Actual Pin weight

[shinobu8]

So I went to the scale today to find the real pin weight on my 2016 Impact 311 - assumed I’m over payload for my Ram 2500 and wanted to know how close. I unhitched the 5er with just the front jacks on the scale, moved my truck off the scale and came back with 4280#. [emoji15] the 5er was nearly empty: no water, no waste, no cargo, just two batteries, one full and one empty propane tank, and some random stuff in the basement like chairs and grill.

So did I not load the scale right? Or did the tech inside screw up the measurement? GVWR for the 5er is 17k so I expected to see something under 3400#...


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[gearhead]

I never did it like that, but that don't mean you're wrong. Just realize you're not weighing the hitch and anything in your truck.
I weigh the truck, then weigh the truck with the 5th hooked up. Subtract for the pin weight on the truck. Your number does sound a little high.

[MattHelm21]

That method would produce an inaccurate result. The weight on the landing gear is greater than the pin weight as the landing gear is further back releaving some of the weight from the axles(note that the overhang from pin to front of 5er is less than the overhang from landing gear to front). The correct method is to weigh your truck and trailer, then find a parking spot, unhitch the truck and, leaving the trailer behind, go back to the scale and weigh the truck. The math will then produce the correct result.

[notanlines]

Brent and Matt at both correct in their statements. If you will, imagine for a minute that your pin box was 50 feet away from the front-most axle on your RV. If your pin weight right now is 3500 lbs, at 50 feet away it would be closer to 1500 ft. This is rather crude physics, but there will be more weight on your front jacks than there is on your pin. You need to follow the directions given.

[shinobu8]

Thanks everyone. I’ll give it another go with your method. I had a feeling the number was off for one reason or another.


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[KHBama]

What engine you have in the Ram? How does it do towing that big 5er? I have a gasser 2500 towing a 10,000lb GVWR 5th wheel and it handles it with no problems

[rhagfo]

Thanks everyone. I’ll give it another go with your method. I had a feeling the number was off for one reason or another.


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Do it with the trailer LOADED ready to go. While a TH has a heavy dry pin, fully loaded it will not increase the dry pin that much. It is best to know how far off you will be loaded.

[shinobu8]

What engine you have in the Ram? How does it do towing that big 5er? I have a gasser 2500 towing a 10,000lb GVWR 5th wheel and it handles it with no problems

The Cummins. No issue pulling or stopping.

Do it with the trailer LOADED ready to go. While a TH has a heavy dry pin, fully loaded it will not increase the dry pin that much. It is best to know how far off you will be loaded.

I figured that will be best case with the garage weight located behind the axles. But we use it mostly for camping with an empty garage. I take my sport bike and tools to the race track maybe 6 times a year - 600# tops. But it’s a good idea and I’ll try to get both weights.

[mtofell]

Don't expect miracles when loading behind the axles. The idea of loading a trailer behind the axles to lighten pin/tongue weight is one of the most over-stated things in RVing. The problem is the fulcrum of an RV isn't a point. It's a set of axles so the weight added behind them is distributed along several feet. This drastically reduces the impact on the front of the trailer. Anyone who doesn't believe me - try a traditional teter-toter with a fine point in the middle. Then put 2 points (or axles) a couple feet apart and see how well it works.

[Tinner12002]

I never did it like that, but that don't mean you're wrong. Just realize you're not weighing the hitch and anything in your truck.
I weigh the truck, then weigh the truck with the 5th hooked up. Subtract for the pin weight on the truck. Your number does sound a little high.

Hopefully The OP realizes that when he does that the camper needs to be off the scales and only weigh the truck each time, once with camper hooked up, and then truck without camper.

[gearhead]

Don't expect miracles when loading behind the axles. The idea of loading a trailer behind the axles to lighten pin/tongue weight is one of the most over-stated things in RVing. The problem is the fulcrum of an RV isn't a point. It's a set of axles so the weight added behind them is distributed along several feet. This drastically reduces the impact on the front of the trailer. Anyone who doesn't believe me - try a traditional teter-toter with a fine point in the middle. Then put 2 points (or axles) a couple feet apart and see how well it works.
^^Very true. I weighed full of water, then drained it in the parking lot of the truck stop and re-weighed. It was about a 1:4 ratio. 100 pounds off the hitch, 400 pounds off total.