2019 3500 CTD HO 4x4 Crew Cab SRW and 16500 lb 5th Wheel

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Blazin383

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I'm new to the Ram diesel and have a question regarding towing my new 5th wheel. I traded my 15 Ram 2500 6.4 Hemi w/4:10 for a 2019 Ram 3500 HO Cummins single rear wheel.
Until this weekend my toy hauler was a 26' tow behind that the Hemi pulled just fine, but the Cummins scoffs at. That trailer, loaded with gear and a 1700 lb side by side tipped the scales at about 10,500 lbs. However, on our way home to WA from Moab last weekend we made the mistake of stopping in UT and buying a new 40' Torque 371 5th wheel that weighs about 14,500 empty with a pin weight of 3200 lb. Obviously the weight will only go up from there with toy, fluids and lots of stuff!
I'm preparing the truck in anticipation of driving back to UT this weekend to pick up the trailer. I'm in the process of getting a B&W flip over ball hitch installed in the truck, and have decided to go with the Andersen hitch because of the overwhelmingly positive reviews and it's light weight. My payload rating is 3633 so I know the payload limit is getting real close.

Is this trailer too much for the single rear wheel 3500?
 
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MADDOG

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Yup...you might be over because it appears you haven't included the weight of gear, hitch, passengers and other stuff inside the truck with the pin weight of the trailer. It all counts as payload weight.

You've added a ton, literally a ton - 2000 pounds of tow weight - before you even add any gear to the trailer as well.

Another thing to note is the pin weight calculation. Is that max pin weight or is that pin weight of the trailer when it's empty?

What is your trailer's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating?
 

TWILLIAMS9

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Your payload is only 3600? I have a 3500 Laramie mega cab SO and mine is 4200.
 
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Blazin383

Blazin383

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Yup...you might be over because it appears you haven't included the weight of gear, hitch, passengers and other stuff inside the truck with the pin weight of the trailer. It all counts as payload weight.

You've added a ton, literally a ton - 2000 pounds of tow weight - before you even add any gear to the trailer as well.

Another thing to note is the pin weight calculation. Is that max pin weight or is that pin weight of the trailer when it's empty?

What is your trailer's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating?
I'm assuming the 3200 lb advertised pin weight is the empty figure. Will putting a 1700 lb side by side hanging behind the axles take any weight off the pin?
 

TWILLIAMS9

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My truck is a loaded Limited version, and apparently all that bling must be heavy!

that’s always been crazy to me how the added features take so much off the payload. The only feature I don’t have would be the moonroof.
 

chri5k

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Take the rig to a CAT scale and get the actual numbers for each axle with your normal load of stuff. Only way to know for sure all the effects of water / waste, and stuff inside the trailer being either in front of or over the axles and the SXS, tool box, etc slightly over or behind the axles. All of those factors will affect the pin weight.
 

14hemiexpress

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FWIW when you jump to the aisin you go from 11400 gvw to 12300 gvw you get a extra 900lbs for some reason. I may have been looking :emotions36:

Screenshot_20200523-223849_Chrome.jpg
 

texcwa

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First did you verify your payload using your vin number on the Ram web site.

I have a 2019 3500 Laramie Crew Cab 4x4 Short Bed. Based on Vin the Tow Capacity is 24,646 lbs and Payload is 3,866 lbs. My fifth wheel dry weight is 12,400 lbs, GVWR 16.000 lbs with a pin weight (dry) 2,600 lbs (sim to your situation). Towing is not an issue. Payload I just did some math but still need to take it to the scales. Below is what I used for the math:

1. hitch base weight 162 lbs (B&W 18K Slider)
2. hitch coupler weight 52 lbs
3. Adapter (for puck system) 75 lbs
4. fifth wheel hitch weight 2,920 lbs (based on adding 1,600 lbs payload to RV and using 20% for pin weight adjustment)
5. occupants, other in truck 500 lbs

Total 3,709 lbs (157 lbs under max of 3,866 lbs) Cutting it close but do not believe I have 1,600 lbs of additional payload in RV (NOT a Toy Haler). Still going to scales to get all weight ratings so I can make adjustments of payload both front to rear and left to right.
 

texcwa

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Wanted to update my previous response. Took the RV out this past weekend, Had it fully loaded (including fresh water) and drove past a Cat Certified Scale so stopped and had my Truck and Fifth Wheel weighed. My estimated weights were close but found out I was 220 lbs over my payload and 500 lbs over the trucks GVWR even with my 2019 3500 with the HO upgrade. The RV was a 32' Vanleigh Vilano Fifth Wheel. Need to make some adjustments to where I store items (including moving fully loaded ice chest to inside of RV and possibly making a rear rack for my 100 lb generator to back of RV. Below shows how I estimated the weights and below that is the actual weights,Estimated Payload and Tow.jpgNot Sure how a 2500 could tow a fifth wheel greater than 30 ft.Actual Payload and Tow.jpg
 

Elkman

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Look at the load capcity for the tires on your truck. This will be the payload limitation you need to consider. I replace tires rated at 3095@80 PSI for ones rated at 3750@80 PSI on my truck to gain load capacity. The next step up would have been to go to 19.5 wheels and tires to get tires with 4800 lbs of load capacity and that would have cost me $3500 to do.

DRW provides 4 tires and a roughly 80% increase over the same tires with SRW. Better to towing but not a truck I would want to drive when not towing a very heavy trailer.

Friends who have gone from medium size trailers to very large and long ones have tended to sell them within a couple of years of use and gone to motorhomes and towing a small car behind them. A problem with very long trailers is being limited to private RV campgrounds that can accommodate them. Then one has all the comforts of home and neighbors with generators and outdoor big screen televisions with loud speakers and an electric rotisserie for the barbeque and screaming kids running around - oh joy! This is far from "camping" as staying at a Holiday Inn in town.
 
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