and bought the manual slider, and made some tight turns without sliding it back, but in some off camber situations while turning tight it was too close for comfort so I pushed my slider back. I probably would have been fine but I had the slider so figured that was a added level of safety.

 

[DW_Gray]

BTW, my salesman at Lone Star RV said my rig will pull anything. I think he wants to sell me the biggest unit he has. I know, some people pull the big 5er's with a 2500 but I want to stay in it's limits. Any thoughts here? Thanks in advance.

Well, in a round about way, the salesman is correct. Any truck can pull just about anything. The Tundra pulled the Space Shuttle, didn't it?

Here are the two, no, three problems with your Ram 2500. 1. The springs won't handle the heavy pin weight of several 5th wheels. 2. The axle ratio is only 3.42. Upgrade the springs and the axle ratio to 3.73 or 4.10, and you'll have the SRW 3500.

*3. And yes, as mentioned below, you need to ensure the tires and wheels meet or exceed the load requirement.

Here is a new free app that will process the max towing weight for you: RV Tow Check

 

[Jim.Allison]

When you ask such questions on this forum, get ready. You will be told that you need a 3500 if you're thinking about a 2500, then if you get the 3500, the dually folks will chime in and insist that no matter what you need a dually because of the stability. Everyone has a reason to put you in more rig than necessary. But is seems that you bought the 2500 already, so now you are after a rig. You have 2 choices now. You can do the math (the data is in your owners manual) and go buy a rig that fits. Or you can study what makes a 3500 different than a 2500 and see if you can get 3500 performance out of your 2500. I will tell you right now that I fell into the trap when I bought my truck and rig. They are mismatched. I admit it.

Does your new 2500 have 20 inch RAM wheels on it? If it does then you have 7280 lbs tire load available. The bed of that truck weighs about 2500 lbs before your hitch. So tell me, with an additional spring, or a set of airbags what do you think you can carry with that truck. As far as suspension is concerned, I have airbags and I run about 20 psi in them and that gives me a nice little rake. I do not need to level the load and I could take the bags off if I wanted to.

So if you choose a rig larger than your truck, its not the end of the world, but keep in mind that it comes at a price, your trailer needs to be a slave to the truck not the other way around, the tail should not wag the dog. Your tire load capacity cannot be violated they will pop. Your combined vehicle weight cannot be violated or your transmission will burp out that red transmission fluid when it is hot. Or your pinion or carrier bearing will burn up (not likely diffs are pretty much bullet proof.)

Good luck, try to stay in your parameters as much as possible you will be happier and less troubled by the mods that are necessary to achieve the performance you need.

I have a ram 2500 and a E30 extreme light, the largest of the lightweight models. I have airbags and truth be told I probably don't NEED them but like the feel using them. As for pin weights going by the literature is dry weight. Even with mine setup for camping and full tanks I can lift the trailer off the jacks with just adding about 45-50 pounds of air. I didn't do it on purpose the first time but do it all the time now for my initial hookup pull test.

As for the slider I also have the short bed truck and bought the manual slider, and made some tight turns without sliding it back, but in some off camber situations while turning tight it was too close for comfort so I pushed my slider back. I probably would have been fine but I had the slider so figured that was a added level of safety.

 

[Bohemian]

You need to look at the specs of the trailer and the tow truck. The factor that is most critical and is most ignored is payload. Payload includes everything you add to the truck. All passengers (you get 150 lbs. already allocated for the driver free), the 5th wheel hitch, the pin weight of the 5h wheel trailer (20-25% of the total actual weigh of he loaded 5th. You need the real number), the dogs cats, children, snacks, toys, tools, etc.

Yes, you need to meet the all he other specs also, but people usually fail on payload.

50% of all RVs are overweight. Overweight is extremely dangerous and completely not obvious until a situation occurs. If you can see and feel that the unit is overweight you are extremely overweight and in immediate danger without any additional situation.

 

[Bohemian]

Elkridge GVWR range from about 10,000-12,000 lbs. GVWR

Pin weights should be 20-25% of actual total weight to keep good stability

Thus:

10,000 GVWR yields 2,000-2,500 max pin weight
12,000 GVWR yields 2,400-3,000 max pin weight

A 3/4 ton 2500 pickup typically has at most 3000-3,200 lbs. payload

A 1 ton 3500 pickup typically has at most 4000-4,200 lbs. payload

A 1 ton 3500 dually pickup typically has at most 5,000-5,600 lbs. payload

Most 5th wheel hitches weigh between 200-400 lbs.

 

['Lil Guy']

Thanks for the replies. With all that has been said, the E289 is out. I'll look at the E285 and se if I can get the dealer to put the hitch on a scale. It shows it's 1250 pounds dry. The thing only weighs 7700 LBs dry. If its anywhere near that, it shouldn't be a problem. Just not sure if that is the right one for us. Haven't seen it. But, the full size 5er is out. Thanks for the replies and I'll keep shopping. Maybe find a better floor plan in a TT. I just thought the 5th wheel arrangement would tow better. Later and have a great day.

 

[TravelTiger]

Baker, don't focus on dry weight, you'll never use it "dry". Focus on GVWR. Check out DW_Gray's website on post 4 to help you find some helpful real numbers!


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[DW_Gray]

Some truck models really are built and designed for conventional towing. (But the manufacturers won't promote that truth.) They'll tow bigger and more spacious conventional tows than any available lite-weight 5th wheel. What's really alarming, is the number of questions I've received about towing 5th wheels with a half-ton.

