Weights and capacities
Fifth wheel pin weight calculator
Pin weight is the fifth wheel equivalent of tongue weight, and the band is completely different: 15 to 25 percent rather than 10 to 15. That is not a problem, it is the reason fifth wheels are stable. The pin sits over the truck rear axle instead of hanging behind it, so the geometry that makes a heavy tongue dangerous on a bumper pull simply is not present.
The consequence is payload, and it is severe. Every pound of pin weight lands in the truck bed, along with the hitch, the passengers and everything else. Work this sum before you look at any tow rating.
Run your own pin weight
Over payload by 500 lb. The fix is a bigger truck or a lighter trailer, not a different hitch.
| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Pin weight at 20 percent | 2,800 lb |
| Plus the hitch | 3,000 lb into the bed |
| Band at 15 to 25 percent | 2,100 to 3,500 lb |
| Payload used | 3,500 lb of 3,000 lb |
| Remaining | -500 lb |
Shown with the example figures above. Change any field to run your own numbers.
The working
Rule of thumbpin weight = loaded trailer weight x percentage (0.15 to 0.25) on the truck = pin weight + hitch weight remaining = payload rating - on the truck - passengers - gear
The 15 to 25 percent band is towing convention rather than a published standard. Widely taught towing convention rather than a published specification. It is a good starting point and it is not a rating.
Hitches rated for this trailer
Ranked by published gross trailer weight rating against the figure you entered. A fifth wheel hitch does not include rails, and rails do not include the vehicle specific brackets: budget all three.
GEN-Y Executive Torsion-Flex Fifth Wheel King Pin Box, heavy duty
$1,499.95The heavier rated version of the same torsion cushioning, for larger fifth wheels.
Best for: A large fifth wheel or toy hauler.
Check price on Amazon
B&W Companion OEM Puck Fifth Wheel Hitch for Ford, 25,000 lb
$1,399.00 Published ratingsDrops straight into the Ford factory puck system with no rails and no drilling, rated at 25,000 lb. If your truck came with the prep package, this is the cleanest install available.
Best for: A Ford Super Duty with the factory puck system.
Check price on Amazon
B&W Companion OEM Puck Fifth Wheel Hitch for Chevrolet and GMC, 25,000 lb
$1,399.00 Published ratingsThe 25,000 lb GM puck version, for a heavy fifth wheel or a toy hauler.
Best for: A GM dually or heavy duty truck with a large fifth wheel.
Check price on Amazon
GEN-Y Executive Torsion-Flex Fifth Wheel King Pin Box
$1,199.95Torsion rubber cushioning between the kingpin and the trailer frame, which absorbs the chuck that a rigid pin box transmits straight into the truck cab on every throttle change.
Best for: A fifth wheel owner whose complaint is ride harshness rather than capacity.
Check price on Amazon B&W Companion OEM Puck Fifth Wheel Hitch for Chevrolet and GMC, 20,000 lb
$1,199.00 Published ratingsThe GM puck version at 20,000 lb. Same no-rail install, lower rating and lower price than the 25K.
Best for: A GM truck with the factory puck system pulling a typical fifth wheel RV.
Check price on Amazon
B&W Companion Fifth Wheel Hitch
$1,099.00Mounts into a B&W Turnoverball gooseneck ball hole rather than to bed rails, so the bed is completely clear when the hitch is out. A cam action latch wraps the kingpin rather than gripping it with jaws, which is what eliminates the chuck on acceleration that most fifth wheel owners complain about.
Best for: A truck that already has a Turnoverball gooseneck, or an owner who wants a usable truck bed between trips.
Check price on AmazonEvery rating shown is the manufacturer's own published figure. The rating on the part you receive is what governs, and your own door jamb sticker governs everything above it.
Why pin weight is so much higher than tongue weight
Because the connection point is in a completely different place. A bumper pull hitches behind the tow vehicle rear axle, so tongue weight acts on a lever that lifts the front of the truck, which is why its band has to stay at 10 to 15 percent. A fifth wheel pin sits in the bed, ahead of or directly over the rear axle, so its weight presses down where the truck is strongest and barely disturbs the steer axle.
That is also why fifth wheels need no weight distribution hitch and no sway control at all. There is nothing to distribute and very little to damp. Anybody selling you sway control for a fifth wheel does not understand the product.
What you get instead is chuck, the fore and aft jolt on every throttle change, which is a hitch and pin box design problem rather than a loading one.
Two numbers to check, not one
Payload, from the yellow sticker in your driver door jamb, and the rear axle GAWR, on the same sticker or nearby.
