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Old 12-03-2018, 06:20 AM   #21
The Bone
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Even guys with duallys over load them. Adding extra fuel tanks and stuff. I use the sticker on the rig. Sure it might be wrong but who's to say the yellow sticker is correct. Getting the truck weighed is the only way to be sure but if you get into a accident than they have to go by the sticker numbers on the rig. I only carry what i need not any extra stuff when we travel. However if i was to go camping that's another thing. Probably close to home. you could add some things you may need and not use.
 
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Old 12-03-2018, 06:50 AM   #22
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This is a much talked about topic and has many opinions. I look at it the same way I look at insurance, some don't carrier any, some are under insured and some over over insured. I bought a DRW to make sure I was covered no matter what I pulled. I've had no problems getting around in it, neither has the wife, haven't found a Starbucks I cant get through just takes a little more thought than a SRW.
I wish I had thought to take a picture when we parked it between two Prius's at a Starbucks, it was defiantly a conversation starter.
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Old 12-03-2018, 08:38 AM   #23
TLightning
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You "don't understand"? Please allow me to help you "understand" First, not everyone is a full timer. Some of us have garages that truck has to fit into. Garages that are shared with another vehicle and we're not about to park a $75,000 truck out in the elements. Next is the pain in the rear of fitting a dually in town, parking spots, drive-throughs, everywhere except a road actually. Next is the additional cost to buy and maintain a dually. Why put up with all of this when a SRW will work fine? For 6 years I pulled a 3400RL with a SRW 3500 short-bed without one single issue, ever. Nothing. I'm soooo glad I didn't go down the dually path. It would have offered me nothing in return that I ever once needed. Does that help you understand why many of us ruled out a dually from the get-go?
You don't buy a truck because it won't fit in the garage, or any other reasons you noted. You buy the truck that you NEED....if it must fit in the garage, or you think it's too wide, get a smaller truck and a small 5th wheel.
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Old 12-03-2018, 09:02 AM   #24
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TLightning wrote..."...You don't buy a truck because it won't fit in the garage, or any other reasons you noted. You buy the truck that you NEED....if it must fit in the garage, or you think it's too wide, get a smaller truck and a small 5th wheel..."

...or build a bigger garage. Agree on the "buy the truck you NEED". The OP is discussing a FT situation with 16500 trailer with 3950 available payload for the truck. The payload number does not include passengers or the extra fuel to top off the tank. Nor does it include the hitch, the gear in the bed, or in the cab. Fulltiming load out will easily add 1000 to the empty trailer pin weight of 2530. All in the truck will probably be over the available 3950 payload number. Sure it will tow it, but you are pressing your luck... you cannot ignore math or physics whatever you believe about the potential for an accident or your experience to date.... down hill on a curve towing a loaded trailer in the rain and having a rear tire blow out is not a place you want to be. At least with a dually your odds of staying in control will significantly higher. It would be a great tale for the campfire... the alternative would be a sad story. Can't get into a drive thru window... park it and walk in. EOS.

Weekend warriors, on the other hand will not likely be carrying anything close to a full load out and might be okay... but this is not about them.
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Old 12-03-2018, 09:14 AM   #25
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I agree with buy what you need. Lets take the most extreme case, a guy runs a light and you T Bone him. A good lawyer will say yes he ran the light but if you were not over weight you could have stopped. Now that may sound stupid but once your insurance company finds out you were over weight, you are no linger insured for that accident, no matter what your agent told you, he doesn't make the call.

Just like the sails man that sold you the trailer and said a 3/4 ton will be fine the insurance agent is just a sales man.
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Old 12-03-2018, 09:19 AM   #26
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I have a 2015 2500 duramax long bed single axel pulling a 2018 3920, no problems.. Load up the water which is at the end helps with pin weight too. I also run a Anderson ultimate hitch, the black one weighs only 38lbs. Truck and trailer sit level and no issues... was thinking about leveling out the front then installing air bags but still tossing that idea around..
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Old 12-03-2018, 09:29 AM   #27
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Reducing pin weight by shifting the load to the rear can be a serious issue if you get pin weight down to 15% or less of trailer GVW. The tail will start to wag the dog. Seen too many vids of what comes next. Be careful. 2500 towing a 3920 in a FT situation is even worse than the OPs set up. For weekend trips you might be okay, but that is a lot of trailer for that truck to tow, danger Will Robinson, danger. You've been lucky so far. The math and the odds are against you longer term. Hope your insurance is paid up and your bank account is in good shape if the insurance company decides to refuse your claim if you are over and they find out about it. Your call.
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Old 12-03-2018, 09:45 AM   #28
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Reducing pin weight by shifting the load to the rear can be a serious issue if you get pin weight down to 15% or less of trailer GVW. The tail will start to wag the dog. Seen too many vids of what comes next. Be careful. 2500 towing a 3920 in a FT situation is even worse than the OPs set up. For weekend trips you might be okay, but that is a lot of trailer for that truck to tow, danger Will Robinson, danger. You've been lucky so far. The math and the odds are against you longer term. Hope your insurance is paid up and your bank account is in good shape if the insurance company decides to refuse your claim if you are over and they find out about it. Your call.
Im not overweight, even with full water, little over 1000lbs to spare. Im not adding additional weight to the rear of the trailer to reduce pin weight just merely filling it with water as it was designed to do.

GVRW for the trailer is 16810, and thats will all tanks full. I carry 56 gal of fresh water ( I think thats the size) they rest of the tanks are empty.

The truck with full fuel (I think 30 Gal) can tow 17900. I carry 200lbs of inverters in the back 5 gal of diesel and 10 gal of gas.

