What Size Trailer/Camper to Buy

[bpd138]

Hello,
I recently purchased a 2014 Ram 1500 4x4 with the Big Horn package. It has the 5.7l Hemi, 3.21 rear axle, factory trailer brake, 20" wheels, extra five gallons of gas and 2" increase in ride height.

The missus and I, along with another couple ( traveling together in same vehicle) want to take a month or so and tour the national parks out west. This is not why we bought the truck it's just something that came up after the purchase.

My question is; What would be the biggest or best camper I could tow with this setup? Makes and models would be appreciated because I know nothing about campers! lol Would going to a 5th wheel hookup be beneficial?

Thanks for any help or suggestions?

 

[monteholic]

check your owners manual

you are going to get "opinions" here from one end of the spectrum to the other

 

[Rampant]

Many will disagree with me, I'm sure. And that's fine. If you're looking for opinions, here is one from experience. I wouldn't tow more than 5-6k dry or a 20' trailer max with that setup. It's got the highest gearing available, which is made for highway cruising and the best gas mileage possible, not for towing anything heavy. From the info you've given, your truck likely has a max tow rating of around 8k. Check the sticker inside your driver's side door jamb and/or the towing guide.

For me, a fifth wheel would be completely out of the question. For one, they don't make them small enough to be towed safely with your setup. Check your payload. You'll likely be very close to- if not over your max payload with just the 4 adults in it. Crazy, I know... but it is true. That's before you add the tongue weight of anything you intend to tow with it.

Those are just numbers, yes. It's a free country! Do as you like, but I urge you to throw caution to the wind when overloading your rig. You being inexperienced in towing/campers only compounds the situation. It's not that your Hemi doesn't have the power to do it at all. That's not even half of the story. It's everything but that; it's just not designed to tow anything heavy and that's why it is rated the way it is.

 

[AFMoulton]

Couldn’t of said it better, which is why I went 2500 6.4 with 4.10’s


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[McBroom]

I’m running a 2500 with 3.73 6.4L I can tow just about anything


I Love My 2018 RAM 2500HD 4x4

 

[AFMoulton]

I went from this set up, towed it one time to getting a 2500. You won’t like anything heavier than about 7500lbs behind you.




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[Rampant]

I’m running a 2500 with 3.73 6.4L I can tow just about anything


I Love My 2018 RAM 2500HD 4x4

I am too. I've had 12k+ on it and it did alright. I'm sure the 4.10s would be better for acceleration and hills. I normally tow between 7-11k with my race trailer and it does a good job for a gasser. I don't expect it to pull like a diesel, so I'm okay with it. The important thing is, the platform beefy and stable. IMO, the engine is the least important in the equation.

 

[AFMoulton]

I am too. I've had 12k+ on it and it did alright. I'm sure the 4.10s would be better for acceleration and hills. I normally tow between 7-11k with my race trailer and it does a good job for a gasser. I don't expect it to pull like a diesel, so I'm okay with it. The important thing is, the platform beefy and stable. IMO, the engine is the least important in the equation.

Exactly right, axles, BRAKES, suspension, bearings, BRAKES, Cooling, frame, and oh yeah BRAKES!

This truck is 3 times my 1500. But I sure did love stomping on the 5.7 with the 8sp and getting shoved into my seat!


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[Rampant]

Exactly right, axles, BRAKES, suspension, bearings, BRAKES, Cooling, frame, and oh yeah BRAKES!

This truck is 3 times my 1500. But I sure did love stomping on the 5.7 with the 8sp and getting shoved into my seat!


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Amen!

 

[69GWC]

I have a 5.7, 8sp and 3:21s and pull a 28' camper with zero problems and I have more than enough power to pull it. ( my truck is not stock)
Myself I would look for something smaller, 28' or less for sure 25' or so would be better and watch the weights on it.

I honestly know my truck would pull alot more weight with zero problems power wise 400 hp and then the 8sps gearing choices of gears you can run in makes a huge difference in how these trucks handle pulling.

Problem is the 1500s are light and a big heavy long trailer can over power it.
I think the lenght plays more into what you can pull with a 1500 then the weight does, well if the truck is set up right for towing because a stock 1500 is not set up well to be used as a truck.

I will ad if you are going to pull heavy all the time a 1500 is really not the right truck for the job no matter how its set up it was just not built for that like a 2500 was.
Myself I pull my camper 5/6 times a year max noramally just take it to the lake and leave it for the summer and its only 3hrs one way.



I see brakes talked about alot, I dont see how they are going to be any better on a 2500 then the 1500, even if they are larger the truck weighs nearly 2,000lbs more.
Both come with 17" rims and you can only fit so big of brakes in there.
What am zi missing here ?
I know my 1500 would easily out stopped my 07 2500, but it did have 150k on the clock..lol

Just my 2 cents.

 

[911ems]

Hemi, 8sp, 3.21 4x4 with payload of 1470. Airlift 1k, Equalizer 4pt, E tires at 31” tall, and hellwig rear sway bar. TT is 7700 gross and 31’ hitch To bumper. Truck does perfect, stable, and safe. Is a 2500 better? Sure. But the truck does well if you watch your numbers.






