27RBDS Axle Capacity

sd75mac · 04-14-2019, 08:46 AM

I have a 2014 27RBDS and I have replaced 2 sets of leaf springs. If anyone owns a comparable unit, what is your axle capacity?

Fasttimes · 04-23-2019, 01:22 PM

I have a 2015 27RBDS and pretty sure each axle is 3500 pounds. I'll verify when I get home.

SummitPond · 04-24-2019, 07:34 AM

The axles should be labeled with the rating (see lower left side of image where it says "Capacity". You'll have to go under the unit and look at them as they are not easily visible otherwise.

sd75mac · 04-24-2019, 08:44 AM

Thanks, my axles have the same capacity. I was wondering if the newer units had a heavier load rating.

SummitPond · 04-24-2019, 07:24 PM

Your GVWR is 700# greater than mine, yet the same axles - interesting. I guess the engineers assume a tongue weight of 700# or greater, thus leaving some margin to the stated maximum axle limit.

Something I've always wondered about is the amount of engineering "fat" in the axles, as they will not be uniformly loaded.

With the 50 psi tires you have they must be LR C; my Winnie came with LR D (65 psi). I upgraded my former unit to LR D when I replaced the tires to gain extra margin in that area. If you do this, double check the rims to ensure they can handle the extra load/pressure.

sd75mac · 04-25-2019, 07:47 AM

I changed my original tires in '16 to Maxxis M8008, LR D with metal valve stems.

Thanks,

Tireman9 · 04-28-2019, 07:02 PM

GAWR has nothing to do with tongue pin weight. It is the greatest load that should ever be seen on a scale weight of that axle.
The axle capacity is only part of the calculation as the Rv company has to consider tires, shocks, springs, spring mounts, and even frame and mounting bolt strength.

SummitPond · 04-29-2019, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tireman9

GAWR has nothing to do with tongue pin weight. ...

Roger, I would think if the trailer's GVWR is greater than the combined GAWR then the difference must be "absorbed" by the tongue on the TV's hitch. Where am I over-thinking this?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tireman9

... It is the greatest load that should ever be seen on a scale weight of that axle. ...

And that's another thing that puzzles me. The load between the two axles will rarely, if ever, be equal - one will carry more weight than the other. So, in my instance (a GVWR of 7,000# with two 3,500# rated axles), if I ignore the load carried by the hitch (tongue weight) and I am fully loaded and the weight supported by the axles is not equal, one will be overloaded. That's why I made my statement that the engineers must assume some of the load is carried by the tongue (hitch). I didn't mean to imply the hitch weight had anything to do with the axle rating, just that in sd75mac's example his GVWR is 7,700# with two 3,500# axles, so the "additional" 700# has to be handled somewhere - my thought, the hitch/tongue.

As a side note, your link in your signature is https and, at least on my computer, cannot be found. However, if I remove the "s" and make it http it works just fine. It may be browser specific; I use Opera.

Ken

larrys · 04-29-2019, 02:02 PM

2018 - 27RBDS

sd75mac · 04-30-2019, 08:44 AM

Ahhh Larrys, your units is much more beefier than mine. My unit is an Ultralite, which may make a difference.

Tireman9 · 04-30-2019, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SummitPond

Roger, I would think if the trailer's GVWR is greater than the combined GAWR then the difference must be "absorbed" by the tongue on the TV's hitch. Where am I over-thinking this?

And that's another thing that puzzles me. The load between the two axles will rarely, if ever, be equal - one will carry more weight than the other. So, in my instance (a GVWR of 7,000# with two 3,500# rated axles), if I ignore the load carried by the hitch (tongue weight) and I am fully loaded and the weight supported by the axles is not equal, one will be overloaded. That's why I made my statement that the engineers must assume some of the load is carried by the tongue (hitch). I didn't mean to imply the hitch weight had anything to do with the axle rating, just that in sd75mac's example his GVWR is 7,700# with two 3,500# axles, so the "additional" 700# has to be handled somewhere - my thought, the hitch/tongue.

As a side note, your link in your signature is https and, at least on my computer, cannot be found. However, if I remove the "s" and make it http it works just fine. It may be browser specific; I use Opera.

Ken

I jumped to a conclusion. Yes, the GVWR usually includes the tongue, but I was just thinking about each axle. Yes, there are assumptions (that are not a reflection of reality) that axle load is evenly split between axles and that the load on an axle is evenly split end to end. These assumptions contribute to the fact that over half of the RVs that have had individual tire loads measured (30,000 measurements) have an axle or tire or both in overload. This overload is a significant contributor to why RV tires have a shorter life.

Thanks for the tip on the signature. I will fix it.