Thank you! I felt like a lot of people are intimidated by the scale or don't understand how to read the scale slips to see what is going on! I tried to make it simple so that anyone could watch this and go do it and be able to understand how to use the info!
Being a toy hauler, if you had a toy loaded in the back, it should take some weight off the pin because of the leverage created by putting the weight behind the trailer axle. I believe most manufacturers do not recommend traveling with the water/waste tanks full because they don't use strong enough straps to hold the tanks when fully loaded. My hauler has a fresh water capacity of 146 gallons (I'm guessing yours is similar), water weighs over 8#/gal., so if your fresh water was full, you could reduce the camper weight by 1,200# (600# if it was 1/2 full). Even if only 1/2 of that comes off the pin weight, you should be well within your target weight. Glad to see others are concerned about this! Too many people out there telling folks you can haul one of these with a SRW F-350 or even a F-250 and calling people "tow police" (or worse) if you tell them they'd be over weight and that it's not safe...👍
We don't carry a Toy but the way we load the garage for travel days is with the same idea we have 500-600lbs in the rear to help with pin weight! We also try to keep the 60 gallons of gas for the generator and toy topped off as it is my only way to add weight behind the axles! We typically only travel with 30 -40 gallons of fresh water in the tank (240lbs-320lbs) so that is what was in the tanks when we scaled it! We have adjusted the way we loaded the bedroom and the front compartment area and have already shifted almost 250lbs the pin weight! That being said having a toy would greatly help with pin weight, but we would have to get rid of some of our stuff so were not over the GVWR of the trailer! One thing we can all agree on is the numbers don't lie there is no way you should haul one of these with a single wheel truck!
@@OOMAN we travel about 5000-8000 miles a year and it’s amazing at how many people pull these with a 2500 or 250. They either don’t care or just have no idea about weight.
@@nathanurick8320 I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, and say that they just don't have any idea. They probably asked their dealer (truck or RV), and the dealer told them they were good to go!!! Most people will look at the towing capacity, and never consider the cargo capacity/pin weight, etc........ Like I always say, It's all fine...until it's not.....😫
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Finally, a simple and straightforward video explaining how to generate the numbers you need. Also, thank you for showing the CAT scale process. We just took our first trip last weekend and on our way to the campground, we hit up a truck stop and weighed everything. This video eliminated the intimidation factor of not knowing what to do.
Just watching some of your old videos... I thought your joke to the CDL examiner was hysterical!! I have been a cop for 32 years and without humor I would be lost!
I thought it was hilarious as well! I mean I did drive it 3 hours without the right licence to take the test for the license! Showing up in one piece should be like 75% of the test!
@@PavingNewPaths 100%. Your logic is beyond reproach! I hate when government gets in the way of common sense! It’s nice to know that somewhere there is a tree growing that will one day turn into firewood, that you and I are going to burn together! Grow little tree grow!
That is very informative. Even I don't tow a trailer. But I have towed a 1/ 2 ton 4x4 in a trailer 1 time. Never again that heavy. But I learned to drive slow. Anticipate traffic and not over heat my brakes. Thank you sir.
Good information. A lot of people just hook up a camper and don’t even worry about the weight. I have a commercial class A because I drive a semi truck. Thanks for what you do.
Thank you! We understand that it can be very easy to overload the RV and especially the ratings of the truck! We wanted to make a video to show how easy it is to figure out your weights and how you can use that information!
The weight scales of figuring out is so simple. I don’t know why others have to make it so complicated from the simple fact. You showed the so simple version that it is just that. Only thing I would add to it is for people to pay attention to the weight rating of what’s on the tires they put on vehicles/trailer. You could be within the range of what the door stick or trailer stick. But if you get new tires and don’t get the proper weight range on tire. You could be overweight of tires rating. Dot does use the tires numbers on commercial vehicle stops and inspection.
Thank you! We made this video a while back and wanted to show that it was way simpler than other videos I had watched! We hope we did a good job of simplifying the process and the math so you can understand what you real weights are! It is also very important to consider the weight rating of your tires when replacing them!
2nd weight is used by drivers after they have checked their truck/trailer and need to adjust either the 5th wheel or trailer axel position (both are adjustable) and return to the scales. Note that your truck inspection sticker expires soon. You do have your trailer inspected as well, right? Your truck/RV will present you with issues once you hit any hills either going up or down them. I pulled my RV with a retired 18 wheeler tractor - no issues with that and a fraction of the cost of a 1 ton truck. Loved the exhaust brake, too. Be safe - your wife and kids are counting on you.
Thank you! We had no idea what the 2nd weigh option was for! This video was shot in July so the inspection on the truck and trailer was completed when we got to August! We have pulled this rig close to 20,000 miles so far through many mountain passes in the west and hvae had no issues! These trucks are amazing with the technology and power they have now!
One of the best jobs I have seen discussing weights and a good reminder I need to go weigh again since reorganizing the front and rear storages of our 380FL.
Thank you! I tried to make it a simple as possible so anyone who feels intimidated by the truck stop environment could go do it themselves and understand how to break down the numbers!
The reason I did not bring it up is because the truck would be well over 14,000lbs. before you got close to the axle ratings! The rear axle is rated at 9900lbs and we only have 8720lbs on it! The Front axle is rated at 5990 lbs and we only see 5080lbs!
@@PavingNewPaths You did so well explaining the others was my only reason to mention. I have a 2012 F350 DRW and that is well within my RAWR too (9000 LB)
Thank you! We meet people all the time that are not aware of the licensing requirements in terms of weight! With all the dually trucks now days being a 14,000lb vehicle, it only takes a 12,000lb RV to put you over 26,000lbs!
Best explanation I’ve seen yet! Great job! I have the same setup as you but minus the people (still have the dog). Can’t wait to see what I come up with. On my short tow from the yard to the campground she felt so much heavier than when I brought her home from the dealer. I’ve been steady removing items.
Thank you! I see so many people posting a single scale slips online asking if they are overweight! Most of the time you can clearly see the truck is over 14K on the slip but it's impossible to know how much the trailer weights without two scale slips! I figured I would make a video showing exactly how to do it, the math and what it all means!
Very informative. When I saw your first weigh ticket I was immediately "He is overweight on the truck." I am glad you explained WHY and what you can do to make it better. You are right - emptying the water tank in the front of the camper will most likely get you the 600 pounds you need since water is 8 pounds per gallon.
I was at 13,800lbs on the truck, so not overweight yet but If I had any of my passengers with me, we would have been! We only travel with about 40 gallons of water so that only buys me around 300lbs! We have since rearranged everything and are closer to a 4,000lb pin weight, bringing the truck to around 13,200lbs! We loaded it very front heavy and had to move a lot of things back in the rig!
This was a very interesting video. I have always wondered how the scales worked. Also, lots of information I didn't know about with refence to the different parts of the total weight of the vehicles.
Thank you! This is why I made the video there was no good example I could find out there that showed how to weigh and take those numbers to understand what they mean!
Excellent video. This is, without a doubt, the best video explaining weights and how to weigh your RV. Thank you for sharing. Peace and Safe Travels-Craig
Thank you Craig! I see a lot of misinformation on the internet about this topic and I tried to simplify the process and show the math on how to understand the scale tickets!
Very good breakdown of weighing your rig and what they all mean. And thanks for breaking down the CDL issues, as I’ve seen a lot of discussions on different forums about it. Safe travels and congrats again on Baby Boy.
Thank you! The CDL and licensing requirements are very misunderstood among the RV world! First, they assume anything over 26,000lbs needs a CDL, only if you are for hire do you need the CDL! Second, they think it is based on the actual weight of the rig! When it's based on the GVWR of both the truck and the trailer combined! Every dually out there now has a GVWR of 14,000lbs so a 12,000lb RV puts you at the 26,000lb mark! For Texas that means a Class A Non CDL!
You would think so but not everyone knows what CDL stands for! It is based on the state you are from! We are from Texas so we are required to have a Class A non CDL for anything over 26,000lbs.
@@TonyBenton0728 I don't own an RV so it dorsnt matter to me. I guess I was surprised people don't know what CDL means. My brother is a long haul driver, we got deliveries from 18 wheelers daily in our produce business in Missouri. I've been around them all my life so knew what CDL meant ... I just assumed Americans knew what that meant. How their stuff got to them. When you learn to drive and get a driver's license you see the different classes. I just assumed folks would know. Lol funny me
I wanted to do this in a way that the average person that has no idea about weights and payloads could watch and understand! There are a lot of videos out there about weighing the RV and Truck but none that break it down and explain what it means!
Thank you! I actually thought I understood this pretty good as well! During the filming of this video I learned a lot myself on how to do this and get the right numbers from the info you have!
Nice video explaining how to weigh and breaking it down. Another way to get weight off the truck is switching to a Reese or Gen-Y goose ball hitch. Also, I’m getting 96 cents a gallon off using the Open Roads fuel card here in Tampa. Paid $4.06 this morning.
