On a recent weekend outing I was able to run through a CAT scale. The numbers were somewhat surprising: Truck-2014 F250 CC--LWB 6.7 Lariat. Trailer-28' Arctic Fox 5th wheel. Weights were taken with 2 adults and 2 dogs in truck.
Front axle: solo 4940 w/trailer 4960
Rear axle: solo 3740 w/trailer 4700
Total Truck solo: 8680


Trailer axles: 10,540
Pin Box: 960
Total trailer: 11,500
Total combo: 20,200
Max GCVWR: 23,500


I'm thinking about 500 lbs for people and fur kids.
What I didn't expect- Only 20 lbs on the front axle with the trailer? I wonder what that number would be if only a driver was in the cab.


I sure expected more pin weight. There is a 4KW Onan between the landing gear and 2 of the large size (7.5 gal?) propane tanks next to the generator.


I have an alum tool box mounted in the front of the bed with 100-150 of tools and 'stuff' so I'm thinking the truck weighs about 8200. Wow!


Getting everything weighed produces a lot of information and I'm glad I got it done. I didn't realize how much heavier the front axel was than the rear without the trailer. I'm going to make sure I adjust the tire air pressures accordingly.
Randy Klauk

 

I'd run that combo across another scale if I was you.. The numbers for the truck are pretty close to what I'd expect but the numbers for the 5th wheel don't compute.. the 960 pin weight isn't even 10% of the trailer weight and 5th wheels normally run between 20% and 25% pin weight.. As an example my Cougar loaded and ready to camp weighs right at 11,500 and the pin weight is 2540 and the FW tank is in the rear as is the living area.


What does the sticker on the trailer say the dry pin weight is on your trailer, mine is 1860.

 

Yes they do.............

MIne: 17,600 lbs total weight of 5th wheel. 4,300 lbs pin weight. Toy hauler without "toys" in the back. This makes the pin weight high.

 

Randy,

can u tell us more about your trailer at the time of weigh in?

in addition to gen and propane tanks, what else was on board.
water, grey/black tanks.

as the guys have said already that pin weight number doesn't seem right.

and on the weigh in, all axles were on their own plate (trailer together if you have 2 or more)

 

Numbers look fine to me. Pin Wt is a little lite but that could be due to configuration.

 

I don't see to much out of whack here. I have a 32 ft Cougar,and if I fill my 50 gallon water tank, which is slightly behind the trailer axles and hang the 110 lb generator off the rear end, and 2 trailer tire spares, and most of the internal supplies, kitchen gear is also slightly behind the axles as I have a rear kitchen, we also carry 15 Gallons of extra Fresh drinkable water and it sits behind the rear axles of the trailer and the pin weight comes in at 1000lbs. That is with 2 people, a small dog and full fuel. Grill, another small 2k generator, 2 -5 gallon cans of extra diesel, 2 -5 gallon cans of gasoline in the bed of the truck. Front storage on 5er is completley full with 4 canopy tents, boots, tools, 4 foldable 6 ft tables, 4 rag chairs, all kinds of lights, 15 50 ft extenstion cords, fish gear, 6-6 volt 225 Ah Golf Cart batteries, 2 extra 30 lb bottles of Propane, 1-20 lb bottle propane and all kinds of other stuff to last a week out in the boonies (NASCAR RACES). I weigh out almost every time we make the trip for racing or head to Colorado. This last summer I double pulled with 2-ATV's and a 7.5x12 ft trailer and the actual pin weight went down by almost 60 lbs. Pin weight was 940lbs as the weight of the trailer tongue help take more weight off of the pin of the 5er.
I too, thought something was wrong as I always use the CAT scales at the Pilot nearest my home. I stopped at another CAT scale on the other side of town on I35 and it weighed the exact same, almost to the lb.
I am a firm believer that it is how your weight is arranged. But all pulled like a charm, especally our trip for 2 weeks to Colorado. Never had an issue and drove very easy at 65. Now I did add almost 200 lbs to the front axle where I see the OP only gained 20. I can't blame the DW for the extra weight on the front as she is rather small, so it must be me!

 

Javi1- The sticker has faded to nothing. I remember the GVWR is 13,000 and axles are 6,000 each. I don't think there was a pin weight listed.


Sam- Propane tanks full, fresh water full but I don't remember capacity (70 gal. I think) all 3 holding tanks empty. (we had just left the campground to head home).


