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Old 07-11-2007, 05:17 PM   #1
TOM F
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correct axle for my rig?

The sticker on my 5er says the GVWR is 13875. My axles are 6000lb each. To me if I am loaded to my max I am close to 2000 over my axles. Or considering that the pin weight is just over 2000lbs it puts me right at my axle weight limits. What is the correct way to determine this. I have put in on the scale and I am under 12000lbs on the trailer axles.
 
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Old 07-11-2007, 05:44 PM   #2
exav8tr
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Tom, take the total loaded weight of the trailer, subtract the pin weight and this is the weight on your axles.
As long as your axle weight is under 12k you are good to go. I just finished a class today on weights and am having my truck and trailer weighed this Sat by the folks of the RV Safety Education Foundation (RVSEF) in Moscow, ID.
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Old 07-11-2007, 05:47 PM   #3
sailer
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well tom if you are loaded and under 12000 but if you are close that means if you hit a bad bump in the rd your axel is now over as how can it take a bad shock if you are at 11900 lbs you are toooooooooooooooooo close then the pin at 2000 and you are max my personal is the axels are too lite ,, also did you weigh the axels seperate even though yoiu have mor-rid they don't carry equal on my unit john
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Old 07-12-2007, 07:32 AM   #4
Bill and Lisa
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Tom,
My understanding on how they derive the Cargo Capacity is to take the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, subtract the Unloaded vehicle wieght, subtract 60 gals of Fresh water, and subtract 14 gals of Propane. This "calculation" should be posted on the inside of one of the kitchen cabinet doors. I just put my "new and improved" sticker inside my unit yesterday. I "believe" it reflects the change in axles as my GVWR went up 1,600 lbs. (change to 6,000 lb axles from the old 5,200 Lb axles?).

For my unit, the numbers now are:
GVWR 14160
- UVW 10335
- 60 gal water 498
- 14 gal prop 60

for a total CCC of 3,267 lbs.

Assuming the water, gas, and UVW are correct IF I carry 3,267 lbs of stuff (my max load) I will be right at my Max weight for the unit. Now my understanding is the UVW is an average for the class and not an individually measured number. It does not include some options (front A/C, 6v batteries vice 12v, fireplace?, etc.) Some "Mandatory" options "may" be included - does anyone know for sure?

I have to call my dealer 5 states away today because keystone sent them the updated "outside" sticker for my unit but sent me the updated inside sticker. the outside sticker (old) currently lists my GVWR as 12,560 lb, and the limit for each axle as 5,200 lbs. I anticipate the new one will read GVWR = 14160 and each axle as 6,000 lbs.

Hope this helps.
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Old 07-12-2007, 08:37 AM   #5
bsmeaton
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Sounds like you are in good shape Tom!

Quote:
quote:Originally posted by sailer

well tom if you are loaded and under 12000 but if you are close that means if you hit a bad bump in the rd your axel is now over as how can it take a bad shock if you are at 11900 lbs you are toooooooooooooooooo close then the pin at 2000 and you are max my personal is the axels are too lite ,, also did you weigh the axels seperate even though yoiu have mor-rid they don't carry equal on my unit john
Sailor, I think worring about individual axle load is a waste of time and misleading. The axle design with the center link is designed to carry a load as an assembly with individual axle weights meaning nothing. If you were to start worrying about load on your front versus your rear axle, or even load over a bump, you would really be shocked at the load you put on one side of the rig everytime you exit the hiway at 35mpg on a radius ramp - You'd want 20,000 lb axles then!
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Old 07-12-2007, 04:35 PM   #6
sreigle
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Yes, the higher rated axles resulted in higher GVWR. Nothing else changed. A year or so ago when we had a discussion on this I emailed a contact at Keystone and asked how GVWR is figured. A reply from one of their engineers said they use RVIA guidelines of GVWR = axle ratings plus estimated pinweight. A couple of years ago Montana quit putting GVWR in the brochure. Before that you could add brochure pinweight to 12,000 for the axles and it matched the GVWR in the brochure.

Brad, I'm more interested in individual tire load than axle load. With appliance location and the like, one tire could easily be overloaded and still be within ratings on axle totals. But I've not yet been able to get individual tire load. I think someday I'll go find a grain elevator with scales on a day they're not working and put one wheel at a time on the scale. Unfortunately, as fulltimers I can't just take a Sunday, hitch it up, and go find an elevator.

Bill, I was told by a Keystone person in position to know that if we are not over the axle, tire, and pinbox ratings then we're fine. We are very close on axle weights so that I have to keep an eye on.
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Old 07-12-2007, 04:58 PM   #7
sailer
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I would like to see keystone come out to the rally in goshen this fall and weigh in some units with there portable scales john
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Old 07-13-2007, 12:13 AM   #8
Bill and Lisa
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steve,
Is there a rating for the pinbox? My GVWR is 14,160# and I have the 6,000# axles. That means if I am maxed on my axles my max pinbox weight would be 2,160# which is only 15.25% of the max trailer weight.

My actual axles loads are only 9,440# but my pin box weight is 2,880#. My total trailer weight is only 12,230# making my pinbox weight 23.4% of the trailer weight. So overall I am under by GVWR by 1,840# and under my axle (GAWR) limits by 2,560#. However if the 2,160# pinbox weight figured in the GVWR is a LIMIT then I am exceeding that by 720#!

So to recap is there a max pinbox rating or do we just need to stay under the GVWR and the GAWRs and not worry about where the pinbox wieght falls?

Sorry to be so long in this post but this is a complicated subject and easy to get confused.

Bill
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Old 07-13-2007, 09:08 AM   #9
Cat320
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The pin box has a totally different rating, and is not tied to the trailer's rating. I've replaced my OEM pin box, but I think it was rated at 15k. My new 5th Airborne is rated at 21k.
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Old 07-13-2007, 09:14 AM   #10
bsmeaton
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Bert is correct. Your factory pinbox is either rated 15,000 lbs if you have the 1621 Lippert box, or 19,000 lbs if you have on of the short pin boxes.

Most of the aftermarket pinboxes are around 21K rated. Ironically the Dealer told us that after he installs a Trailair pin box he was asked by one trailer manufacturer to remove the 21K decal on the pin box, as it misleads the owner into thinking his trailer is rated at 21K when it really only has a GVWR of around 15K.
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