Long ol trailer

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boudreaux76

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While I would prefer a 5th wheel (so please dont tell me why its better - I already know)... I have an amazing deal sitting in front of me for a travel trailer.

I drive:
2014 Ram 2500 HD 4x2 with 5.7 Hemi 3.73 gear longbed crew cab

The trailer:
37'5" (ball to bumper)
GVRW 9735lbs
Hitch wt 936

Obviously I will have a weight distribution hitch and sway control (any recommendations helpful).

Anyone here have a similar setup to mine or able to tell me what towing something like this takes? After my earlier post I've decided to at least give the 3.73 a shot before upgrading the rear end, but I'm still a little hesitant to pull the trigger on buying the trailer.

I've hauled hay and tractors and boats and pretty much anything you can tow since I was 15, but I've never pulled something this long behind a long wheel base truck..... I mean they sell 1000s of bumper pull trailers every year this length - certainly someone here can put my mind at ease.
 

BlkZrx

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I pull a 35 foot with my longbed standard cab. Does fine with my Equalizer hitch. Same gears, but 6.4 motor.

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THETANK

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I would veto this purchase all day long but hey good luck on your travels.
 

Markcuda

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When it gets windy.
 

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mtofell

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Not sure what the previous posters' problem is - you have plenty of truck and the hauling aspect wouldn't worry me in the least. I labored over the TT/5th wheel choice before getting my 5th but the reason had nothing to do with actual towing. I was more concerned with just backing it beside my house and having such a long setup at campgrounds.

A 2500 truck is a towing beast for TTs. Hell, I can just about guarantee there will be a post here in the next 2 days of a guy with a 1/2 ton trying to make this TT work. You won't even be close on any weight ratings on the truck. Get a good anti-sway and a WDH (even though you hardly need the latter).

Over the last 15 years I've towed 2 different TTs and 2 different 5th wheels with 3 different trucks thousands of miles so can speak from some position of experience. I'm all for safety and having a good setup but what you propose doesn't even make the radar.

To the previous two posters - if not an HD truck what are you supposed to haul that TT with? I don't recall seeing many 37' TTs behind Freightliners while I'm out camping.
 

14hemiexpress

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Just gotta drive slow in the wind. We pulled a 39ft goose neck with my dad's f-250 cc swb. Granted we didn't pull it long distances but it was pretty stable. I think yours will be more stable as we were maxing the payload out and had to uses bags. Made the tires feel little squishy I don't think you'll have that issue with the bumper pull.
 

chopperman1

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Plenty of truck. Maneuverability will be a bit of a ***** and will limit the number of campsites you'll be able to get in to. My Jayco has gotta be close to yours in length but much lighter, 30' camper plus what, maybe 4 for the tongue... Usually once a year there is a site that simply doesn't have the turning radius for me to get in, last year it happened twice. Usually not a big deal and they just put us in another site. This past season at one of the places the owner used his front end loader to jockey us in to the site, place was 100% full. He said they never should have put us in the site, that whoever took the reservation should have asked the size of the camper. Again tho, it's no big deal, is what it is, make the best of it. I say go for it!
 

mowin

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I pulled a 38' 11k tt for a few yrs. Had a curt WDH. Winds under 25 mph were OK. But any higher, I didn't enjoy it. I was towing it with my current truck. 3500 SRW 6.4 , 3:73..
 

14hemiexpress

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Everyone does realise hes talking about a 37' 5in total length making it a 34-35ft box. There are guys pulling those with 1/2 tons.. I wouldn't but I can't imagine a 2500 not being enough.
 

NewBlackDak

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Everyone does realise hes talking about a 37' 5in total length making it a 34-35ft box. There are guys pulling those with 1/2 tons.. I wouldn't but I can't imagine a 2500 not being enough.



Yep. Mine isn't that much shorter or lighter, and I have no problem with it, even going up windy canyons.


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GsRAM

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my next door neighbor pulls a trailer close to that with his 1500 laramie.

That i would not do. OP, if you want or need a trailer that long, go for it. You have enough truck. The 3.73s may be just fine for you also. I know mine won't pull as good as 4.10s, but i knew that when i bought my truck. As i said in your other post, if you dont like the performance of the 3.73s, just go straight to 4.30s, imo.

You will be limited in state park CGs with a rig that long, and some of the CG loop roads are very narrow which will make jacking around a TT of that length not much fun. Big difference between a TT of that length and a 5ver of that length in terms of manuverability and towing stability. But again, you have the truck to do it. Good luck
 

spoon059

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I've got a 2015 4x4 Cummins and tow a trailer that is about 36 feet long, 9500 lbs GVWR, a little over 1000 lbs tongue weight. I have an Equal-I-Zer WDH and it tows fantastic. Regular traffic and regular winds are no problems at all. We had 50+ mph gusts coming down to Florida last week, we could feel the rig getting pushed a little bit, but it wasn't terrible at all.

The 2500 is a great towing platform. I know you have the smaller, lighter engine and a lower GVWR... but it should still be plenty. That 5.7 makes plenty of power to haul 10K lbs. Plenty of brakes and plenty of mass to handle that trailer.

I'm in the same boat as you, while I would like a 5th wheel, My driveway is too steep to allow me to back the trailer up without hitting the bed rails. We love our truck and trailer combo.
 
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