To pull that trailer...until you're not.
I'd like to say I was the only one but it doesn't take much reading down the board to see that I'm not. Unfortunate, so I put this as yet another notice to those eager purchasers.
Background:
Coming from pulling a 26' camper weighing in ~6-7k. All was good. Decided at the Hershey show to move up to a bigger unit...that we did and then some. NorthPoint 375BHFS.
'13 F-250 diesel- 15,900 tow rating pulling a 5th wheel. Camper is capped at 16k GVW so as long as I run a little light, all is good. Seems I wasn't schooled enough in payload ratings. Thank's salespeople.
We did have the new one out once about 100 miles away and sure enough it did pull it fine (after putting in air bags). One of my neighbors at the campground also commented how there was no way he would pull something like that with his 250. That started the real concern.
Once I got back the education really started. So we got the 10k GVW sticker that they all have. Beyond that we got the tire sticker that says not to go over 1950 of additional weight which would also put things around 10k.
Off to the scale last week. Day 1, just me in the truck. 8460 lbs. Published curb weight is 7554. So between me, the hitch, and other miscellaneous items in the truck (full tank of gas) I was already 900 lbs into that 1950 tire load assuming it was based on curb weight. Less if it factored a driver and tank of gas.
Day 2 - trailer attached I pull on the scale with just the truck (trailer attached but not on scale) - 11660. Figure ~3200 pin weight. So that 10k GVW...and that 2k of tire weight...not really close. Total weight 23k. I was however within the individual axle ratings if that mattered.
This is also fairly empty (beyond what stays in the camper). No family, no clothes/food, etc.
Oh, did I mention a state trooper was hanging out in the weigh booth where I took it to get weighted (local trash transfer station). Yea, he and I had a nice chat after and luckily he was very nice and saw that I was there because I was trying to do the right thing. No citation.
When I'm actually heading out I figure I'd have a pin weight somewhere between 3200-4000 (if the camper was maxed out) along with family, etc. Those weight ratings are only a suggestion...right?
The story does have a suitable, though more expensive ending. Tomorrow I pick up my '16 F350 dulley. Weight will no longer be an issue. Parking on the other hand...
What is troublesome (beyond salespeople acting like sales and not like consultants) is that to stay within weight ratings a 5th wheel would need to cap out around 6000 lbs (6k x 20% pin = 1200 lbs which is about all I had to stay close to the 2k tire sticker or under the 10k)
So, potential buyers out there...learn
all the numbers...not just the ones manufactures use for marketing purposes and sure as heck don't go by any salesperson who says 'you'll be fine'. Or be content running overweight as many out there on the road seem to be and hope that an accident never happens.
Peace out.