Tow Vehicle: North Point 377RLBH

[JetTech]

Jayco's site has the pin weights of all their fifth wheels posted under the specifications tab. Obviously, options such as the generator aren't included.

[NitroStar]

I've had a few guys actually get huffy with me saying that their 3/4 ton single rear wheel pulls their camper 75 mph before they know it, after hearing that I chose a 1 ton dual rear wheel truck. Well, I know good and well that all the motors and such are the same and have the power to jerk the hitches off trailers, but.....


This is the way I made my decision. I went the simple route.


1. Two tires on the rear of your truck. Each tire is capable of a maximum of about 2950 lbs. That means that both tires are overloaded when you put over 5900 lbs on them.
2. Camper pin weight is 2920 lbs dry. So if we have 1000 lbs of personal belongings in it I would think the pin weight is at least 3300 lbs.
3. 5th wheel hitch is 100 lbs.
4. Wife and I and tool box are 515 lbs ?? so about 250 on the rear tires??
5. What amount of your truck's weight is on your rear tires?? I dunno but I bet it's over 2230 pounds.


If it's over 2230 pounds, which we all know that it is, then both rear tires are over their maximum load rating.
I chose a dual rear wheel truck just for this single reason, not to mention a DRW payload is actually rated for the pin weight plus all butts and accessories and a SRW payload is not rated for this much weight.

[Jscrib]

Just looked at my factory tires on my 2500HD and max load is 3525 lbs so I would need to be over 7050 lbs on the rear axle to over load the axle. I know Ford uses the same tire different size with "18 wheels so over loading the tires wouldn't be my main concern. Many other factors maybe.
Just my two cents!!

[Mdiwade]

We just picked up our 377 a month ago. 2015 f350 platinum long bed 6.7 diesel srw pulls it beautifully. Dual would be great, but we went over Montana mountains with no issues and 14mpg.

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[oldmanAZ]

Congratulations on your North Point and welcome to the forum.

[jnamadison]

2006 F350 DRW Towboss - Pulls just fine. Takes a little bit longer than a 6.7 to get up to speed and doesn't look as pretty, but I saved more than 15% and didn't even have to switch to Geico.

[rcmike]

Originally Posted by NitroStar

I've had a few guys actually get huffy with me saying that their 3/4 ton single rear wheel pulls their camper 75 mph before they know it, after hearing that I chose a 1 ton dual rear wheel truck. Well, I know good and well that all the motors and such are the same and have the power to jerk the hitches off trailers, but.....


This is the way I made my decision. I went the simple route.


1. Two tires on the rear of your truck. Each tire is capable of a maximum of about 2950 lbs. That means that both tires are overloaded when you put over 5900 lbs on them.
2. Camper pin weight is 2920 lbs dry. So if we have 1000 lbs of personal belongings in it I would think the pin weight is at least 3300 lbs.
3. 5th wheel hitch is 100 lbs.
4. Wife and I and tool box are 515 lbs ?? so about 250 on the rear tires??
5. What amount of your truck's weight is on your rear tires?? I dunno but I bet it's over 2230 pounds.


If it's over 2230 pounds, which we all know that it is, then both rear tires are over their maximum load rating.
I chose a dual rear wheel truck just for this single reason, not to mention a DRW payload is actually rated for the pin weight plus all butts and accessories and a SRW payload is not rated for this much weight.

You did a good thing by getting a dually to tow.
IMHO,, if anyone has a 5th wheel or trailer over 12k,, You need to be in a dually, end of discussion. I'm going to a 5th wheel TH in the next few months. I get a kick out of some people that want to tow a three axle 5th wheel and got the nose of there srw f250 sticking up in the air and say I don't want the hassle of driving a dually. I just shake my head and go on about my business. 80k or more on the TH 5er and you cant figure out the importance and safety of towing for you and others on the road beside you. when I'm at the gas station hearing the excuses, I cant get my truck filled up fast enough,lol

[PlayersZ28]

Have any of you scaled your setup?

I took mine over the CAT scales. This is with almost full blk & gray tanks and empty water. The blk & gray are under the basement so they increase the pin weight.

Results: 5080lb frt, 7640rear, 11620trlr

[NitroStar]

Originally Posted by PlayersZ28

Have any of you scaled your setup?

I took mine over the CAT scales. This is with almost full blk & gray tanks and empty water. The blk & gray are under the basement so they increase the pin weight.

Results: 5080lb frt, 7640rear, 11620trlr

Eye opener there eh?!?
I haven't weighed mine but I know it's not hard at all to go over 7000 pounds on a rear axle. This overloads 2 rear tires on a truck! Nothing to do with what brand of truck and if it pulls it up a mountain good or not. They all have the same capable drive train but the rear tires are the same also. So do you need 2 or 4 rear tires is the question.

[Jscrib]

Originally Posted by PlayersZ28

Have any of you scaled your setup?

I took mine over the CAT scales. This is with almost full blk & gray tanks and empty water. The blk & gray are under the basement so they increase the pin weight.

Results: 5080lb frt, 7640rear, 11620trlr

What is your tow vehicle and I assume yours is a 377? Do you have any options like generator that would effect pin weight? Thanks

[mjudkins]

What hitch are you guys using in your trucks? I'm going to pickup the new GMC 3500HD Denali next month.

