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Old 02-16-2013, 11:00 PM   #1
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jlhende

I'm new at this...
2013 pinnacle 36RLQS pulled by a 2013 Chev crew cab 4x4 diesel 6.6,3.73 swr with engine braking....5r is 11,700 unloaded with a GVWR of 15950. Truck has GCWR of 24,500 lbs. with max tow of 15,800 lbs. and max pin of 3,000 lbs. Can't imagine ever having cargo in excess of 2500 lbs. Both the rv dealer and chev dealer tell me this is a safe match. Would like some experienced 5 towers opinions before I purchase the Pinnacle. Already have the truck. Thanks.
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Old 02-17-2013, 06:00 AM   #2
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We have a Pinnacle 35LKTS and the "Yellow - As Built" sticker on the entry door and outside on the Front Left Side which is the Goverment Required "As Built Weight" at Jayco (includes caculated Propane Bottle's full) is 12,981 lbs.

The Jayco brochure shows our Pinnacle's "Unloaded Vehicle Weight" at 11,565 lbs, quite a difference from the Yellow "As Built" Label Weight at 12,981 lbs.
The factory brochure weight is the base line weight with no options, ours does have Dual Pane windows, 2 A/C units, Mor Ryde Hitch, 12 Cu Ft 4 Door Refig, Central Vac, Generator Prep and such.
All of these options add weight to the Jayco brochure base weight which is no options at all, only standard items like 1 A/C Unit, standard 10 Cu Ft double door Refig, single pane windows, no bedroom TV and so on.
For example, even though we do not have a Generator (only Generator Prep) the Yellow "As Built" label includes the caculated weight of the Generator Gas Tank full of fuel.

Make sure you read the "Yellow" as built label on the Pinnacle you are looking at so you can make a informed decision.

We fulltime in our Pinnacle so we carry more stuff than the typical "weekend user", for example we do have a stackable Washer / Dryer in our Pinnacle.
We had our Pinnacle weighted while in Texas last spring and our acutal weight is 15,300 lbs with a "Hitch Weight" of 3,450 lbs.
Again the Jayco brochure says the "Dry Hitch Weight" is 2,600 lbs for the Pinnacle 35LKTS.

I am not trying to scare you away from the Pinnacle, we think it is a awsome 5th Wheel, we love ours and think it is a lot of bang for the buck but just want to make sure you are informed and make the right decision for you.

It looks like by the GM numbers you will be ok even thought IMHO, I think you will probally be a little closer to the GM max ratings of the truck than you think.

Since we fulltime and move around quite a bit, we went ahead and moved up to the 3500HD DRW for the extra stability and towing capacity margin you get with a DRW truck.
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Old 02-17-2013, 08:31 AM   #3
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Fifth wheel/tow vehicle match?

See jlhende comments....proof of my newness to this forum and fifth wheeling
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Old 02-17-2013, 09:29 AM   #4
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Welcome to the forum and hopefully to the Jayco family.

We are a geat bunch here and there is a lot of information here, so ask any question you will get some good info and feedback.

I hope you did not take any of the info in my post as a Negative, it was not meant to be.
Just wanted to make sure you have to right information so you make a informed decision.

Like I said the Jayco Pinnacle's are very nice 5th Wheels, we shopped for a long time, looked at many different brands and models of 5th Wheels.

In the end we choose the Pinnacle because we thought is was a great value, solid construction, great company with good warranty and it meet most of our needs and wants.
Today, a year and 1/2 later we still think we made the right choice.
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Old 02-17-2013, 12:09 PM   #5
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No offense taken Robert. To the contrary, I appreciate learning of the difference between the brochure's unloaded weight and the "as built" weight on the yellow tag. As I read the various forums regarding the proper "safe" vehicle match for different size/weight trailers, I'm inclined to opt for the slightly smaller/lighter 34RLTS. Even at that I wonder if that will be a good match. I'll do some checking on the "as built" number for the unit I have in mind. The RLTS is only 1' 2" shorter and 765 lbs. lighter unloaded weight and 1,000 lbs. lighter GVWR. I guess it's obvious that we are sold on the Pinnacle, but we may have to consider the Premier line instead. Again, I really appreciate learning from those of you who are more experienced and knowledgeable on the subject. Thanks.
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Old 02-17-2013, 06:06 PM   #6
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Glad to see you are researching weights before you buy. I did not, sorry to say, and I bought one that was (by calculations) too heavy, but now I have a smaller 5er that is well within my TV limits. There may be people who will say that you will be just fine and then some who will have the opposite opinion. I really only have two bits of advice; It's better to have too much truck than too little and DO NOT take the advice of RV or Truck salespeople when it comes to weights. They rarely know what they are talking about when it comes to weights, particularly pin weights. Also, whatever you put into your truck, you, your family, the hitch, and any other gear takes away from what you can use for 5th wheel pin weight. I've often read that you should be 10 to 15% under the maximum weights in order to be safe. It's been my experience that that is good advice.
Welcome to the forum, by the way, and good luck
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