Need a little towing weight advice

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Amcmachine70

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Hi all, I own a 2012 ram crew cab,4x4,factory hitch,brake controller,3:55 rear,hemi.I am in the process of getting a travel trailer and the dry weight Is 6900-7000 pounds.Add me,wife, about 375 together,2 kids under 10 about 60 lbs each,a few things in the truck for camping about 175 lbs.Now people are saying camping gear in the tt is around 1000 pounds,that's the pots pans,linens,food,etc,ect. The ram has a towing capacity of 8500 with the 3:55 and 10,000 with the 3:92 gears.Does it seem I'm at my max with this truck,would changing the gears do any better for me and why would only changing gears increase the towing capacity by 1500 pounds.I plan on using a weight distributing hitch and maby airbags.Any suggestions,can this truck handle the tow,if I'm at max capacity is it still safe is my question,shouldn't I be able to tow at max capacity but not over,are there and safeties built into the truck if it is tested and maxed out at 8500 and you tow 8500 will it break.thanks
 

Stangshcky12

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Changing yours gear wont allow you to legally haul more but it will help tow better
What ever your factory rating is can't be changed even if it's matching factory options
Gears are a torque multiplier so a truck with more weight and 3:92s transnission will see about the same load as a truck with less weight and 3:55s
 

03MopaRamman

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My dry is 6950, WT distribution HD leaf Springs and 456 it tows Great. Mind you I have leaf springs and 1000 lb Tongue and she sits pretty good. I am thinking I may get Air Bags so I can really load my gear and stay level. I think you will be OK but with those gears you might have to Stay in Tow / Haul all the time. Air Bags you may need more than Gears. Happy Camping.
 

whatroads

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Stangshcky12 is exactly correct.

Other thoughts. I have a 2011 w/ the heavy duty tow group. Not only does this have a 3.92 gear I believe the springs may be a stiffer rate and the transmission cooler may be heavier duty than a standard 1500

Gear changes are expensive. Were I you I would first add rear air bags. Second I would add a larger capacity heavier duty tranny oil cooler. Next I would get a 10,000lb rated quality sway control. I have an Equal-i-zer. The Reese dual cam is also a very good setup

After these changes, and upgrades, I would try some modest towing. ON FLAT GROUND. Last thing you want to do is have your first towing experience include a large downhill. Make sure you are stable on flat ground first. Don't ask how I know.

After these changes you can re-evaluate the desire for a gear change. I have a friend who tows a drag car w/ a 1500 QC 4x4 w/ 3.55's with no issues
 

smiley

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Gear change will make the biggest difference because it allows you to get the load going. It won't change legal limit but being that the Ram 1500 can be equipped with ability to handle 10000 I highly doubt anyone would ever stop you. The price is not the only factor to consider though the results is what really matters. Since I added my 4.56 gears no matter the load I have out behind my truck it will move just by putting in gear. This could be a problem though because unless I weigh it I know I can tow more than even the highest factory rating with ease and be very illegal instead of just a little illegal. You will be able to do what you are trying to with 3.55's but it will suck in traffics or off road.
 

audio1der

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In all honesty, the only suggestion I have is a Hensley arrow hitch. They seem like a lot of cash up front, but it would address every concern of yours, and elminate all sway while doing it.
Check them out. (I have a nice Reece dual cam WD hitch that I'm into for $900; I wish I could start over and just buy the Hensley).
 

Trupiano

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Change those gears, and they also have air lift bags you can add to the center of your coil springs. With 3.92's/4.10's if you not a 4x4, the truck engine/tranny wont have to work as hard.
 

65Bowtie

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Everyone is worried about how to get the load going, keep it going via gears. While this will make your towing experience partially more enjoyable there is a H U G E factor that people are not thinking about. That is stoping, this is where the 3/4 tons shine after all they use the same engine, and same gears as most of the 1/2 tons set up for towing.

Just because your truck is rated at 8500 lbs doesnt mean that it will fall apart, blow up, or whatever as soon as you put 8501 lbs in it. Its just what the factory felt safe rating the trucks towing and stopping power at, mainly for warranty reasons.

I am from the school that there is a margin of error built into everything. Take for instance my last to Perminant Change of Stations (PCS). My trailer had 2 7000 lb axles with breaks on each and the trailer weighed 5000 lbs. Well, I had to get my stuff moved so between the bed of the truck and the trailer I put all my stuff in there which totaled an additional 15000 lbs. My total rolling weight of the truck was 25500 lbs, just a tad over what a 2500 duramax is rated at. It went from Alaska to GA across the mountain passes including cabbage hill and the rockies with no problems though the rockies the best I could manage was about 45 because I didnt want to push the engnine to hard. It made the trip there and back 9 months later when I retired no problems. But mind you my truck was set up for towning, i knew what it could do and I tested it with the load before getting to far. I had also towed progressivly heavier loads before this so I was confident in its abilities.

Rewind about 6 years and I had to move from Alaska to Nevada. 1991 1500 Suburban taht started off as a gutless *******. I did so much work to that engine just to get it to be able to tow or at least get out of its own way. I towed a 6000 lbs load during that PCS and was not comfortable with it at all. I knew the drivetrain could handle it, and the motor after installing cam, edelbrock heads, edelbrock MPFI (replaced the TBI), thorly tri Y headers, trans cooler, ect. But the brakes on that truck sucked without a load. I was under the load rating for the truck but dont know how it could have ever been rated to tow more especially with the stock engine.

The only times I have ever seen regular pickup trucks get pulled over and have their weigh questioned is when they are hauling a tripple axle travel or enclosed trailer. Other than people who have obvious safety issues going on that is.

Now I have this new truck that I dont know from squat I have to lear what it will and wont do again so I will be back to doing various increasingly heavy loads to get a feel for how it pulls but more importantly how it stops. I will say that my trucks brakes are leaps and bounds better than any 1500 level truck I have ever driven.

Just my .02
 

smiley

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If you have a trailer brake the braking is no problem so that is why I don't talk about it much. The trailer brakes are made for the trailer so by adding lower gears I was able to eliminate the weak point.


$miley
 

Chewy

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Engine braking is also something you can use to slow down before using the brakes. Something I don't believe diesels offer in stock form.

IMO, a set of Hawk brand HPS brake pads all around will decrease your braking distance considerably over stock and aren't too bad on dusting. I WOULD NOT use ceramic here. They don't dust much, but they lack the bite you want/need. You could even go as far as putting some slotted (not drilled) rotors on the front for added capacity if they make them.

Trailer brakes whether surge or electric DO work pretty well. Get a good electric controller though. Don't cheap out.
 

65Bowtie

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I have been noticing the new Diesels from all the big 3 having an exhaust brake as a option (I think this is what you were referring to, we used to call them a "Jake Brake")

Trailer brakes are a good thing to have, but fade fast and are just to assist with stoping, slowing. I agree though I equip all my trailers with electric brakes (surge hydros for boats) and honestly dont even like to tow without a weight distribution hitch.

I agree with Chewy, ceramics are great for cars but not for towing. Also agree with him about avoiding drilled rotors for towing applications though they havent been as bad about cracking lately.
 
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