Locating towing specs.

[CanRebel]

The SAE J2807 will show all combinations of engine, transmission and gearing ratio. Only a difference in wheel diameter is usually not listed but there are exceptions noted if a specific option effects the towing specs.

You know the other funny part. The official standard for about 16 years now? They use 10% for conventional coupling,15% for fifth-wheel or gooseneck

Having a standard is way better than what it use to be.

 

[CanRebel]

I'm towing a 25ft boat about 7k loaded, double axle trailer, and a 70 Chevelle on an open car hauler double axle, but might want to tow a 28ft enclosed trailer with Chevelle and golf cart inside. So sounds like I'm fine with any rear gear, but the enclosed trailer might be doubtful with either gear. I'd have to measure the tongue weight and loaded trailer weight I assume.

As @crash68 pointed out, I was picking out one part of the standard. It's more than just one test. Many things are our experiences and opinions.

I have friend who purchased F-350 just to tow 4K. His money and he's comfortable with it. From my experience, I would pick 3.92 if I was towing anything over 5K.
If I cared about couple mpg, I wouldn't have picked Truck with V8. In old days, we use to tow big TT with car or van, and if we weren't lazy we put tow chains. To turn you stuck your arm out of the window.

 

[crash68]

You know the other funny part. The official standard for about 16 years now? They use 10% for conventional coupling,15% for fifth-wheel or gooseneck

Having a standard is way better than what it use to be.

It's may be the standard for that long but it wasn't until 2015 model year that Ram fully complied with the testing standard. I believe Toyota was the year before and Ford along with Chevy followed suit by 2016/17.

 

[crash68]

might want to tow a 28ft enclosed trailer with Chevelle and golf cart inside

That's going to be a healthy load behind a 1500, weight placement and WDH set up will be key. Probably want some air bags for the rear, be sure to set the WDH with the airbags already inflated for the fully loaded truck & trailer.
Definitely use Tow/Haul mode and get ready to listen to the Hemi sing the high(er) rpm song!

 

[Weekiman]

That's going to be a healthy load behind a 1500, weight placement and WDH set up will be key. Probably want some air bags for the rear, be sure to set the WDH with the airbags already inflated for the fully loaded truck & trailer.
Definitely use Tow/Haul mode and get ready to listen to the Hemi sing the high(er) rpm song!

I don't want to kill it. If that's the case I'll stick with an open car hauler. I have a 93 D250 Cummins that's in great shape if I choose to go the trailer route.

 

[Weekiman]

As @crash68 pointed out, I was picking out one part of the standard. It's more than just one test. Many things are our experiences and opinions.

I have friend who purchased F-350 just to tow 4K. His money and he's comfortable with it. From my experience, I would pick 3.92 if I was towing anything over 5K.
If I cared about couple mpg, I wouldn't have picked Truck with V8. In old days, we use to tow big TT with car or van, and if we weren't lazy we put tow chains. To turn you stuck your arm out of the window.

The good old days. I just want to stay somewhat legal and not kill a million dollar space shuttle. I have a clean 93 D250 Cummins that I currently tow my boat with other than that I don't have much towing experience. This is going to be the wife's truck. I just want to set it up as optimal as I can.

 

[Weekiman]

Your boat will be fine, and the car on a flatbed will be fine. Chances are the enclosed trailer with both will be okay, it's not like an RV where the weights are static, you can adjust the weight around with an enclosed trailer, though not as much with a car in there. Worst case get a WDH for the enclosed trailer whenever you're going to load it up pretty good, most enclosed trailers that size have a steel frame so no worries there.

What's a WDH? A toad? It would also be one of those cheap enclosed trailers made in Georgia. They are pretty light no insulation or anything.

 

[CanRebel]

What's a WDH? A toad? It would also be one of those cheap enclosed trailers made in Georgia. They are pretty light no insulation or anything.

Weight distribution hitch

Setup correctly, it will improve towing by a lot.

If you don't own the trailer already. Take all numbers and add them up. Weight of trailer might likely not issue, but 28 ft with that weight. I'd use the D250 instead and with WDH.

