3500 SRW Tow Specs

[nlambert182]

Thanks lambert. I have walked other smaller toy haulers and not impressed with the layout or quality and I don't want a bumper pull. Wife is set on this trailer! May just get the trailer and weight it on the way home. See where the numbers are. If not bad, I will load it up and go back and weigh again. If way over, probably will bite the bullet and look at getting a dually....

I am learning the heavy duty truck and larger trailers so appreciate everyone providing feedback/information. Thank you!!!!!

This is my first fifth wheel. I pulled it home 4 hrs on the interstate. It's a 2008 Coachmen Adrenaline 43' toyhauler. Gross weight came in at just shy of 17k lbs. The truck is a 2012 Ram 2500 HO. It had leaf springs like your truck versus the coils on the one I have now and had a payload of 2,800 lbs. This is likely similar to what you're going to see. I managed to make it home and had the dealership pick it up. Rookie mistake on my part that I admit to.




We moved down to a lighter 34' bunkhouse that the truck could tow and had no issues with it for quite a long time. When the wife wanted a bigger trailer I went out and bought the truck to tow it first.



This is my 4th fifth wheel. 2020 Coachmen Chapparal 392MBL. Pulled it with my 2016 3500. 43' tip to tail and weighed in loaded at 16,480 lbs. The truck was sitting perfectly level when we were loaded up for camping.




Big difference in the squat for a trailer with relatively similar GVWRs and pin weights. If she's dead set on that specific trailer.... you need a DRW. There's really no issue with driving one vs a single wheel and there is no comparison to the stability when towing. I daily drove that silver truck for 3 years and to this day I wish I had it back. It's something you get used to relatively quickly. I could put that truck anywhere you could stick a single wheel... including through the car line at six flags.

 

[JHC1]

Not wanting to beat this issue to death but I am looking at a lighter 5th wheel (Paradigm 310RL) and possibly tow a small aluminum motorcycle trailer behind it. That being said, I went back to the scales to today. I removed the bed cover, bed mat and the Tow and Stow B&W hitch. Cargo was me, wife and a full tank of fuel. My new CAT scale weights are as follows:
- Steer - 5220#
- Drive - 3260#
- Gross - 8480#

So if I add a B&W Companion hitch (150#) back in, my available payload would be 3,670# (GVWR 12300# - GW 8480# = 3820# Payload - 150# hitch = 3,670# available pin weight. Is this correct? And when I calculate off of the GAWR of 7000# - 3260# drive axel = 3740# - 150# (B&W companion) = 3590# available on the axel. So basically I have about 3600# to deal with.

The Paradigm is 35' long and has a GVWR of 15000# (Valor 36V11 is 16950#) and a dry pin weight of 2530# (I know.....it means nothing) as compared to the 36V11 of 2995#. So certainly a lighter trailer.

The hitch on the back of the 310RL is rated for 3000# and 300# tongue weight so a light weight aluminum trailer would work to haul either an 850# Street Glide or a 600# 1250GS.

Thoughts please.........

 

[2003F350]

I've seen similar setups to that all day long. I think at that point you're going to be just fine. When loaded to max (you likely won't be) you'll probably be closer to 3k on the pin of this new trailer, which is well within your weight range. The trailer on the back you likely won't notice, HOWEVER if your truck is equipped to handle a camera on the back of the camper I would highly suggest it - that small trailer will be practically invisible to you when you're moving down the road, and you want to be able to be sure it's back there and behaving. At the very least, you're going to want a mirror or some bright-colored corner markers on it that stick out far enough you can see them, ANYTHING to make that little trailer visible.

I once met a friend of my FIL who was a state cop, who once pulled over an RV for no tail lights on the RV. The guy went back with the cop to see, and started throwing a fit, cursing and swearing. My FIL's friend told the guy he needed to calm down or he'd be cuffed and put in the back seat, and the guy looked right at him and said 'You don't understand, when I left there was a f***ing 20 foot boat back here!' Cop put out an APB, and they found it about 30 miles from where he left (he was something like 300 miles from home), hitch snapped off and upside down in the ditch. Not saying a camera would have prevented this, but he would have known about it a LOT sooner.

 

[nlambert182]

Not wanting to beat this issue to death but I am looking at a lighter 5th wheel (Paradigm 310RL) and possibly tow a small aluminum motorcycle trailer behind it. That being said, I went back to the scales to today. I removed the bed cover, bed mat and the Tow and Stow B&W hitch. Cargo was me, wife and a full tank of fuel. My new CAT scale weights are as follows:
- Steer - 5220#
- Drive - 3260#
- Gross - 8480#

So if I add a B&W Companion hitch (150#) back in, my available payload would be 3,670# (GVWR 12300# - GW 8480# = 3820# Payload - 150# hitch = 3,670# available pin weight. Is this correct? And when I calculate off of the GAWR of 7000# - 3260# drive axel = 3740# - 150# (B&W companion) = 3590# available on the axel. So basically I have about 3600# to deal with.

The Paradigm is 35' long and has a GVWR of 15000# (Valor 36V11 is 16950#) and a dry pin weight of 2530# (I know.....it means nothing) as compared to the 36V11 of 2995#. So certainly a lighter trailer.

