Overweight - How much is too much... REALLY?

[Moseh]

OK, before everyone chimes in that ANY amount overweight is too much overweight... I get that. Exceeding the GVWR is not good... I get it.

However, I have a Jayco Pinnacle 37MDQS. I am the third owner. It has a residential fridge, Onan 5500 generator, and a stacked washer and dryer.
The GVWR is 16900. I'm running Goodyear E rated tires on 7000 lb axles.
I recently had the rig weighted using "Smartweigh" through the Escapees club. It showed that I am about 500lbs over on my tow vehicle (a Ford F350 dually) and about 1000lbs over on the RV.

My wife and I are not obese. I carry a hand carried toolbox, a pancake air compressor and a couple of campchairs in the bed. How I can be 500# over?

Maybe I'm 1000# over in the RV, and I could probably trim down 200 or 300 pounds... but 1000#?!?! Probably not. Not sure how much of the things like fridge, generator, washer/dryer are not included in the unloaded weight rating.

So back to my original question. How much overweight is an "acceptable risk" versus being completely unsafe.

Thanks in advance for your KIND responses.

[TWP723]

You're OVER in the trailer by 1000lbs.?? Not to pry but man, what did you put into it? I couldn't put 2500lbs. additional in my trailer if I tried. That's a crazy amount. If it were me, I'd take it to the CAT scales just to be sure. Something's not right somewhere. I'd weigh the trailer completely empty accept for propane and see what's up. It should weigh about 14,500lbs.


Note: I got the numbers from the website.

[Grumpy]

What year?

Not familiar with "Smart weight", but I would stop at a CAT scale and verify those numbers, something doesn't sound right to me. I don't see how you could be carrying 3,500 lbs of "stuff" as the cargo capacity is showing at 2,500.

[mini4mw]

looking at specs for 2021 model;
GVWR 16,995
Curb/Dry 14,250
cargo 2,745

res fridge avg 250#s
stacked washer/dryer 250#s
Onan 5500 275#s

750#s used with above leaving you with 2000#s to spare

gallon of water 8 lbs if you are carrying any..

If you don't think you have 3,000lbs of stuff in there I'd get a second opinion (weight). No need to worry about it if you don't have to.

As far as your original question, to me its a little wear and tear and safety. The heavier you are, the longer it takes to stop. You can prevent 90% of the risk by the way you drive, but something may always come up and if you can't stop.. and then there is the liability if they could ever prove it, which i doubt, but you would always know or question yourself would it have been different.

With the thresholds I'd probably give it no more 10-15% of its original rating. All are designed to meet or exceed the object's designed rating. Fabrication equipment and raw materials are never 100% spot on so the end product is not. When you are over, if the product is close to its designed threshold you will wear it out faster or cause an earlier failure.

When you order concrete you specify the psi/strength you want. 2000, 3000, 4000, etc. driveways, slabs, foundation all use different strengths based on use and environment. It all comes from the same place, they just mix a little differently. They don't measure it each load, its cost prohibitive. They just know its over what you ordered. 3000psi could be 3200, 3500, 4000 actual psi. Fabrication is going to be similar in my opinion. A 7000lb axle should always hold at least 7000lbs and pending fabrication, raw materials and how the guy felt when he put it together, it could hold 7700lbs, but maybe its 7001lbs.

All that rambling to say, I'd stay under the designed weight, but if you had to push it, I'd go 10% or so knowing I'm risking a failure or premature wear. I would not consistently go over weight.

I'd definitely get weighed again somewhere else though.

[Learjet]

I can believe that weight...I went to Cat Scale and here are my weights...FYI..I am under all the limits for truck and trailer.

2022 32RLTS with Onan, Disc brakes, 4x6 volt batteries, Full propane and full water.

Truck Weight 9,100 lbs. no trailer and just me.
Total Trailer weight 15,220 lbs. ready to camp ( max 15,500 lbs.)
Pin weight 3220 lbs.
Both trailer axles 12,000 lbs., or 6,000 per axle

Some stickers on the axle I have seen show 7,400 lbs. axles and Jayco uses 4,000 lbs. springs....so I wouldn't be too worried. IF you want to double check, download the Cat Scale app make an account and you can pull up on one of their scales and not even go inside. Everything though the simple app and the weight PDF gets email to you in a few minutes.

You need to know the weight on the trailer axles to make sure the tires are ok and the axles....I can't determine that from your post...see my numbers above.

Weight your truck with full fuel, then weight the trailer and truck together. Called a re-weight and if done same day is cheaper than the first weight of the day.

The math will tell you your Truck weight, truck axle weights, Trailer weight, Trailer pin weight and weight on trailer axles.

[Learjet]

judging by this video similar unit...you might have a pin weight around 4,400 lbs.

if so and you are at 17,900 lbs. on the total trailer weight -4,400 lbs. pin = 13,500 on the axles which would keep you under the axle and tire limits....but we need more info.

https://youtu.be/Pr2mwvzTo7E

[Scott]

I would check those numbers with a certified CAT scale.

Personally, I don't think there is such a thing as an "acceptable risk" with being overweight. What do you think the police would say if you were in a traffic accident and were knowingly overweight? Your insurance? What about the judge if there was a fatality? Or more importantly your conscience? Personally, I wouldn't be able to live with the guilt.

[armentaaw]

I picked up our 2021 Pinnacle 37MDQS in April and went to a CAT Scale. Here are my weights. No fluids in RV tanks. Three full propane bottles, no washer/dryer. 18 cu fridge. No generator. My vehicle 2020 Chev 3500HD 4x4 SRW Crew Cab. Full tank full/def and three passengers. Here are my weights before and after. No other cargo in trailer. Ended up about 400# over GVWR, 210# over axle, although under on tire weight limit. GCWR well within 29000# rating. I went on a trip in May, made some adjustments like only taking one propane bottle, loading everything over trailer axles and taking only half tank of fuel and fell well under all the limits. Gotta get creative on loading.