Made a boo-boo buying a 6.7 Ram?

[lezmark7]

I should have checked load capacities before i pulled the plug, but I just wanted to upgrade from my Eco Diesel for better towing for a trailer i already have. Turns out that even with the fifth wheel package and the puck setup that my load capacity is only 2291 pounds!! Arg. One nice thing about the internet is you can ask dumb questions without too much embarrassment. I would like to upgrade to a 5th wheel but the smallest i can do with the features i want is a minimum weight of 9,000 lbs which should be approx 1800 pounds to the truck. Add a couple bodies and a modest amount of storage stuff and i will likely be an easy couple hundred pounds over. So, I am asking myself how much risk would i really be taking going there? My thought being that Ram would be VERY conservative with their ratings for a lot of logical reasons, not the least of which could be fools like me pushing the boundaries. Any thoughts with minimal insults please?

 

[rule18]

All is not lost (lol)... Look at Keystone Cougar "Half Ton" 5ers.

 

[tjfdesmo]

The payload number is real, but it's sorta contrived just to keep the truck in Class 2 GVW. Add your axle ratings together and it will likely be greater than the GVW. This is of course an oversimplification. Weigh your truck and compare your empty rear axle weight to the RAWR. You will likely see a bit of daylight. Whether you choose to use it is up to you. The sticker doesn't change.

The Cummins is a heavy bugger and eats up a lot of payload.

 

[crash68]

Keep in mind the 2500 are artificially limited to a 10K GVWR for legal purposes in many states.
The numbers you don't want to go over is your GAWR and the GCWR your vehicle is plated for. Many states you can even plate a vehicle for more or less GVWR/GCWR .
Now we'll let the payload police tell you how you'll lose control killing everyone in a two block radius and you'll be sued for your great grandchildrens inheritance.

 

[BWL]

I should have checked load capacities before i pulled the plug, but I just wanted to upgrade from my Eco Diesel for better towing for a trailer i already have. Turns out that even with the fifth wheel package and the puck setup that my load capacity is only 2291 pounds!! Arg. One nice thing about the internet is you can ask dumb questions without too much embarrassment. I would like to upgrade to a 5th wheel but the smallest i can do with the features i want is a minimum weight of 9,000 lbs which should be approx 1800 pounds to the truck. Add a couple bodies and a modest amount of storage stuff and i will likely be an easy couple hundred pounds over. So, I am asking myself how much risk would i really be taking going there? My thought being that Ram would be VERY conservative with their ratings for a lot of logical reasons, not the least of which could be fools like me pushing the boundaries. Any thoughts with minimal insults please?

Tongue weight is usually around 10% so the 9000 should put around 900 on the truck not 1800. That should help ease your mind a bit to start off. Now I've started looking through spec sheets and the luxury 5ers are closer to 15%. Still means an 11k is no problem even without the axle weight wiggle room and a 15k trailer is an easy pull for the 6.7. Night and day difference from the 1500 eco.

 

[lezmark7]

The payload number is real, but it's sorta contrived just to keep the truck in Class 2 GVW. Add your axle ratings together and it will likely be greater than the GVW. This is of course an oversimplification. Weigh your truck and compare your empty rear axle weight to the RAWR. You will likely see a bit of daylight. Whether you choose to use it is up to you. The sticker doesn't change.

The Cummins is a heavy bugger and eats up a lot of payload.

there is a 1750 pound difference adding the front and rear - you have given me help/hope - thanks! what do you mean about the RAWR? Thanks!!

 

[BWL]

The weight your axles are rated for. Also a 5er transfers more weight to the front, which will help. Also put the fatter guys in the front seat.lol

 

[OC455]

You can look at the Grand Design 150 Reflection series 5'ers, light pin weights that won't kill your payload, 1300lbs range.

 

[tjfdesmo]

there is a 1750 pound difference adding the front and rear - you have given me help/hope - thanks! what do you mean about the RAWR? Thanks!!

Rear Axle Weight Rating. Spend $10 or $12 and go to a CAT Scale and weigh the truck with a full tank to get accurate axle weights.

 

[lezmark7]

will do!

 

[WY-Dave]

Kinda curious on the difference between 4/5th gens Here is my '18 without 5th hitch. Port of Entry here

 

[dhay13]

2500 diesels are very limited on towing. We weighed my sons 8100lb bumper pull Grand Design and with me, him, full tank of fuel, and a few hundred pounds of stuff he had in the truck he was at 9100lbs on the CAT scales. If that had been a Cummins he would have been very close to maxed out. He has a 2018 2500 6.4 with 2973lbs payload so empty it weighs about 7000lbs. His total weight was 16,180lbs IIRC. That said, will it do it? Sure. Is it legal? Probably not. Do people do it all the time? Yep.

 

[BWL]

Good example of how the 2500s are downrated for classification. Note how the gvw is 10,000 and yet the axles are rated to 12500 so perfectly balanced and properly registered you could legally gain 2500 lbs payload on this truck. Payload is calculated at gvw-vehicle weight the diesels do have heavier everything including axles, but to stay in the class they want it in for insurance and licensing they knock the numbers down on gvw.

