384BR behind a 2021 3500HD SRW

[Chad1383]

Sorry folks, I know these threads get beaten to death but i cant seem to find accurate info on the pin weight of the 384BR. Want to know if Im within safety margins on the truck.

Trailer: HC 384 BR. GVWR 16,500

Truck: 2021 GMC 3500HD AT4, SRW 4x4. GVWR 12,100, Cargo cap 3800lbs.

As far as i can tell Im within on towing capacity but like most situations surrounding towing I might be at or over on the cargo cap.

Can anyone more experienced than me look at these numbers and give your opinion.

My new truck will either be F450DRW or a 2021 3500HD SRW.

Now before everyone just says get the f450, i really do wanna know if the GMC will tow it safely. The SRW will work for me for 90% of my driving.

[JDDilly]

With a GVWR of 16,500 on trailer, the pin weight would be around 3795 (23% of GVWR). That leaves you with 5 LBS for people, pets, additional cargo in your truck and the weight of the hitch. IMO, I would say no with this truck.

[Montana Man]

One thing to consider is to look at the gvwr for the exact truck you are looking at. Then minus the weight of the truck and contents and that will give you an accurate load rating. Not all payload numbers are calculated uniformly between manufacturers. Then if you knew the loaded pin weight of the trailer you could do the math and know for sure.

[RickyRobert]

Most Montana's pin weights are in the range of 15-20% of the trailer's weight rating. In your case, the shipping weight is 13,471 lbs (sometimes referred to as the dry weight), the carrying capacity is 3,083 lbs, and the pin weight from the factory is 2,580 lbs. If you add in the 19% of the carrying capacity, another 585 lbs, that takes you up to 3165 lbs.

Keep in mind that you will have a hitch that weighs in well over 200 lbs, plus if you carry a tool box etc. it adds up fast. And given that you have a trailer that measures over 40 feet, I'd like to encourage you to seriously look at a DRW truck, both for stability and weight rating. This comes from over twenty years of owning both SRW and DRW tow vehicles and multiple brands of 5'ers, not to mention retiring from being a professional over-the-road driver.

Either way, stay safe and enjoy!

[nellie1289]

I have the 2021 Montana 3854BR(same model but Montana) behind my 2014 ram SRW 3500. It is heavier than the HC, which i looked at strongly. I am within payload(my trucks got a 4100lb payload sticker) , max towing of 17,000, and GCWR. I bought this fiver specifically because I would be within these limits. I have rolled scales around 3250 pin weight loaded, with me and DW and hitch, I'm within by 300 lbs payload(and probably still going to get lit up by the weight police). No issues, towed it about 1000 miles home. Tows amazing. I recently added airbags to level me out I was about 1" rear sag i didn't like but even my lighter 336bhs had a tiny bit of sag, wanted perfectly level. My first post here, just joined, active in the Keystone rv forum for many years with my old 336bhs cougar fiver.

[DutchmenSport]

Again, you can quote me... think seriously about this statement:

“You really need to think in terms of what is the ultimate extreme usage you'll be experiencing with your tow vehicle, not what is the lightest usage and hope it's OK when the extreme happens."

[Montana Man]

Originally Posted by nellie1289

I have the 2021 Montana 3854BR(same model but Montana) behind my 2014 ram SRW 3500. It is heavier than the HC, which i looked at strongly. I am within payload(my trucks got a 4100lb payload sticker) , max towing of 17,000, and GCWR. I bought this fiver specifically because I would be within these limits. I have rolled scales around 3250 pin weight loaded, with me and DW and hitch, I'm within by 300 lbs payload(and probably still going to get lit up by the weight police). No issues, towed it about 1000 miles home. Tows amazing. I recently added airbags to level me out I was about 1" rear sag i didn't like but even my lighter 336bhs had a tiny bit of sag, wanted perfectly level. My first post here, just joined, active in the Keystone rv forum for many years with my old 336bhs cougar fiver.

Is your truck a diesel? Ours may be similar and mine has a 12300 lb gvwr. It weighs 8750 lbs which leaves 3550 lbs for pin weight.

[nellie1289]

Mine is diesel. No Aisin tranny here. Do you have aisin tranny. I think that adds 300-400 lbs. my yellow sticker is 4077 lbs. maybe they got heavier since 2014?

on edit, I now see you have a megacab aisin. This is why your much heavier. You also might need a slider hitch with that shorter bed.

[nellie1289]

By the way at 3550 lbs you are likely going over even with a HC if you have a full cab of people. I would agree with others. 8750 sounds really heavy for a srw. Is that with you in it and full tank of fuel ? What does your door tag say for payload.

