The Weight Police Visit My Campsite

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by 07 ThunderRoad

I don't know what a reese revolution is. We use a Super Glide for our short bed. It works great. Made in the U.S.A.

Reese Revolution hitch has the ability to work like a regular hitch OR, lock in the hitch and not swivel at the hitch pin but 22" back at the trailer.

[CZNEDY]

Sometimes I tell them all of my decals fell off, so it tows much better now.

[F and E Damp]

US towing weight limits are ridiculously low. My 03 Kia Sedona is limited to 3500 pounds in the US, but in Europe its rated to tow 3000 Kg (6600 pounds). Same car, same engine and transmission - why the difference?

Manufacturers scared of lawsuits, or maybe they think European drivers are much better?

[ChooChooMan74]

Originally Posted by F and E Damp

US towing weight limits are ridiculously low. My 03 Kia Sedona is limited to 3500 pounds in the US, but in Europe its rated to tow 3000 Kg (6600 pounds). Same car, same engine and transmission - why the difference?

Manufacturers scared of lawsuits, or maybe they think European drivers are much better?

Same with my Liberty (Cherokee outside NA). The NA rating is 5000 and outside NA is like 7500.

[bakken]

Originally Posted by another_newfie

It's happened a few times to us. I expect as we travel more this year we'll continue to have it happen. I have my CAT scale ticket in the truck at the ready, should the need arise. Up until now though the discussion usually revolves around the Ecoboost and how it performs.

But the EcoBoost is not the same as a Dodge or Chevy 1/2 ton, neither of which have much payload capacity.

[Dave_Monica]

Originally Posted by bakken

But the EcoBoost is not the same as a Dodge or Chevy 1/2 ton, neither of which have much payload capacity.

It is if you didn't choose the max towing or max payload options. The GVWR of the F150 can vary by 1000 lbs.

Dave

[bakken]

Originally Posted by Dave_Monica

It is if you didn't choose the max towing or max payload options. The GVWR of the F150 can vary by 1000 lbs.

Dave

I would assume that anyone planning to tow a fifth wheel would order max tow. Dodge and Chevy don't give you that option.
I own a new Ram 1500, but I wouldn't tow my Flagstaff with it.

[goduc]

Originally Posted by CZNEDY

Sometimes I tell them all of my decals fell off, so it tows much better now.

So just how much over weight are you?

[CZNEDY]

Have not been on a scale, but. Payload: I am under. Towing: I am under. October 2012, picked up the new rig. Truck dropped about 2.75" but sitting level. Nice ride except on expansion joint (would be the same with a 3/4 or 1 ton). I added Timbrens to the rear and now the rear end drops 1". I have towed trailers for years and have been in a friends 3/4 ton pulling a similar set up. No difference. Drive the speed limit or less, plan ahead, look ahead anticipate the morons on the road. We dont travel long distances, but I have to admit that if I was going to do a long roadtrip, I may want to upgrade to. 3/4 ton and someday I may, but for now I am happy with the set up and with 20k miles on a 2011, I cant see trading it in for at least 2 years.

[sideout1961]

Originally Posted by CZNEDY

Not Really but I got your attention. This thread is about the phenomenon associated with curious campers wondering how I pull my fifth wheel with a 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 Crew Cab, Laramie Longhorn. Everywhere we go, they wander over to our site like curious zombies. It never fails, we get at least 2-3 visitors a weekend. Mostly, they are MH owners that want to go to a fifth wheel, but didn't know you could tow a 5vr with a 1/2/ton truck. Sometimes they show up in groups, sometimes they stop by on their way out. The male gets out to ask questions, while the wife stays in the car. I politely give them a tour and explain the various factors they would need to consider.

Just curious, has this happened to anyone else?

You didn't happen to be at Bay View on the Cape? I stopped and talked to a guy with your same truck and setup Sunday

[Dave_Monica]

Originally Posted by CZNEDY

Have not been on a scale, but. Payload: I am under. Towing: I am under. October 2012, picked up the new rig. Truck dropped about 2.75" but sitting level. Nice ride except on expansion joint (would be the same with a 3/4 or 1 ton). I added Timbrens to the rear and now the rear end drops 1".

I think you may be in for a surprise. The truck's sticker payload is with full fuel and a 150 lb driver...nothing else. The step bars, tonneau cover, hitch, passengers and gear quickly eat into that.

