Hitch weight

[Worthygump]

Looking to see if anyone else is running into this issue. We have a 295 MK and the advertised hitch weight is 2350 lbs. Weighed our rig before our last trip and the truck rear axle came in at 3740. With the trailer attached the truck drive axle came in at 6680. Thats a difference of 2940, so if I am doing my math correctly, my hitch weight is 590 pounds to "heavy". My concern is that we don't have a generator and we don't have a washer and dryer so how does anyone stay below hitch weight if they have those components? I was carrying no more then 100 pounds in the front compartment and approximately 200 lbs in the pass-through. Other then that, it was clothes, shoes, etc. in the front closet and dresser. Also, just wondering if it would help to carry a few hundred pounds of water weight in the holding tank to relieve some of the hitch weight. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Lantley]

. The hitch weight in the brochure is for an empty trailer with zero cargo. Often the brochure figures do not include any factory options including batteries and lp. Secondly any cargo that is stored in front of the axles will impact the hitch weight.
The vin sticker on the trailer generally list the weight of the trailer as it leaves the factory and in more accurate than the notoriously generic brochure ratings

 

[BryanValRox]

Were the weigh conditions the same with the truck? Hitch installed? Full of Fuel? Same family members on board?Tools?(air pressure, just kidding)
You should also be able to contact Alliance with your VIN and ask for your as build tongue weight.
Did you change out your stock pin box?

Also wondering what are you towing with? What are your ratings? GVWR, Axle ratings, Tire ratings, payload rating?
Also agree with comments by Langley, for example 2 30lb propane tanks come in at over 100 lbs.
Would be best to try to understand the difference. I don’t think carrying fresh water around unnecessarily would be the solution you are looking for. You likely would not get a linear response to the added water weight, given the dual trailer axles would likely absorb the weight before the cantilever effect would reduce your tounge weight significantly.

 

[Worthygump]

Were the weigh conditions the same with the truck? Hitch installed? Full of Fuel? Same family members on board?Tools?(air pressure, just kidding)
You should also be able to contact Alliance with your VIN and ask for your as build tongue weight.
Did you change out your stock pin box?

Also wondering what are you towing with? What are your ratings? GVWR, Axle ratings, Tire ratings, payload rating?
Also agree with comments by Langley, for example 2 30lb propane tanks come in at over 100 lbs.
Would be best to try to understand the difference. I don’t think carrying fresh water around unnecessarily would be the solution you are looking for. You likely would not get a linear response to the added water weight, given the dual trailer axles would likely absorb the weight before the cantilever effect would reduce your tounge weight significantly.

Bryan, No I did not change out my pin-box and we were packed up and leaving town on our trip so all weight was accounted for. And the tires were inflated!
As for the additional info, F-350 King Ranch with 3.55 limited slip gear ratio. GVWR 11,500, FAWR 5990, RAWR 7230.
Max trailer weight according to ford is 20,600 and combined weight is 28,700. Payload is 6,950 and pin
is 2350. Also I am considering getting a rear trailer hitch cargo box and moving weight from front trailer
compartment to the rear of the trailer. But, I still trying to understand how someone would be at or under
pin weight if they had a generator and washer and dryer, which as you probably know are located at the
front. Or, am I completely misunderstanding this whole concept??? LOL

 

[Terri&KevinGates]

The advertised pin weight is for an empty trailer from the factory. In the real world we all put stuff in the front storage and basement storage along with clothes in the closet etc. The rule of thumb for fifth wheel pin weight is 20% of GVW should be on the pin. Depending on where you look the range is 15 to 25%. So if a trailer weighs 15000lbs, about 3000 of that should be on the pin. As long as you aren’t overloading your truck you should be fine.

 

[Worthygump]

The advertised pin weight is for an empty trailer from the factory. In the real world we all put stuff in the front storage and basement storage along with clothes in the closet etc. The rule of thumb for fifth wheel pin weight is 20% of GVW should be on the pin. Depending on where you look the range is 15 to 25%. So if a trailer weighs 15000lbs, about 3000 of that should be on the pin. As long as you aren’t overloading your truck you should be fine.

OK, I think it's all finally sinking into my brain, LOL. It's not necessarily that you have to stay "at" or below the pin weight but you should not go over the rear axle rating. Yes ?

