OK, now that I've weighed my TV/Trailer

[wingfoot]

I weighed my rig yesterday Hooked up and ready to go camping. I'm a little concerned about what I discovered.
As my Sig states I'm towing with a 2005 F250 6.0PSD, 3.73 gears. The Max loads stated by Ford are 4,400# for front axle...6,100# for the rear and a total of 9,600 Max for the combined GVW on the truck..

Here are my weights Loaded and ready to go:

• Front Axel 4,140...260# under.
• Drive Axel 6,300#...200# over.
• Truck combined 10,440...840 over.
• Trailer Axel 11,580...420# under for 6,000# Axel.
• Truck/Trailer total combined 22,020...920# under.

As you can see, I'm very close to my Max allowable limits. I am over on my TV on the rear axle. This is, in part, due to a 3,200# Pin weight (Gen set).

So, What do you guys think?..or am I just paranoid when it comes to my towing weight..

Larry

 

[cookie]

Reading your numbers, you do not state that you weighed your truck. So I guess that the 3,200 pound pin weight is an estimate.
So to give you my opinion on your weights, I would not worry about being a couple hundred pounds over.
Although it doesnt make it right, most people are probably overweight.
You could replace your tires to a higher load rated tire.
JMHO.

Peace
Dave

 

[hcriddle]

I went back and looked at my weights from Goshen in June. I have a question that maybe someone here can answer. Why do I have truck axles that will carry 10,848lbs but my GVWR is only 8800lbs? I am under on all my weights on every axle, truck and trailer yet I am over weight on GVWR and GCWR. I don't get it.

By the way wingfoot I am more over weight than you are and I still drag mine down the road every chance I get. I agree with Dave, although it doesn't make it right there are quite a few of us out there who are over weight. Drive carefully, watch your speed, and keep extra distance between you and the folks around you and start looking for that new truck that you need to provide the extra margin of safety that your DW deserves.

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

I have a question that maybe someone here can answer. Why do I have truck axles that will carry 10,848lbs but my GVWR is only 8800lbs? I am under on all my weights on every axle, truck and trailer yet I am over weight on GVWR and GCWR. I don't get it.

This is something I've always wondered as well. The rating of the front and rear axles combined is higher than the trucks total GVRW. Can anyone shed some fact on this? I'm curious too...

 

[wingfoot]

Reading your numbers, you do not state that you weighed your truck. So I guess that the 3,200 pound pin weight is an estimate.

Peace
Dave

Dave here are the truck weights, full of fuel two passengers, tool boxes Etc...No trailer hook up.

Steering axle: 3,980#

Drive axle: 3,060#

Total: 7, 040#

So, this being stated, here is my math:
Loaded, trailer hooked up:
Steering axle: 4,140
Drive: 6,300

6,300 loaded minus unloaded 3,060=3,240# Pin weight

Larry

 

[hcriddle]

Wingfoot, the way RVSEF got my pin weight is by subtracting my truck weight without the trailer from my truck weight with the trailer 10725-7825=2900.

If you do that with yours you get 10440-7040=3400 pin weight. Someone else may correct me but I am looking at my weight sheet and that is what they have on it. If I use only my rear axle weights in the equation it comes out to 2875 so it is close but not what they have on the sheet for pin weight.

 

[caissiel]

How can your front axle be loaded when your truck is empty, My truck is a 4 x4 and I have it registered for the total axle capacity and around 12K.

 

[wingfoot]

How can your front axle be loaded when your truck is empty, My truck is a 4 x4 and I have it registered for the total axle capacity and around 12K.

A diesel engine is pretty heavy that's where most of the weight comes from on the front axle. As I'm sure you know, even in an unloaded condition, you still have weight on both axles...On PU's it usually heavier on the front/steer axles..

 

[wingfoot]

This is something I've always wondered as well. The rating of the front and rear axles combined is higher than the trucks total GVRW. Can anyone shed some fact on this? I'm curious too...

The GVWR for a truck is the MAX..Now, the weights are different for each Axel and are expressed as the MAX for THAT Axel, front or rear...You can not add the two together, again on your door placard those figures are the Max for each Axel. Example: if you have a TV with 10,000# GVWR...Your door placard might show 5,000 front 6,000 rear. That doesn't mean you can add the two together..Those are the Max on each Axel..So, you could have 4,000# on the front and 6,000 on the rear, equaling 10,000K TOTAL.

Hope I've helped with this..
Larry

 

[JohnDar]

Wingfoot, the way RVSEF got my pin weight is by subtracting my truck weight without the trailer from my truck weight with the trailer 10725-7825=2900.

If you do that with yours you get 10440-7040=3400 pin weight. Someone else may correct me but I am looking at my weight sheet and that is what they have on it. If I use only my rear axle weights in the equation it comes out to 2875 so it is close but not what they have on the sheet for pin weight.

Looking at my RVSEF sheet, I get the same thing. Truck w/trailer - truck w/o trailer = 2950 pin weight. If I calculate based on just the rear axles weights, the pin jumps to 3050.

 

[lwmcguir]

Dave here are the truck weights, full of fuel two passengers, tool boxes Etc...No trailer hook up.

Steering axle: 3,980#

Drive axle: 3,060#

Total: 7, 040#

So, this being stated, here is my math:
Loaded, trailer hooked up:
Steering axle: 4,140
Drive: 6,300

6,300 loaded minus unloaded 3,060=3,240# Pin weight

Larry

Our 2005 similar to yours with tool box, full of fuel weighed in at 7800. Our 2011 weighs in at 8900 same way. Our pin weight for the Augusta averaged 3300 lightly loaded. No water and minimal equipmet.

 

[rick_debbie_gallant]

Okay so let me "weigh" in on this subject. If you think of the axle as being a fulcrum and of course the pin as the load what happens if one moves the pin in front of the fulcrum? Will that not take some weight from the rear axle and place it on the front axle?

Now if you move the pin or load towards the rear of the truck wont that put more weight on the rear axle and remove it from the front? And if you put the load all the way back in the truck bed wont that put even less weight on the front axle? Just more food for thought. Any engineers out there?

 

[lwmcguir]

Okay so let me "weigh" in on this subject. If you think of the axle as being a fulcrum and of course the pin as the load what happens if one moves the pin in front of the fulcrum? Will that not take some weight from the rear axle and place it on the front axle?

Now if you move the pin or load towards the rear of the truck wont that put more weight on the rear axle and remove it from the front? And if you put the load all the way back in the truck bed wont that put even less weight on the front axle? Just more food for thought. Any engineers out there?

That is exactly correct and why the best position for the hitch point is about three inches ahead of the rear axle center line. This will give you the best load balance and control.

 

[DW_Gray]

Larry, from the information you've provided, I think you're fine. You may consider using the worksheet and calculator found at FifthWheelSt.com.