Thank you! We have the Gen-Y executive Pinbox installed on the RV, if we were to run the Gooseneck version it would weigh roughly the same but would allow us to remove the B&W fifth wheel hitch which is about 150lbs out of the bed of the truck! The reason we went with the Pinbox version over the gooseneck version is related to bedrail clearance issues we were having! We made a video about it here that you can check out if you're interested ruclips.net/video/4ZZJbAvBUMg/видео.html The Gen-Y pinbox combined with the B&W fifth wheel offered more combinations of adjustments to dial in the ride height of the RV than the Gooseneck version alone! We would be stuck with trying to determine what custom offset and rise ball we needed to get the RV at the optimal height!
It would be a nice feature, but these RV'S are already maxing out the class 3 duallys! If you get any bigger its time to step up to a class 4 or 5 truck or even into the MDT or HDT levels!
Thank you so much! We are glad you enjoy the videos! We were home in the Lufkin area to have baby boy, so I shot a lot of videos in and around Lufkin! We just started back on the road today so we have adventure videos on the way!
You do not have to do a first weigh when you get back on the scale. The reweigh is cheaper. All you have to do is enter the code on the top of your first weigh ticket and you pay a lot less money.
Thanks for a great explanation of weights. I’ve had my class1 / CDL for years and so many folks I’ve talked to seem a bit surprised that you actually need to know these things. I have an F450 & 395MS and fall under very similar weights, although a bit lighter pin. Sure nice to tow!
Thank you! I found alot of people have no idea how easy it is to overload a 14,000lb dually with how big these campers are now! I tried my best to keep it simple and show how to use the numbers to figure out where you are!
Kevin, what this video has taught me is that you need to head to the nearest Ford Dealer and immediately order a 2023 Black F 550, immediately if not sooner. In matter of fact leave that one right there in the truck stop and run to the dealer NOW. TP
The F450 and F550 would be great if they came in anything besides a work truck trim! I think if I had to go bigger, I would look at the Freightliner sports chassis!
Thank you! We love our truck! We made a video on how we installed the air system on a friends truck you can watch it here! ruclips.net/video/DNYt8HHJ94s/видео.html The only difference is he wanted the gauges and air bag controls mounted by the steering wheel.
In NC any trailer over 10000 lbs you need a “classified” A. If it’s for commercial for hire then it goes to CDL A. Motorcoaches over 26000 lbs require a “classified” A as well. Generally though people are not going to get pulled over with a camper but if you get in a wreck and don’t have the proper class license then it’s a ticket for driving without a license.
You have to have the license required for your home state if you are for recreational use! For us in Texas we have to have a Class A non CDL! I can drive in any state as long as I follow the rules from my home state that my license is issued!
@@PavingNewPaths yep. I think a lot of RV dealers over the years didn’t make this clear to people buying them. Depending on the state I think there is heightened enforcement of these weight/license laws. In NC they don’t seem to care unless there is an accident.
@@redbovine I will say a majority of people in Texas have no Idea they are pulling an RV with the wrong license! If you have a 1 ton dually 14k GVWR it only takes a 12k RV which is very small for a fifthwheel to be over 26k!
Thank you! It depends on your State and their requirements! Not All states have a Class A Non CDL requirement for us being from Texas we are one of them!
Very good video. Great explanation. Another thing I didn’t hear mention to people, is that other GVWR the most important thing to consider is your GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating). So many people focus on the GVWR and think that is it, but making sure your axles are not overloaded is key. Other than moving weight around in the trailer, a good set of airbags will also help transfer weight back to the trailer as well.
Thank you! The reason I don't mention the GAWR is because the Truck will be over the GVWR of 14,000 lbs well before the Rear axle rating of 9900lbs is exceeded! In this video I was 1180lbs less than the rear axle rating but only 200lbs away from exceeding the GVWR! We run airbags on our truck and they help level the ride but they do not transfer weight back to the trailer! You can change how the truck feels the weight (front axle and rear axle) by adjusting the position of the fifthwheel in the bed! If you want to change the pin weight of the trailer you need move you weight in the RV from the front to the rear!
Thank you! I made this video to show how to do it and how easy it is to be overweight! Now todays video builds upon this but I bring in an F450 and show how easy I can overload and F350 and an F450 with just a 20,000 lb trailer! You can check it out her if you want! ruclips.net/video/S6q-InMfGfw/видео.html
You could but it's not very respectful to the truckers to unhook your trailer on the scale when you can do it this way and be on and off the scale in a few minutes!
It is amazing to me how many people don't know about the class A in Texas! If you have a 1Ton dually they are all rated at 14K GVWR it only takes a 12K RV/trailer to put you at 26K! It is actually pretty easy to get the Class A Non CDL , but it is not talked about very often, so most people don't know that it is a requirement! I was just glad they didn't make me do the backing exercises they make the CDL guys do because I might have failed the driving test! The instructor says you are docked points every time you get out to look!
Thank You! It is really easy but I think a lot of people get intimidated by the truck stop scales! I wanted to show how easy it is and how to break down the scale slips!
@@PavingNewPaths Also, I really like the fact that you take the time to respond to ALL the comments! 👍😃. And, this is hands down, the best video on RUclips by a RVer that I have seen!!! I watch a lot of the other popular ones like you probably do as well as other folks, but you really knocked this outta the park. Sooooper simple to understand!!! The other channels, they seem had tooo much information that was a bit overwhelming and confusing. Keep up the awesome work on the channel and enjoy that new baby boy!!! 👍😃🍻
We try and keep up with the comments as best we can! We love interacting with viewers and try to provide both fun and educational content! We really appreciate your kind words regarding our channel content and how it compares to other channels you watch! Baby boy just had his two month checkup today and is doing great! Gearing up for his first camping trip soon! Let us know if there's any content you'd like us to cover that you haven't seen yet!
That's the one thing owners don't think about when loading up their RVs. 90% of all RVs have most of their storage between the axles and the hitch water tanks and etc. And all that weight goes toward the pin or hitch. It's like RV manufacturers forget that fact.
@@PavingNewPaths I would love to have a toy hauler like yours, but towing something that big would seem like a bigger headache than I would want to deal with. 😂 I have an 2020 Ford F350 single rear wheel that I tow our Keystone Cougar 25RES Half Ton with. Plenty of truck and a lot less worries.
@@atvtinker01 You would be surprised! The big RV'S are very easy to pull and maneuver! Im sure its what your used to but for me the bigger the trailer the easier and more predictable it is!
@@PavingNewPaths A lot of the RV parks we like to visit really can't accommodate something as big as yours, but we enjoy the more peaceful surroundings they present. There are times I wish we could bring our side by side, but it's all good either way.
2020 DRV Fullhouse JX450 2020 GMC Sierra AT4 3500 SRW Steer- 5480 Drive- 7980 Trailer axle- 21180 Gross- 34640. Per GM- GAWR FRT- 6000 Per GM- GAWR RR- 7250 This is with stock tires LT275/65R20 which has a load rating of 3750. I have LT295/65R20 with load rating of 4080.
You need one more slip to know the actual weights! Just the truck without the trailer! Then we can determine the pin weight of the trailer and add it to the trailer axle weight for the gross trailer weight! Being a SRW truck you are going to be very overloaded especially with that 24K RV! You need to know your GVWR on your truck as well, the GAWR are just he max capacity of each axle, but you don't add them together for GVWR! Clearly your rear axle is overweight due to the pin weight of the trailer! My estimate is your trailer is probably 25,500lbs total making it overweight by 1500lbs and your truck is likely overweight as well-being only a SRW! Go weigh the truck by itself and then you will know the exact weights and see if you can bring it back down to a legal level!
So you have a pin weight of 3900 lbs for a total trailer weight of 25,080 lbs! Your trailer is 1,080 lbs over weight! I don't know what the GVWR of a SRW chevy 3500 is but my DRW ford is only 14,000lbs and would right there at the limit with this set up! Either way the trailer is on the heavy side but even bringing it back down to 24,000lbs I am not sure your truck with a SRW will every be able to support that trailer!
Hi Kevin, hope all is great with the family. I have to say you have always made great videos and the best way of breaking down and explaining things. Keep up the good work teaching all of us the RV world. 🤗 looking forward for your new adventures.
Hi Cindy, everyone is doing great! Thanks for the compliment I try my best to make videos that are informative and somewhat entertaining! We have a few more videos of RV related stuff coming up before you see the entire family back in action!
Do you like the 5th wheel hitch over the goose neck? I pull a 13,000lb 5th wheel but had the Reese goose box installed. The Reese goose box is the only 5th wheel to goose ball conversion approved by lipert. Other conversion systems will void the trailer warranty. I like the goose ball of the 5th wheel hitch because all you have in the box is an easy remove ball.
