5th Wheel Hitch Weight: How Much Does a 5th Wheel Hitch Weigh?
When you read the word hitch, it is easy to make the leap to pin weight. But hitch weight and pin weight are two different items. The 5th wheel hitch will not weigh as much as the pin weight which can be a good thing if you have payload space.
The weight of a 5th-wheel hitch will depend on two factors. One, who makes it and the materials they use, and two, the model of the hitch. Not all models weigh the same as the Reese 5th wheel models can weigh 130 or 140 pounds.
To learn more on this topic just continue to read our article. It explores the topic so you have the information you want to know about. Knowing the hitch weight is important as it takes away from your overall payload or cargo weight leaving you with less room for supplies.
Hitch Weight 101
How Much Does a Fifth-Wheel Hitch Weigh?
This is a very good question. Most experts and 5th wheel owners are worried more about pin weight and weight capacities for towing than they are about hitch weight.
But you need to know the hitch weight before you install it as that poundage cuts down on your total cargo weight capacity. When that happens, you have to carry fewer items in your storage bins and cabinets.
We checked different weight calculators and other experts and the information from them boils down to this one little sentence- the hitch weight depends on the make, model, and size of the hitch.
These important hitches can range in weight from approx. 130 pounds and up. You would have to ask the dealer when you are looking to buy a 5th-wheel hitch this question.
Make sure the salesman does not go off on a tangent and talk about towing weight capacity or pin weight. Get the actual weight of the hitch so you can plan for your cargo and other supplies.
5th Wheel Pin Weight
This is different as the pin weight is the amount of weight placed on the hitch or bed of the tow vehicle. Your payload capacity has to be high enough to handle not only the hitch weight, and cargo weight but also the pin weight.
When you are towing a 5th-wheel trailer, there is a lot to figure out in the beginning. The rule of thumb for figuring the pin weight is 15 to 25% of the total weight of the 5th wheel trailer.
Some people will calculate at 15%, others do not want to take any chances and use the 25% figure while still more use the 20% mark. If your trailer weighs 5000 pounds then you are looking at 750 pounds for pin weight at 15%
It would be 1000 pounds at 20% and 1250 pounds at 25%. Make sure you are as accurate as possible as those weights will reduce your payload capacity. So if you add 1250 pin weight and 150 pounds for the hitch weight, you are losing 1400 payload pounds from your total capacity.
5th Wheel Hitch Weight vs. Payload
You now know that hitch weight is the actual weight of the 5th wheel hitch. Payload weight is the same as cargo weight and this is the amount of cargo your truck can carry.
It is not the same as the tow weight capacity but it is part of the GCWR or gross combined weight rating. That rating is the payload, plus towing, plus tow vehicle weights.
If your 1-ton truck’s payload capacity, the most recommended tow vehicle for 5th wheels, is 5000 pounds and you are towing a 5000-pound 5th wheel, your hitch weight and pin weight equals 1400 pounds.
The equation looks something like this- 5000 - 1400 = 3600 payload remaining. You would have that much weight left over for your equipment, passengers, supplies, and any toys you want to bring along.
It is just simple math to figure this out once you get the right figures to work with.
Fifth Wheel Hitch Weight Calculator
You can find these calculators on the internet with ease. They usually pop up in any search for hitch weight, pin weight, and so on. These calculators are easy to use if you have all the figures needed for them to make their calculations
If your figures go over your tow vehicle’s weight ratings, the calculators will let you know this with a big red warning banner. All you have to do is go to any one of the three links we will provide shortly and input your numbers.
These numbers can be found in a variety of places on your tow vehicle plus your estimates for driver and passenger weights, cargo weight, and so on. Be accurate when you put the figures in the right slots.
You can find one calculator at this link, another at this one, and the third at this one.
Max Fifth Wheel Hitch Weight Ford F-150
The maximum amount of hitch weight will depend on a couple of factors. The model of the Ford F-150, the size of the hitch, and the total amount of payload space each model of the F-150 was given. Plus, the year the F-150 was made.
The following figures are for 2021 Ford F-150 models and are used as examples to get you on the right track:
- 3.3L Ti-VCT V6- 1985 pounds of payload space
- 2.7L EcoBoost ® V6 - 2480 “
- 3.5L EcoBoost V6- 3250 “
- 3.5L PowerBoost Full Hybrid V6 - 2120 “
- 5.0L Ti-VCT V8- 3325 “
- 3.0L Turbo Diesel V6 - 1840 “
These figures came from the 2021 Ford brochure for the F-150.
Max Fifth Wheel Hitch Weight For F250
For the 2021 F-250, you have a lot of models that fit into 3 categories- the regular, the super cab, and the crew cab. The last two categories are divided into long and short box options. Each one has its own maximum payload space.
The maximum payload capacity ranges for all of these models between 3,300 to 4,500 pounds. Both your hitch weight and the pin weight will have to be lighter than those weight capacities.
If you know the full weight of your trailer, we should add the percentage of the pin weight is taken when your trailer is loaded not empty. Then you can multiply by 20% to get the average pin weight. Add that to your hitch weight and subtract that total from your maximum payload weight.
That will give you the figure you need. But your maximum hitch and pin weight is the maximum payload weight. If you reach that, you have no room left over for anything else.
Max Fifth Wheel Hitch Weight For Ram 2500
For the 2022 Dodge Ram 2500 4 x 4, you are looking at a maximum payload weight that ranges between 2700 and 3700 pounds. Your hitch may weigh 150 pounds and the pin weight may be 3000 pounds which makes the trailer too heavy for some 4 x 4 models and no room for cargo with others.
The 2023 gas RAM 2500 has a maximum of 4000 payload pounds so you are only getting a slight improvement on the capacity for pin and hitch weights. This is not to say that all 2023 gas RAM 2500 trucks reach 4000 payload pounds. Some are a lot less with the Rebel only reaching 3140 pounds
Do some investigating into this area if you own or are thinking of buying a 5th-wheel trailer. You may not have as much room as you may think when it comes to payload weight capacities.
How Much Weight Does a Fifth-Wheel Hitch Add?
This will depend on who made the hitch, what materials they made, the size of the hitch as well as the model. You can add up to 130 to 150 pounds just by installing the hitch. Or you can add more than that depending on which hitch brand you buy.
This is a question you have to ask the dealer before you buy. The weight of the hitch is not important to many experts or RV owners but it should be.
How Much Does a 5th-Wheel Slider Hitch Weigh?
The patriot slider 5th wheel hitch has a base that weighs 169 pounds and a head that weighs 52 pounds. Add them together and you get 221 pounds. Different brands may weigh more or less than that.
Some Additional Words
It is common for RV owners and 5th wheel dealers to focus on pin weight over hitch weight. They do not consider the hitch weight a priority but it is. Once you install the 5th wheel hitch, you have lost that much weight in your overall payload capacity.
Ask the dealer before you buy how much the hitch weighs and keep them from talking about pin weight. Then subtract that total from your maximum payload weight to keep accurate figures for cargo, passengers, and supplies.