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[Rampant]

I have a 5.7, 8sp and 3:21s and pull a 28' camper with zero problems and I have more than enough power to pull it. ( my truck is not stock)
Myself I would look for something smaller, 28' or less for sure 25' or so would be better and watch the weights on it.

I honestly know my truck would pull alot more weight with zero problems power wise 400 hp and then the 8sps gearing choices of gears you can run in makes a huge difference in how these trucks handle pulling.

Problem is the 1500s are light and a big heavy long trailer can over power it.
I think the lenght plays more into what you can pull with a 1500 then the weight does, well if the truck is set up right for towing because a stock 1500 is not set up well to be used as a truck.

I will ad if you are going to pull heavy all the time a 1500 is really not the right truck for the job no matter how its set up it was just not built for that like a 2500 was.
Myself I pull my camper 5/6 times a year max noramally just take it to the lake and leave it for the summer and its only 3hrs one way.



I see brakes talked about alot, I dont see how they are going to be any better on a 2500 then the 1500, even if they are larger the truck weighs nearly 2,000lbs more.
Both come with 17" rims and you can only fit so big of brakes in there.
What am zi missing here ?
I know my 1500 would easily out stopped my 07 2500, but it did have 150k on the clock..lol

Just my 2 cents.

What you say about brakes would absolutely be true if they had the same brakes. Guess which rear caliper and rotor goes on which model truck...

 

[14hemiexpress]

Payload and brakes. Make sure.your trailer has good brakes. Make sure you take into consideration your going to have 4 grown adults in your truck.

 

[Docpaulo]

I would stay with less than 5k dry trailer and 21 or below length...

For a group of 4 adults its doable...

The last thing you want is losing control on a downhill hairpin with the trailer pushing your vehicle around...

Just type micro lite and you'll get several choices

 

[silver surfer]

I towed a 2004 25', 5500lb. gross weight travel trailer to South Dakota and back (4000 miles), along with another couple, driving a 2015 QC 1500 with 3.21 rears. Not a problem. New construction makes them even lighter.

 

[SeaRefractor]

check your owners manual

you are going to get "opinions" here from one end of the spectrum to the other

Actually check the sticker on the pillar of the driver side door. This is the rating that the highway patrol will check if you happen to be pulled over while towing. The highway or state patrol won't go by your manual but by that sticker. Remember, it's not just the dry weight of the trailer but also the supplies, propane, water and passengers that need be at or under that rating.

Regardless of what you do end up buying, I know you'll enjoy it! Just be sure to practice driving it around and also "backing" up prior to the vacation trip. It looks cooler to your guests if you have that all down, instead of trial and error on the trip.

 

[reek]

Exactly right, axles, BRAKES, suspension, bearings, BRAKES, Cooling, frame, and oh yeah BRAKES!

also, no one like to talk about it as it's probably a dirty word but the extra weight of the 2500 helps.

 

[mtofell]

Biggest limiting factor with your setup is the 4 adults in the truck. All that weight comes right off payload. So 4 @ 175# = 700 + a WDH @ 50# you've eaten half or more of available payload. So, you've got 750# for your trailer (and this is assuming NOTHING else in the truck but the 4 people..... AND is assuming a 1500# payload which is a stretch with some Rams). To carry anything in the truck other than people and stay within numbers I'd be looking at trailers in the 4000# range dry.

There are plenty of trailers out there that will work. You're off to a great start asking questions. Learn the way the game is played and you can find a good trailer for your journey.

 

[bpd138]

I would like to thank everyone for their input, it's been very helpful. I'm not a novice at towing trailer...........I just don't know anything about how to camp! lol
Seeing as I just bought the truck a few months ago, I don't have any plans to trade it in just yet. I'm only planning the one long trip. Anything else would probably be just a few hours to a destination for a long weekend or something like that.

 

[Wahrsuul]

Giving a specific length for TT is kind of misleading. Newer ones tend to be lighter. maybe less sturdy? That I can't say. But weight is what to look for, and I'm in agreement with the people that say 5-5500lbs max dry. Even then it's a bit much and I don't think I'd do it in your situation, not with 4 people and all the stuff for a month of travel.

Just my thought - look for a hybrid camper - the kind with a hard shell but fold out bed areas. They seem to give the most internal area while still being fairly light for their size.

I'm sure I'll catch it for this - but seems every time there's a towing question, it seems to devolve into "why didn't you get a 2500/3500/peterbilt...etc"? The OP says he didn't get the truck for this purpose, now he's looking for what he can do with it.

Sure, I'd love to be able to tow a 30+ ft fifth wheel toy hauler with a big bike in it. But unlike a lot of you (apparently) I can't afford to just drop my truck and buy a 2500/3500, even used, and more importantly, I couldn't use it as a daily driver which I need far more than towing a big TT once or twice a year. So, I buy for what I need most, and work within the limitations of that vehicle. There are plenty of nice TTs out there that will work for what the OP needs.