We kept the pinbox and fifth wheel hitch because it allows us the most combinations if adjustment as far as height and position relative to the rear axle! We have been able to dial our set up in for ride quality, and clearance! The Reese goosebox was on the list but the math said it would not fix our clearance issues with out a ball with a rise in it! Also to change the ride height or position in the bed you have to order custom rise and offset balls through B&W!
This is a very detailed video, you are spot on on the truck and your pin weights and everything. the only thing you're a bit cloudy on is the GVWR of the trailer. GVWR is usually the combined of all the axles on the trailer in your case 3 7,000 # axles usually equal 21,000 Pounds, if you only have 14,000 on the rear axles you have tons and tons of ability. you don't count the weight that transferred to the truck legally as the weight on the camper you count only what's on the rear axles of the trailer as towards the GVWR of the trailer. you do however count the pin weight that's added to the truck when it comes to respect of GVWR on the truck.
Thank you! Let's talk about the cloudy issue you have with the GVWR on the trailer! My trailer has a dry weight of 16,332 lbs. and a GVWR of 20,000 lbs. That gives me a payload capacity in my trailer of 3,668lbs. This is why we have to have two scale slips once we know the pin weight, we add it to the trailer axle weight and that gives us the total weight of the trailer! So, in this video our trailer 19,420 lbs. so we don't have tons of capacity left we only have 580lbs. The GVWR of the trailer is the max weight the trailer can weigh by itself, it does not matter how much the truck is carrying the trailer can only weigh 20,000lbs. By your thinking the if the axles can handle 21,000lbs, but you don't count the pin weight you're saying my trailer can weight 25,240lbs and be legal? You're likely thinking of the opposite scenario where the Trailer Axles are rated at 14,000lbs (2x7) but the GVWR of the trailer is 16,000lbs. Where the axles are not rated for the weight of the RV but the pin weight on the truck will make the weight of the trailer within in capacity of the axles!
When you weigh twice use second weigh it's cheaper it will match the truck number and company making it work. Most trucks have to way more then once if there overweight so that's why there's the option to second weigh.
Thank you! It is a Grand Design Momentum 397TH! The empty weight is around 16,300 lbs. with and advertised pin weight of 3570lbs empty! The Gross is 20,000lbs so we have a payload of 3,700lbs! In the video we are pin heavy by about 600lbs but have since repositioned things in the camper and have moved almost 300lbs off the truck to the axles of the RV!
Excellent explanation for a trailer RV. Only thing is the 14K the vehicle max or the license max or both. To many people try to save a few bucks and go under weight on the vehicle license. Good explanation for the drivers license also and how Texas, California and some have a state requirement. that is one of the reasons many go with Florida or South Dakota for their drivers license and vehicle registration and license plates. South Dakota is the easiest and simplest as they do not need a yearly inspection either.
Thank You! I believe there are 13 states that have the Class A non CDL requirement if you drive a vehicle over 26,000lbs! Most people assume it is what you weigh, when it is based on the Door stickers on the truck and the RV! Our truck is 14,000 lb. GVWR so a 12,000lb. GVWR RV will put you in to the Class A Non CDL license Requirement!
I have also played around with the position of the fifth wheel plate in relation to the rear axle to try and keep it from loading or unloading the front axle when the trailer is hooked up!
@@PavingNewPaths just be glad you got what you got! I have an 02 with the 7.3 and a full CM bed . I have to keep under 20k gcwr. I have air bags. It's a fine line!
There is a lot on this topic that is often misunderstood! My truck is GVWR of 14,000lbs and my trailer has a GVWR of 20,000lbs, most people think ok so you can be 34,000lbs combined and your fine! That is not correct as around 30,000lbs combined your truck is likely overweight and the trailer is very close to being at the max capacity! Today's video is a preview of what you can expect next Sunday but we bring in another truck and we show you how we can max out my truck and the "Other" truck with just a 20,000lb trailer!
Another great video. I just weighed my 450 and Solitude for the first time last week. Your truck is only a few hundred pounds lighter but I’m only pulling about 16300. I cringed when you hit “first weigh” the second time, but I see the other commenters have educated you on that. 😊 Looking forward to your next video.
Next Sundays video we do a comparison between a F450 and F350 and we load my RV down to almost max capacity to show the real-world numbers on what it looks like on both trucks! We also explain why my truck is almost the same weight as the F450 and that's due to the upgrades I have done to make our truck better equipped to handle fulltime life on the road! Also, I wish I would have known about the 2nd weigh because we use the scale 4 times in the next video!
The sticker on the door does not tell you how much the truck weighs. For our truck it lists the GVWR of 14,000 lbs., front axle gross rating of 5990 lbs. and a rear axle gross rating of 9900 lbs.! We have added a toolbox, bedcover, fifth wheel hitch, onboard air system and airbags. The only way to know what our truck actually weighs with fuel and all the things we have added is to take it to the scale.
Thank you! I think a lot of people avoid it because they don't understand it and are intimidated by the truck stop environment! I made the video to show how easy it is to do and how to break down the scale slips!
@@PavingNewPaths Agreed! My husband and I are prior drivers so for us the truck stop stuff is familiar, as well the "weigh your wagon". :) I do have to say it's a shame there are very few drivers out there anymore, it's packed with "steering wheel holders". I know understanding all the weights and making sure your within your specs is a bit to understand with axle weights, gross and gross combined but it's critical.
Thank you! The rear axle is rated at 9900lbs, we are well under that! The reason I didn't mention it is I don't know how you would ever come close to that number with out being well over the GVWR of 14,000lbs for the truck! We have since moved things around and our pin weight is around 4200lbs bringing the truck down to 13,400lbs!
We live and travel fulltime, so we usually only do this once a year now! Every year around the holidays we take time to empty out the RV, Do any major maintenance or repair's, make any changes to the RV we want, and we also go through and see the things we haven't been using and remove them! Since we usually do several things to the RV we want to know what our new weight is before we hit the road again! This video was right after one of these times home and you could see we were a little bit on the heavy side! If you are not traveling fulltime I would just load it up how you plan to use it and then you will know what you weigh, then you can just estimate from there depending on how you have it loaded each trip!
She did not think I was funny at all! It was super awkward after because we had to get in my truck and drive but she was not saying a word so I just sat there waiting for her to tell me where to go!
@@PavingNewPathsthat’s funny, I’m also a CLD A , truck driver , I have taken my test and driving test 4 times in the last 10 years , ( some state require you to re test , bothe written and driving , if you leave the state and come back , like Illinois) and every time I re tested , the lady or man at the DMV testing was NOT A CDL A holder , they never driven a truck and yet they were testing me , also had to retest once I had an automatic then went back to a company that had a manual transmission, so you have to road test again to go back to manual after 20 yrs of manual driving , they made me do it again lol …wonder why we don’t have a sense of humor?
The test for me was similar to yours, but I don't have to do a pre trip inspection, and they don't make me do the backing portion! Instead we just drive around for 30 minutes, follow the instructors directions and our passing score is a 70% compared to your 80%. I also agree the instructor should have the license and experience of the test you are taking in order to judge how well you are actually doing!
The fuel program is through TSD Logistics! Here is the link to check it out! myopenroads.com/rv%2Fpersonal-application It is made for RV owners to be able to fuel up at the truck stops!
It is actually very easy to pull around! The bigger the trailer the easier it is to tow! It has been an adventure that has allowed us to explore as a family!
Yep! Just got my class F for SC!! Everyone on SC camping groups think I don’t need it lol… for the SC class F, you do need to back, quite a bit! I took my test with an empty 14k lb rated dove tail trailer.
I look at it this way, If i am involved in an accident, and I don't have the right license for the vehicle I am operating! I am automatically at fault! So it is to big of a risk to not go take the test and have correct license for the combination you are driving!
@@PavingNewPaths 100% correct! When I asked the groups, one guy told me to call him and he told me his friend had a dually and a 41’ Jayco north point. Someone ran a red light and them… since he wasn’t licensed correctly, insurance company’s wouldn’t pay for damages and the department of transportation fined the heck out of him! Side note, I barely missed y’all in Charleston! Y’all went to the carrier the weekend after me 😂
I filled up at loves most of the trip to get our rv and I could not for the life of me get the TSD card to work for DEF at the pump, it worked if I went in and swiped it at the register. Also are your "helper" or "auxiliary" springs engaged with the rv attached? I was surprised to see that I still have about 2" of travel before the truck is always engaged with them
I had the ssme issue recently at Loves also the diesel would work but the DEF would not! We have airbags on the truck to keep everything level! We have around 2 inches before the overload springs engage!
I think I'm going to have the opposite issue you have, I need to weigh! We have a washer+dryer and my full-size 40x20 toolbox full in the garage but just generator prep in the front. It solves both our issues if you have the generator and give it to me lol
A big thank you for this video. I've always wanted to know my weights but felt a little intimidated by rolling onto a Cat Scale. Now if I can figure out how to load the app on my "smarter than me" phone.
