tires, wheel.and weight limits

[bobby75]

Hi everyone. New owner of a flagstaff 8528IKWS that finally got weighted. At the present time all numbers are OK, but one parameter has drawn my attention! It was delivered with Load range C tires and I'm considering going to LR D tires for some safety margin. When I consulted a local tire dealer he pointed out that I needed to investigate the wheel capacity of the factory provided wheels. They have a 2150 pound limit! This give 8600 pound total capacity. Dangerously close to the weight without any water aboard. New wheels with a 2500 capacity are hard to find or are really expensive when added to the cost of new tires with the D load range. Can any one suggest where I might find reasonable wheels. I checked several tire dealers without success. Thanks

[Dave_Monica]

You camper may be 8600 lbs loaded, but only about 7100 lbs is carried by the axles...the rest is pin weight. The OEM tires are always higher than the axle capacity...in your case a 4000# axle rating and 2150# rated tires.

Many other Rockwood/Flagstaff 5ver owners have changed out the OEM 225/75R15C tires for 225/75R15D, but the load limit is still the axle rating of the camper.

Dave

[bobby75]

Originally Posted by Dave_Monica

You camper may be 8600 lbs loaded, but only about 7100 lbs is carried by the axles...the rest is pin weight. The OEM tires are always higher than the axle capacity...in your case a 4000# axle rating and 2150# rated tires.

Many other Rockwood/Flagstaff 5ver owners have changed out the OEM 225/75R15C tires for 225/75R15D, but the load limit is still the axle rating of the camper.

Dave

Dave;

The trailer was weighed with the 5th wheel already hooked up to the truck ( truck off the scale), I was under the impression of other posts and instructions that at configuration already accounted for the pin weight as being on the truck, not the trailer. The weight of the trailer loaded (almost fully) with the pin weight transferred to the truck was about without water was about 8300. I'm confused.

[ependydad]

Bob, can you post your various weights and what configuration your truck/camper was in relation to the scales?

[Dave_Monica]

Originally Posted by bobby75

Dave;

The trailer was weighed with the 5th wheel already hooked up to the truck ( truck off the scale), I was under the impression of other posts and instructions that at configuration already accounted for the pin weight as being on the truck, not the trailer. The weight of the trailer loaded (almost fully) with the pin weight transferred to the truck was about without water was about 8300. I'm confused.

If you're saying that the scaled weight of 8300 is what's on the camper's axles and the camper's hitched to the truck and the truck is off the scales, you're overloaded. The max weight on the axles of your camper is 8000 lbs (4000 lb axles)...changing wheels/tires won't cure that.

Dave

[bobby75]

Sure can:
Truck alone: 8620# fully loaded with passengers fuel, etc.

Trailer two axles: 8680#
Trailer back axle only: 3320#
Trailer front Axle only: 5500# by subtraction
Truck plus trailer: 18960# GCW GCWR 23500#
When weighed there was some snow on, maybe 4 inches.

The labels on the trailer indicated from my notes:
GVWR: 9389#
GAWR: 8000# If you subtract the "listed " pin weight of 1300 you are 89# over GAWR
I am concerned about the rim capacity of the FR provided rims.
Also seems a waste to put on D rate tires with 2150# rim capacity with 2500# D rated tires!

[Dave_Monica]

Using the numbers you provided:

Total camper weight = 18960 (total combined wt) - 8620 (truck alone) = 10340 lbs
GVWR for the camper is 9389 and therefore 951 lbs over.

Pin weight = 18960 (total combined wt) - 8620 (truck alone) - 8680 (trailer axle wt)
= 1660 lbs

Trailer axle weight of 8680...camper axle wt rating 8000...680 lbs over.

I'd have a tough time believing that the front and rear axle would be that different...may be some error there. You may want to repeat the entire process to confirm the numbers. (edit: without the snow on top)

The rim and tire load capacities are the least of your problems IMO.

Dave

[kerrlakelover]

Originally Posted by Dave_Monica

Using the numbers you provided:

Total camper weight = 18960 (total combined wt) - 8620 (truck alone) = 10340 lbs
GVWR for the camper is 9389 and therefore 951 lbs over.

Pin weight = 18960 (total combined wt) - 8620 (truck alone) - 8680 (trailer axle wt)
= 1660 lbs

Trailer axle weight of 8680...camper axle wt rating 8000...680 lbs over.

I'd have a tough time believing that the front and rear axle would be that different...may be some error there. You may want to repeat the entire process to confirm the numbers. (edit: without the snow on top)

The rim and tire load capacities are the least of your problems IMO.

