Was in an Accident today, worried frame is bent?

[talessandro]

Originally Posted by preceptjoe

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

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

I give up! You all win, really! I found a fifth wheel towing calculater on line.
http://changingears.com/rv-sec-calc-...ue_percentage=
I don't understand how it works or if it is accurate. I believe the information I entered is correct. The results are probably in line with what everyone has been saying. I find it very frustrating that I can't find anyone that can give me an honest answer. Looks like I'm in the market for a bigger truck.

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[TCNashville]

Originally Posted by talessandro

I give up! You all win, really!

No Tony, you win for making the right decision for you and yours.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by 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...

100%!!

There are a few here who might be a little blunt, but the goal is always the same: "To help a fella out". I think even the harshest comments are mostly in line with that goal, and I don't generally see a lot of flaming on this forum.

As far as the calculator you found, that and those like it all depend on the accuracy of information input. If you're using the true information from YOUR truck (not from a generic VIN sheet, or a brochure [esp not that, never that]) you can get some pretty good results. But then I always throw in the caveat: Just because it looks like a "go" on paper, doesn't mean it works well when the rubber meets the road. I know because I've been there.

As far as a straight answer? That's pretty simple, and has been stated on this discussion and others like it throughout the forum. I don't care what it says on your fender (150/1500, 250/2500, 350/3500, Ford, GMC, Chevy, Ram, whatever) the bottom line is the GVWR (as stated on the VIN placard in YOUR truck) minus the scaled weight as loaded for travel is what you have available for pin/tongue weight of the trailer and towing tackle. Usually this ends up being the first specification breached, or "the lowest common denominator" if you will, so that's a great place to focus.

If you want to find a trailer weight that fits your truck, take the true available payload weight as figured above, and divide by .15 (15% of GVWR of a bumper-pull trailer being at the top of the tongue weight spectrum) to get a maximum trailer GVWR. If you're looking at a 5th wheel, use .20 or .25 for your factor. For example, if you have 1500 lbs of true available payload left, divided by .15 gives you 10,000. So you'd be looking for a trailer with a GVWR no higher than 10,000. So at least on paper, you know you're covered for the heaviest tongue and trailer possible given your available payload. Chances are you'll come in under those numbers in real life, and that's good. IMO, it's best to use "worst case scenario" to estimate weights.

[clubhouse]

Very wise Tony.

I failed this test, sort of. Here is my story hopefully it helps guide you.

When shopping for our first TT we really wanted something larger than we bought. We planned to use our Tahoe 5.3l 3:73 4-speed as a tow vehicle, so we compromised on the TT to a 26BH. Nice trailer but pretty small for our needs. After about 10 months we took a trip up into the Sierra Nevada Mts. The Tahoe struggled mightily, I was uncomfortable the entire trip.

Got home decided it's time to upgrade the truck. I wanted to ensure I had plenty of truck so I got the 2500 Duramax.

Wasn't but just a few months later and we started to really regret the small 26BH TT. All of a sudden we are in the market to upgrade TT to what we initially wanted.

If I had done more research and asked for a lot more advice I could have avoided unecessary depreciation in a TT we no longer wanted. I love my truck, but maybe I could have taken more time and found an even better deal. I could have avoided a very uncomfortable, borderline dangerous, trip with my 2 kids pregnant wife and 2 dogs.

They say a good education is very expensive; I paid for the education and opinions I now have.

I hope this thread saves you thousands of dollars in mistakes and risk.

[clubhouse]

This experience should also have you really questioning your dealer. We all know they want to sell RVs, but at what cost.

[FishAr]

Originally Posted by talessandro

I give up! You all win, really! I found a fifth wheel towing calculater on line.
Fifth Wheel Weight Calculator
I don't understand how it works or if it is accurate. I believe the information I entered is correct. The results are probably in line with what everyone has been saying. I find it very frustrating that I can't find anyone that can give me an honest answer. Looks like I'm in the market for a bigger truck.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

A problem you have is the data from your vin check. You enter king pin weight your truck can handle as 2875 which I figure you got from your vin check. That's wrong. Your payload sticker on your driver door jamb will have your payload rating, and I'd guess it's no more than 1800 pounds.

I traded in a 2015 Silverado 1500 double cab 5.3l 3.42 rear end for my duramax and my payload in the 1500 was 1745 pounds.

The payload on my sticker in my 2500HD is a little over 2400 pounds.