 

[Weekiman]

Weight distribution hitch

Setup correctly, it will improve towing by a lot.

If you don't own the trailer already. Take all numbers and add them up. Weight of trailer might likely not issue, but 28 ft with that weight. I'd use the D250 instead and with WDH.

Good to know thanks, I'm starting to get a handle on what's involved with towing.

 

[Jas34]

In old days, we use to tow big TT with car or van, and if we weren't lazy we put tow chains. To turn you stuck your arm out of the window.

I wish I had a pic of my wife's step father towing a loaded big, steel 4 horse with his station wagon. He frequently had to have someone pull him back out of the mud at the horse shows when it was time to leave. Part of his "maintenance program" was a transmission rebuild every year or 2. I had my own overload moments through the years but seeing his setup was a WTF moment even for me. I also don't remember there being weight distribution hitches back then, or maybe no one bothered using them if they were available.

 

[Tulecreeper]

Good to know thanks, I'm starting to get a handle on what's involved with towing.

Yes, there is a lot involved, you can't just initially 'hook it up and go'. But once you're set up with the proper equipment it's much easier. And after towing a few dozen times and you learn the idiosyncrasies of your particular rig, it's a piece of cake.

 

[Weekiman]

Yes, there is a lot involved, you can't just initially 'hook it up and go'. But once you're set up with the proper equipment it's much easier. And after towing a few dozen times and you learn the idiosyncrasies of your particular rig, it's a piece of cake.

Thanks for the info.

 

[darioa]

I read the sticker, but for some reason it links to Gen 4 and older. Anyone know a way to get towing specs on Ram 1500 trucks? I've learned Ram is very elusive on this for political reasons unfortunately. Two dealers have not been able to to tell me. Building you own truck on Ram website will not tell you, nor does the window sticker, or door jam GVWR sticker. They just say up to 12,750 key words (UP TOO). What I've learned so far is that the max towing will be a 2WD, Hemi, quad cab with the longer bed, 3.91 gears, but I would like to see a chart and break down. I'd like know what a crew cab, Hemi, 4WD, 3.23 gears can tow? I don't really want the 3.92 gears but will if I have too.

I use a formula to calculate the Maximum recommended towing capacity, based on your specific truck with the load you carry:
Max Tow Weight Capacity = (GCWR - Curb Weight - (People weight + Cargo + Options weight - Used Fuel Weight)) * 80%
The 80% is the recommended safety factor. The options weight will subtract from the Tradesman number you can get from Stellantis.

I have an ECO Diesel RAM 1500 Limited. The rating for a Tradesman is 9,600 LBS. When fully loaded and using the above formula, I get a maximum towing capacity of 7,213 lbs. However, I typically run out of GVWR or Payload before I run out of towing capacity.

 

[nlambert182]

I use a formula to calculate the Maximum recommended towing capacity, based on your specific truck with the load you carry:
Max Tow Weight Capacity = (GCWR - Curb Weight - (People weight + Cargo + Options weight - Used Fuel Weight)) * 80%
The 80% is the recommended safety factor. The options weight will subtract from the Tradesman number you can get from Stellantis.

I have an ECO Diesel RAM 1500 Limited. The rating for a Tradesman is 9,600 LBS. When fully loaded and using the above formula, I get a maximum towing capacity of 7,213 lbs. However, I typically run out of GVWR or Payload before I run out of towing capacity.

With you on all but fuel. the GVWR calculation already accounts for a full tank of fuel. You're not hurting anything by factoring that in, but you might be underrating the truck.

 

[Snowchief]

Shouldn’t have to google it. Should be easy like Ford and Chevy.Rams Build it now is a glitchy option that seems to have lost RamBoxes and specs that would be useful for a build.

 

[RamRod1]

I read the sticker, but for some reason it links to Gen 4 and older. Anyone know a way to get towing specs on Ram 1500 trucks? I've learned Ram is very elusive on this for political reasons unfortunately. Two dealers have not been able to to tell me. Building you own truck on Ram website will not tell you, nor does the window sticker, or door jam GVWR sticker. They just say up to 12,750 key words (UP TOO). What I've learned so far is that the max towing will be a 2WD, Hemi, quad cab with the longer bed, 3.91 gears, but I would like to see a chart and break down. I'd like know what a crew cab, Hemi, 4WD, 3.23 gears can tow? I don't really want the 3.92 gears but will if I have too.