I may be close but dont think im over since the holding tanks other then fresh water are ever full. overall towing im fine but im close on pin weight I think. could be wrong... Insurance all paid up !!
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Old 12-03-2018, 10:53 AM   #29
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The religion and politics of camping == SRW vs DRW, which brand of truck, and which hitch. Oh and tires.
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Old 12-03-2018, 10:59 AM   #30
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The religion and politics of camping == SRW vs DRW, which brand of truck, and which hitch. Oh and tires.
forgot brakes, LMAO !!
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Old 12-03-2018, 11:17 AM   #31
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forgot brakes, LMAO !!
forgot Montana vs SOB... LOL
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Old 12-03-2018, 11:41 AM   #32
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forgot Montana vs SOB... LOL
SOB..? Does that mean son of a B....?

Some other brand lol. Had to look it up !!
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Old 12-03-2018, 12:24 PM   #33
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Yes 2X on Lakeshore. Have bought 2 rigs from them. A 2010 then a 2015. Only problem is in the middle of summer as they are very busy so getting service is a bit of a problem. But in the fall, winter or early spring the service people are all over you.


And as said I won't get into the truck debate.
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Old 12-03-2018, 01:18 PM   #34
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If you are full timing and load out to 16500 you will be looking at 3300 for pin weight on the low end and possibly 4000 lbs on the high end, though the latter is unlikely. Using the low end number, that leaves 650 for the hitch in the bed, any gear you will carry in the truck and any passengers. It sounds like you are pressing your luck IMHO. Yes the truck will tow it, but stability and stopping ability will be challenged. We are looking at a 3811MS... similar in ratings to yours but we will not consider anything less than a dually. Basically it's all the reasons and situations you can't think for having it rather than the ones you can think of.
JHMO.

This is what I found out when I bought my new unit. With almost nothing in the front of the camper my pin was 3180 scale verified. Went over axle if I put anything in the bed of truck. Had to get rid of my 40 gal. aux. fuel tank. Wife is in insurance, said if you have an accident with injuries they will look for anything to get out of paying because of the law suits that will follow, said her adjuster is very good at finding YOU at fault. So went out and bought a dually, a bit of a pain but the difference in the tow is worth it.
I pushed the rear of my garage out 2.5 ft so the truck could fit, weekend worth of work. Only problem I had with the short time I towed with the SRW was a front tire blow out with tread separation, believe me that was no fun. Tire guy said age and 3/4`s worn out caused this with the new weights I was carrying. Yep, thought I could get one more tip to Myrtle Beach before replacing them, wrong.
Big camper + Dually = safety.
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Old 12-03-2018, 02:22 PM   #35
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...
GVRW for the trailer is 16810, and thats will all tanks full. I carry 56 gal of fresh water ( I think thats the size) they rest of the tanks are empty....
Your trailer GVWR is 16810... that is maximum weight of trailer... period. How much water you are carrying is irrelevant except that is must be counted in the total. You could be at 16810 with no water... that means technically you could not add a single drop. If you are not FTing with it, you probably are well under the 16810 number. If you are FTing it is fairly likely you are very close to, at or over that number as a rule of thumb. You may be able to tow 17900 (which is under ideal towing conditions suited for that number... gooseneck, flatbed trailer carrying more toward the trailer wheels such that the gooseneck is putting about 15% of total trailer weight on the ball. RV Fifth wheel trailers are an entirely different kettle of fish... high frontal area and more weight on the kingpin- typically 20-25% of total trailer weight) You will probably run out of available payload capacity long before you hit the 17900 tow limit. Air bags do not increase payload ratings... only a more capable truck (3500 SRW and better yet, a dually) can do that. How you RV and how you load it will determine which truck is right for your application.
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Old 12-03-2018, 02:44 PM   #36
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Your trailer GVWR is 16810... that is maximum weight of trailer... period. How much water you are carrying is irrelevant except that is must be counted in the total. You could be at 16810 with no water... that means technically you could not add a single drop. If you are not FTing with it, you probably are well under the 16810 number. If you are FTing it is fairly likely you are very close to, at or over that number as a rule of thumb. You may be able to tow 17900 (which is under ideal towing conditions suited for that number... gooseneck, flatbed trailer carrying more toward the trailer wheels such that the gooseneck is putting about 15% of total trailer weight on the ball. RV Fifth wheel trailers are an entirely different kettle of fish... high frontal area and more weight on the kingpin- typically 20-25% of total trailer weight) You will probably run out of available payload capacity long before you hit the 17900 tow limit. Air bags do not increase payload ratings... only a more capable truck (3500 SRW and better yet, a dually) can do that. How you RV and how you load it will determine which truck is right for your application.
Thanks for the reply, I do not full time in the trailer, as far as gear is concerned I have more open space in the front and the basement and even inside the coach I dont have that much stuff in the trailer at all. Correct airbags do not increase the load capacity of the truck only levels the rear when loaded within weight ratings.

When we go out we are only loading up fresh water which sits at the rear of the trailer, we add some food and clothes, thats pretty much it, some chairs a grill a rug...

Hitch weight of my 3920 is 2810lbs ( so says the inter web)
Correct the GVRW is 16810, that can be a combination of "things" inside the trailer which can max out the coach or a combination of "things" and full water 56 gal, full gray tank 88gal, and full black 88gal if all the tanks are full im looking at a weight of 1926lbs just in water alone. I carry 464lbs of water all the time, thats leaving home or the camp ground, unless im heading home from camping then I drain the tank as I drive, I know besides the point.

I would never push the trailer above the specified weight same with the truck. there is always better, heck I could get a ken worth and not worry at all, lol. My truck and trailer combination works great for me im happy with it couldn't ask for more !!
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