I entered my 2500HD into your vin checker and it showed my king pin weight (payload) as over 4,000 pounds and that's ridiculous, obviously a flaw in that vin checker.

Your vin checker is lying to you (and me).

[FishAr]

I'm actually looking forward to the talking to's I'll get on here when I finally manage to get a 336fbok (my dream rig) and hook it up to my 2500HD.

*You need a dually for that!!!*

*I hope I never meet you on the highway!!!*

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by FishAr

A problem you have is the data from your vin check. You enter king pin weight your truck can handle as 2875 which I figure you got from your vin check. That's wrong. Your payload sticker on your driver door jamb will have your payload rating, and I'd guess it's no more than 1800 pounds.

I traded in a 2015 Silverado 1500 double cab 5.3l 3.42 rear end for my duramax and my payload in the 1500 was 1745 pounds.

The payload on my sticker in my 2500HD is a little over 2400 pounds.

I entered my 2500HD into your vin checker and it showed my king pin weight (payload) as over 4,000 pounds and that's ridiculous, obviously a flaw in that vin checker.

Your vin checker is lying to you (and me).

Like I said before, the VIN checker lists all possible measures for that series of vehicle. OP (I think) was assuming that his specific truck was capable of the maximum listed on all specs. It's kind of like seeing the brochure for the Ford F-150 that says it has up to 2700 lbs available payload, then going down to the dealership and buying a 4wd crew cab optioned to the hilt with the 5L engine and a 3.11 rear end, only to find out later that to get that 2700 lbs, you have to have a stripped down single cab, 2wd, with max tow AND max payload package with the Ecoboost and a 3.73 rear end. All of those are options on that series of truck, but they're not necessarily the capacities of YOUR truck. YOUR truck may only have 1700 lbs of available payload (or less).

The only TRUE way to know FOR SURE is to weigh the truck and subtract that weight from the GVWR posted on the VIN placard in the vehicle. It's that simple, and it's true across the board.

This is exactly what weigh masters at the DOT do with commercial trucks. You drive across the scale, they look at your VIN placard and your license and registration information. If you're over weight, it's a ticket and a hefty fine. If it's bad enough, they will make you park the vehicle where it sits until the situation is remedied.

[Subaru297]

I would say the minimum pin weight you can expect from this trailer would be....

Dry weight 10,620lbs
Plus options 250lbs
Plus camping stuff 500lbs

So the trailer will weigh at least 11,370lbs as a conservative estimate.
11,370 x 20% = 2274lbs

So 2274lbs is the minimum pin weight that trailer will have. And it could go as high as 2842lbs. 5th wheels need between 20 and 25% of their weight as tongue weight.

Any vehicle that can reliably pull this trailer would have to have at least 2500+lbs of payload once you account for passengers, hitch and anything else you want to carry in the truck.

Have a look at the sticker on your doorjamb which will state your specific payload for your truck. Or just tell us the GVWR for your truck read off the doorjamb sticker and it is easy math from there.

I think you have received good advice so far and am happy to hear you are listening. Keep in mind many of us have been in the same boat and have spent more money than we needed to upgrading and trading trucks after getting a trailer too large for our half tons. Even when all the numbers made sense on paper real results are always worse than any calculation.

Cheers

[FishAr]

Originally Posted by Subaru297

I would say the minimum pin weight you can expect from this trailer would be....

Dry weight 10,620lbs
Plus options 250lbs
Plus camping stuff 500lbs

So the trailer will weigh at least 11,370lbs as a conservative estimate.
11,370 x 20% = 2274lbs

So 2274lbs is the minimum pin weight that trailer will have. And it could go as high as 2842lbs. 5th wheels need between 20 and 25% of their weight as tongue weight.

Any vehicle that can reliably pull this trailer would have to have at least 2500+lbs of payload once you account for passengers, hitch and anything else you want to carry in the truck.

Have a look at the sticker on your doorjamb which will state your specific payload for your truck. Or just tell us the GVWR for your truck read off the doorjamb sticker and it is easy math from there.

I think you have received good advice so far and am happy to hear you are listening. Keep in mind many of us have been in the same boat and have spent more money than we needed to upgrading and trading trucks after getting a trailer too large for our half tons. Even when all the numbers made sense on paper real results are always worse than any calculation.

Cheers

Tell me about it, I've had 3 2015 model chevrolets.

Colorado, 7200 pound towing capacity supposedly. Bought it before I decided I needed a travel trailer. Got a jayco 23rb, it pulled it ok. 23rb not big enough for me though so got a sunset trail 250RB with a slide.

