OK, now what? Help with CAT weights.

[havnfun]

Went to CAT scales and got TV weights and TT/TV weights. Now what....how do I use them...is there a fiver worksheet to use? Here's the numbers:

TT- Steer axle 3580 lbs., drive axle 2740 lbs., gross weight 6320 lbs.
TT/TV- steer 3720, drive 4540, trailer 7380, gross weight 15640.

Truck stickers- payload cargo capacity 2405 lbs., GVWR 8200 lbs., front GAVR 4050, rear GAVR 4800.

Jayco states fiver fully loaded is 9950 lbs. max and a 1505 lbs. hitch weight. Ford states max tow is 11,300 lbs.

The CAT scale weights are with our fully loaded fiver and truck (3 gals. water, 2 full LP tanks, 36 gals. gas, 2 passengers and a dog), on our way to a week of camping.

How does this all look to you? Am I over weight anywhere or under? Thanks.

Happy RVing,
Jeff

[neil11975]

Here is a great website to use. You just put in all the info that you have for weights and it does all the calculations for you. It will also give it to you in percentages of max ratings. Did you weigh the truck alone without the trailer? If you didn't you will need that info also as well as your trucks GCWR. Good luck.

http://boloneyontheroad.com/rv-truck...ravel-trailer/

[Marine71-76]

Originally Posted by neil11975

Here is a great website to use. You just put in all the info that you have for weights and it does all the calculations for you. It will also give it to you in percentages of max ratings. Did you weigh the truck alone without the trailer? If you didn't you will need that info also as well as your trucks GCWR. Good luck.

RV / Truck Weight Calculator - 5th Wheel and Travel Trailer - Boloney On The Road

Thanks for the link!

[Camper_bob]

Looks like your pin weight is 1940 (6320-3720-4540=1940, or hitched steer axle weight plus hitched drive axle weight minus unhitched vehicle weight) and your trailer weight is 9320 (15640-6320=9320 or hitched combination weight minus vehicle weight).

Based on what I'm seeing, it looks like you're within your ratings.

How does it drive? Unfortunately (or fortunately) with a fiver, there's not a whole lot you can do to adjust? With a trailer, you can add and subtract weight on the front axle and change the dynamics of the combination quite a lot. Doesn't really matter though, your steer axle is heavier than unloaded, so your handling should be pretty good I would think.

Many of your acronyms are wrong though:
TT=Travel Trailer
TV=Tow Vehicle
GAWR Front=Gross Axle Weight Rating Front (maximum weight allowed on front axle; obtained from sticker on vehicle)
GAWR Rear=Gross Axle Weight Rating Rear (maximum weight allowed on rear axle; obtained from sticker on vehicle)
GVWR=Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (maximum allowable weight for each; truck or trailer; obtained from sticker on vehicle)
GCWR=Gross Combination Weight Rating (maximum allowable weight for the truck and all cargo and trailers; maybe on sticker in vehicle, in vehicle documentation if not)
GVW=Gross Vehicle Weight (scaled weight of each; truck or trailer)
GCW=Gross Combination Weight (scaled weight of loaded truck and trailer combination)

[havnfun]

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

Based on what I'm seeing, it looks like you're within your ratings.

How does it drive? Unfortunately (or fortunately) with a fiver, there's not a whole lot you can do to adjust? With a trailer, you can add and subtract weight on the front axle and change the dynamics of the combination quite a lot. Doesn't really matter though, your steer axle is heavier than unloaded, so your handling should be pretty good I would think.

Many of your acronyms are wrong though:
TT=Travel Trailer
TV=Tow Vehicle
GAWR Front=Gross Axle Weight Rating Front (maximum weight allowed on front axle; obtained from sticker on vehicle)
GAWR Rear=Gross Axle Weight Rating Rear (maximum weight allowed on rear axle; obtained from sticker on vehicle)
GVWR=Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (maximum allowable weight for each; truck or trailer; obtained from sticker on vehicle)
GCWR=Gross Combination Weight Rating (maximum allowable weight for the truck and all cargo and trailers; maybe on sticker in vehicle, in vehicle documentation if not)
GVW=Gross Vehicle Weight (scaled weight of each; truck or trailer)
GCW=Gross Combination Weight (scaled weight of loaded truck and trailer combination)

CBob - Thanks for the thumbs up. Ride handles good, drives good, and little resistance to big rigs and winds....so far.

The acronyms I reported are right of the door sticker. front and rear GAVR must be the same as GAWR you mentioned above, correct? If not, what the heck is GAVR?
Thanks.

Happy RVing,
Jeff

[havnfun]

Originally Posted by Marine71-76

Thanks for the link!

Marine - Thanks for the link. It was helpful. Semper Fi from an Army grunt.

Happy RVing,
Jeff

[havnfun]

Originally Posted by neil11975

Here is a great website to use. You just put in all the info that you have for weights and it does all the calculations for you. It will also give it to you in percentages of max ratings. Did you weigh the truck alone without the trailer? If you didn't you will need that info also as well as your trucks GCWR. Good luck.

RV / Truck Weight Calculator - 5th Wheel and Travel Trailer - Boloney On The Road

Neil - Thanks much for the website link. Good stuff.

Happy RVing,
Jeff

[barryg]

I agree with Camper Bob all looks pretty good.
you have 470lbs left on the front axle
you have 260lbs left on the rear axle rating
you have 465lbs of payload left.
GCWR does not appear to be an issue at all if I read your post right

You can see Jayco's pin weight is garbage and is not the 1505 but the 1940lbs. You still have 635lbs of trailer weight available as well.