Great video - learned a lot about the weighing process. Not sure if you'll see this comment, but I'm also in Texas and will also be over the combined 26k numbers with the toy hauler I plan to get. Trying to figure out exactly what to study from the CDL handbook for the Class A Exempt has been like pulling teeth in the dark with my feet; just can't seem to find that info out there, and DPS hasn't been overly helpful in doing so. How did you figure out what sections to study, or should I just study the whole thing to be safe?
Thank you! Here is a link to the website I used to prepare for and take my test! thecampingadvisor.com/non-commercial-class-a-license-texas/ You only need to study section 6 and 14 of the CDL Handbook, I also used a website called Testbuddy to study! I will say when you show up to take the knowledge test, I had to explain my reasoning for taking the test to the lady and after she made phone calls, she let me take the test! The same thing happened when I showed up to do the driving test with my RV! The instructor had to make phone calls to verify that the test I was trying to take was to get a Class A Non CDL!
Stupid newbie question. if you have your 5th wheel hitch higher than lower in the bed, would it transfer some weight to the trailer axles and not on the pin?
You want to be as level as possible when towing. Here's a video where we moved the 5th wheel positioning and compared it to air bags being inflated and deflated to see the effect the rv has on the truck.ruclips.net/video/I16SxEQJfAA/видео.html
We decided to sell our home about 8 weeks ago, we bought our RV very comparable to yours except we went with KZ Venom because they warranty full timers with little to no limits for a full 2 years. From decision time to camper was 3 weeks. We get a little research but not a ton we just wanna a lot and ask for the best they had. We had two inspected the sane you’re in and the KZ and they both passed. I also liked the light Color scheme versus the brown in the GD. Anyway I love my RV but have one regret! Wish we knew full body paint was a option.
We went with Grand Design because they were one of the few brands that were being pushed as fulltime living capable! We have had our fair share of issues but for the most part they were just minor ones that we have been able to take care of without the dealership! When we decided to sell everything and do this our major check box was full body paint! We wouldn't have an RV that wasn't painted now! The KZ Venom looks like a great rig! Good luck in your new adventures you will love fulltime life!
@@PavingNewPaths thank you and yes we’re inquiring to see if we can get ours painted. after talking with the inspector that we had that inspected both rigs I don’t know that we would buy anything aside from a grand design or a KZ. But yes your rig is absolutely beautiful with that full body paint
The fuel program is through TSD Logistics! Here is the link to check it out! myopenroads.com/rv%2Fpersonal-application It is made for RV owners to be able to fuel up at the truck stops!
Hello! The jack pads are homemade and we have a video coming out Thursday showing you what you need and how to make them yourself! I have the MX4 model you can check it out here! amzn.to/3vOrn62
Guys when you get on the scale the second time hit the re-weigh option. Doing this will cost you a grand total of $2.50 more. Total for weighing is 15.50 or maybe 16.00 dollars.
Yes we learned this after we posted the video! We just wished we learned it sooner since next week's video has us weighing 4x at full price! Thank you!
We've very similar rigs, a 2020 F-350 dually with 6.7 and a Grand Design 397TH. I was comparing weights and it was kind of interesting. We have a 50 gal auxiliary tank in the truck that was full and the hitch was in the truck. 5180 steering, 4460 drivers for a total of 9640. Our 397TH with a 2,000lb toy in back and about 30 gals of water in the fresh tank is as follows; 5380 steering, 8280 on the drivers and 17160 trailer for a total of 30820. That toy located behind the axels on the trailer seems to take a lot of weight off of the pin/drivers. You have me curious now so I'm going to have to weigh without the toy and see what I come up with. I think without the toy, I would be overweight on the truck. It's GVW is 14,000 same as yours. In Kansas if you're over 26,000 you need a class A non CDL to be legal.
We have the exact set up we just don't have a toy to help out with pin weight! We have actually moved things around and have our pin weight around 4200lbs now! In Texas anything over 26,000 requires a class A non CDL. Its based off the GVWR of the RV and the Truck not what you actually weigh! So our F350 duallys are 14,000 lbs GVWR so a 12,000 Lb RV puts you at that license requirement! I have looked at your numbers if you would like to talk about them send us a message on our Paving New Paths Facebook and we can talk!
![Ice On My Teeth - ATEEZ エイティーズ 에이티즈 [Music Bank] | KBS WORLD TV 241115](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/c-n92OgbbwA/mqdefault.jpg)
Outstanding video for RV'rs! Best one I have seen for understanding the entire process of weighing at the scales and how to fix out of range results
Thank you! I felt like a lot of people are intimidated by the scale or don't understand how to read the scale slips to see what is going on! I tried to make it simple so that anyone could watch this and go do it and be able to understand how to use the info!
Being a toy hauler, if you had a toy loaded in the back, it should take some weight off the pin because of the leverage created by putting the weight behind the trailer axle. I believe most manufacturers do not recommend traveling with the water/waste tanks full because they don't use strong enough straps to hold the tanks when fully loaded. My hauler has a fresh water capacity of 146 gallons (I'm guessing yours is similar), water weighs over 8#/gal., so if your fresh water was full, you could reduce the camper weight by 1,200# (600# if it was 1/2 full). Even if only 1/2 of that comes off the pin weight, you should be well within your target weight. Glad to see others are concerned about this! Too many people out there telling folks you can haul one of these with a SRW F-350 or even a F-250 and calling people "tow police" (or worse) if you tell them they'd be over weight and that it's not safe...👍
We don't carry a Toy but the way we load the garage for travel days is with the same idea we have 500-600lbs in the rear to help with pin weight! We also try to keep the 60 gallons of gas for the generator and toy topped off as it is my only way to add weight behind the axles! We typically only travel with 30 -40 gallons of fresh water in the tank (240lbs-320lbs) so that is what was in the tanks when we scaled it! We have adjusted the way we loaded the bedroom and the front compartment area and have already shifted almost 250lbs the pin weight! That being said having a toy would greatly help with pin weight, but we would have to get rid of some of our stuff so were not over the GVWR of the trailer! One thing we can all agree on is the numbers don't lie there is no way you should haul one of these with a single wheel truck!
@@PavingNewPaths 👍
@@OOMAN we travel about 5000-8000 miles a year and it’s amazing at how many people pull these with a 2500 or 250. They either don’t care or just have no idea about weight.
@@nathanurick8320 I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, and say that they just don't have any idea. They probably asked their dealer (truck or RV), and the dealer told them they were good to go!!! Most people will look at the towing capacity, and never consider the cargo capacity/pin weight, etc........ Like I always say, It's all fine...until it's not.....😫
Great video. We hall campers commercially for a living. Great way to show the numbers and how you can adjust them to make it safer.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Finally, a simple and straightforward video explaining how to generate the numbers you need. Also, thank you for showing the CAT scale process. We just took our first trip last weekend and on our way to the campground, we hit up a truck stop and weighed everything. This video eliminated the intimidation factor of not knowing what to do.
Thank you! We are glad you enjoyed the video and that it helped you to not feel intimidated by the truck stop environment!
Just watching some of your old videos... I thought your joke to the CDL examiner was hysterical!! I have been a cop for 32 years and without humor I would be lost!
I thought it was hilarious as well! I mean I did drive it 3 hours without the right licence to take the test for the license! Showing up in one piece should be like 75% of the test!
@@PavingNewPaths 100%. Your logic is beyond reproach! I hate when government gets in the way of common sense! It’s nice to know that somewhere there is a tree growing that will one day turn into firewood, that you and I are going to burn together! Grow little tree grow!
That is very informative. Even I don't tow a trailer. But I have towed a 1/ 2 ton 4x4 in a trailer 1 time. Never again that heavy. But I learned to drive slow. Anticipate traffic and not over heat my brakes. Thank you sir.
Thank you! I wanted to make a video to show how easy it is to do this, how to use the scale slips to determine all your weights and what they mean!
Good information. A lot of people just hook up a camper and don’t even worry about the weight. I have a commercial class A because I drive a semi truck. Thanks for what you do.
Thank you! We understand that it can be very easy to overload the RV and especially the ratings of the truck! We wanted to make a video to show how easy it is to figure out your weights and how you can use that information!
The weight scales of figuring out is so simple. I don’t know why others have to make it so complicated from the simple fact. You showed the so simple version that it is just that. Only thing I would add to it is for people to pay attention to the weight rating of what’s on the tires they put on vehicles/trailer. You could be within the range of what the door stick or trailer stick. But if you get new tires and don’t get the proper weight range on tire. You could be overweight of tires rating. Dot does use the tires numbers on commercial vehicle stops and inspection.
