Hitch and dry weight

[Ronbo]

Require axle weights and total weight. This will give you the pin weight. I would not accept below 15% and would push for 18% as a minimum. Any lighter and it will want to sway.

[Lee and Christine]

HDT is a 450,550? As opposed to a hauler?

[Chad Heiser]

HDT is a 450,550? As opposed to a hauler?

HDT or Heavy Duty Truck refers to a Class 7 or Class 8 tractor - think semi tractor

MDT or Medium Duty Truck refers to a Class 4, Class 5 or Class 6 truck - think F450, F550, or Freightliner Sport Chassis type trucks

LGT or Little Girlie Truck refers to a Class 1, Class 2 or Class 3 pick up - think F150, F250, F350 style pick ups

[Star Dreamer]

Dave, don't know how to do the photo bucket but I'll look into it.

 

You guys on here use HDT and abbreviations I'm not familiar with. What the difference between an HDT, a dially and the freight liner were looking at? Just so far as terms on this site.

 

As Chad mentioned above an HDT is a semi tractor or in our case a modified one for RV use. It has had one of the rear axles removed and an RV style 5th wheel hitch along with a bumper pull hitch installed and the hauler body added for more storage.

 

A dually in theory is any vehicle with a set of dual rear tires on each side, but most people use that term in conjunction with an F350, Chevy 3500 or Ram 3500 with the dual rear tires. Us in the HDT world classify them the with the LGT like Chad mentions or LDT (Light duty truck).

 

I am not sure what Freightliner you were looking at but from your response to our picture as to how big it is, I am going to guess it was a Sport chassis or M2 which are MDT's but some can be optioned to handle close to a single rear axle HDT.

 

There are forum sections on here for the MDT & HDT's so you can do more research on the differences as the pros and cons to each. There are also rally's you can attend to find out more info. If you ever see one of Jack Mayer's postings, he has a link to a very good website in his signature (I do not think you can see those if you are using a phone to view the forums) that explains the differences very well.

 

We know it can sometimes be overwhelming both having to look at the trailer weights and what the trucks can safely handle while stopping, but take your time and eventually it will all sink in. On the Tow vehicle (TV) some people usually say you can never have too much truck since rarely do you keep the first trailer and move up to larger ones as time goes on. You do not want to max out the tow vehicle on its capacity either and always have a reserve in case of changes, plus if it is always at max you will wear it out faster. On the trailer most people say find the ones that has the layout you like or need and then try to option them with want you want and watch your weights. We have had our first 5th wheel trailer for about 7 years now and are looking to replace it with one that will meet our upcoming (4-5 years) retirement plans. We first pulled our trailer with a 2003 Chevy 3500 dually and like some other people it ended being over weight. A new dually would have had the capacity to pull it but would not have had any reserve for a heavier trailer which by then we knew we were going to want, so we looked at both the MDT & HDT's and found a better deal on the HDT. Your needs may be different but we encourage you to look at all options so that if you find that perfect trailer and need the hauling capacity of a larger truck, you will be able to know what you will need for the Tow Vehicle to work with that trailer and still be save.

 

Best of all have fun and don't get discouraged!

 

Dave