Was in an Accident today, worried frame is bent?

[talessandro]

Originally Posted by Stingray75

Subtract the rear axle weight shown on the scale ticket from the rear axle capacity of 3950. How much is left for the DRY pin weight of 2005 pounds and the 150 pound hitch? Keep in mind those dry weights are rough numbers that will change with options

I emailed Jayco and got the "added weight" based on the options I added. The "total weight added, 252lbs" is the figure I got from Jayco that should reflect the new "dry weight".

[culleokapapa]

they said I could pull my fth wheel with my 1500 too . first time pulling 150 miles out and first small hill I blow the trans . and went to a 2500 hd . I was pulling less weight then you . wish you all good luck.

[clubhouse]

Originally Posted by talessandro

I emailed Jayco and got the "added weight" based on the options I added. The "total weight added, 252lbs" is the figure I got from Jayco that should reflect the new "dry weight".

You have some more research to do.

There is no possible way you 1500 has the necessary available cargo capacity to support that 5th wheels pin weight.

Simply look at the yellow sticker on the drivers door jam. It will say something to the effect... "combined weight of all passengers and cargo not to exceed XXXX". I doubt seriously that number is >2000lbs and your chosen 5er pin weight is over 2000 lbs before adding one item to the RV or a hitch in you truck.

[preceptjoe]

I would hate to see the results of making a critical high speed maneuver on the highway with this unit behind a Half-ton truck. There is a reason you only see these pulled by 3/4 or one ton diesels. I previously pulled a loaded 6500 lb trailer with two adults (350 lbs) behind a 1/2 ton f-150 and that created a few white knuckle experiences.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by talessandro

2017 Eagle 339 FLQS lbs
UVW 10,175
Dry hitch weight 2,005
2nd AC 95
4 point Leveling system 51
12cu ft. refrigerator 79
Wireless Backup Camera 2
Sanicon Waste 25
total weight added 252
UVW + added weight 10,427

2014 GMS Sierra 1500
5.3L EcoTec3 V8 L83 engine
axle ratio 3.73
Max tow rating 11,500
GCWR 16,700
Fifth wheel max tongue wt 2,875
spring capacity 3,950
rear axle capacity 3,950
Actual truck weight with driver 5,267
5th wheel hitch 200
wife 110
Truck total weight 5,577

GCWR 16,700
total Truck weight 5,577
max legal Tow rating 11,123
max cargo capacity 696 I know it not a lot but that is what I'm working with. And I have been told that nobody utilizes the maximum cargo capacity in any trailer. So to say I can't pull a trailer with a GVWR of 12, 295 is not totally accurate.

In a perfect world yes, I would agree I could use a bigger truck. I'm not saying it has not crossed my mind. I already have had my truck weighed and plan on getting the 5er weighted on our first camping trip. You all may be right. By my figures are doable or am I missing something?

Are you sure you are seeing the right specs for YOUR truck? Looking at GM's towing chart, I don't see any Sierra 1500s with the 3.73 axle and 11,500 towing. There are a few that get up there with the 3.42 though. (ETA: Not to say that "towing capacity" has anything to do with whether you can hitch up this 5er; "payload capacity" is the linchpin of the 150/1500 series truck)

Along that same line is where you found a "fifth wheel max tongue weight"?

Another question is what the GVWR is on YOUR truck? It looks/sounds like you have scaled your truck (which is GREAT BTW, kudos!) with a weight of 5577? The highest GVWR I could find in a Sierra 1500 was 7200. That would leave you with 1623 lbs of payload. Either way, take the GVWR and subtract your scale weight; that's the weight you have left for a pin and other items. A lot of people will say that it's more important that you don't exceed the GAWRs than worry about the GVWR. I don't necessarily disagree with this approach if you're not significantly over your GVWR. Of course, you don't want to be over at all, but as you said, it's not a perfect world.

All of these capacities can be found on the VIN sticker in your truck. If you weigh the truck, be sure to get a separate weight for the steer axle and the drive axle.

Obviously, you can do whatever you want, and I have no skin in this game. But I'm curious about your specs as other truck owners may be able to gain some insight and make better decisions.

[talessandro]

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

Are you sure you are seeing the right specs for YOUR truck? Looking at GM's towing chart, I don't see any Sierra 1500s with the 3.73 axle and 11,500 towing. There are a few that get up there with the 3.42 though. (ETA: Not to say that "towing capacity" has anything to do with whether you can hitch up this 5er; "payload capacity" is the linchpin of the 150/1500 series truck)

Along that same line is where you found a "fifth wheel max tongue weight"?