Thank you! We made this video a while back and wanted to show that it was way simpler than other videos I had watched! We hope we did a good job of simplifying the process and the math so you can understand what you real weights are! It is also very important to consider the weight rating of your tires when replacing them!
2nd weight is used by drivers after they have checked their truck/trailer and need to adjust either the 5th wheel or trailer axel position (both are adjustable) and return to the scales. Note that your truck inspection sticker expires soon. You do have your trailer inspected as well, right? Your truck/RV will present you with issues once you hit any hills either going up or down them. I pulled my RV with a retired 18 wheeler tractor - no issues with that and a fraction of the cost of a 1 ton truck. Loved the exhaust brake, too. Be safe - your wife and kids are counting on you.
Thank you! We had no idea what the 2nd weigh option was for! This video was shot in July so the inspection on the truck and trailer was completed when we got to August! We have pulled this rig close to 20,000 miles so far through many mountain passes in the west and hvae had no issues! These trucks are amazing with the technology and power they have now!
One of the best jobs I have seen discussing weights and a good reminder I need to go weigh again since reorganizing the front and rear storages of our 380FL.
Thank you! I tried to make it a simple as possible so anyone who feels intimidated by the truck stop environment could go do it themselves and understand how to break down the numbers!
Think the only other thing to consider is your RAWR (Rear Axles Weight Rating) though your numbers looked well in spec.
The reason I did not bring it up is because the truck would be well over 14,000lbs. before you got close to the axle ratings! The rear axle is rated at 9900lbs and we only have 8720lbs on it! The Front axle is rated at 5990 lbs and we only see 5080lbs!
@@PavingNewPaths You did so well explaining the others was my only reason to mention. I have a 2012 F350 DRW and that is well within my RAWR too (9000 LB)
Great information. Rig is shining. I had to get my non class B. Have a wonderful day! Thanks 😊!
Thank you! We meet people all the time that are not aware of the licensing requirements in terms of weight! With all the dually trucks now days being a 14,000lb vehicle, it only takes a 12,000lb RV to put you over 26,000lbs!
Interesting stuff. My trucker hubs saw your weigh scale ticket and came running to watch.
It is interesting stuff, and very important to know where you are! My wife said this video felt like there was going to be a pop quiz at the end!
Pretty darn smart there Kevin. Your explanation was on point.
Thank you so much Sheila!
Best explanation I’ve seen yet! Great job! I have the same setup as you but minus the people (still have the dog). Can’t wait to see what I come up with. On my short tow from the yard to the campground she felt so much heavier than when I brought her home from the dealer. I’ve been steady removing items.
Thank you! I see so many people posting a single scale slips online asking if they are overweight! Most of the time you can clearly see the truck is over 14K on the slip but it's impossible to know how much the trailer weights without two scale slips! I figured I would make a video showing exactly how to do it, the math and what it all means!
Really appreciate the excellent demonstration at the cat scale and explanation of the weights!!
Thank you! I tried to keep it simple and straight forward!
Great video Kevin and the truck still looks brand new.
Thanks! Its hard to keep a black truck clean here in East Texas! Between the pine trees and the pollen!
@@PavingNewPaths I agree. My suv is also black an got pine tree around me when the pollen takes over I have a new color vehicle 😂
At times I think its dirty before I finish washing it!
Very informative. When I saw your first weigh ticket I was immediately "He is overweight on the truck." I am glad you explained WHY and what you can do to make it better. You are right - emptying the water tank in the front of the camper will most likely get you the 600 pounds you need since water is 8 pounds per gallon.
I was at 13,800lbs on the truck, so not overweight yet but If I had any of my passengers with me, we would have been! We only travel with about 40 gallons of water so that only buys me around 300lbs! We have since rearranged everything and are closer to a 4,000lb pin weight, bringing the truck to around 13,200lbs! We loaded it very front heavy and had to move a lot of things back in the rig!
This was a very interesting video. I have always wondered how the scales worked. Also, lots of information I didn't know about with refence to the different parts of the total weight of the vehicles.
Thank you! This is why I made the video there was no good example I could find out there that showed how to weigh and take those numbers to understand what they mean!
Excellent video. This is, without a doubt, the best video explaining weights and how to weigh your RV. Thank you for sharing. Peace and Safe Travels-Craig
Thank you Craig! I see a lot of misinformation on the internet about this topic and I tried to simplify the process and show the math on how to understand the scale tickets!
@@PavingNewPaths I can tell that you put a lot of time and work into getting it right.
Wanted to add that I have followed a number of your videos, and you are doing a great job. Nice filming and narration!
Thanks so much! We appreciate your kind words and feedback!
Excellent video. Very informative and helpful determining how to setup and maintain the balance for your RV. Thanks
Thank you! We wanted to show how to scale your set up and how to use the numbers to make changes!
Excellent Vlog. Amazing information and demo, I had a somewhat understanding of things, but after this, a full understanding of how to weigh.
Thank you! Glad I could help you out!
Great practical application of evaluating weight. Thanks for the video!
Very good breakdown of weighing your rig and what they all mean. And thanks for breaking down the CDL issues, as I’ve seen a lot of discussions on different forums about it. Safe travels and congrats again on Baby Boy.
Thank you! The CDL and licensing requirements are very misunderstood among the RV world! First, they assume anything over 26,000lbs needs a CDL, only if you are for hire do you need the CDL! Second, they think it is based on the actual weight of the rig! When it's based on the GVWR of both the truck and the trailer combined! Every dually out there now has a GVWR of 14,000lbs so a 12,000lb RV puts you at the 26,000lb mark! For Texas that means a Class A Non CDL!
@@PavingNewPaths the fact that CDL means commercial drivers license, shouldn't that be a clue?
You would think so but not everyone knows what CDL stands for! It is based on the state you are from! We are from Texas so we are required to have a Class A non CDL for anything over 26,000lbs.
@@TonyBenton0728 I don't own an RV so it dorsnt matter to me. I guess I was surprised people don't know what CDL means. My brother is a long haul driver, we got deliveries from 18 wheelers daily in our produce business in Missouri. I've been around them all my life so knew what CDL meant ... I just assumed Americans knew what that meant. How their stuff got to them. When you learn to drive and get a driver's license you see the different classes. I just assumed folks would know. Lol funny me
Professor Kevin, this was almost nerdy (in a good way) with all the numbers, ratios, and whatnot. It makes me want to build a spreadsheet template!
I wanted to do this in a way that the average person that has no idea about weights and payloads could watch and understand! There are a lot of videos out there about weighing the RV and Truck but none that break it down and explain what it means!
Dude!!! Great video!! I really needed that.. Now I totally understand how to get our weight correctly!! Hope to see you out on the road. Be safe!!
Thank you! I actually thought I understood this pretty good as well! During the filming of this video I learned a lot myself on how to do this and get the right numbers from the info you have!
Wow finally a video that explains it all in a nut shell... very easy to understand wonderful job. And I truly enjoy watching the family shows
Thank you so much! I tried to take something that seems complicated and make it easy to understand!
Thanks for bringing us along!
Thanks for watching!
The Eagles made a song about this - “Take it to the limit”
That's actually really funny!
Watching this video could actually save lives
We agree!
Great information. I will be referring back to this video after I weigh my RV. Thanks Kevin!
Thanks Thomas! I bet your just fine considering your truck has more payload than mine!
Great video! Been wanting to get our setup weighed. No I am very informed on how to do it at the scale. Thank you
Thank you! It is very easy and quick if you get the cat scale app!
Nice video explaining how to weigh and breaking it down. Another way to get weight off the truck is switching to a Reese or Gen-Y goose ball hitch. Also, I’m getting 96 cents a gallon off using the Open Roads fuel card here in Tampa. Paid $4.06 this morning.
Thank you! We have the Gen-Y executive Pinbox installed on the RV, if we were to run the Gooseneck version it would weigh roughly the same but would allow us to remove the B&W fifth wheel hitch which is about 150lbs out of the bed of the truck! The reason we went with the Pinbox version over the gooseneck version is related to bedrail clearance issues we were having! We made a video about it here that you can check out if you're interested ruclips.net/video/4ZZJbAvBUMg/видео.html
The Gen-Y pinbox combined with the B&W fifth wheel offered more combinations of adjustments to dial in the ride height of the RV than the Gooseneck version alone! We would be stuck with trying to determine what custom offset and rise ball we needed to get the RV at the optimal height!
Refreshing to see someone who knows how the weights work. Also, nice job on the pull test.
Thank you! I think a lot of people over complicate this and I wanted to show how easy it is to do and how to use the information!
Lol, being a retired truck driver, I think the RV industry is going to have to come out with sliding axles on your trailers.
It would be a nice feature, but these RV'S are already maxing out the class 3 duallys! If you get any bigger its time to step up to a class 4 or 5 truck or even into the MDT or HDT levels!