[firestation12]

If you do decide on the F-450 DRW, the turning radius is 7.5 feet shorter than either the f-350 or F-250 trucks. This due to the wide track front axle that allows the front tires to achieve a sharper turn. The F-450 can make a U-turn using just 2 lanes of opposite traffic. I love my 2020 truck's 10 speed transmission!

[nellie1289]

I've heard some of the f450's have less payload than DRW 3500's due to the heavy duty chassis. Makes no sense in theory, but just what I heard on another forum, never validated it.

[firestation12]

You are correct about the F-350 having a higher “hauling “ capacity (how much you can put in the bed). 7033 lbs for the F-350 and 6288 for the F-450. Towing is just the opposite. The F-450 in 5th wheel tows 24,200 lbs 5th wheel and 37,000 in gooseneck. The F-350 DRW tows 21,200 5th wheel and 35,750 in gooseneck. So the F-350 is the “haul” in the bed king and the F-450 is the “pull” king. A few other differences, the F-450 carries a lot more fuel, has 19.5 tires which tend to last longer, has larger brakes and larger half shafts on rear axle and the rear axle ratio is 4.30 vs 4.10 on the F-350. But the selling point for me was the far better turning radius of the F-450, than any of the other Super Duty models.

[Montana Man]

8750 lbs is with that heavy B&W hitch, 50 gals of fuel, and misc. stuff in the cab. The tire loading sticker reads do not exceed 3985. 20% of 16k is 3200 lbs on the pin leaving 350 lbs for the DW and myself. Just about maxed out but in there.

No need for a slider with the B&W hitch. It's adjusted aft just enough for cab clearance.

[DutchmenSport]

To play Devil's advocate a moment. When towing a fifth wheel, or any trailer for that matter, the turning radius is really determined by the tire tracking of the trailer. So, if towing a 35 - 41 foot trailer / fifth wheel, how sharp can you turn anyway? (Unless you are attempting a U-turn in the middle of the road where curbs and other traffic does not matter).

[Chad1383]

Originally Posted by nellie1289

I have the 2021 Montana 3854BR(same model but Montana) behind my 2014 ram SRW 3500. It is heavier than the HC, which i looked at strongly. I am within payload(my trucks got a 4100lb payload sticker) , max towing of 17,000, and GCWR. I bought this fiver specifically because I would be within these limits. I have rolled scales around 3250 pin weight loaded, with me and DW and hitch, I'm within by 300 lbs payload(and probably still going to get lit up by the weight police). No issues, towed it about 1000 miles home. Tows amazing. I recently added airbags to level me out I was about 1" rear sag i didn't like but even my lighter 336bhs had a tiny bit of sag, wanted perfectly level. My first post here, just joined, active in the Keystone rv forum for many years with my old 336bhs cougar fiver.

I also have a washer/dryer going in and two more passengers than you do. My kids are 60lbs each but lasts I check they eat a lot and likely will not stay that size for long. Lol.

[rames14]

I just looked up my 2021 Ram SRW (on order so I can’t look at the tag). 5590 lbs carrying capacity and 32,720 lbs max towing. We tow with only two people, our Pullright 2600 only weighs about 60 lbs. plus, our Montana is one of the shorter models (3230CK). Others have posted the formulas. Just plug in the numbers from the trucks you are considering and pick what suits you.

[Montana Man]

[QUOTE=rames14;1212956]I just looked up my 2021 Ram SRW (on order so I can’t look at the tag). 5590 lbs carrying capacity and 32,720 lbs max towing. We tow with only two people, our Pullright 2600 only weighs about 60 lbs. plus, our Montana is one of the shorter models (3230CK). Others have posted the formulas. Just plug in the numbers from the trucks you are considering and pick what suits you.[/QUOTE

There may be some misinformation somewhere. A SRW won't have 5590 lbs of carrying capacity.

[nellie1289]

Originally Posted by Chad1383

I also have a washer/dryer going in and two more passengers than you do. My kids are 60lbs each but lasts I check they eat a lot and likely will not stay that size for long. Lol.

My generator probably offsets your washer and dryer. What is your payload on your truck.

[DQDick]

One more thing to consider is the rear tires. If you make the decision to overload the truck a little, (or in our case we went to a bigger Montana) on the scales you will find that you have overloaded your tires. While it is possible to buy truck tires with more plys in the sidewall it isn't possible to find tires rated for the overloaded weight. You know how I know that.

[rames14]

I guess I have to have my dealer contact Ram and tell them they are wrong (or I can’t read). https://www.ramtrucks.com/towing/towing-guide.html