Another question is what the GVWR is on YOUR truck? It looks/sounds like you have scaled your truck (which is GREAT BTW, kudos!) with a weight of 5577? The highest GVWR I could find in a Sierra 1500 was 7200. That would leave you with 1623 lbs of payload. Either way, take the GVWR and subtract your scale weight; that's the weight you have left for a pin and other items. A lot of people will say that it's more important that you don't exceed the GAWRs than worry about the GVWR. I don't necessarily disagree with this approach if you're not significantly over your GVWR. Of course, you don't want to be over at all, but as you said, it's not a perfect world.

All of these capacities can be found on the VIN sticker in your truck. If you weigh the truck, be sure to get a separate weight for the steer axle and the drive axle.

Obviously, you can do whatever you want, and I have no skin in this game. But I'm curious about your specs as other truck owners may be able to gain some insight and make better decisions.

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating Cap 7400.0 max
The gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), or gross vehicle mass (GVM) is the maximum operating weight/mass of a vehicle as specified by the manufacturer including the vehicle's chassis, body, engine, engine fluids, fuel, accessories, driver, passengers and cargo but excluding that of any trailers.

see tech specs tab at VIN Decoder - Chevrolet Forum - Chevy Enthusiasts Forums

[wags999]

We al do have skin in this game, we may be in front of him or behind him when an issue happens. Just because you can drag something down the highway doesn't mean its safe or advisable. There is no way a half ton truck has a load capacity of 2500 lbs or more, which is what you would need. You hitch alone will weigh close to 200 lbs all in. I have doubts you will not be able to operate in a safe manner with that large of an RV and that vehicle.

I wish you and all on the road near you with much luck. I would suggest you make sure you have a good towing and road side service policy in effect.

[talessandro]

If I'm ever out and about around Arizona, I'll be sure to let you know

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by talessandro

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating Cap 7400.0 max
The gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), or gross vehicle mass (GVM) is the maximum operating weight/mass of a vehicle as specified by the manufacturer including the vehicle's chassis, body, engine, engine fluids, fuel, accessories, driver, passengers and cargo but excluding that of any trailers.

see tech specs tab at VIN Decoder - Chevrolet Forum - Chevy Enthusiasts Forums

Ok, so your GVWR is 7400, your scaled weight of vehicle with full fluids, all passengers and a good estimate on what else might be added is 5557. That leaves 1823 lbs. of payload capacity remaining (which is pretty respectable for a well-equipped 1/2 T class truck). That's 200 lbs LESS THAN the dry empty pin weight of the trailer. Meaning right out of the gate, before you add a single thing, you're 200 lbs over.

I don't have it sitting in front of me, but does Jayco's estimation of "added weight" include batteries and propane? Those weights sit pretty much directly on the pin. The trailer's yellow sticker (usually inside the front door) will tell you how much the rig weighed from the factory as shipped with full propane and batteries. This is usually a significant increase to the brochure "dry weight".

And yes, the trailer's pin weight counts against available payload as it is in fact carried by the vehicle's chassis.

I'm not one to tell people they can't do things. This is a free country (still mostly anyway). But you shouldn't do this. I wouldn't do this. If the dealer told you you were "good to go" with this truck and that 5er, I would have some serious issues with that. That's just blatantly negligent.

ETA: Something else to note about that VIN decoder is that the specific GVWR of YOUR truck is not listed. All that's listed is the possible GVWR ratings for that series of truck. Same with many of the other ratings. You should not assume that your specific truck is max capacity on all of those items.

[klpoppe]

I am assuming you bought from the same dealer I did seeing you are from Cinci.

When I bought my camper I had a Tacoma. "No problem with that" they said. Well, BS!!!! 6500 lb towing capacity, so I believed them. I made a joke to the salesman about towing a fifth wheel with it and he replied "sure, as long as you make it off the lot". When I drove home with my new camper I couldn't hold on to that steering wheel any tighter and if my engine could talk I am sure it would have been cussing at me.

So I upgraded to a truck that could handle my camper and any reasonable upgrade we may look at in the near future. I am towing approx 6500 pounds with a truck rated at around 11,000. I would not feel comfortable going with anything larger than a 28' camper with this truck for the sake of my family's safety and others on the road around me. Just because the numbers say you can do it does't mean you should

I am not familiar with fifth wheels and I don't quite understand how the fifth wheel hitch weight rating is that much more than the payload capacity of your truck. Your payload numbers appear to be in the neighborhood of 1900lbs. This does not include passengers, gear , wood, coolers etc. Not to mention the additional weight of necessary gear in the camper.

