Posted 2016-06-16 8:39 AM (#167333) Subject: Pin Weight Confusion
Member
Posts: 45
Does pin weight fluctuate depending on what is the loaded weight of a gooseneck trailer? I'm considering a trailer that is scale weighed at 8600 lbs. The GVWR of the trailer is 13950 lbs. I talked to the manufacturer and the trailer has a published pin weight of 2350, which would be 16% of the GVWR. If the actual loaded weight of the trailer with gear and horses is say 12000 lbs would it be expected that the pin weight would be 1920 lbs (12000 x .16)? Before I buy it I will take it to a CAT scale and get accurate truck and trailer weights. I know all the numbers (GVWR, payload, GCWR, etc.) of my truck by decoding the VIN, but before I make a long road trip to see the trailer I wanted to be sure the truck/trailer combination are within specs.
Posted 2016-06-16 10:30 AM (#167336 - in reply to #167333) Subject: RE: Pin Weight Confusion
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
The pin weight of a GN trailer will vary depending on its loading. A longer trailer with axles mounted under the last stall, will vary more than a shorter trailer with the axles mounted under the forward or center stalls. A LQ trailer's weight will vary greatly with water, gear and waste changes. A DR trailer can have many pounds of weight in the nose, which will directly add to the pin weights. Some estimates are posted that a GN trailer has about 20% of its weight on the hitch. Some of the GN trailers can actually have almost 40% of their weights on the hitch. The axle placements will help determine how much of the trailer's weight will change with loading. The more rearward the axles' location, the more any additional weight will be added to the hitch. For the same length of trailers, there can be a great difference in their pin weights.
Posted 2016-06-16 11:26 AM (#167339 - in reply to #167337) Subject: RE: Pin Weight Confusion
Member
Posts: 45
Paul, you're feelings are not correct. I would never try pulling just about any horse trailer with a 1/2 ton. My friends and family make fun of me for being "Mr. Safety" and usually over-thinking things.
Posted 2016-06-16 9:06 PM (#167343 - in reply to #167333) Subject: RE: Pin Weight Confusion
Veteran
Posts: 124 Location: Calgary, Canada
With an empty trailer weight of 8600 lbs and a published pin weight of 2350 lbs, your pin loading is 27.3% of the trailer weight (2350 / 8600).
If you add your horses, tack, water, food, refreshments, etc. for a total loaded weight of 12,000 lbs (3400 lbs of added load), then as Gard says, you are going to increase your pin weight based on how that load is distributed and also as a function of your axle positioning.
In possibly a worst case scenario, ASSUMING your 3400 lb added load was distributed between your pin and axles in the same proportion as your empty trailer, your pin weight would be 27.3% x 12,0000 lbs = 3280 lbs.
The only way to accurately tell is to weight the truck and trailer in both empty and fully loaded conditions.
Regards, ThreeCW
Posted 2016-06-16 9:25 PM (#167344 - in reply to #167333) Subject: RE: Pin Weight Confusion
Expert
Posts: 1989 Location: South Central OK
Take it to the scales and have them break it out by axle, do some simple subtraction before loading with the same break down and you have pin weight change. I'm not sure how/why you de-coded your VIN, your owners manual has everything you need as far as weight ratings, etc. If you've arrived at any of your numbers by having to do some "interesting math" you'll more than likely find a trooper that won't buy it and you can take it up with a judge. Stick with what is clearly published from the manufacturer or on the door sticker and you should be in the clear, beyond that you won't be talking your way out of anything on the side of the road or at a weight station.
Posted 2016-06-18 7:42 AM (#167353 - in reply to #167344) Subject: RE: Pin Weight Confusion
Member
Posts: 45
The reason I decoded the VIN was because, at least on Ford 2015 trucks, there were discrepancies of things like GCWR, etc. across their published literature, including the owner's manual. For a 2015 truck with the same engine and rear end there was a 4500 lbs difference in the listed GCWR in one towing capacity guide compared to another Ford-produced spec sheet. The weights of max trailer weights were also different across their literature. When I asked my Ford dealer about this they were also confused. Nobody had ever pointed that out. Decoding the VIN using http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/vindecoder.php provided pages of specific information about my specific truck, which I am using as the gospel. Towards the bottom of this web page -- http://fifthwheelst.com/rvtc_calculator.html -- there are links to decode Chevy and Dodge VINs.
Pin Weight Confusion
