How to Find the Tongue Weight of a 5th Wheel Trailer

Question

Question:

tow veh. 6980 lb gross, goss 5th wheel weight 7740 lbs, is the difference my tongue weight

asked by: Cap

0

Expert Reply:

If the gross vehicle weight of your 2003 Chevrolet Silverado is 6,980 lbs before hooking up to your 5th wheel trailer and then it changes to 7,740 lbs after your 5th wheel is connected then yes, the difference of 760 lbs is your tongue, or pin, weight. I have attached a picture to demonstrate this for you.

Please note that the tongue (pin) weight of a 5th wheel trailer should be 20% of the weight of the loaded trailer. If your pin weight is 760 lbs then your fully loaded trailer should weigh 3,800 lbs.

If you meant that the gross weight of your trailer is 7,740 lbs then that would mean that you need to shoot for a pin weight of 1,548 lbs.

expert reply by: Jon G

0

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Answer 1

The B&W 4 inch offset ball #BWGNXA4085 or #BWGNXA4685 depending on your gooseneck hitch model will give you additional clearance when using a gooseneck trailer. When converting the gooseneck ball to a 5th wheel hitch, you cannot use the B&W 4…

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Answer 2

The Denver Mattress Rest Easy Plush RV Foam Mattress #DE29ZR is made from earth friendly, plant-based foam, and does not contain any latex. Plant based foams will allow you to sleep cooler and will cushion to you while minimizing the lateral motion…

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Answer 3

The Reese Goose Box 5th-Wheel-to-Gooseneck Air Ride Coupler Adapter part #RP85FR is an excellent option to help free up space in the truck bed, eliminate having to move in/out a heavy hitch, as well as making the hookup process much easier. It can be…

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Answer 4

The Reese Goose Boxes like the 20K Air Ride #RP85FR referenced in your question are pin box specific. This means they are designed to replace specific pin box models on the trailer so you will want to first make sure that it will be compatible. This…

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Answer 5

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Answer 6

You will have to go with a sliding hitch to allow the trailer to make tight turns. For a trailer 8 feet wide the only bed length that's going to allow 90 degree turns without a slider is a stationary hitch. That being said you have two options.…

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Answer 7

I spoke with my contact at Trailair and from your serial number we were able to determine that your trailer came with a 1621 HD pin box which is a long pin box style. I was unable to obtain the exact part number for your Trailair pin box but from the…

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Answer 8

There should be a sticker or plate on the pin box itself that lists the manufacturer and model of the pin box. If it is not present then there are some measurements you can take to determine the model of the pin box. I have included a link that…

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Answer 9

Because it's lighter, less expensive, has fewer moving parts and is mechanically less complicated I'd recommend going with the Gen-Y #325-GH-8040 shock absorbing pin box versus a Trailair Flex Air like part #LC328492. The Trailair features a…

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Answer 10

The manufacturer and model number of the pin box is usually printed on a sticker or stamped into a plate or directly into the metal of the pin box. If you can't find that, the manufacturer of your 5th wheel should be able to tell you which pin…

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Answer 11

Choosing the right height setting for your 5th wheel hitch is a combination of a few different variables. First of all you want your towing setup to be as level as possible. With your Montana High Country 340BH level you will want to measure from the…

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Answer 12

We have the following Gen-Y shock absorbing 5th wheel pin boxes which are compatible with the Lippert Rhino pin box bolt pattern. The weights listed below are the maximum capacities the pin box is capable of supporting. 21,000 lbs - 3.5K TW #GY86GR…

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