The hitch on the back of the 310RL is rated for 3000# and 300# tongue weight so a light weight aluminum trailer would work to haul either an 850# Street Glide or a 600# 1250GS.

Thoughts please.........

Payload wise you should be fine with this rig assuming you don't slowly over time add back that 600# of cargo, etc... I will caution on towing two trailers behind a single wheel though. Yes... it will do it, but it won't be quite as stable so my word of advice is just to make sure you are careful with speed, etc... Otherwise if you get into a tailwag issue with the two trailers it may be a little more difficult to control.

I also highly caution relying on those fifth wheel receiver hitches as well.... they're not quite as sturdy as the one on a truck. Might be just fine... just be cautious.

 

[JHC1]

I've seen similar setups to that all day long. I think at that point you're going to be just fine. When loaded to max (you likely won't be) you'll probably be closer to 3k on the pin of this new trailer, which is well within your weight range. The trailer on the back you likely won't notice, HOWEVER if your truck is equipped to handle a camera on the back of the camper I would highly suggest it - that small trailer will be practically invisible to you when you're moving down the road, and you want to be able to be sure it's back there and behaving. At the very least, you're going to want a mirror or some bright-colored corner markers on it that stick out far enough you can see them, ANYTHING to make that little trailer visible.

I once met a friend of my FIL who was a state cop, who once pulled over an RV for no tail lights on the RV. The guy went back with the cop to see, and started throwing a fit, cursing and swearing. My FIL's friend told the guy he needed to calm down or he'd be cuffed and put in the back seat, and the guy looked right at him and said 'You don't understand, when I left there was a f***ing 20 foot boat back here!' Cop put out an APB, and they found it about 30 miles from where he left (he was something like 300 miles from home), hitch snapped off and upside down in the ditch. Not saying a camera would have prevented this, but he would have known about it a LOT sooner.

Thank you…..

 

[JHC1]

Payload wise you should be fine with this rig assuming you don't slowly over time add back that 600# of cargo, etc... I will caution on towing two trailers behind a single wheel though. Yes... it will do it, but it won't be quite as stable so my word of advice is just to make sure you are careful with speed, etc... Otherwise if you get into a tailwag issue with the two trailers it may be a little more difficult to control.

I also highly caution relying on those fifth wheel receiver hitches as well.... they're not quite as sturdy as the one on a truck. Might be just fine... just be cautious.

Sage advice. Retired so not in a hurry. I do plan on taking a close look at the hitch and see if it needs to be reinforced or upgraded, if possible. Thanks.

 

[nlambert182]

Just be aware that if you modify the hitch on a fifth wheel in any fashion, you void the frame warranty instantly. Alliance uses Lippert frames and Lippert is a stickler for modification. The only thing they approve is the Reese Goosebox mod. Likely because they now own Reese, but I digress.

 

[JHC1]

I wasn't aware but makes sense. I am looking at a light weight aluminum 5'x8' trailer. Should be fairly light on tongue and pulling. High Country makes a nice one.

 

[2003F350]

Just be aware that if you modify the hitch on a fifth wheel in any fashion, you void the frame warranty instantly. Alliance uses Lippert frames and Lippert is a stickler for modification. The only thing they approve is the Reese Goosebox mod. Likely because they now own Reese, but I digress.

He's referring to a hitch receiver on the back of the RV, not the tongue itself. They aren't generally rated for a lot of weight, BUT if need be I believe there are some aftermarket ones available that shouldn't void his frame warranty.

 

[joesstripclub]

If you end up back at a toy hauler, know that they are very tongue heavy unloaded. Loading my SxS into my toy hauler actually raises the front of the trailer up.

To address your frustration at the weight of trailer you can pull, I think most people just buy a 3/4 ton cummins and assume it can pull anything since its a diesel. I think a lot of people are way overloaded driving down the highway.

 

[nlambert182]

He's referring to a hitch receiver on the back of the RV, not the tongue itself. They aren't generally rated for a lot of weight, BUT if need be I believe there are some aftermarket ones available that shouldn't void his frame warranty.

Correct, and I should have clarified that. The only frame modification that Lippert approves is the Reese Goosebox. They consider that a frame mod. No aftermarket rear receiver hitches are approved if it didn't roll off the assembly line with it. I've been down this road with Lippert before.


Some receiver hitches on the back of fitfh wheels are rated for more weight than others. If it has safety chain hooks and a 4 pin connector... it is rated to tow a small trailer. Typically 3k lbs with 300# tongue weight. If it does not have the connector or the chain hooks, it is only rated for a cargo rack/bike rack/etc.. and usually not to exceed 250 lbs. Those are typically just bolted to the frame using subpar bolts. Some are even stuck on with self tapping screws. Some rear bumpers are only held on with self tappers to the frame as well.

 

[JHC1]

He's referring to a hitch receiver on the back of the RV, not the tongue itself. They aren't generally rated for a lot of weight, BUT if need be I believe there are some aftermarket ones available that shouldn't void his frame warranty.

Understand that. The hitch receiver on the back of the 310RL is rated for 3000# towing and 300 tongue weight.