Wow....I been following you since I got my camper....you're literally 5mins away from me at the love's
Thank you so much! We are glad you enjoy the videos! We were home in the Lufkin area to have baby boy, so I shot a lot of videos in and around Lufkin! We just started back on the road today so we have adventure videos on the way!
Awesome 😎 video Kevin n very informative too , I enjoy it
Thank for watching Josh!
@@PavingNewPaths can the rear seat hold 3 booster 💺 seats?
@@joshsuperduty1270 Yes it can!
Lufkin Loves my favorite in and out truck stop
I went to this one because I thought it would be less crowded than the bigger one leaving town!
You do not have to do a first weigh when you get back on the scale. The reweigh is cheaper. All you have to do is enter the code on the top of your first weigh ticket and you pay a lot less money.
Yes we didn't know about the reweigh option until we posted this video! We could have saved some money!
Which is why I purchased an F550.
That's probably our next truck!
Thanks for a great explanation of weights. I’ve had my class1 / CDL for years and so many folks I’ve talked to seem a bit surprised that you actually need to know these things. I have an F450 & 395MS and fall under very similar weights, although a bit lighter pin. Sure nice to tow!
Thank you! I found alot of people have no idea how easy it is to overload a 14,000lb dually with how big these campers are now! I tried my best to keep it simple and show how to use the numbers to figure out where you are!
Kevin, what this video has taught me is that you need to head to the nearest Ford Dealer and immediately order a 2023 Black F 550, immediately if not sooner. In matter of fact leave that one right there in the truck stop and run to the dealer NOW. TP
The F450 and F550 would be great if they came in anything besides a work truck trim! I think if I had to go bigger, I would look at the Freightliner sports chassis!
@@PavingNewPaths Kevin, We have a 2022 Renegade Super C on a Freightliner M2 Chassis. I would say a Freightliner would be a good choice. TP
I think those are sweet rides!
Great video. I ordered the same truck back in April. Would love to see more video of the air bag compressor spot. Clever!
Thank you! We love our truck! We made a video on how we installed the air system on a friends truck you can watch it here! ruclips.net/video/DNYt8HHJ94s/видео.html
The only difference is he wanted the gauges and air bag controls mounted by the steering wheel.
In NC any trailer over 10000 lbs you need a “classified” A. If it’s for commercial for hire then it goes to CDL A. Motorcoaches over 26000 lbs require a “classified” A as well. Generally though people are not going to get pulled over with a camper but if you get in a wreck and don’t have the proper class license then it’s a ticket for driving without a license.
You have to have the license required for your home state if you are for recreational use! For us in Texas we have to have a Class A non CDL! I can drive in any state as long as I follow the rules from my home state that my license is issued!
@@PavingNewPaths yep. I think a lot of RV dealers over the years didn’t make this clear to people buying them. Depending on the state I think there is heightened enforcement of these weight/license laws. In NC they don’t seem to care unless there is an accident.
@@redbovine I will say a majority of people in Texas have no Idea they are pulling an RV with the wrong license! If you have a 1 ton dually 14k GVWR it only takes a 12k RV which is very small for a fifthwheel to be over 26k!
I just learned a ton! Very informative. Thank you.
Thank you for watching! We are glad you enjoyed the video!
Glad I got my Class A. But I never thought about Rvs and weight. Thanks again for the information.
Thank you! It depends on your State and their requirements! Not All states have a Class A Non CDL requirement for us being from Texas we are one of them!
Very good video. Great explanation. Another thing I didn’t hear mention to people, is that other GVWR the most important thing to consider is your GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating). So many people focus on the GVWR and think that is it, but making sure your axles are not overloaded is key. Other than moving weight around in the trailer, a good set of airbags will also help transfer weight back to the trailer as well.
Thank you! The reason I don't mention the GAWR is because the Truck will be over the GVWR of 14,000 lbs well before the Rear axle rating of 9900lbs is exceeded! In this video I was 1180lbs less than the rear axle rating but only 200lbs away from exceeding the GVWR! We run airbags on our truck and they help level the ride but they do not transfer weight back to the trailer! You can change how the truck feels the weight (front axle and rear axle) by adjusting the position of the fifthwheel in the bed! If you want to change the pin weight of the trailer you need move you weight in the RV from the front to the rear!
FINALLY ! Someone did up a proper video how to weigh an RV. if people only knew their own true numbers
Thank you! I made this video to show how to do it and how easy it is to be overweight! Now todays video builds upon this but I bring in an F450 and show how easy I can overload and F350 and an F450 with just a 20,000 lb trailer!
You can check it out her if you want! ruclips.net/video/S6q-InMfGfw/видео.html
Love watching you guys awesome channel
Thank you so much! We appreciate your support!
You can also do this by unhooking your trailer on the scale an come up with the same results.
You could but it's not very respectful to the truckers to unhook your trailer on the scale when you can do it this way and be on and off the scale in a few minutes!
I dropped my CDL but since I live in Texas I was able to keep my class A endorsement
It is amazing to me how many people don't know about the class A in Texas! If you have a 1Ton dually they are all rated at 14K GVWR it only takes a 12K RV/trailer to put you at 26K! It is actually pretty easy to get the Class A Non CDL , but it is not talked about very often, so most people don't know that it is a requirement! I was just glad they didn't make me do the backing exercises they make the CDL guys do because I might have failed the driving test! The instructor says you are docked points every time you get out to look!
Very gooood comprehensive video Kevin!!! You dumbed it down 4 a guy thats not the sharpest knife in the dishwasher. Thanx!!!
👍😃🍻
Thank You! It is really easy but I think a lot of people get intimidated by the truck stop scales! I wanted to show how easy it is and how to break down the scale slips!
@@PavingNewPaths Also, I really like the fact that you take the time to respond to ALL the comments! 👍😃. And, this is hands down, the best video on RUclips by a RVer that I have seen!!! I watch a lot of the other popular ones like you probably do as well as other folks, but you really knocked this outta the park. Sooooper simple to understand!!! The other channels, they seem had tooo much information that was a bit overwhelming and confusing.
Keep up the awesome work on the channel and enjoy that new baby boy!!!
👍😃🍻
We try and keep up with the comments as best we can! We love interacting with viewers and try to provide both fun and educational content! We really appreciate your kind words regarding our channel content and how it compares to other channels you watch! Baby boy just had his two month checkup today and is doing great! Gearing up for his first camping trip soon! Let us know if there's any content you'd like us to cover that you haven't seen yet!
That's the one thing owners don't think about when loading up their RVs. 90% of all RVs have most of their storage between the axles and the hitch water tanks and etc. And all that weight goes toward the pin or hitch. It's like RV manufacturers forget that fact.
Most RV's will max a truck out well before maxing the Trailer out!
@@PavingNewPaths I would love to have a toy hauler like yours, but towing something that big would seem like a bigger headache than I would want to deal with. 😂 I have an 2020 Ford F350 single rear wheel that I tow our Keystone Cougar 25RES Half Ton with. Plenty of truck and a lot less worries.
@@atvtinker01 You would be surprised! The big RV'S are very easy to pull and maneuver! Im sure its what your used to but for me the bigger the trailer the easier and more predictable it is!
@@PavingNewPaths A lot of the RV parks we like to visit really can't accommodate something as big as yours, but we enjoy the more peaceful surroundings they present. There are times I wish we could bring our side by side, but it's all good either way.
2020 DRV Fullhouse JX450
2020 GMC Sierra AT4 3500 SRW
Steer- 5480
Drive- 7980
Trailer axle- 21180
Gross- 34640.
Per GM- GAWR FRT- 6000
Per GM- GAWR RR- 7250
This is with stock tires LT275/65R20 which has a load rating of 3750.
I have LT295/65R20 with load rating of 4080.
You need one more slip to know the actual weights! Just the truck without the trailer! Then we can determine the pin weight of the trailer and add it to the trailer axle weight for the gross trailer weight! Being a SRW truck you are going to be very overloaded especially with that 24K RV! You need to know your GVWR on your truck as well, the GAWR are just he max capacity of each axle, but you don't add them together for GVWR! Clearly your rear axle is overweight due to the pin weight of the trailer! My estimate is your trailer is probably 25,500lbs total making it overweight by 1500lbs and your truck is likely overweight as well-being only a SRW! Go weigh the truck by itself and then you will know the exact weights and see if you can bring it back down to a legal level!
Truck weight full of fuel and passengers:
Steer- 5440
Drive- 4120
Gross- 9560
So you have a pin weight of 3900 lbs for a total trailer weight of 25,080 lbs! Your trailer is 1,080 lbs over weight! I don't know what the GVWR of a SRW chevy 3500 is but my DRW ford is only 14,000lbs and would right there at the limit with this set up! Either way the trailer is on the heavy side but even bringing it back down to 24,000lbs I am not sure your truck with a SRW will every be able to support that trailer!
@@PavingNewPaths From Dallas to Atlanta was fine, except Shreveport LA roads are horrible.