 

[darrell]

Bryan, No I did not change out my pin-box and we were packed up and leaving town on our trip so all weight was accounted for. And the tires were inflated!
As for the additional info, F-350 King Ranch with 3.55 limited slip gear ratio. GVWR 11,500, FAWR 5990, RAWR 7230.
Max trailer weight according to ford is 20,600 and combined weight is 28,700. Payload is 6,950 and pin
is 2350. Also I am considering getting a rear trailer hitch cargo box and moving weight from front trailer
compartment to the rear of the trailer. But, I still trying to understand how someone would be at or under
pin weight if they had a generator and washer and dryer, which as you probably know are located at the
front. Or, am I completely misunderstanding this whole concept??? LOL

Are you saying the truck payload is 6950? Either way, you should check that number again, especially if your GVWR for the truck is 11,500. Either way, the truck should be fine to tow that.

 

[Worthygump]

OK, I think it's all finally sinking into my brain, LOL. It's not necessarily that you have to stay "at" or below the pin weight but you should not go over the rear axle rating. Yes ?

Are you saying the truck payload is 6950? Either way, you should check that number again, especially if your GVWR for the truck is 11,500. Either way, the truck should be fine to tow that.

OK, not sure where I got that number but GVWR is 11,500 and the curb weight is 6973 so that would give me a payload of 4527. But then the sticker on the door jam say's a max of 3381??? Bottom line my curb weight is 6973 and my truck fully loaded, without the trailer, weighed 8820 so I added an additional 1847 to the curb weight.

 

[Terri&KevinGates]

OK, I think it's all finally sinking into my brain, LOL. It's not necessarily that you have to stay "at" or below the pin weight but you should not go over the rear axle rating. Yes ?

Right. As long as you are not overloading either axle on the truck or going over the GVWR for the trailer. Advertised weights aren’t real world numbers. At least you weighed it and have an idea where you are at with the weight. I finally took our 310 across the scales after towing it for a little over a year. Didn’t have time to unhook and get pin weight but I at least have an idea where i’m at.

 

[BryanValRox]

OK, I think it's all finally sinking into my brain, LOL. It's not necessarily that you have to stay "at" or below the pin weight but you should not go over the rear axle rating. Yes ?

Evening, the short answer is yes. So to keep things simple and without try to drum up controversy, pin weight while it has a limit, isn’t usually talked about as a hard stop specification like an axle or tire rating(yes it has one, no haters please😀) As others have said, the pin weight is a output of the trailer design and the load contained within it. Rule of thumb for pin weight is usually plus or minus 20% of the trailer GVWR. This weight transfers from the trailer to the truck and impacts the tow experience, too much or too little has a negative impact.
So, the pin weight will definitely vary in a given combination. Assuming you are below the pin weight limit, which I have never seen published anywhere and are within the rule of thumb, the important numbers are about your truck and staying within the ratings of the axles, tires, payload,GVWR and GCVWR .
Hope this helps some.

 

[Worthygump]

Evening, the short answer is yes. So to keep things simple and without try to drum up controversy, pin weight while it has a limit, isn’t usually talked about as a hard stop specification like an axle or tire rating(yes it has one, no haters please😀) As others have said, the pin weight is a output of the trailer design and the load contained within it. Rule of thumb for pin weight is usually plus or minus 20% of the trailer GVWR. This weight transfers from the trailer to the truck and impacts the tow experience, too much or too little has a negative impact.
So, the pin weight will definitely vary in a given combination. Assuming you are below the pin weight limit, which I have never seen published anywhere and are within the rule of thumb, the important numbers are about your truck and staying within the ratings of the axles, tires, payload,GVWR and GCVWR .
Hope this helps some.

Yes it does help and thanks! I am definitely under on all my numbers and either really close to pin weight or just over.

 

[Hotrodjohn]

Our 340 was so nose heavy I traded my single rear tire for a dually. No lie. I was figuring I would be 200 over payload on my 2500 and was close to 1000 over. Granted Onan genny and double pane windows and enough crap to live full time…… you get the idea. Dually=total game changer👍 (payload rating is over 5k and I’m way under that)

 

[Oregon_Camper]

Our 340 was so nose heavy I traded my single rear tire for a dually. No lie. I was figuring I would be 200 over payload on my 2500 and was close to 1000 over. Granted Onan genny and double pane windows and enough crap to live full time…… you get the idea. Dually=total game changer👍 (payload rating is over 5k and I’m way under that)

Love our DRW F-450.

 

[Hotrodjohn]

High Country Duramax here. I have had two of those and one Cummins dually that I loved also