New RV owner often encounter a problem where the RV trailer is heavier than the truck used to tow the RV trailer. This problem occur because many people dont understand how weight move between an RV trailer and a truck. You might look at the dry weight of an RV trailer and assume you have enough capacity, but the weight of an RV trailer increase when you add water to the tanks or when you add food to the pantry.
Because the weight of an RV trailer increase with added items, the weight of the RV trailer is different than the initial dry weight. There are several different ways to measure weight, and these measurements doesnt mean the same thing. Many people focus on the dry weight, but the dry weight only measures an empty RV trailer.
Check RV and Truck Weight Before Towing
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is a more important measurement because the GVWR is the maximum weight allowed for a fully loaded RV trailer. The GVWR include the weight of every gallon of water and the weight of every pieces of gear inside the RV trailer. If you do not account for the difference between the dry weight and the GVWR, you will find that the cargo capacity of the RV trailer is much smaller than you expected.
The kingpin weight is another important measurement, and the kingpin weight is the vertical force that push down on the bed of the truck. The kingpin weight is usually a specific percentage of the total weight of the RV trailer. You must balance the kingpin weight so that the kingpin weight is not too low and the kingpin weight is not too highly.
If the kingpin weight is too low, the RV trailer will sway from side to side while you are driving. If the kingpin weight is too high, the kingpin weight will put too much pressure on the bed of the truck or exceed the hitch rating of the truck. Excessive kingpin weight can cause mechanical failure in the truck or the hitch.
You should not use guesswork to determine the weight of you’re truck and your RV trailer. Using estimates is a mistake because estimates can lead to broken axles or failed brakes. The most reliable method to determine weight is to take the truck and the RV trailer to a scale.
You should use a scale so that you can see exactly how much weight is transferring to the rear axle of the truck. You should compare the weight of the truck when the RV trailer is unhooked to the weight of the truck when the RV trailer is attached. Using a scale ensure that the truck and the RV trailer work together as a single unit, and using a scale ensure that the truck and the RV trailer remain stable on the road.
