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- #21
URCLEVER
Well-known member
- May 5, 2021
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I will probably buy the weld in 1 for added safety
Hitch upgrade...
- Thread starter URCLEVER
- Start date
matt86m
Well-known member
- May 6, 2021
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Is it enough to just upgrade the hitch? What about the frame?
Asking for a friend
I replaced the hitch on my dually, factory hitch was rated below the gvwr for towing but isn't it more than just the receiver itself?
Asking for a friend
I replaced the hitch on my dually, factory hitch was rated below the gvwr for towing but isn't it more than just the receiver itself?
Dockmaster
Well-known member
- May 5, 2021
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It is way more than just the hitch. Frame, rear axle weight rating, suspension, tires, brakes, trans, engine cooling .......
mschwing82
New member
- Oct 26, 2021
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100% agree and I did a bunch of research before i decided to upgrade my hitch. I loaded everything in the RV for a trip, full water, fuel, propane and weighed it to see where I was at on the axle's and gross vehicle weight. I was close on the front but still had 4,000# on the rear. I made my decision after that to get a stacker. My rig is a 19 and had a 10,000# hitch the same model 2020 has a 15,000# hitch the only thing that changed between the two is in 2020 they added 1,920# to the front axle. I am under the GCWR for my rig with my setup and what I haul in the trailer. These were just thing I looked at before I made the decision.
you guys got me thinking so i weighed my coach. Holy chit 19500 on the rear axle and 11500 on the front. I now have to check my axle rating. My tires are good. 6900 each rear tire, frame and hitch are good now just need to check total weight loaded with stacker and Axle rating. I guess I call to Freightliner with my vin should tell me what it has. Next week I will weight loaded.
tjZ06
New member
- Jun 9, 2021
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Coach-only, right? That's only 31k... light for a bigger pusher. I feel like I've posted this 92 times lately, but here was my old Dutch Star and stacker:
View attachment 11491
The "DRIVE AXLE" weight was a combination of my drive axle, and my tag. I'm pretty confident it also had about 2k lbs of tongue weight (meaning the trailer would be about 12k lbs itself, that was with the Potter and 2 seat XPT) so that puts the RV right at 40k lbs.
My current Mountain Aire is prob 2-3k lbs more, around 43k lbs itself. Here are the weight ratings on the MA:
So, it's rated for 54k lbs GVWR, but is prob around 42-43k lbs itself... leaving 11-12k lbs carrying capacity. Unlike most every RV, that's a HUGE ceiling you're just never going to reach. The GCWR of 69k lbs also gives it an "on paper" tow rating of 26-27k lbs. Now, obviously I'd never try to tow 27k lbs with this thing... but I feel like I could exceed the 15k lbs tow rating IF I improve the hitch. It has the power. It has the tire capacity (6 x 315 and 2 x 365s). It has the braking (disc brakes on the Spartan K3 plus 3-stage exhaust brake). And being a tag-axle it has plenty of combined rear axle weight capacity.
Still... I don't want to push much past a 20-22' stacker and ~15k lbs for practicality.
-TJ
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Dockmaster
Well-known member
- May 5, 2021
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No that's my issue. I'll see the weight on my rear axle next week but I'm a little concerned. Looks like one of those trailer toads might be in my future
Dockmaster
Well-known member
- May 5, 2021
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According to this I believe your rear axle weight rating is 20k and your GCWR is 42,400. What's interesting is Fleetwood keeps the same 10k hitch with/without the tag axle but the GCWR does go up.
https://recreationalvehicles.info/2012-fleetwood-discovery/2012-fleetwood-discovery-brochure.pdf
