Vehicle Weight and Distribution

Understanding Fifth-Wheeler Weight

17th December, 2020 by rvSafe Team
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A fifth-wheeler has the tow ball/hitch located in the tray of the vehicle.

When calculating the tow capacity of a fifth-wheeler you must consider the Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) and the Gross Combined Mass (GCM).

For example:

GCM 6000kg – GVM 2950kg = fully laden trailer cannot exceed 3050kg

The usual practice is to have 20 percent of the fifth-wheeler weight carried by the tow vehicle; however, it must not exceed the legal payload allowance of the tow vehicle.

Payload is calculated by taking GVM – Tare.

There are many benefits of having a fifth-wheeler, including towing stability and a larger area in the RV; however, these may eat into the payload of your vehicle. Make sure you do the maths before purchasing as you do not want to have a great vehicle but no payload left and need to leave the family at home!

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