Hi Kevin, hope all is great with the family. I have to say you have always made great videos and the best way of breaking down and explaining things. Keep up the good work teaching all of us the RV world. 🤗 looking forward for your new adventures.
Hi Cindy, everyone is doing great! Thanks for the compliment I try my best to make videos that are informative and somewhat entertaining! We have a few more videos of RV related stuff coming up before you see the entire family back in action!
Really good info thanks
You're welcome!
Do you like the 5th wheel hitch over the goose neck? I pull a 13,000lb 5th wheel but had the Reese goose box installed. The Reese goose box is the only 5th wheel to goose ball conversion approved by lipert. Other conversion systems will void the trailer warranty. I like the goose ball of the 5th wheel hitch because all you have in the box is an easy remove ball.
We kept the pinbox and fifth wheel hitch because it allows us the most combinations if adjustment as far as height and position relative to the rear axle! We have been able to dial our set up in for ride quality, and clearance! The Reese goosebox was on the list but the math said it would not fix our clearance issues with out a ball with a rise in it! Also to change the ride height or position in the bed you have to order custom rise and offset balls through B&W!
Wonderful explanation on weight distribution I’ve seen to date. I just hope that our set up is that close when we weigh out.
Thank you! This showed me I need to move weight around to get to a more optimal set up!
This is a very detailed video, you are spot on on the truck and your pin weights and everything. the only thing you're a bit cloudy on is the GVWR of the trailer.
GVWR is usually the combined of all the axles on the trailer in your case 3 7,000 # axles usually equal 21,000 Pounds, if you only have 14,000 on the rear axles you have tons and tons of ability.
you don't count the weight that transferred to the truck legally as the weight on the camper you count only what's on the rear axles of the trailer as towards the GVWR of the trailer.
you do however count the pin weight that's added to the truck when it comes to respect of GVWR on the truck.
Thank you! Let's talk about the cloudy issue you have with the GVWR on the trailer! My trailer has a dry weight of 16,332 lbs. and a GVWR of 20,000 lbs. That gives me a payload capacity in my trailer of 3,668lbs. This is why we have to have two scale slips once we know the pin weight, we add it to the trailer axle weight and that gives us the total weight of the trailer! So, in this video our trailer 19,420 lbs. so we don't have tons of capacity left we only have 580lbs. The GVWR of the trailer is the max weight the trailer can weigh by itself, it does not matter how much the truck is carrying the trailer can only weigh 20,000lbs. By your thinking the if the axles can handle 21,000lbs, but you don't count the pin weight you're saying my trailer can weight 25,240lbs and be legal? You're likely thinking of the opposite scenario where the Trailer Axles are rated at 14,000lbs (2x7) but the GVWR of the trailer is 16,000lbs. Where the axles are not rated for the weight of the RV but the pin weight on the truck will make the weight of the trailer within in capacity of the axles!
Excellent video! Thanks!
Thank you! Glad I could help!
When you weigh twice use second weigh it's cheaper it will match the truck number and company making it work. Most trucks have to way more then once if there overweight so that's why there's the option to second weigh.
Thank you! We had no idea that the reweigh option was on $3.
Very informative … and I don’t even own an RV! 😞. Thank you.
Thank you!
Can you tell me what model of trailer that is so I can see the “dry weights”. Thanks great video
Thank you! It is a Grand Design Momentum 397TH! The empty weight is around 16,300 lbs. with and advertised pin weight of 3570lbs empty! The Gross is 20,000lbs so we have a payload of 3,700lbs! In the video we are pin heavy by about 600lbs but have since repositioned things in the camper and have moved almost 300lbs off the truck to the axles of the RV!
Very informative and practical information! Thanks!
Thank you!
Excellent explanation for a trailer RV. Only thing is the 14K the vehicle max or the license max or both. To many people try to save a few bucks and go under weight on the vehicle license. Good explanation for the drivers license also and how Texas, California and some have a state requirement. that is one of the reasons many go with Florida or South Dakota for their drivers license and vehicle registration and license plates. South Dakota is the easiest and simplest as they do not need a yearly inspection either.
Thank You! I believe there are 13 states that have the Class A non CDL requirement if you drive a vehicle over 26,000lbs! Most people assume it is what you weigh, when it is based on the Door stickers on the truck and the RV! Our truck is 14,000 lb. GVWR so a 12,000lb. GVWR RV will put you in to the Class A Non CDL license Requirement!
This also showed how much your air bag upgrade helps out! Your front axles unloaded v loaded were very similar.
I have also played around with the position of the fifth wheel plate in relation to the rear axle to try and keep it from loading or unloading the front axle when the trailer is hooked up!
@@PavingNewPaths just be glad you got what you got! I have an 02 with the 7.3 and a full CM bed . I have to keep under 20k gcwr. I have air bags. It's a fine line!
There is a lot on this topic that is often misunderstood! My truck is GVWR of 14,000lbs and my trailer has a GVWR of 20,000lbs, most people think ok so you can be 34,000lbs combined and your fine! That is not correct as around 30,000lbs combined your truck is likely overweight and the trailer is very close to being at the max capacity! Today's video is a preview of what you can expect next Sunday but we bring in another truck and we show you how we can max out my truck and the "Other" truck with just a 20,000lb trailer!
Great video, let’s me know what to check now.
Thank you! Glad I could help you out!
One of your best videos.
Thank you so much! I was worried when I made it that it was too far away from our normal RV related content! Glad to see you are enjoying it!
@@PavingNewPaths I'm a car guy, wrencher and DIY'er, so this content is right up my alley. Having a mix of content is welcome. Keep it up!
Thank you!
Another great video. I just weighed my 450 and Solitude for the first time last week. Your truck is only a few hundred pounds lighter but I’m only pulling about 16300. I cringed when you hit “first weigh” the second time, but I see the other commenters have educated you on that. 😊 Looking forward to your next video.
Next Sundays video we do a comparison between a F450 and F350 and we load my RV down to almost max capacity to show the real-world numbers on what it looks like on both trucks! We also explain why my truck is almost the same weight as the F450 and that's due to the upgrades I have done to make our truck better equipped to handle fulltime life on the road! Also, I wish I would have known about the 2nd weigh because we use the scale 4 times in the next video!
@@PavingNewPaths yikes! The savings could have bought you about 8 gallons of Diesel where I’m at now. We learn something new every day. 😊
An by the way on the door jam tell you your rear axle weight. Then add the weight of fuel to it. Diesel 7.6 pounds per gallon. This mite be helpful.
The sticker on the door does not tell you how much the truck weighs. For our truck it lists the GVWR of 14,000 lbs., front axle gross rating of 5990 lbs. and a rear axle gross rating of 9900 lbs.! We have added a toolbox, bedcover, fifth wheel hitch, onboard air system and airbags. The only way to know what our truck actually weighs with fuel and all the things we have added is to take it to the scale.
Valuable info for RVers!
Thank you!
Great information 👍
Thank you for watching!
Good explanation. It's very important information some don't really dive into.
Thank you! I think a lot of people avoid it because they don't understand it and are intimidated by the truck stop environment! I made the video to show how easy it is to do and how to break down the scale slips!
@@PavingNewPaths Agreed! My husband and I are prior drivers so for us the truck stop stuff is familiar, as well the "weigh your wagon". :) I do have to say it's a shame there are very few drivers out there anymore, it's packed with "steering wheel holders". I know understanding all the weights and making sure your within your specs is a bit to understand with axle weights, gross and gross combined but it's critical.
Very good information!
Thanks
Thank you!
Great video for the scales. Just wondering what your gross rear axle weight rating of your truck is and where does it fit into the calculation?
Thank you! The rear axle is rated at 9900lbs, we are well under that! The reason I didn't mention it is I don't know how you would ever come close to that number with out being well over the GVWR of 14,000lbs for the truck! We have since moved things around and our pin weight is around 4200lbs bringing the truck down to 13,400lbs!
So do you have to go through this every time you take a trip or can you estimate after you’ve done it once?
We live and travel fulltime, so we usually only do this once a year now! Every year around the holidays we take time to empty out the RV, Do any major maintenance or repair's, make any changes to the RV we want, and we also go through and see the things we haven't been using and remove them! Since we usually do several things to the RV we want to know what our new weight is before we hit the road again! This video was right after one of these times home and you could see we were a little bit on the heavy side! If you are not traveling fulltime I would just load it up how you plan to use it and then you will know what you weigh, then you can just estimate from there depending on how you have it loaded each trip!
I actually laughed out loud when you told the story of the CDL drivers having no sense of humor. So damn true.
She did not think I was funny at all! It was super awkward after because we had to get in my truck and drive but she was not saying a word so I just sat there waiting for her to tell me where to go!