A fifth wheel concentrates its load over one axle rather than spreading it along the vehicle, so the rear axle rating can be exhausted while the truck is still inside its GVWR. A single total weight from a scale will not show you that. Individual axle weights will, which is why the public scale method is worth the drive.
Where the pin weight comes from
The front storage bay of a fifth wheel sits directly over or ahead of the kingpin, which makes it the highest leverage space on the whole trailer.
Weight in the front bay of a fifth wheel transfers almost entirely onto the truck rather than being shared with the trailer axles.
Rule of thumb Widely taught towing convention rather than a published specification. It is a good starting point and it is not a rating.
| Item in the front bay | Typical weight | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| A 3500 watt generator | 100 lb | Almost entirely on the truck |
| A full set of tools | 80 lb | Almost entirely on the truck |
| Four full water jugs | 140 lb | Almost entirely on the truck |
| Two spare batteries | 130 lb | Almost entirely on the truck |
Moving the same weight to a rear compartment reduces pin weight, but be careful: a fifth wheel loaded too far rearward loses stability for the same pendulum reason a bumper pull does. Stay inside the band.
How to weigh pin weight properly
- Weigh the whole rig hitched. At a public scale, trailer loaded and truck loaded exactly as you will travel. Note the total AND the individual axle weights.
- Unhitch and weigh the truck alone. Same scale, same trip, same fuel level. The difference in truck weight between the two runs is your pin weight.
- Check the rear axle figure specifically. The axle weights from the hitched run tell you whether the rear GAWR is exceeded, which a total weight cannot show.
- Or use a scale rated above your expected pin weight. A tongue weight scale rated to 5,000 lb can take a pin weight directly, though getting a fifth wheel onto one is harder than it sounds, which is why most people use the public scale.
- Re-weigh after you load the front bay. Generators, tools and full water tanks put over the pin transfer almost entirely onto the truck.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage is fifth wheel pin weight?
Fifteen to twenty five percent of the loaded trailer weight, with twenty percent the usual working figure. That is far higher than the 10 to 15 percent band for a conventional bumper pull, and it is correct rather than a problem: the pin sits over the truck rear axle instead of hanging behind it. Both bands are towing convention rather than published standards.
Does all the pin weight come out of truck payload?
Yes, all of it, plus the weight of the hitch itself at roughly 200 lb. That total lands in the bed before a single passenger gets in, and everything else in the truck comes out of what remains. This is why fifth wheels need substantially more truck than a conventional trailer of the same weight, and why payload is the first figure to check.
Do I need sway control on a fifth wheel?
No, and it is not a budget question. Sway control and weight distribution hitches manage a trailer hanging behind the tow vehicle rear axle, and a fifth wheel pin does not hang there. The equivalent problem is chuck, the fore and aft jolt on throttle changes, which is addressed with a cushioned pin box or a wrapping jaw rather than with friction bars.
Can a half ton truck pull a fifth wheel?
We will not answer that for your truck, because it depends entirely on your own payload sticker. The arithmetic is simple enough to do yourself: take the trailer weight, take twenty percent of it, add about 200 lb for the hitch, then subtract that plus your passengers and gear from the payload figure in your door jamb. If the result is negative, no tow rating changes it.
Should I check anything besides payload?
The rear axle GAWR, specifically. A fifth wheel concentrates its load over one axle rather than distributing it, so the rear axle rating can be exhausted while the truck is still inside its GVWR. A total weight from a scale hides this completely. Get individual axle weights from the hitched run at a public scale.
What is chuck and how do I reduce it?
Chuck is the fore and aft jolt you feel in the cab every time the throttle goes on or off, caused by slack between the kingpin and the jaws plus rigidity in the pin box. A cam action jaw that wraps the pin removes the slack, and a cushioned pin box using rubber or coil springs absorbs what remains. Together they change the ride noticeably.
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Researched, not professional advice. This page is compiled from published standards, manufacturer towing guides and product specifications, and owner-review consensus, not hands-on testing. Figures described as a rule of thumb are towing convention rather than published standards, and they are labelled that way wherever they appear. Nothing here overrides your own ratings. Work your payload sum before your tow rating, because payload is the limit that actually binds on most half ton trucks and nearly every SUV. Load a conventional trailer to 10 to 15 percent tongue weight and a fifth wheel to 15 to 25 percent pin weight, and never lighter: a tail heavy trailer is what starts sway. Weigh the rig loaded rather than trusting a brochure dry weight. A weight distribution hitch and a set of air bags both restore ride height and control, and neither one raises a single rating. Trailer brakes are required by state law above a threshold that varies by state, and a breakaway battery that has quietly gone flat is the normal condition of most trailers on the road.