"the max tlr weight for that vehicle is 13,400. The fifthwheel we are looking at has a GVRW of 13,840 and a pin weight of 1840."

Just a thought on the weight: How much additional weight does all the crap you carry along add up to? Water, sewage, propane, personal belongings, rock collection, etc.

Sue

OBG

Put in a Gear Vender over/under drive , Double the gears, and when you are on the flat, 1 extra gear.

http://www.gearvendors.com/trucks-towing.html

GVRW is the max weight you can carry in the trailer safely (based on axel strength, tires, ect). That means, while you might never carry 13,840 lbs, you can't exceed it safely (you can also get a nice ticket for being overweight). You don't know what the trailer will actually weigh until you load it up and put it on a scale. With that in mind OBD could get away with the 2500HD long bed, but he would have to make sure that he is keeping the trailer not only under GVWR, but under the trucks Max. Trailer Weight and gross combined weight rating (GCWR). If he doesn't he'll have major problems both safety wise and legally.

With all that in mind, you always want to keep a safety margin between what the vehicle can tow (max trailer weight) and what the GCWR of the trailer is. I like to keep over 1,000lb safety margin in normal vehicles. Therefore, if the truck is designed to tow 10,000lbs I wouldn't want to exceed 9,000lbs trailer weight if I don't absolutely have to. In most circumstances it's easier and safer to tow a light load with a heavier duty truck, then it is to tow a heavier load with a lighter truck.

By the way, back in the 70's my grandfather tried moving a 71,000lb trailer with a single axel tractor trailer rated for 65,000lbs. Just moving it 200ft down the road he ended up blowing out two tires. 6,000lbs over isn't really that much when compared with what the truck was designed to pull, but it was enough to exceed the trucks limits. It's always better to be on the safe side.

"...How much additional weight does all the crap you carry along add up to?..."

In simple words, A LOT. We, being what we are, have a tendency to load everything to the max. Be it a backpack, or an RV, every nook and crany will be stuffed with something. We boondock a lot while on the move, so we normally keep the fresh water tank full. The new tlr we are looking at has a sixty gallon frest water tank. 60 time eight equals 480 pounds of water all by itself. So it is a good idea to, once you get all loaded up, to go to a scale facility and get weighed. Each axle, and the total weight. Then you go home and try to dump some weight...

We really don't want to go messing with gears, etc, instead sticking to stock. We must keep in mind that, if you exceed the towing vehicle manufactures GVWR figures, they can (and will) void the warranty, and the main reason for buying new is the warranty...

If only she had the decency to drop dead before the divorce was final...

You know, come to think of it, last time we bought a new vehicle, any recall notices came from the manufacturer, not the dealer...

Dodge has the engine, Chevy has the tranny and ride, while Ford has the style.

My Dodge 2500 has almost 130K and engine has been great. New auto tranny at 110 K or so. Some front end work as well.

I agree with towing your home instead of driving it. I am amazed more folks haven't figured it out.

Just bought a 2007 GMC 6.6 liter diesel with the Allison 6 speed trans, to go with the Open Road 34 ft fifth wheel with more bells and whistles than I ever thought I would own we bought today. This rig should last us until we are ready to return and go into "the home"...

Congrad's OBG, post pictures and show off your new ride. Or should that be new house.