 

[MADDOG]

Tongue weight is usually around 10% so the 9000 should put around 900 on the truck not 1800. That should help ease your mind a bit to start off. Now I've started looking through spec sheets and the luxury 5ers are closer to 15%. Still means an 11k is no problem even without the axle weight wiggle room and a 15k trailer is an easy pull for the 6.7. Night and day difference from the 1500 eco.

Tongue weight for a travel trailer is around 10% with most models and a WDH helps a lot with weight distribution.

However, a 5th wheel will transfer between 15 to 20 percent of it's weight to the truck. Many load calculators tell you to use 18 to 20 percent when doing load calcs. So a 9000# trailer will add from around 1600 to 1800 pounds of payload weight.

You need some numbers for your truck:

1. Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)

2. Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating (GCVWR)

You can get them from the Ram Towing Guide for your year truck. Google 2020 Ram Towing Chart. Look up your truck for those two ratings.

You also need to know the weight of your trailer i.e. empty or dry weight and the GVWR. Then add the empty weight to the weight value of what you will be putting in the trailer such as clothes, batteries, full propane bottles, gear, those camping chairs, etc...i.e. anything you will be putting in the trailer.

GVWR includes the weight of your truck, loaded, with fuel, gear, hitch, and passengers plus the trailer pin weight which is also part of the payload figure.

The last figure you need from the towing guide is the truck's GCVWR.

Now add the loaded truck weight to the loaded trailer weight. This number is your fully loaded weight and that number had better be under the truck's GCVWR.

Several manufacturer's make 1/2T towable 5th wheels as mentioned earlier here. Another one to look at would be the Jayco HT line.

https://www.jayco.com/products/fifth-wheels/2021-eagle-ht-fifth-wheels/

 

[Zoe Saldana]

I should have checked load capacities before i pulled the plug, but I just wanted to upgrade from my Eco Diesel for better towing for a trailer i already have. Turns out that even with the fifth wheel package and the puck setup that my load capacity is only 2291 pounds!! Arg. One nice thing about the internet is you can ask dumb questions without too much embarrassment. I would like to upgrade to a 5th wheel but the smallest i can do with the features i want is a minimum weight of 9,000 lbs which should be approx 1800 pounds to the truck. Add a couple bodies and a modest amount of storage stuff and i will likely be an easy couple hundred pounds over. So, I am asking myself how much risk would i really be taking going there? My thought being that Ram would be VERY conservative with their ratings for a lot of logical reasons, not the least of which could be fools like me pushing the boundaries. Any thoughts with minimal insults please?

We all screw up in life.

Yes the 6.4l with 4.10 gears and the 5th wheel package is better. But you got the honor of paying more for the truck, higher fuel costs, higher repair costs to be able to roll coal.

Remove the rear seats, tailgate and other things to pick up capacity.

 

[lezmark7]

Just got back from the scales, with a full tank of gas:
- steer axle 4780 lb
- drive axle 3120
- gross weight 7900
Hmmm, I guess i have more options? ...

My door sticker says: GAWR front 6000 GAWR rear 6040

 

[BWL]

Rough numbers truck with yourself in the truck are now known. If you went to a 2400lb pin weight for example expect to be around 5020 to the rear axle and 5280 front. Total 10,300 gvw. On axle that leaves 1040 rear and 720 front before you go over the all important gawr for additional passengers and gear.These are only rough numbers, but expect approx 20% of the pin weight to go to the front axle and 80% rear. Believe that truck is rated to tow around 14k or better so a gvw of 23k is not unreasonable and you could likely register higher. A 14k trailer with a 2400 pin for example would put you right around 22k total and leave you some room for your gear. Not unusual to see srw 3500 diesels registered to 14,500 kgs or 31900 around here. I know the 2500s are a bit lighter, but not by all that much so saying 75% of what a 3500srw will do all day every day doesn't seem much of a stretch.

 

[lezmark7]

Rough numbers truck with yourself in the truck are now known. If you went to a 2400lb pin weight for example expect to be around 5020 to the rear axle and 5280 front. Total 10,300 gvw. On axle that leaves 1040 rear and 720 front before you go over the all important gawr for additional passengers and gear.These are only rough numbers, but expect approx 20% of the pin weight to go to the front axle and 80% rear. Believe that truck is rated to tow around 14k or better so a gvw of 23k is not unreasonable and you could likely register higher. A 14k trailer with a 2400 pin for example would put you right around 22k total and leave you some room for your gear. Not unusual to see srw 3500 diesels registered to 14,500 kgs or 31900 around here. I know the 2500s are a bit lighter, but not by all that much so saying 75% of what a 3500srw will do all day every day doesn't seem much of a stretch.

This is great insight - FYI my truck is rated for north of 19,000 tow rating... thanks!!

 

[lezmark7]

now i just need to figure out the best hitch for a short bed...

 

[BWL]

This is great insight - FYI my truck is rated for north of 19,000 tow rating... thanks!!

Do keep in mind that in most states and where I am in Canada once you go over a certain weight you require a different class license or endorsement on a standard license. Some places have exemptions for travel trailers, but not all. Some provinces all vehicles over 4500kg gvw must report to the scale and some states are 10,000lbs. This is the reason for 10k us and 9900k canadian ram gvws. This is something I never see enforced as they don't really want to weigh or wave through every guy commuting in an empty 1 ton at the scale, but they can if they want.