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2022 2500 6.4L 3.73 Limited - 5th Wheel Purchase

S

Scooter9917

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Fort Macleod, Alberta CAN
Hello Everyone,
I'm looking at buying a 30' 5th wheel. One has a GVWR of 14300 LBS and a hitch weight of 2300 LBS. The other (lighter) one has a GVWR of 10195 LBS and a hitch weight of 1400 LBS. After driving over the scales with both of us in the truck and the truck full of fuel we were 3175 LBS at the rear axle and a total weight of 6966 LBS. The truck has a GVWR @ 10000 LBS. I'm looking at a gooseneck hitch to keep the weight in the box as low as possible.

I think once the heavier trailer is loaded we'll be pretty close to the max payload of the truck. How well do you guys think the truck handle this heavier trailer. I live in western Canada and there will be some mountain towing, as well as some long hauls to the southern states.

Should I stay clear of the heavier trailer with my setup and go for the lighter one or will I be fine?

Thanks
 
The GN hitches don’t really save any weight because the pin box is significantly heavier.

I really like by Goosebox, but not sure it’s more than a few lbs lighter overall.
 
Gooseneck is a great option, gets that super heavy hitch out of the bed and all that space back when not towing. You do swap the 150lb fifth wheel hitch for a 150lb goosebox, but you no longer have the old pinbox which weighs about 75lbs. So that’s what you end up saving.
I am using a reese goosebox on a 12k trailer 35ft with my 2500, I have added airbags to stabilize the truck a bit better as the inboard airbags can sometimes rock left to right.
 
ammdrew said:
Gooseneck is a great option, gets that super heavy hitch out of the bed and all that space back when not towing. You do swap the 150lb fifth wheel hitch for a 150lb goosebox, but you no longer have the old pinbox which weighs about 75lbs. So that’s what you end up saving.
I am using a reese goosebox on a 12k trailer 35ft with my 2500, I have added airbags to stabilize the truck a bit better as the inboard airbags can sometimes rock left to right.
Click to expand...

My old pinbox was nowhere not that heavy. I probably saved 30-40lbs with the entire setup, at most.

H3LZSN1P3R said:
I prefer the 5th wheel it’s much nicer to hook up lol.
Click to expand...

Yes the 5th wheel hitch is much easier to hookup and disconnect. The empty bed with minimal effort is what pushed me over to a goosebox. It wasn’t uncommon for me to want an empty bed while camping so pulling the GN ball out is so much easier than pulling the hitch out.

I got the added benefit of a cushioned pin box with the goosebox so the 5th wheel tows better too.
 
AH64ID said:
I got the added benefit of a cushioned pin box with the goosebox so the 5th wheel tows better too.
Click to expand...
I do like the idea of the goosebox for that aspect but when tandem towing you cant be ball to ball here so thats the biggest thing to drive me away from it. I have the air ride 5th wheel hitch so I get you on the cushioned ride it’s a game changer.
 
Scooter9917 said:
Hello Everyone,
I'm looking at buying a 30' 5th wheel. One has a GVWR of 14300 LBS and a hitch weight of 2300 LBS. The other (lighter) one has a GVWR of 10195 LBS and a hitch weight of 1400 LBS. After driving over the scales with both of us in the truck and the truck full of fuel we were 3175 LBS at the rear axle and a total weight of 6966 LBS. The truck has a GVWR @ 10000 LBS. I'm looking at a gooseneck hitch to keep the weight in the box as low as possible.

I think once the heavier trailer is loaded we'll be pretty close to the max payload of the truck. How well do you guys think the truck handle this heavier trailer. I live in western Canada and there will be some mountain towing, as well as some long hauls to the southern states.

Should I stay clear of the heavier trailer with my setup and go for the lighter one or will I be fine?

Thanks
Click to expand...
This truck is the same specs as you have.
The 5th Wheel is about 13,500 loaded as I need it (100 gal of fresh H2O, all my work stuff, etc..)
My MT truck weight (but full of my **** and full of 50 gal. of fuel) was 7700 lbs.
It pulled pretty well. Stopped pretty well. Got decent mpg too... about 9 mpg.

I think you will be fine with either.

1739759250493.png
 
AH64ID said:
<snip>
Yes the 5th wheel hitch is much easier to hookup and disconnect. The empty bed with minimal effort is what pushed me over to a goosebox. It wasn’t uncommon for me to want an empty bed while camping so pulling the GN ball out is so much easier than pulling the hitch out.

<snip>
Click to expand...
If, for some odd reason, I need an empty bed while out camping I simply leave the 5er hitch connected to the camper, unlock the pucks and lift the hitch clear of the truck bed with the camper's landing gear.
 
wrvond said:
If, for some odd reason, I need an empty bed while out camping I simply leave the 5er hitch connected to the camper, unlock the pucks and lift the hitch clear of the truck bed with the camper's landing gear.
Click to expand...
I do the same but it’s still a valid point for ease of use.
 
Learnt something new today, I didn't think there would be no weight savings swapping 5er for a goosebox, still if the weight shifted from staying in bed to staying on the trailer and leaving an empty bed - that's a win!
 
H3LZSN1P3R said:
I do like the idea of the goosebox for that aspect but when tandem towing you cant be ball to ball here so thats the biggest thing to drive me away from it. I have the air ride 5th wheel hitch so I get you on the cushioned ride it’s a game changer.
Click to expand...

Gotcha, we don’t have any restrictions for double towing like that (that I’m aware of). I’ve double towed with two bumper pull trailers.
 
I have been digging around but I can not find anywhere that that the places in Canada that allow triple towing do not allow a goosebox. They clearly state the first trailer must be a fifth wheel, which does not define goosebox, anderson (which is a ball also) or pinbox.
 
ammdrew said:
I have been digging around but I can not find anywhere that that the places in Canada that allow triple towing do not allow a goosebox. They clearly state the first trailer must be a fifth wheel, which does not define goosebox, anderson (which is a ball also) or pinbox.
Click to expand...

A 5th wheel is a type of hitch, so yes it does define it. A goosebox converts the trailer from a 5th wheel to a gooseneck.
 
well in MN:
(b) For purposes of this subdivision:


(1) A "fifth-wheel coupling" is a coupling between a
camper-semitrailer and a towing pickup truck in which a portion
of the weight of the camper-semitrailer is carried over or
forward of the rear axle of the towing pickup.


FL Definition of 5th wheel
Per FL statute, this is the definition of a 5th wheel:

8. The “fifth-wheel trailer,” which is a vehicular unit mounted on wheels, designed to provide temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, or travel use, of such size or weight as not to require a special highway movement permit, of gross trailer area not to exceed 400 square feet in the setup mode, and designed to be towed by a motorized vehicle that contains a towing mechanism that is mounted above or forward of the tow vehicle’s rear axle.
 
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