Sounds like a bad idea, pulling a 34' 5r with an 08 Toyota Tundra with tow package. IF I have calculated right, we are 200# over GVR and GCWR. People, including the RV dealer, are telling us to add air suspension and the truck can handle it. The truck dealer has been the lease helpful. I dont' know if it's off to the weigh station or to the RV dealer to park the 5r, maybe both. Any input?

If you haven't weighed your setup, I'd highly recommend doing that, because if your calculations have been done using brochure weights and weight ratings, you may be in for a big surprise!

Be careful with that "add airsprings and it will be okay" thing.

While the air springs may help you level the load, it will not make your axle any stronger or your bearings any beefier or your brakes any bigger.

Staying within weight ratings is about the whole system - wheels, tires, brakes, axles, bearings, tortion bars, gears, u-joints and on and on. But to me the biggest, and most crucial thing, is stopping. If you are over weight, you are tempting fate.

"Sounds like a bad idea" is quite possibly the understatement of the year!
You are attempting to put somewhere in the neighborhood of 2500 pounds in the back of what is essentially a 1/2 ton pickup? What is this 34 foot fifth wheels GVWR? 13,500 pounds? Believe who you want. Personally I would have the dealer put in writing that loading like that will not void the warranty, as you sure as heck will need that paper to get all the broken parts replaced.

You know we could make a film of those salesguys all standing there at the edge of their lot watching you drive away and ceremoniously washing their hands and patting each other on the back! If we haven't learned anything since the fifties and the increase in the sales of automobiles in general about how salesmen NEED to be able to lie with a straight face to get that comission to feed their family!

Do you really think they have anyone's best interest at heart OTHER than their own?

The air bag thing only corrects one little problem; that of the headlights shining in the sky!

Welcome to irv2.com! We all attempt to help each other as we are able.
This towing weight demonstrator designed by Ken Lenger, is great for safely matching a tow vehicle and trailer.
You will note it only uses the trailer GVW, never the UVW in the calculations.

As already stated, unless you know the actual weights to use in the calculations you are wasting your time.

I wish I could of gotten photos but yesterday I was coming across I-10 from CA to Phoenix and on the west bound side I saw a big truck parked on the shoulder and then back behind him I saw a car and a Toyota truck and small toy hauler off on the side of the road. The truck was facing back east and was upright but the rear tires where about 3 feet off the ground and the toy hauler was on its side but still connected to the truck. The Toyota was dirty but looked like it had not rolled over. My guess he was passing the big truck and dropped off the road into the median and then spun it around or the wind hit him when he got his nose past the big rig.

For about 5 years I pulled a 24 foot 9000 lbs loaded fifth wheel with a 74 F-100 4X4. It did it even in the mountains of Colorado and Canada but there where many times it was not a bit of fun. Quite a few times the trailer was driving the truck and with drum brakes all around it was a mater of slowing down not stopping.

Spend the money and do it right I have not heard one RV’er complain about having too much truck.

Paul

IMHO a 1/2T doesn't make real good tow vehicle for what most of us tow. Years ago I towed a 17" TT with a HD 1/2T and thought it was great. That was after towing a 15' with a Car & after getting big enough tires on the 17'. Later I got a 3/4T that was so much better (towing the 17')that I wondered how I ever thought the 1/2T was great. Just didn't know better I guess.

Just remember "The GVW is what is marked on the VIN plate and and the GVCW is listed in the owners manual of your truck "THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO THAT WILL CHANGE THOSE WEIGHT NUMBERS"
If you put air bags on the truck, it will ride better and sit level. If you put iron blocks in place of the springs, it will ride worse, but still won't carry any more weight.

Then there is the liability issue, both the truck dealer and the manufacturer will wash their hands if they know you are overloaded.

Then there is the state patrol if the weight of the vehicle is greater than the capacity of the tires.

If you don't believe this, just ask your lawyer about operating a vehicle that is just a couple of hundred pounds over the capacity of the vehicle.

Sorry to be so long winded, but I had a friend's wife struck by and overloaded pickup and trailer and near killed. His lawyer was smart enough to request that the police have the wrecked vehicles weighed and that was the basis for a winning law suit.