I am not an expert on this subject especially when it comes to fifth wheels. We all can argue numbers all day but common sense needs to prevail. The weights seem outrageous for a half ton pickup. Even the HT fifth wheels are mostly spec'd for single cab base trucks that do not have the extra weight of added options and larger cabs.

There are many people on this forum that are extremely knowledgeable and many whose views I respect. Some of them have posted on this thread. I strongly urge you to consider what they are saying.

No one wants to burst your bubble and we all share the same excitement when it comes to getting a new camper. We all enjoy this lifestyle and we don't want to see anyone jeopardize the safety of themselves or others or destroying a perfectly good pickup.

Good luck with your new camper.

[bdreinv]

Thanks for the info on the shop rating!

[wags999]

Originally Posted by talessandro

If I'm ever out and about around Arizona, I'll be sure to let you know

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

No problem, doubt you could make it this far..

[Wireman]

My dealer & salesman verified in his material what my TV was rated for.

Didn't matter what I told him. I knew going in to buy what weight I could tow and from the Jayco website what the weight was on the unit I wanted.

2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Eco Diesel rated at 7200 lbs.

Jayco Jay Feather 23RLSW approx. 4700 lbs. unloaded.

Do your research before laying down the cash.

[SwimFan]

Make sure that you file a claim for "diminished value" of your truck no matter what you decide to do. That accident is now a permanent part of your trucks history and will show up on the Car Fax, your Truck will be worth less on trade in or private sale now or in the future. You are talking a few thousand dollars............

[talessandro]

Not sure how this turned into a "How much can my truck tow" thread. But I've got enough bruises already. My original concerns about my truck frame have been answered and again I want to thank all those that replied.

As for the rest of you...I hear all of you and understand what you are saying. I do care and worry about the safety of my wife and I as well as others out on the road around us. I'm somewhat embarrassed to think that some of you may think otherwise, I assure you that is not the case.

[talessandro]

Originally Posted by SwimFan

Make sure that you file a claim for "diminished value" of your truck no matter what you decide to do. That accident is now a permanent part of your trucks history and will show up on the Car Fax, your Truck will be worth less on trade in or private sale now or in the future. You are talking a few thousand dollars............

Thank you. I've never heard of such a claim until the other day. I asked the claims adjuster if the damage from the accident would decrease the value of my truck when I went to trade it in or sell it because there was a possibility that I may need a bigger truck and he suggested that was something I could do.

[klpoppe]

Most of us are not trying to beat you up. We are just trying to look out for you. Maybe we'll run into each other camping this summer...

[bansai]

Originally Posted by klpoppe

Most of us are not trying to beat you up. We are just trying to look at for you. Maybe we'll run into each other camping this summer...

Exactly, we're all friends here.

My wife got into an accident last week doing serious (not at fault) damage to my commuter car. I'm dealing with insurance companies right now, 4 of them actually since there were a bunch of people involved. The important thing is that you are made 'whole again'.

We can discuss (not that it hasn't already come up ) What truck we all think would suit you well for your new camper, down the road. This is why I didn't even mention the towing stuff in my original reply. Anyway, good luck! Let us know how it works out for you.

[RAurand]

Originally Posted by wags999

We al do have skin in this game, we may be in front of him or behind him when an issue happens. Just because you can drag something down the highway doesn't mean its safe or advisable. There is no way a half ton truck has a load capacity of 2500 lbs or more, which is what you would need. You hitch alone will weigh close to 200 lbs all in. I have doubts you will not be able to operate in a safe manner with that large of an RV and that vehicle.

I wish you and all on the road near you with much luck. I would suggest you make sure you have a good towing and road side service policy in effect.

Wags999 and Wireman. SEMPER FI, My father was in Korea, 1952-1953 Purple heart. Baker Company 1st Division 5th Marines, Vegas, Carson and Reno.

Something else to think about. IF you are overloaded and you are in an accident, it will be classified as your fault when the police look at the weight limits and see you are over weight. Also, would your insurance still cover you?

[preceptjoe]

I guess we are all wrong. You can tow a fiver with anything.

Can a Blazer tow a 5th wheel? - Cruisers & Sailing Forums