Question about Tire Load Rating

[MJMCCAND]

Could someone explain to me how the various load rating numbers relate to one another in the photo attached?
One if the tire size & loading sticker, the second is the GVWR sticker, and the last is off one of the tires.


Going by the GVWR sticker, I'd say the max weight of the camper with cargo should not exceed 9,495 lbs.
The axles are rated at only 4,400 each, so that says I shouldn't exceed 8,800 lbs. above the weight of the two axles, which I presume would include the weight of the hubs, wheels, and tires.

But then the tires indicate a max load single of 2,830 lbs or max load dual of 2,470 lbs. What is meant by single and dual? Is that the number of axles? So my fiver has two axles, does that mean each tire can handle a load of 2,470 lbs. meaning I should exceed 9,880 lbs.?

Thanks in advance...

[jkwilson]

Dual is 4 wheels on a single axle.

Your tires can handle 2830lbs each at the speed they are rated. 11320 max total on the tires.

8800 total on the axles is a lower weight limit. So you can’t use the tire max.

Since roughly 20% of trailer weight is on the truck instead of the axles or tires, that means the axles are good up to total trailer weight of 11,000lbs.

GVWR says the frame can handle 9880lbs so that’s the one you have to go with since it is the lowest.

[xrated]

OK, let's clear this up a bit for you. Your trailer, with two axles and a total of four tires. Each tire, when inflated to the psi that is on the side of the tire will give you..2830 lbs of carrying capacity. That is assuming a brand new tire, not one that is 5 years old, weather cracked, etc. So 2830 times 4 tires =11,320 lbs....and assuming that the load is mostly distributed mostly equally amongst the 4 tires. The difference in rating for load capacity between single and dual relates to Two tires being mounted side by side on the same axle.......like a Dually truck rear axle setup. The decreased load capacity when they are mounted like that is because of the close proximity of the two tire and the lack of heat dissipation because they are so close.

The GVWR of the trailer is a number that is the maximum that the trailer should ever weigh.....in other words, it is as fully loaded as it is safely able to be. So lets take that GVWR of 9495...since that is total trailer weight, SOME of that total weight is being put on the 4 tires. The rest of the weight is being placed on the tongue of the trailer or in the case of a 5th Wheel trailer, it is called pin weight. At no tire does the tires ever see the full amount of weight on them....some to the tongue or pin and some to the trailer tires. Tow behind trailers will normally put 12-13% of the trailer weight down as tongue weight...sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less, but 12-13% of the trailer weight is a good rule of thumb. 5ver and pin weight are usually somewhat higher in the amount of weight they put down as pin weight. Lot's of folks use the 20% rule of thumb, but reality says that sometimes as low as 18/19% and others will be in the 23-25% range....depending of course how the trailer was built and how it is loaded. For example, many 5th Wheel Toy Haulers are on the heavy side up front (think better than 20% of the trailer weight). The manufacturers do that on purpose so that when you load a 1500 lb side by side or maybe a golf cart or a couple of 800 lbs Harleys in the back, it lightens the pin weight significantly. So they start them out heavy in the front, but likely be somewhat lighter when heavy toy are in the garage.

Tire pressure....The psi that is stamped on the side of any tire is the pressure required for that tire to obtain the listed load capacity that is also stamped on the tire. And tire inflation should always be done at ambient temperatures...or what they call "cold tire pressure". They aren't talking about outside temperatures when they refer to cold pressures, they are saying that you should never adjust tire pressure when the tire is artificially heated up to whatever amount from driving or sitting in the sun all day.....in other words....ambient air temperature and out of the sun. Every single manufacturer stamps that Load capacity rating on their tires as well as the psi required in the tire to allow it to carry whatever load it is listed at. Every vehicle then also has an inflation number on the door post or in the case of trailers, on a sticker on the side of the camper somewhere. The trailer manufacturer chose which tire to put on the trailer, both size wise and load capacity wise. Then they, as the manufacturer of the trailer, decide that you should inflate those tires to XX psi in order to get the correct load capacity for the trailer that you are towing, and based on how much of that trailer's weight is going to me on the tires themselves and how much of the trailer weight will be put on the towing truck...either as tongues weight or pin weight.

Hope that clears it up for you.....my fingers are tired!