Here is quote from another forum I visit (I've never towed a conventional RV, so I can't verify how true this is): "You should try towing a receiver hitch trailer with the Hensley anti-sway/WD hitch. Night and day from anything on the market. Other than the added space and floor plans of a 5th wheel, the Hensley has taken the towing stability issue out of the equation."

 

['Lil Guy']

My bubble has been burst. 18" wheels with 7280# load rating. Payload on door with all options is 2049#. With max payload, I'm limited to 14,900# of towing capability. I could install air bags if need be. The E285 shows 7718# and 1260# pin dry. Certainly the pin weight won't increase that much. On the full size 5ers, they show about 20% PW. I'm guessing the GVW of the trailer would be 9K and the pin would go up accordingly. Anyway, I want to stay at the TV limits so I'll do some research and see if I can get a real hitch weight from a scale. Also, I didn't know the hitch itself was that heavy. I'm not trying to tow a Bighorn so could go with a lighter duty hitch. I can see that weight is an issue. Thanks again for the replies. I think I know how to proceed from here. I don't won't to get close to the limits of my rear tires. Thanks again for the replies. On another note, I'm attending my 1st rally in a couple of weeks and hopefully will have a chance to sit down with my brochures and get helpful insight on this topic. At least I know my 2500CTD will tow my "Lil Guy" (NT21FBS). Thanks again.

 

[Jim.Allison]

You can get up to 7500 on both 18 inch or 20 inch tires, but you will have to work around the speedometer. I went to 20 inch and a tire that was 1.86 in diameter larger but only achieved a 7280 lbs tire load. This is a significant increase for me. No fitment problems and my speedo is correct according to the a reliable GPS (multiple sampling). Both the 3750 tires are 34.1 inch diameter, which is getting way away from OEM diameters.

My bubble has been burst. 18" wheels with 7280# load rating. Payload on door with all options is 2049#. With max payload, I'm limited to 14,900# of towing capability. I could install air bags if need be. The E285 shows 7718# and 1260# pin dry. Certainly the pin weight won't increase that much. On the full size 5ers, they show about 20% PW. I'm guessing the GVW of the trailer would be 9K and the pin would go up accordingly. Anyway, I want to stay at the TV limits so I'll do some research and see if I can get a real hitch weight from a scale. Also, I didn't know the hitch itself was that heavy. I'm not trying to tow a Bighorn so could go with a lighter duty hitch. I can see that weight is an issue. Thanks again for the replies. I think I know how to proceed from here. I don't won't to get close to the limits of my rear tires. Thanks again for the replies. On another note, I'm attending my 1st rally in a couple of weeks and hopefully will have a chance to sit down with my brochures and get helpful insight on this topic. At least I know my 2500CTD will tow my "Lil Guy" (NT21FBS). Thanks again.

 

[Bohemian]

Changing the wheels and tires might increase the payload of your truck, and it might not.
Or it might be the springs that are the weak link, or the axle, or the differential or the frame, or some other weight bearing component. or some other component that make the truck ridged, or the breaks, or ...

That's why you can't get a truck recertified for a new set of specifications. Its just not that simple.

However the aftermarket modification companies sure do have a vested interest in telling you that you can change the capabilities of your truck.

Maybe you can, maybe you can't. There is a reason you can't get it recertified.

 

['Lil Guy']

My stock wheels and tires are the correct size to maintain the gearing I have. Taller tires would make the gearing go up accordingly and add some more weight. Shaving weight is a premium here. If anything, smaller diameter would help the gearing. Only mod I might add if needed would be the airbags for load leveling. My original question was about the hitch weight on the E285, It's advertised at 1260 dry. If this is a good number from Heartland, that would be good enough for my truck with the extra weight to be added. If the number is bogus, then that is another story. There has to be something to it since it is advertised for lighter trucks. I need to see it on a scale to find out. If I can't find the floor plan and quality I want I'll just have to go with another TT. I'm not going to haul a 5er just to have one if it isn't completely safe. If I don't find the right unit that fits my TV, I'll lust have to look for another TT with the right floor plan. Thanks again.

 

['Lil Guy']

I have a ram 2500 and a E30 extreme light, the largest of the lightweight models. I have airbags and truth be told I probably don't NEED them but like the feel using them. As for pin weights going by the literature is dry weight. Even with mine setup for camping and full tanks I can lift the trailer off the jacks with just adding about 45-50 pounds of air. I didn't do it on purpose the first time but do it all the time now for my initial hookup pull test.

As for the slider I also have the short bed truck and bought the manual slider, and made some tight turns without sliding it back, but in some off camber situations while turning tight it was too close for comfort so I pushed my slider back. I probably would have been fine but I had the slider so figured that was a added level of safety.

John, have you had our trailer weighed at the hitch? They show to have a pin weight dry of 1670#. Just curious as to the actual weight. Thanks in advance.

 

[danemayer]

My original question was about the hitch weight on the E285, It's advertised at 1260 dry. If this is a good number from Heartland, that would be good enough for my truck with the extra weight to be added.

Baker,

The convention is that the pin weight spec is for an empty trailer that has no options added. What people here are advising is that you focus on the GVWR, not empty weight specs. Plan on a percentage of the GVWR sitting on the truck.