@@PavingNewPathsthat’s funny, I’m also a CLD A , truck driver , I have taken my test and driving test 4 times in the last 10 years , ( some state require you to re test , bothe written and driving , if you leave the state and come back , like Illinois) and every time I re tested , the lady or man at the DMV testing was NOT A CDL A holder , they never driven a truck and yet they were testing me , also had to retest once I had an automatic then went back to a company that had a manual transmission, so you have to road test again to go back to manual after 20 yrs of manual driving , they made me do it again lol …wonder why we don’t have a sense of humor?
The test for me was similar to yours, but I don't have to do a pre trip inspection, and they don't make me do the backing portion! Instead we just drive around for 30 minutes, follow the instructors directions and our passing score is a 70% compared to your 80%. I also agree the instructor should have the license and experience of the test you are taking in order to judge how well you are actually doing!
Exactly which ECS card do you have? I can’t find it
The fuel program is through TSD Logistics! Here is the link to check it out! myopenroads.com/rv%2Fpersonal-application
It is made for RV owners to be able to fuel up at the truck stops!
Good lord you people are brave, selling your house to pull that huge thing around. Can't even fathom it.
It is actually very easy to pull around! The bigger the trailer the easier it is to tow! It has been an adventure that has allowed us to explore as a family!
Thank you for this informative video!👍🏼
Thank you for watching!
Yep! Just got my class F for SC!! Everyone on SC camping groups think I don’t need it lol… for the SC class F, you do need to back, quite a bit! I took my test with an empty 14k lb rated dove tail trailer.
I look at it this way, If i am involved in an accident, and I don't have the right license for the vehicle I am operating! I am automatically at fault! So it is to big of a risk to not go take the test and have correct license for the combination you are driving!
@@PavingNewPaths 100% correct! When I asked the groups, one guy told me to call him and he told me his friend had a dually and a 41’ Jayco north point. Someone ran a red light and them… since he wasn’t licensed correctly, insurance company’s wouldn’t pay for damages and the department of transportation fined the heck out of him!
Side note, I barely missed y’all in Charleston! Y’all went to the carrier the weekend after me 😂
The aircraft carrier was awesome!
@@PavingNewPaths yes it was!!!
I filled up at loves most of the trip to get our rv and I could not for the life of me get the TSD card to work for DEF at the pump, it worked if I went in and swiped it at the register.
Also are your "helper" or "auxiliary" springs engaged with the rv attached? I was surprised to see that I still have about 2" of travel before the truck is always engaged with them
I had the ssme issue recently at Loves also the diesel would work but the DEF would not! We have airbags on the truck to keep everything level! We have around 2 inches before the overload springs engage!
I think I'm going to have the opposite issue you have, I need to weigh!
We have a washer+dryer and my full-size 40x20 toolbox full in the garage but just generator prep in the front. It solves both our issues if you have the generator and give it to me lol
We have a Washer and Dryer plus s Generator up front! We don't carry a Toy in the back so we don't have alot back there to help reduce pin weight!
A big thank you for this video. I've always wanted to know my weights but felt a little intimidated by rolling onto a Cat Scale. Now if I can figure out how to load the app on my "smarter than me" phone.
Thank you! This is why we made the video to show everyone it is very easy and to not be afraid of the truck stop and all the things happening there!
Great video - learned a lot about the weighing process.
Not sure if you'll see this comment, but I'm also in Texas and will also be over the combined 26k numbers with the toy hauler I plan to get. Trying to figure out exactly what to study from the CDL handbook for the Class A Exempt has been like pulling teeth in the dark with my feet; just can't seem to find that info out there, and DPS hasn't been overly helpful in doing so. How did you figure out what sections to study, or should I just study the whole thing to be safe?
Thank you! Here is a link to the website I used to prepare for and take my test! thecampingadvisor.com/non-commercial-class-a-license-texas/
You only need to study section 6 and 14 of the CDL Handbook, I also used a website called Testbuddy to study! I will say when you show up to take the knowledge test, I had to explain my reasoning for taking the test to the lady and after she made phone calls, she let me take the test! The same thing happened when I showed up to do the driving test with my RV! The instructor had to make phone calls to verify that the test I was trying to take was to get a Class A Non CDL!
@@PavingNewPaths fantastic - thanks for the resource!
Ty great info !!
Thanks for watching!
Stupid newbie question. if you have your 5th wheel hitch higher than lower in the bed, would it transfer some weight to the trailer axles and not on the pin?
You want to be as level as possible when towing. Here's a video where we moved the 5th wheel positioning and compared it to air bags being inflated and deflated to see the effect the rv has on the truck.ruclips.net/video/I16SxEQJfAA/видео.html
Thank you! Good explanation 👏 we just started full time RV and we need weight our toys too 🙂
Thank you! Glad I could help I wanted to explain it so that if it was your first time you would feel comfortable doing it on your own!
Next time use reweigh on second weight. Just a few bucks and I think you have 24 hours to do it. Great video.
Thank you! I had no idea reweigh was cheaper!
Excellent!!!! Great explanation
Thank you!
We decided to sell our home about 8 weeks ago, we bought our RV very comparable to yours except we went with KZ Venom because they warranty full timers with little to no limits for a full 2 years. From decision time to camper was 3 weeks. We get a little research but not a ton we just wanna a lot and ask for the best they had. We had two inspected the sane you’re in and the KZ and they both passed. I also liked the light Color scheme versus the brown in the GD. Anyway I love my RV but have one regret! Wish we knew full body paint was a option.
We went with Grand Design because they were one of the few brands that were being pushed as fulltime living capable! We have had our fair share of issues but for the most part they were just minor ones that we have been able to take care of without the dealership! When we decided to sell everything and do this our major check box was full body paint! We wouldn't have an RV that wasn't painted now! The KZ Venom looks like a great rig! Good luck in your new adventures you will love fulltime life!
@@PavingNewPaths thank you and yes we’re inquiring to see if we can get ours painted. after talking with the inspector that we had that inspected both rigs I don’t know that we would buy anything aside from a grand design or a KZ. But yes your rig is absolutely beautiful with that full body paint
Great video thanks for the info
Thank you!
Very good, now all we have to do is to get more people to do it.
Thank you! I made this video to show how east it is! Sometimes I think peope are intimidated by the truck stop and everything that is going on there!
Great Information! Thanks!
Thank You!
So what was that card you were talking about? And my husband has a class A CDL and he is a great driver
The fuel program is through TSD Logistics! Here is the link to check it out! myopenroads.com/rv%2Fpersonal-application
It is made for RV owners to be able to fuel up at the truck stops!
Good Morning,
Hey what pads do you have under your leveling legs and what model back-flip do you have on your truck-bed?
Hello! The jack pads are homemade and we have a video coming out Thursday showing you what you need and how to make them yourself! I have the MX4 model you can check it out here! amzn.to/3vOrn62
Guys when you get on the scale the second time hit the re-weigh option. Doing this will cost you a grand total of $2.50 more. Total for weighing is 15.50 or maybe 16.00 dollars.
Yes we learned this after we posted the video! We just wished we learned it sooner since next week's video has us weighing 4x at full price! Thank you!
We've very similar rigs, a 2020 F-350 dually with 6.7 and a Grand Design 397TH. I was comparing weights and it was kind of interesting. We have a 50 gal auxiliary tank in the truck that was full and the hitch was in the truck. 5180 steering, 4460 drivers for a total of 9640. Our 397TH with a 2,000lb toy in back and about 30 gals of water in the fresh tank is as follows; 5380 steering, 8280 on the drivers and 17160 trailer for a total of 30820. That toy located behind the axels on the trailer seems to take a lot of weight off of the pin/drivers. You have me curious now so I'm going to have to weigh without the toy and see what I come up with. I think without the toy, I would be overweight on the truck. It's GVW is 14,000 same as yours.
In Kansas if you're over 26,000 you need a class A non CDL to be legal.
We have the exact set up we just don't have a toy to help out with pin weight! We have actually moved things around and have our pin weight around 4200lbs now! In Texas anything over 26,000 requires a class A non CDL. Its based off the GVWR of the RV and the Truck not what you actually weigh! So our F350 duallys are 14,000 lbs GVWR so a 12,000 Lb RV puts you at that license requirement! I have looked at your numbers if you would like to talk about them send us a message on our Paving New Paths Facebook and we can talk!
Also, if you hit 2nd weigh on the app it's about $10 cheaper than first weigh. They call it reweigh.
I actually didn't know what the 2nd weigh was for! Could have saved me some money!
You still have to pay for the 1st weigh as cat scales will ask for weight ticket number to do second weigh
@@josephvandergraph1666 Thank you!
If you select "re-weigh" when you are weighing only the truck, without the trailer, isn't it cheaper than selecting "first weigh"?
Yes! We had no idea about the reweigh option til we posted this video!
Good content! What jack blocks are those?
Thank you! I made these myself! The video comes out Thursday and will show you what you need and how to make them yourself!