Maximum rated pin weight, fifth wheel?

[Always Learning]

What is the maximum RATED pin weight for any given Grand Design fifth wheel?

Everything has a manufacture weight rating, tires, axles, springs, trailer GVWR …. One rating I have never seen is maximum fifth wheel pin weight rating. Stated another way, how much weight can the trailer put on the fifth wheel pin without exceeding the maximum manufacture design weight. The commonly accepted fifth wheel pin weights are 20% - 25% of trailer GVWR. Can anyone point me to a Lippert or Grand Design document stating the maximum pin weight rating for a 2020 Grand Design Reflection 337RLS? No I have not called Grand Design or Lippert, I am looking for published numbers like all the rest of the trailer ratings.

[xrated]

What is the maximum RATED pin weight for any given Grand Design fifth wheel?

Everything has a manufacture weight rating, tires, axles, springs, trailer GVWR …. One rating I have never seen is maximum fifth wheel pin weight rating. Stated another way, how much weight can the trailer put on the fifth wheel pin without exceeding the maximum manufacture design weight. The commonly accepted fifth wheel pin weights are 20% - 25% of trailer GVWR. Can anyone point me to a Lippert or Grand Design document stating the maximum pin weight rating for a 2020 Grand Design Reflection 337RLS? No I have not called Grand Design or Lippert, I am looking for published numbers like all the rest of the trailer ratings.

To my knowledge, there is no maximum pin weight numbers published. The manufacturers will publish an "empty" pin weight, and that is normally the pin weight (PW) of the trailer after it is built...and before the dealer installs a battery or batteries and fills the propane tanks at the dealership. The manufacturer has no way of knowing or even guessing how you, me, or anyone else will load the trailer and where they will put the loaded stuff. The amount of loaded stuff, and where it is placed will affect the pin weight, and that number will vary, even if only a few pounds from trip to trip, depending on how much stuff you load. So the bottom line is that the manufacturer determines the GVWR of the trailer and that is not supposed to ever be exceeded. So you may load a bunch of stuff forward in the trailer and your PW is "heavy", but as long as you have not exceeded the GVWR of the trailer, you will be good. In that example, your truck is carrying more of the GVW of the trailer as PW, than if someone loads a bunch of stuff towards the rear. The "loaded towards the rear" trailer may have met the GVWR rating also, but is carrying more on the axles than the previous example and less on the pin.

Either way, or anywhere in between, the balance of PW/axle weight is OK as long as you do not go over the GVWR for the trailer....or any of the axle ratings or tire ratings.

[Always Learning]

To my knowledge, there is no maximum pin weight numbers published. The manufacturers will publish an "empty" pin weight, and that is normally the pin weight (PW) of the trailer after it is built...and before the dealer installs a battery or batteries and fills the propane tanks at the dealership. The manufacturer has no way of knowing or even guessing how you, me, or anyone else will load the trailer and where they will put the loaded stuff. The amount of loaded stuff, and where it is placed will affect the pin weight, and that number will vary, even if only a few pounds from trip to trip, depending on how much stuff you load. So the bottom line is that the manufacturer determines the GVWR of the trailer and that is not supposed to ever be exceeded. So you may load a bunch of stuff forward in the trailer and your PW is "heavy", but as long as you have not exceeded the GVWR of the trailer, you will be good. In that example, your truck is carrying more of the GVW of the trailer as PW, than if someone loads a bunch of stuff towards the rear. The "loaded towards the rear" trailer may have met the GVWR rating also, but is carrying more on the axles than the previous example and less on the pin.

Either way, or anywhere in between, the balance of PW/axle weight is OK as long as you do not go over the GVWR for the trailer....or any of the axle ratings or tire ratings.

Thanks for your reply. I do understand what you stated in your response. Since many fifth wheel trailers including mine are weight forward loading, no storage in the back, it is easy to put a heavy load on the pin. I was interested in finding out if the manufacturer had a not to exceed pin weight. If the trailer is designed to accept any load on the pin as long as the GVWR is not exceeded then that would explain why there is no pin weight rating.