I towed the same floorplan in a Rockwood with a '05 Ram 1500 with a 1240 lb loaded pin and was 400+ lbs over the truck's GVWR and just under it's RAWR. Your 2011 specs haven't changed and with your trim level and other extras, your truck may weigh even more than mine. A trip to the scale is in order to really how where you are weight-wise.

Dave

[KyDan]

Originally Posted by CZNEDY

Have not been on a scale, but. Payload: I am under. Towing: I am under.

There is ONLY one way to know that. You MUST get weighed. Otherwise
you are only guessing.
Sorta like "that guy" who says I never did the math but I get 14 MPG pulling
my rig. Yeah, right......

I believe you are comfortable pulling what you pull but I also believe you
are probably over if you go "by the numbers".
There's only one way to know for sure.

[Herk7769]

In a different thread, I mentioned I stopped at the scales on the way to my present campground. As soon as I scan the weigh tickets I will start a thread on how I did everything.

What I learned is that (with the truck and camper loaded as it is), both the truck and the camper are over loaded. I was pole axed because the rig tows and stops just fine.

I need to go over my loading list to trim some heavy items. The truck need to lose about 500 pounds and the camper needs to lose a bit over 300 pounds.

I had no way of knowing without the trip to the scales.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by KyDan

There is ONLY one way to know that. You MUST get weighed. Otherwise
you are only guessing.
Sorta like "that guy" who says I never did the math but I get 14 MPG pulling
my rig. Yeah, right......

I believe you are comfortable pulling what you pull but I also believe you
are probably over if you go "by the numbers".
There's only one way to know for sure.

True dat. I've said it before, but I'll say it again - I was SHOCKED when I weighed my rig and found that my between my yellow sticker's payload and my actual available payload after we were all loaded up and ready to go was 1,200 pounds. That was *before* pin weight.

With 2,300 pounds of pin weight - I come to within 800 pounds of my GVWR.

And, the real eyeopening part is that I know I was running light on a lot of things. No propane, no food for the trip, no firewood and I don't even think we took bikes that trip.

Like Dan, I believe that CZNEDY's truck pulls fine and stops fine (trailer brakes are there for a reason). But, until you actually load up wet + ready for camp, there's just no way of knowing where you're at weight-wise.

[OldCoot]

I agree with everyone saying he should weight to know the exact figures, but bottom line, if it tows, handles and stops fine, what difference does it make? The world is not going to end if he is 200#-300# over a lawyer's sticker. Now, if he is grossly over, he may ruin the brgs in the rear end or fry the tranny, but those can be replaced a lot cheaper than $50,000+ for a diesel. I have yet to see a multitude of 1/2T trucks pulling trailers sitting along the road with anything but a blown tire. Some folks just don't want to be in debt buying big trucks and big trailers. JMO.

[CZNEDY]

I was at bayview

[CZNEDY]

I won't be dragging it off to a scale anytime soon. I have too many Campgrounds to drag it off to for the rest of the summer. And.... many more Zombies to talk to. With that said............................Back to the original point of the thread. Read Post # 33, it's a small world.

[Dave_Monica]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

I agree with everyone saying he should weight to know the exact figures, but bottom line, if it tows, handles and stops fine, what difference does it make?

If it tows, handles and stops fine are completely subjective measures. The truck's towing specs whether you want to call them limits or guidelines at least give you something to measure your set-up against.

Dave

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by Dave_Monica

If it tows, handles and stops fine are completely subjective measures. The truck's towing specs whether you want to call them limits or guidelines at least give you something to measure your set-up against. Dave

Agree 100% that it is all subjective. What satisfies one person could be totally unacceptable to another, kinda' like politics.

That's what makes this world so much fun.

[Doering]

Originally Posted by jdefeo1

I'am guilty. I'am one of those guys that wander in to your campsite. I want a fifth wheel so bad. That I bought a new ford Ecoboost with max tow pkg.But I still think the fifth wheel pin weight is to much?Do you guys use any air bags or springs ect . I know this truck can pull it no problem I even have 1950lbs payload cap.I didn't buy a bigger truck because it is my everyday driver and I only tow a for short trips.

Although you won't be buying a new truck for some time, keep in mind that you can get the Max Tow and HD payload options combined on the F150 if you want that extra buffer on the payload capacity. Our truck has a max payload of 2,495lbs and is 11,200lbs on the max tow. For our current trailer, these numbers put us at about 71% on the max tow and about 68% on the max payload (give or take a touch either way depending on what we are carrying).