Weights and 5th wheels

[edstep]

We keep going through the calculations of TV and 5th wheel. DW came up with a question while doing the calculations. In the dry weight of the trailer is the pin weight accounted for. She seems to think that the pin weight is already calculated.

We know that the GVW needs the pin weight to get the TV weight value and not to exceed the GVWR.

When trying to calculate the max weight of TV and trailer do we need to keep the pin weight in the GVW or has it already been accounted for

Thanks

[Javi]

GVW of the trailer is just that the total weight as it sits by itself unhitched.
Before you start worrying about GVW of the trailer understand that it is the pin or tongue weight that matters more.
In most cases the TV weight limits (payload) will be exceeded long before the towing capacity has been reached.

[Pmedic4]

Originally Posted by edstep

We keep going through the calculations of TV and 5th wheel. DW came up with a question while doing the calculations. In the dry weight of the trailer is the pin weight accounted for. She seems to think that the pin weight is already calculated.
We know that the GVW needs the pin weight to get the TV weight value and not to exceed the GVWR.
When trying to calculate the max weight of TV and trailer do we need to keep the pin weight in the GVW or has it already been accounted for
Thanks

The way I understand it, the Dry Weight is the total weight of the trailer the way it is shipped from the factory. The pin(hitch) weight is the weight the PIN applies to the bed of the TV. Effectively, the Dry weight could be calculated by adding the weight measured at the Pin plus the weight measured at the wheels. So, if your question is the Pin weight included in the Dry weight, the answer is yes.
That's sort of a pain to measure - for our rig, I pulled the truck onto the scale, and weighed it. I then hooked up our 5ver, and just pull the truck onto the scale, with the RV wheels off the scale. That is how I got the Pin weight: BTW, the PIN weight given by the specs was within 20 pounds of my measured weight, which is about the precision of the scales at the grain elevator I went to( + or - 20 for 100,000 pounds), which is pretty good. My assumption it was exactly what they said in the specs. I then pulled the entire rig onto the scale, and got my Gross Combined weight. I thought about unhooking the RV, and just weight it, but the combined, minus the unhooked TV was exactly what the spec was again.
Of course, now I've loaded it up with lots of personal camping gear, and it's probably overload... Just kidding, but we don't carry a lot of clothes, as we're generally short term type of trips.

[mhs4771]

First off you need to forget those dry/shipping weights given in the brochures as that's a bare bones RV with nothing. Once options were added our rig shipped almost a 1000 Lbs heavier than the brochure weight and that was still before we even added a single paper plate. If you don't yet have the RV to weigh it the best you can do is use the Gross weight in the brochure or if the gross isn't listed take the dry/shipping and add the cargo cap to it to get the gross. This will give you a more realistic number. Lots of folks will tell you they travel light and will never get near the gross, but you'd be surprised how quick stuff adds up. There was an article published recently where they estimate that at least 60% of the RV on the roads are overloaded.

[edstep]

Thanks for the input, I really figured the weight in the brochure was with the basic options, cabinets etc. Just when I think I have the equation figured out something else pops in. I agree that people are probably "over the limit" on what they pull. I think I have a decent TV, 6.0 GMC 2500 HD 4 wheel, towing package etc. But when crunching the numbers even that has some limits

Thanks again for the input and any other comments are welcome