[Bookemdanno]

I'm towing my 377 with a Ram 2500 diesel. I went up a load range on my TV tires and added air bags. I'm not saying that I'm right by no means. I would much rather tow this 5er with a dually, but that is not in the cards for me right now. I will say, (and have said in the past) I have a high school buddy who is a mechanic for a Ram dealership in FL. He told me that what I have done to my 2500, makes it more capable than a stock single rear wheel 3500. He further advised that the only difference between the 2500 and 3500 (this is only with regards to a Ram truck) is the rear suspension. I'm in no way saying that what I'm doing is right...it's just what I'm doing. I've been to the CAT scale, and yes I'm over. But I have had no ill effects when towing, nor have I had excessive wear on my Ram. I'm very meticulous and only have 14k miles on my '14. I will say that my 377 does NOT have a washer/dryer nor an onboard generator. I'm using a B&W manual slider, which I have never had a case to use, other than testing to make sure it's working.

Having said all that, I believe this 5er would DEFINITELY tow better with a dually!

[3'senough]

Setup in sig below and no regrets. Stable and plenty of power.

[Dskyward]

Our TV is a 2007 Dodge Ram 3500 Megacab 6.7 Cummins dually, 4x2, 3.43:1. The truck came with HD Ranch Hand front and rear bumpers. These have 6.25' beds. I have a B&W Companion slider to fit the turnover ball slot in the bed. I'm on the third slider from the factory reps in Humboldt KS, as the slider was not sliding properly. All another story. The truck weighed 8000 lbs when I bought it. I only added the 5er hitch, which weighs 285lbs, the turnover ball it came with is another 123 lbs, plus the truck has a Firestone HD air compressor for the air helper springs in the rear as the prev owner towed heavy goosenecks. We had our rig and 377 RLBH weighed at CAT scales and here are the numbers: steer 4820 drive 7940 trlr 12040. Tot 24800. All tanks on 5er were empty. 3 x 30lb LP tanks full, no washer dryer, but a 65 lb safe on board in master closet. We are full timers. We converted up to Electric over hydraulic disc brakes, and also replaced the water heater with a Truma AquaGo tankless. This saves app 80 lbs extra water weight each time you tow. The weight reflects these upgrades. My point is our pickup is factory rated to have a 21000 GCWR. The p/u has a 10500 GVWR and tow rating of 13400 lbs., but you cannot add these two to get GCWR. We thought we were safe to buy this truck to pull a 15000 lb fiver safely. I'm told if I ever have an accident and a severe injury or fatality results, I'm liable. The fact I have disc brakes on the trailer, which shortens braking distance considerably over a 2016 dually Ram (which has nearly twice tow ratings) towing same with drum brakes, may still not convince the legal system should the worst occur. Our pickup has pulled and stopped excellent for 7500 mi now. We avg 10mpg towing. So if you've read this far, the moral of the story is get disc brakes installed on your 377 as soon as you possibly can. There's nothing like it. Mine cost $3200 installed. Drive safely!

[PlayersZ28]

Last time I scaled my setup was after a week of boondocking so the grey/blk tanks were near full and the fresh was lower. The blk/grey tank contents shift weight to the pin as they are under the basement.

My truck is '11 F350 DRW 4x4 with GVWR 13000, frt axle 5940 & rear 9000. Fifth wheel rated to 21300. Scaled it had frt 5080, rear 7640, trailer 11620, total 24340

[mjudkins]

So I picked up the truck yesterday, a 2016 GMC 3500 Denali. I know some of you guys also have the same truck, and my question is does it always get terrible mileage while towing or is it just me? Granted this is my first diesel that I've actually towed with, but today I hauled our old TT to the dealer for repairs, and got a whopping 10mpg. The TT only weighs 4,700lbs... I'm just wondering if it's that bad with a small trailer, how bad will it be when I start hauling our 377 with it.

[Bookemdanno]

Originally Posted by mjudkins

So I picked up the truck yesterday, a 2016 GMC 3500 Denali. I know some of you guys also have the same truck, and my question is does it always get terrible mileage while towing or is it just me? Granted this is my first diesel that I've actually towed with, but today I hauled our old TT to the dealer for repairs, and got a whopping 10mpg. The TT only weighs 4,700lbs... I'm just wondering if it's that bad with a small trailer, how bad will it be when I start hauling our 377 with it.

I get about 10/11 MPG with my Ram 2500 when towing the 377...unless I'm going against a headwind...That's another story!

[Magnolia Tom]

I get about 10-11mpg with my '14 f350. Got the same with my '06. I don't think it's the weight as much as the drag that decreases your mileage. The faster you drive, the lower your mpgs. I think 62 ish maximizes your mpg while still traveling with the flow of traffic. I personally drive faster than that, thus my mileage isn't as good as it could be.


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[mjudkins]

The only thing that concerns me is that the TT is so light. I mean the 377 has almost 10k lbs on it, so I'm just wondering if the mpg's will go down a lot further. I had the cruise set on 70, and there was about 10mph of wind. Maybe a 5th wheel is more aerodynamic than a TT?

[mjudkins]

Also what is this biodiesel stuff? I went to two truck stops and neither had plain ole diesel so I used it. Does that affect mileage?