Colorado pulled it (5700 empty) but I didn't want to pull it much with the colorado so

got a 2015 Silverado double cab z71 4x4.

Then I traded the jayco for the 35 ft windjammer, over 7000 pounds empty. I pulled it with the half ton some, it did ok but not satisfied.

Then I did what I should have done 10 years ago and got a 2500HD duramax.

[Jagiven]

I have trying to stay out of thw beating.

Tony, when I was looking to a tt, I was very confused about the real tow ratings of my tv. I called Dodge Service center, not the dealership, with my Vin number. I spoke with the rep probably 45 minutes. She walkyd me though how the calculations are done, what options I have and how they affect the tow rating, and overall payload tating. It was a great call, and I learned a lot.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by Subaru297

I would say the minimum pin weight you can expect from this trailer would be....

Dry weight 10,620lbs
Plus options 250lbs
Plus camping stuff 500lbs

So the trailer will weigh at least 11,370lbs as a conservative estimate.
11,370 x 20% = 2274lbs

So 2274lbs is the minimum pin weight that trailer will have. And it could go as high as 2842lbs. 5th wheels need between 20 and 25% of their weight as tongue weight.

Any vehicle that can reliably pull this trailer would have to have at least 2500+lbs of payload once you account for passengers, hitch and anything else you want to carry in the truck.

Have a look at the sticker on your doorjamb which will state your specific payload for your truck. Or just tell us the GVWR for your truck read off the doorjamb sticker and it is easy math from there.

I think you have received good advice so far and am happy to hear you are listening. Keep in mind many of us have been in the same boat and have spent more money than we needed to upgrading and trading trucks after getting a trailer too large for our half tons. Even when all the numbers made sense on paper real results are always worse than any calculation.

Cheers

+1 all the way.

Originally Posted by FishAr

Tell me about it, I've had 3 2015 model chevrolets.

Colorado, 7200 pound towing capacity supposedly. Bought it before I decided I needed a travel trailer. Got a jayco 23rb, it pulled it ok. 23rb not big enough for me though so got a sunset trail 250RB with a slide.

Colorado pulled it (5700 empty) but I didn't want to pull it much with the colorado so

got a 2015 Silverado double cab z71 4x4.

Then I traded the jayco for the 35 ft windjammer, over 7000 pounds empty. I pulled it with the half ton some, it did ok but not satisfied.

Then I did what I should have done 10 years ago and got a 2500HD duramax.

To both: BTDT. Not through 3 trucks, just one, but I was towing too heavy for my comfort when I started out as well; 2012 GMC Sierra CC 2WD with Heavy duty tow package. I decided I would "deal with it" for the short term and see what the world brought me. I was never comfortable, but I wasn't grossly overweight either. I was always worrying about weights and how the trailer was packed, and what we put in the truck, and on and on and on. I would dream about it at night. DW got so tired of hearing about how much stuff weighed, got tired of me talking about our rig, told me I lied to her when I said we could tow this trailer.

Then DW got pregnant, so I said "that's it, we're getting a bigger truck." So I bit the bullet and bought a Ram 2500 HD gasser. It has more capacity than I'll ever need, and it does everything I need it to do very well. It hurt, but it had to be done. Now I sleep like a baby, and when it comes to loading, my new policy is "bring it, we don't own enough stuff to overload my truck". That's not entirely true, but it would be A LOT of stuff! Certainly more than I'm willing to pack! Anyway, I took the hit and it was worth it.

[talessandro]

Thought I would give a update: been camping twice now. Bought a new 2017 F250 6.2 L gas engine. Happily with the the towing ability. My mpg only suffers .2 to .3 mpg.

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[vikefan7]

Nice looking setup man.

[LiftedAWDAstro]

Great looking truck!

[Jagiven]

looks share!

[bap]

What became of your truck that you had an accident with? Did they end up totaling it? Or did they fix it and then you traded it? New truck and camper look great.

[Jagiven]

Originally Posted by Jagiven

looks share!

Lol, I sometimes hate auto spelling on my phone.

Looks great!

[talessandro]

Originally Posted by bap

What became of your truck that you had an accident with? Did they end up totaling it? Or did they fix it and then you traded it? New truck and camper look great.

I traded it in. They dinged me on the car fax report, around $5,000. I did file a diminished property claim with Allstate but they would only give me $2,000.

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[PonyExpress]

I think your dealer and allstate screwed you.