Trailer Weight vs Rating vs Tire Rating

[Dune Dude]

Does anyone have any bad experiences with overloading their toyhauler?

My 5th wheel is rated for 14,000 lbs from the factory.  I put it on the scales and the trailer loaded is 15,500 lbs.  2,000 lbs on the 5th wheel hitch with the axles carring 13,500 lbs.  Sounds OK until you check the tire rating.  The tires are max rated at 2880 lbs at 80 psi.  Which is 11,520 lbs.  Are tire ratings underrated?  Should I try to get a higher rated trailer tire?  Should I have never weighed the beast and basked in the simple pleasure of my ignorance?

The trailer is a 2004 and I only make 150 mile trips to the coast and back.  Plus, I always check the condition of the tires and pressure before each trip to a from the coast.

[chocks]

Tires are under rated, both in speed and weight...... but not by much. I would look into a higher load rating, there is nothing worse than changing a blown trailer tire on the shoulder of I5.

[DuneJunkie]

crazy as it sounds, i rotate my tires when I get the oil changed.......les schwaab does the tire rotate in less than 30 min!

[RTOYZ]

I checked my out this morning and they are rated at 2550lbs each. so triple axle makes the trailer tires capable of 15,300lbs. The max i'be ever weighed was 13,923.

[Dune Dude]

I just brought the trailer into the RV fix it guys Monday.  The last trip to Florence I weighed at an accurate truck scale and I am 1400 lbs overloaded on my axles.  They are ordering two 7200 lb axles and I will have to upgrade the wheels and tires to accommodate the heavier loads.  I wanted to spend money on fun things like quads or things that make quads go faster.  But, getting to the dunes safely is more important.  (Thats what my wife keeps telling me).
Date Posted: July 05, 2006, 07:48:31 PMWhat I really wanted to do was get the 2007 Full Throttle 4005 Fifth Wheel that is at The Great Outdoors.  40 ft, triple slide outs, 32" plasma tv, separate ice maker, kicking sound system, leather accents, twin roof airs and a tissue holder!!!  Plus the triple axles would carry anything we could put in it.  Problem solved I told my wife.

I can't repeat what the wife said about that idea.

[DuneJunkie]

thats funny................i am thinking my wife had the same words to say...........

made me want to 

[Towman]

I guess we are all in the same boat. I have been telling my wife that we really need to buy a bigger trailer, but she don't want any part of that.  She does like the new Raptor trailers with 2 sliders.

[Dune Dude]

I'm giving up.  I've been beat down by the lesson of life, that sometimes life ain't fair and occasionally things just plain suck. 
I have spent a great deal of time trying to get my trailer to safely accommodate all the weight that I haul.  My plan was to replace the axles with ones that have a higher rating, pretty simple I thought.  However, things aren't always as simple as they seem.

Unfair part I
I can get 7200 lb axles complete with tires and wheels that meet the increased weight rating.  In a 235 85 16 wheel you have to have a 14 ply to get a 3700+ rating.  The RV place had mentioned that they have seen a few of these tires come apart and destroy the side of the trailer like a Nextel Cup Car cutting down a tire and ripping the sheet metal off the body.  I went to Les Schwab and had this story confirmed.  They said a trailer tire with that many belts heat up so much they explode under pressure.  They recommended a Class A RV tire that is constructed differently and will support the weight and not build up too much heat.  Cool, I can still get my heavier axles and have tires that will not fail.

Unfair part II
These tires use a 19.5" rim.  The bead between the wheel and the tire are at an angle to each other and not straight up and down like on the 16" trailer wheels.  I need to air down the tires to 18lbs to get the trailer out into the sand.  Because of the 19.5" design I risk peeling the tire off the rim in the sand. 
So now my choices are between a tire that could explode under high pressure build up driving down the highway or a tire that will safely get me to the dunes only to come off in the sand.

Just sucks
Even if I gamble and flip a coin to decide on the lesser of two evils in tire choices, a new problem arises.  The trailer has a GVRW of 14100 lbs.  I have 2000 lbs on the hitch which leaves approx. 12000 lbs for the axles.  By placing 7200 lbs axles on the unit I am still over the GVWR Max.  Meaning the trailer was only design to carry no more than 14100 lbs.  I will never get anyone at Thor Industries (Manufacturer) to tell me that with heavier axles the trailer will be fine carring more weight than it was designed for.

Reality
No axle upgrade.   I will have to lighten the load and hold off filling the fresh water tanks until we reach the coast.  This will get me back down to the trailer's GVWR.  And thanks to those that gave locations for filling of fresh water on the coast.

[duraraptor]

Let's see if I can help you DD.  As I am a professional, (duraraptor get's his magic 8 ball) gives it a really good shake, whaa laaa it says buy a bigger hauler.  Maybe the one you mentioned earlier?

[Dune Dude]

Just sucks confirmation:

Here is an e-mail I received from the manufacturer about GVWR.

Subject: RE: Trailer GVWR


There are many factors that go into determining the GVWR, Gross Vehicle Weight Rating from the recommendations from the chassis manufacturer, the axle rating as well as the tire size in combination with the braking capacity.  It is an engineering calculation and their decision.

 

It is recommended on an"A" frame hitch style trailer that 15 to 25 percent of the vehicle weight is on the hitch leaving only 75 to 85 percent of the weight to be supported by the axles and tires. On a fifth wheel the percentages change to 15 to 30 on the hitch leaving 70 to 85 percent on the axles.

 

However in both cases the weigh supported by the chassis stays constant.  You cannot safely exceed the GVWR of the chassis by increasing the axles or tire capacities.

 

So in answer to your question, do not over load the unit.  We have no suggestions or recommendations.  The unit was built for certain weight ranges and if your needs exceed those ranges then you may need to change the trailer to fit your needs.  The other option is to change your needs to fit the trailer.

 

Note only, the new units with three 5000 lb axles cannot exceed the GVWR either.  The reason for 5000 lb is that the next smaller size axle is 3500 lb which would be too light.

 

Thank you,



Now I just need to hit the lottery and bigger trailer here I come.

Then a bigger truck...

Then faster quads...

Then cooler tools...

Maybe fancy riding attire...

Buy a house with Dune access...

(Then why do I need the bigger trailer??)

Oh yea to haul all of my stuff!

Then I'll have to get a bigger truck.........

[DuneJunkie]

Buy a house with Dune access...

if you do that I want to come live with you!

[Dune Dude]

Then I would have to get a bigger house....
More furniture....
Bigger shop to store all the quads...

[RTOYZ]

Me too. Since your getting all this bigger stuff you would hardly notice the entire family. 

[duraraptor]

The only thing I want to know is...are you a good cook?

[DuneJunkie]

well, my wife is a great cook, and I ain't too bad either. 

and I can do dishes!