I am looking to upgrade my truck in the spring to the 18 F-350 ccsb srw with the 6.7.We are also going to purchase a 5th wheel my wife and I like the open range RF 371MBH it has a dry pin weight of 2500 and max GVWR 16400. Is that too much trailer for a srw?

 

figure 20% of the GVW for the 5th wheel will be the pin wt. Once the trailer leaves the dealer it will never be that lite again. So I would figure just over 3200 lbs king pin, plus your hitch and whatever you put in the bed of the truck.


in order to really tell, you would need to zero in on the truck, take it for a test drive and get in on the scale and see how much room is on the axles.


You can probably figure around 7200 lbs rating for the rear axle and it probably weights around 3200 lbs right now. So add the two and you have 6400 lbs.


That would be assuming you get the right combo for rear axle and tires.


Truthfully if you are going to do a lot of towing I would opt for a DRW. They really are not that much of a big deal to drive.

 

The pin on that trailer will likely weigh between 3,200 and 3,700 lbs. loaded. The tires on the SRW F-350 will be the limiting factor. Our pin is only 3,100 lbs. loaded and we moved from a SRW to a DRW truck for stability and safety (plus put hydraulic disc brakes on the trailer). The cost difference between a SRW and DRW is not that great. I've never heard anyone complain about having too much truck...

Rob

 

I weighed the truck I purchased before I made the deal. So I knew what it really weighed and not just what the specs say. Need to consider weight of hitch, possible future aux fuel tank in bed of truck, etc. Weigh before every major trip and am very careful to not exceed any weight ratings. Any extras on trailer really add up quick - generator, Slide Toppers, Have 2 awnings on one side. Plus more tools and parts than I need, but travel in remote areas where there is little help and very rarely the parts you need. Fix a lot items myself. After considering everything, purchased a DRW. Many will say it's not needed; but it's a choice only you can make.

 

I started looking at a CCSB F350 and typically saw 3200-3400lbs payload on the door jamb yellow CCC sticker. Then decided I would rather have the longer bed and started looking at a super cab long bed, and the payload jumped up to 3700lbs. Then I stumbled across the same configuration (SCLB) dually, and the payload jumped up to 5700lbs. I didn't want a CCLB dually because of the longer wheelbase, but the SCLB has a wheelbase that is only 4" longer than the CCSB. Don't know your family situation, but it is just me and the wife, so we really didn't need the full crew cab. I have a SCLB dually on order. We plan on next summer buying the same 5er that Second Chance has which has a loaded pin weight of around 3100lbs. But I know that I can go bigger if I later wanted to, and don't have to worry about what else I load into the truck which will include an aux fuel tank.

 

My 5er is similar. It is 16500 GVWR and 2665 dry pin. On the scales it has a 3200 pin and rear axle is 6600. I am 500 over GCVWR and 200 over truck GVWR and within all other specs. The payload sticker is 3550. The motor and tranny handle it fine. The truck does ok if not in winds >20 mph. The camper length is 42'11". I live in eastern NC and travel only to the NC beaches or Myrtle Beach. This is my first year pulling this camper with this truck. Next year will be a different truck. My last camper was 37' and 13k and we pulled it all over the mountains without a second thought. What I have learned is that the camper length is why we will search for a DRW over the winter. Also my floorplan has a lot of underneath storage in the back so I utilized that to help with the pin weight. Good luck with your decision.

 

I answered your PM but wanted to respond to a couple posts here in your thread. DO NOT do the armchair engineer math to figure pin weight. The old % of GVWR trick is rarely accurate. My trailer's dry pin was listed at 2800# and change. Scaled weight ready to travel was only about 50# different. My trailer's GVWR is 21k. If I used the 20% math, my pin would be 4200#... and it's no where near that.

That RV is pretty light compared to mine and I've never felt I wanted or needed more than my previous 2012 SC SB or my current 2017 CC SB. But everyone is different so YMMV...

 

Rodney, will the pin weight vary a lot more on a non-toy hauler?

 

True on the estimate % for pin wt. But the real point here is you cannot take the MFGR's word on what it is. They are often not even close.


So, IMHO, using the 20% rule as a rough estimate when window shopping is far better than the other way around.

 

Jim, it's not really about it being a toy hauler or not. There are a few variables like how accurate it is to begin with and total size and length. For example, mine was very accurate to begin with. Then you factor in that it's 44.5' long and adding a couple batteries, filling the LP tanks, and stocking the underbelly storage isn't going to affect pin much. Some toy haulers do start off with a higher pin weight as they expect to have it get lighter when you load the garage. I've found that mine is about 2850# with the garage empty (as heavy as the pin will ever get) and about 200-250# lighter with the garage full. Both keep me under my axle and tire ratings.

Scott, I agree that some are way off. Some are also very accurate. With such a wide variance out there, it's tough to trust an average or blanket rule. The only way to really know is to weigh the rig yourself.

 

Mine was way off as I carry 100 gallons of fresh water, and it is under the basement

 

Yep, that's another variable that's different with each rig. I have two water tanks that total 150 gallons. They set directly over my axles so even with 1250# of water on board, my pin doesn't change at all.

 

One thing to consider. Driving difference. In cross winds with our dually. I don't feel them like I did with the singles. Now a fun drive.

 

Did you feel much Dave? I've read this a lot on the forums but never personally felt any cross wind push on any of my RVs...

 

With the singles. In high cross winds. Hang on for a ride. With dually in high winds, I forget its back there. Semis Waving in the winds I just barely move.
This was with the same fifth wheel