I found these online for my 2012

 

[nlambert182]

Shouldn’t have to google it. Should be easy like Ford and Chevy.Rams Build it now is a glitchy option that seems to have lost RamBoxes and specs that would be useful for a build.

It is easier than deciphering Ford and Chevy. It's literally one search and everything you need is at your fingertips. Ram has payload/towing charts for every year model. It will give you a starting point, but just like Ford and Chevy... if you want the ACTUAL specs of the truck, you'll only get those from the truck itself.

 

[Snowchief]

If Ram wants to sell more Rams, then Rams Build and Price website tool should have the most up to date information available to a future buyer.Said future buyers can see how different builds affect the trucks capabilities looks and price.

 

[Weekiman]

If Ram wants to sell more Rams, then Rams Build and Price website tool should have the most up to date information available to a future buyer.Said future buyers can see how different builds affect the trucks capabilities looks and price.

It's dam near impossible. They must do it for a reason and I think it's political fall out. They advertise big numbers but in reality very few models actually can achieve the hyped up numbers. Thus they burry the numbers and hope you will not dig and just buy the truck only to be disappointed when you find out after it's too late. In 1970 we made the greatest and cheapest cars in the world. In a few short years they were the worst. The big three has spent the last 50 years cutting all corners to make vehicles that meet radical left wing standards that get worse by the second. Biden is getting ready to release more radical regs any day now.

 

[2003F350]

It's dam near impossible. They must do it for a reason and I think it's political fall out. They advertise big numbers but in reality very few models actually can achieve the hyped up numbers. Thus they burry the numbers and hope you will not dig and just buy the truck only to be disappointed when you find out after it's too late. In 1970 we made the greatest and cheapest cars in the world. In a few short years they were the worst. The big three has spent the last 50 years cutting all corners to make vehicles that meet radical left wing standards that get worse by the second.

Having been inside the auto industry, and still being tangentially attached to it...you're not correct.

They advertise the big numbers knowing that most people will NEVER look any deeper than the advertisement - only those who NEED those big numbers will dig and find out there is only a couple configurations that hit them. It comes from DECADES of research into how people buy, and most people (probably 90% or greater) basically buy what is on the lot - you're lucky we still HAVE a 'build and price' tool for any auto manufacturer. It's the same reason manual transmissions are all but extinct; it's not that they CAN'T handle big power numbers, it's that there's been little to no research into them to keep the packaging small enough for light duty vehicles, combined with (again) most people just buying what's on the lot AND a slow shift towards driverless vehicles (the human factor is the single biggest contributor to auto accidents).

In the 1960s and 70s, we churned out junk cars that people worked on all the time, but everyone seems to forget that (remember the 'spare parts' tote in the trunk, along with carrying a tool box?). Then we learned that noxious gases coming out of the tail pipes cause health issues for pretty much everybody, so we had to start combating that.

Oh, and we brought foreign car manufacturers in and SHOWED them how we build cars, and explained all the places our processes fall short. Those guys then went home, fixed those issues, and launched small cars that had MUCH better quality because they'd fixed our issues. We then spent the next several decades playing catchup.

Do emissions and safety figure into this equation? Yes. Are cars also MUCH more complicated than they've ever been in history? Yes. Are they going to continue to get more and more complex as they push to make them as safe as they can be? Absolutely. Are they still built on an assembly line as a mass-produced product, in a process that has tolerances on it that keep 99% of them to the quality standard, meaning some of the 'bad' ones are likely going to get out? Also yes.

Frankly, I like knowing that my vehicle is actually MORE reliable than one I owned 20 years ago, and produces fewer emissions and is more likely to protect me in the event of an accident. Does it suck that all of that has come at a price? Yes, but it's a tradeoff I'm willing to make.