[NB Canada]

I bet there is a limit though even if it isn’t published
I had an acquaintance with a big toy hauler that he used for an office space
The front end developed cracks and imo was caused by not counterweighting the pin with toys in the back
All speculation of course but it makes sense

[Second Chance]

You probably have a Lippert 1621 pin box on your 337. LCI publishes a GVWR for the pin box, but not a pin weight maximum (and I have never seen one as such). I'm pretty sure that, if you stay within the GVWR of the trailer when loaded (axles plus pin weight), you'll be well under the capabilities of the pin box.

Rob

[xrated]

Thanks for your reply. I do understand what you stated in your response. Since many fifth wheel trailers including mine are weight forward loading, no storage in the back, it is easy to put a heavy load on the pin. I was interested in finding out if the manufacturer had a not to exceed pin weight. If the trailer is designed to accept any load on the pin as long as the GVWR is not exceeded then that would explain why there is no pin weight rating.

I believe that you nailed it with you last sentence......."If the trailer is designed to accept any load on the pin as long as the GVWR is not exceeded then that would explain why there is no pin weight rating."

I would add this in for clarity and common sense sake though. I would guess that you might go over what the trailer could handle as far as pin weight if you loaded, let's say....the baggage compartment, the front compartment, maybe the bedroom with bars of lead weights or something similar....but then again, the trailer is not made for that.

[xrated]

I bet there is a limit though even if it isn’t published
I had an acquaintance with a big toy hauler that he used for an office space
The front end developed cracks and imo was caused by not counterweighting the pin with toys in the back
All speculation of course but it makes sense

I think your speculation is 100% incorrect. I have a 20K GVWR triple axle Momentum that I "once in a while" haul an 1100 lb Can Am Spyder in the garage, but more often than not, there is no heavy weight in the back (garage area)....bicycles, some tools, a fire pit and enough firewood for a couple of days. It's a 2018 model and has close to 15,000 miles on it and only about 5000 of those miles was with the Spyder in it.

[jalapeno1965]

What is the maximum RATED pin weight for any given Grand Design fifth wheel?

Everything has a manufacture weight rating, tires, axles, springs, trailer GVWR …. One rating I have never seen is maximum fifth wheel pin weight rating. Stated another way, how much weight can the trailer put on the fifth wheel pin without exceeding the maximum manufacture design weight. The commonly accepted fifth wheel pin weights are 20% - 25% of trailer GVWR. Can anyone point me to a Lippert or Grand Design document stating the maximum pin weight rating for a 2020 Grand Design Reflection 337RLS? No I have not called Grand Design or Lippert, I am looking for published numbers like all the rest of the trailer ratings.

this is an interesting topic to me since i recently discovered that my pin box on my 2021 337rls is actually stamped with a max pin weight rating. it states that 3100 lbs is the max. i discovered this as i was interested in replacing with the morryde rubber pin box and wanted to make sure i got the correct replacement. anyone else have a rating stamped into the pin box?

[Always Learning]

this is an interesting topic to me since i recently discovered that my pin box on my 2021 337rls is actually stamped with a max pin weight rating. it states that 3100 lbs is the max. i discovered this as i was interested in replacing with the morryde rubber pin box and wanted to make sure i got the correct replacement. anyone else have a rating stamped into the pin box?

Thanks for the reply. It looks like Lippert is using 20% pin weight for that pin box. I never saw this since I had the dealer I purchased from replace pin box with Morryde when we bought the trailer.

[xrated]

Thanks for the reply. It looks like Lippert is using 20% pin weight for that pin box. I never saw this since I had the dealer I purchased from replace pin box with Morryde when we bought the trailer.

Your Reflection 337RLS with a GVWR of right at 14,000 lbs, could have right around 22% pin weight and still be within the 3100 lb rating for the pin box.