Senix- This is only the second 5er we've owned. The first one was a 36' three axle Teton with a GVWR of 20K. We pulled it with a FL60 Freightliner Sport Chassis. During a Teton club rally both units were weighed by using those portable scales that look like giant pancakes. (I think the outfit used to be called A-Weigh-We-Go). We lived full time in the Teton and it was loaded. washer and dryer, etc. The pin weight on that rig was 5700. That's why I'm surprised the Artic Fox is so light in the front.


Gearitis- The trailer pulls fine, behind both my 04 F250 and my new one. I've never experienced a light feeling in the front and it's stable in cross winds. The only thing I've noticed between the '04 and the '14 is the attitude when I put the trailer on the truck. The '04 and trailer were perfectly level (to the eye) and the '14 squats somewhat. I measured the difference and the between trailer on and off and it's about 2-1/2 inches. I didn't measure the '04 since it looked right when it was connected.


This was my first time on a CAT scale and I don't know how they get individual axle weights since you drive both units on the scale. I thought I'd drive on with the front axle on, pull up til the rear was on the scale, etc., go drop the trailer and do it all again.


I just looked closer at the weight ticket and read this........'axle weights cannot be certified and are not legal for trade, however, CAT SCALE COMPANY GUARANTEES THESE WEIGHTS TO BE CORRECT'. (caps are theirs). I guess I'll believe the weight ticket is correct.

 

I just reread my response and noticed something wasn't very clear. I did go through the scales twice, once with the truck only after I'd dropped the trailer at the campground and a few days later when we hooked the trailer up and were heading home.
Randy

 

cool. thx.

for the scales, there are a number of sections of the scale called plates.
each one reports separately..

so you drive on, and get the front truck wheels on one plate, the rears on another and the trailer on a third..

then drive off, disconnect trailer, drive on, front on one plate, rears on another.

maybe you were lucky to have the axles on different plates without knowing it.

do you know where the water tank is? mine is slightly rear of the aft trailer axle (so more water reduces the pin some)

 

Randy, to answer one question... Most people don't realize that a 5th wheel puts almost 100% of it's weight on the rear axle. So, it's normal that your front axle didn't change much.

 

karl4cat- Thanks for making it simple. The truck will never be going down the road without anyone in the front seat (which relegates us to the role of ballast) so as long as the trailer doesn't lighten the front axle, we're OK.
I'm also thinking carrying most of the weight on the trailer axles is a good thing as long as they're not over loaded.
sdetweil- I pulled onto the scale and stopped where the weigh master said to stop. They were in the gas station a couple hundred feet away but had a camera and speaker to communicate with the drivers.
We were packed for a long weekend so were somewhat lighter than going away for the summer. When we pack for 3 months we may have a few hundred pounds more in clothes, food and tools. I also hang my bike on the back and we may bring back some gifts and trinkets for family.


I know the water tank is pretty much right above the axles. One gray water tank is also above the axles and the black water tank is just in front of the front trailer axle. The kitchen gray water tank is behind the back trailer axle. I'm pretty sure each tank has a 35 gal. capacity.

 

Water weight is just over 8 lbs per gallon.


A short bed truck sometimes will transfer a bit more to the front axles. So that is always important as well.

 

well, sounds like everything is correctly measured.. Like you I would have expected more pin weight.

 

Glad it's working out for you, I will say that in more than 40 years of towing travel trailers, and 5th wheels I've never experienced that low of a pin weight to curb weight ratio.. Mine have all been between 20%-25%... your 8%-9% would be low even for a travel trailer..

 

Just ignore all this BS.....re-read your post! Lolol.
Just FYI. I dont know what make of 5th wheel you have in your truck, nor if all makes are set up the same. But, with my B&W companion hitch, the posts that the plate itself mounts to the pedestal on can be configured to have the kingpin either slightly behind the axle centerline, directly over, or slightly ahead. There would probably be about 2 to 4 inches difference altogether. Depending on which of these positions you are set up with will change the amount of weight transfered to the steer axle of the tow vehicle. I know on the big rigs, we used to figure roughly 500 pounds per inch, when moving the plate. Moving the plate forward would add weight to the steer axle, and vise versa.
Oops.... Re-read.....the pin weight will not change....just where that weight is located on the tow vehicle