As long as the additional weight if you loaded it up more doesn't take you over the truck limits and it looks like rear axle is the only real point of concern if you were to load up the trailer to max weight. It would really depend on where the weight fell within the trailer. The farther back the less it will impact pin weight and your rear axle rating. Put it all in the upfront storage area and you will certainly be over but if all in the midline and back probably ok.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by havnfun

CBob - Thanks for the thumbs up. Ride handles good, drives good, and little resistance to big rigs and winds....so far.

The acronyms I reported are right of the door sticker. front and rear GAVR must be the same as GAWR you mentioned above, correct? If not, what the heck is GAVR?
Thanks.

Happy RVing,
Jeff

Hm. I've never seen "GAVR" before... I just assumed you meant GAWR.

Google returns voltage regulators for that acronym...

[ROC-REQS]

Originally Posted by havnfun

Went to CAT scales and got TV weights and TT/TV weights. Now what....how do I use them...is there a fiver worksheet to use? Here's the numbers:

TT- Steer axle 3580 lbs., drive axle 2740 lbs., gross weight 6320 lbs.
TT/TV- steer 3720, drive 4540, trailer 7380, gross weight 15640.

Truck stickers- payload cargo capacity 2405 lbs., GVWR 8200 lbs., front GAVR 4050, rear GAVR 4800.

Jayco states fiver fully loaded is 9950 lbs. max and a 1505 lbs. hitch weight. Ford states max tow is 11,300 lbs.

The CAT scale weights are with our fully loaded fiver and truck (3 gals. water, 2 full LP tanks, 36 gals. gas, 2 passengers and a dog), on our way to a week of camping.

How does this all look to you? Am I over weight anywhere or under? Thanks.

Happy RVing,
Jeff

Hi Jeff,

In short, the weights you've listed look good. Nothing major sticks out.

From the weights you've posted, here's how I interpret them:

(1) Loaded Frt Axle weight should be < Frt GAWR = 4050#
4050# - 3720# = 330# under Frt GAWR; you're good here

(2) Loaded Rear Axle weight should be < Rear GAWR = 4800#
4800# - 4540# = 250# under Rear GAWR; your good here

(3) Loaded Frt Axle weight + Loaded Rear Axle weight should be < Truck's GVWR = 8200#
8200# - (3720# + 4540#) = 8200# - 8260# = (60#) you're over the truck's GVWR.
IMO it's so minimal and all the other weights are good and as long as you're under the truck's GCWR, I wouldn't worry about it.

(4) Gross weight should be less then Truck's GCWR = ?
Truck's GCWR (?#) - 15640 = ? (you want it to be a positive #)
Do you know your Truck's GCWR?
I would guess you're under the Truck's GCWR

(5) Estimated FW Pin Weight (Loaded Frt Axle weight + Loaded Rear Axle weight) - Truck's unhitched gross weight.
(3720# + 4540#) - 6320# = 8260# - 6320# = 1,940#

(6) Total loaded FW weight = Est Tongue Weight + FW Axle weight.
1,940# + 7380# = 9320#

(7) Total Loaded FW weight should be less then FW GVWR = 9995#
Note I got your FW's GVWR = 9995 from Jayco's web site. Your FW's GVWR should be listed on a side sticker on your FW.
9995# - 9320# = 675# under FW's GVWR

(8) Est. Pin Weight / Loaded FW Weight = % Pin Weight should be between 20% - 25%
1,940# / 9320# = 20.8% Pin Weight, you're good here.

(9) FW Axle Weight should be less the Combined Max Axle Weight.
For example if you have 2 - 3,500# Axles then FW Axle Weight < 7,000#
The Max Axle Weights should be listed on the FW's side sticker.
Combined FW Listed Axle Weight - 7380# = ? (you want it to be a positive #)


Hope all this makes sense to you and is of some help.

[havnfun]

Thanks for all the great comments. You guys know your stuff.

Roc-Reqs, I will check the truck's GCWR and the Combined FW axle weight (2 x 5000lbs, each, I believe).

Happy RVing,
Jeff

[ROC-REQS]

Originally Posted by havnfun

Thanks for all the great comments. You guys know your stuff.

Roc-Reqs, I will check the truck's GCWR and the Combined FW axle weight (2 x 5000lbs, each, I believe).

Happy RVing,
Jeff

Jeff,

I forgot to list one other weight check you can do.
That's if you're within the Trucks tow rating.

Do you know the Trucks curb weight?
In some states the curb weight is listed on the registration.
The curb weight is the weight of the unloaded truck, no cargo, only the driver and no passengers.

Take your total gross weight of 15640# subtract the truck's curb weight and that should be less then the truck's tow rating of 11,300#

I would guess your curb weight would be in the range of 5,500# - #6,000#
So using 5,500# as a guess

15,640# - 5,500# = 10,140#; 1,160# below the trucks tow rating.

Now you know were you stand on weights and how much more capacity you have left.

Hope this helps.

[havnfun]

Thanks again. Think I get it now.

I have 1116 lbs. tow capacity left on truck.

Total GW is 1260 lbs. less than GCWR.

Good to go but I will still make sure to pack light. Only load on what we use.

Happy RVing,
Jeff

[ROC-REQS]

Originally Posted by havnfun

Thanks again. Think I get it now.

I have 1116 lbs. tow capacity left on truck.

Total GW is 1260 lbs. less than GCWR.

Good to go but I will still make sure to pack light. Only load on what we use.

Happy RVing,
Jeff

Hi Jeff,

Yup, you got it. It's always good to know where you stand with your weights.

The critical weights to watch are your loaded truck weight (to keep it close to or under the 8200# Truck's GVWR)
And the loading on your rear axle.

All other weights are good with plenty to spare.

Be safe and have fun camping.