Dave

Dave, you and ependad seem to always be the most knowledgeable on this weight subject. But, if his FW is not sitting level when attached to the tow vehicle, axle weight can vary widely. I saw it with my FW when I measured it prior to lowering my hitch and leveling out the FW. Only a couple of inches makes a big difference in axle wt. But, Bob's must be 6" lower in the front with that much difference. :-)

[bobby75]

OK, Lets try this again with a new perspective on the numbers I reported earlier. My first weighing was on 1-9-13 just the truck only trailer not hitched to the truck: 8620. the remainder of the weights were taken on 1-14-14 with the weighmaster instructions relayed to the driver as results as follows:
Ticket#1727 annotated as front axles 4800#(presumed to be truck)
Ticket#17128 annotated as 2 truck Axles: 10320#
Ticket#17129 annotated as complete (truck and trailer):18960#
Ticket#17130 Annotated as trailer 2 axles:8680#
Ticket#17131 annotated as trailer back axle:#3320

Since I did not check his placements I can only guess they were correct as far as my instructions were concerned! HOWEVER,

there was one other ticket #17132 which I did not tell him to do - annotated rear axle truck and both trailer:14120#
I'm considering a reweigh at a different scales I though I'd run these clearer numbers as to whether or not I'm overweight.
Thank for you help and patience.
Bob

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by kerrlakelover

Dave, you and ependad seem to always be the most knowledgeable on this weight subject. But, if his FW is not sitting level when attached to the tow vehicle, axle weight can vary widely. I saw it with my FW when I measured it prior to lowering my hitch and leveling out the FW. Only a couple of inches makes a big difference in axle wt. But, Bob's must be 6" lower in the front with that much difference. :-)

This is SO TRUE. My 5th wheel camper rides only slightly nose high and the leading axle carries 90% of the camper and the rear axle carries 110%.

I discovered this when after a 9,000 mile trip last year my leading axle tires showed "over pressure for weight" wear pattern and the rear axle tires showed "under pressure for weight" wear. They were properly inflated (I thought) for the maximum scaled weight on the camper's axles.

[bobby75]

Originally Posted by herk7769

This is SO TRUE. My 5th wheel camper rides only slightly nose high and the leading axle carries 90% of the camper and the rear axle carries 110%.

I discovered this when after a 9,000 mile trip last year my leading axle tires showed "over pressure for weight" wear pattern and the rear axle tires showed "under pressure for weight" wear. They were properly inflated (I thought) for the maximum scaled weight on the camper's axles.

Can you tell me how the 2 axles carried 200 percent of the camper?

are you a believer of tailoring the tires pressure to the weight of the axle (tire) rather than inflating to indicated maximum pressure?

Thanks, Bob

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by bobby75

Can you tell me how the 2 axles carried 200 percent of the camper?

are you a believer of tailoring the tires pressure to the weight of the axle (tire) rather than inflating to indicated maximum pressure?

Thanks, Bob

LOL - 100% front - 100% rear is what I meant if the total load was shared equally. So less on front and more on rear in my case.
Use 60-40 if it makes you feel better.

I did not before since I weighed the axles together in the past. In the future I will pay the extra buck to get separate axle weights.
Herk

[OldCoot]

His front axle is carrying the bigger load, so he must be low in the front, not high.

[Bunkfamily]

Sounds odd, Id say re- weigh somewhere else and re post results. Your camper shows a dry axle weight of about 6750 and that means you have added more than a ton to just the axles. Also the carry capacity is listed at just 1268 pounds so something is amiss. We weighed our unit a few times, loaded for a 2 week trip, dry and how we leave it off season. Our local moving company charges 10 bucks for all the positions you want. Im gonna say the snow was the issue, let us know when you re weigh

[Dave_Monica]

Originally Posted by bobby75

I'm considering a reweigh at a different scales I though I'd run these clearer numbers as to whether or not I'm overweight.
Thank for you help and patience.
Bob

If it's true that you had about 4" of snow on the camper's roof, that could change the weight considerably...especially if it's wet/heavy as opposed to powder.

Dave

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by Dave_Monica

If it's true that you had about 4" of snow on the camper's roof, that could change the weight considerably...especially if it's wet/heavy as opposed to powder.

Dave

I concur!
Ever lift a scoop shovel of wet heavy snow?

TURBS

oc's buddy

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by f1100turbo

I concur!
Ever lift a scoop shovel of wet heavy snow?

TURBS

oc's buddy

I bet Ms Amy has but it's very doubtful that you ever have.

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

I bet Ms Amy has but it's very doubtful that you ever have.

Thats why I have this.


TURBS

oc's buddy

[bobby75]

Lets try this on for size - my trailer is supposed to be 8 feet wide and about 32 feet long.
Since it is a 5er, lets add 2 feet the length due to the hump, making the dimension 8ft X 34ft or 272 sq ft of area. Say there was 4" of snow then you would have 92 cubic feet of snow. A cubic foot of snow probably would be 3+/- gallons, with water weighing 8 (lets say 6.5 for compacted snow) the snow would weigh approximately 600#. increase it to 6" and you would approach the weighmaster estimated weighed - 1000 pounds. Food for thought!

[bobby75]

Originally Posted by Dave_Monica

Using the numbers you provided:

Total camper weight = 18960 (total combined wt) - 8620 (truck alone) = 10340 lbs
GVWR for the camper is 9389 and therefore 951 lbs over.

Pin weight = 18960 (total combined wt) - 8620 (truck alone) - 8680 (trailer axle wt)
= 1660 lbs

Trailer axle weight of 8680...camper axle wt rating 8000...680 lbs over.

I'd have a tough time believing that the front and rear axle would be that different...may be some error there. You may want to repeat the entire process to confirm the numbers. (edit: without the snow on top)

The rim and tire load capacities are the least of your problems IMO.

Dave

Dave (or anyone else);

4-6" snow was actually 12"+. Got trailer reweighed. 7700#. Have not had individual trailer axles weighed, but I suspect the difference in weight would be smaller with the estimated 1000# of snow off. Your thoughs if you would please.