[xrated]

Dual is 4 wheels on a single axle.

Your tires can handle 2830lbs each at the speed they are rated. 11320 max total on the tires.

8800 total on the axles is a lower weight limit. So you can’t use the tire max.

Since roughly 20% of trailer weight is on the truck instead of the axles or tires, that means the axles are good up to total trailer weight of 11,000lbs.

GVWR says the frame can handle 9880lbs so that’s the one you have to go with since it is the lowest.

John.......you said it in a lot fewer words than I did. I guess my wife was right.....she says I talk a lot!

[jkwilson]

John.......you said it in a lot fewer words than I did. I guess my wife was right.....she says I talk a lot!

I was on my phone, so I had to be brief!

[tortise]

Dual is 4 wheels on a single axle.

Your tires can handle 2830lbs each at the speed they are rated. 11320 max total on the tires.

8800 total on the axles is a lower weight limit. So you can’t use the tire max.

Since roughly 20% of trailer weight is on the truck instead of the axles or tires, that means the axles are good up to total trailer weight of 11,000lbs.

GVWR says the frame can handle 9880lbs so that’s the one you have to go with since it is the lowest.

Best Brief answer!

[tortise]

OK, let's clear this up a bit for you. Your trailer, with two axles and a total of four tires. Each tire, when inflated to the psi that is on the side of the tire will give you..2830 lbs of carrying capacity. That is assuming a brand new tire, not one that is 5 years old, weather cracked, etc. So 2830 times 4 tires =11,320 lbs....and assuming that the load is mostly distributed mostly equally amongst the 4 tires. The difference in rating for load capacity between single and dual relates to Two tires being mounted side by side on the same axle.......like a Dually truck rear axle setup. The decreased load capacity when they are mounted like that is because of the close proximity of the two tire and the lack of heat dissipation because they are so close.

The GVWR of the trailer is a number that is the maximum that the trailer should ever weigh.....in other words, it is as fully loaded as it is safely able to be. So lets take that GVWR of 9495...since that is total trailer weight, SOME of that total weight is being put on the 4 tires. The rest of the weight is being placed on the tongue of the trailer or in the case of a 5th Wheel trailer, it is called pin weight. At no tire does the tires ever see the full amount of weight on them....some to the tongue or pin and some to the trailer tires. Tow behind trailers will normally put 12-13% of the trailer weight down as tongue weight...sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less, but 12-13% of the trailer weight is a good rule of thumb. 5ver and pin weight are usually somewhat higher in the amount of weight they put down as pin weight. Lot's of folks use the 20% rule of thumb, but reality says that sometimes as low as 18/19% and others will be in the 23-25% range....depending of course how the trailer was built and how it is loaded. For example, many 5th Wheel Toy Haulers are on the heavy side up front (think better than 20% of the trailer weight). The manufacturers do that on purpose so that when you load a 1500 lb side by side or maybe a golf cart or a couple of 800 lbs Harleys in the back, it lightens the pin weight significantly. So they start them out heavy in the front, but likely be somewhat lighter when heavy toy are in the garage.

Tire pressure....The psi that is stamped on the side of any tire is the pressure required for that tire to obtain the listed load capacity that is also stamped on the tire. And tire inflation should always be done at ambient temperatures...or what they call "cold tire pressure". They aren't talking about outside temperatures when they refer to cold pressures, they are saying that you should never adjust tire pressure when the tire is artificially heated up to whatever amount from driving or sitting in the sun all day.....in other words....ambient air temperature and out of the sun. Every single manufacturer stamps that Load capacity rating on their tires as well as the psi required in the tire to allow it to carry whatever load it is listed at. Every vehicle then also has an inflation number on the door post or in the case of trailers, on a sticker on the side of the camper somewhere. The trailer manufacturer chose which tire to put on the trailer, both size wise and load capacity wise. Then they, as the manufacturer of the trailer, decide that you should inflate those tires to XX psi in order to get the correct load capacity for the trailer that you are towing, and based on how much of that trailer's weight is going to me on the tires themselves and how much of the trailer weight will be put on the towing truck...either as tongues weight or pin weight.

Hope that clears it up for you.....my fingers are tired!

Most comprehensive answer!

[MJMCCAND]

Thanks guys!