2500 Cummins, good for towing or not?

[SBelt]

Guys,

I bought a new 21 Lariat 2500 Cummins w/off road pkg last week to replace my '16 F150 Ecoboost. I pull a 28ft enclosed car hauler and the F150 pulled it, but clearly struggled sometimes. It's not a business, it's just personal use for car shows and such, but the trips can be long. So I was pretty excited about moving up to a truck that has won the Truck of the Year award from MT, and comes with a high torque diesel motor for pulling my trailer.

Admittedly in the wrong order, now that I have the truck, I've been watching reviews of the 2020 and 2021's on youtube. Surprisingly, I've seen a few reviews that explicitly say that if you're buying the truck to tow, then don't buy the 2500, buy the 3500. Some of the comments are due to the rear springs vs leafs between the two.

Those of you that have 2500 Cummins and tow, what is your take. Did I make a mistake buying this truck for towing my car hauler?

 

[NH RAM]

First, what is the tongue weight that you're needing to accommodate; that's the weakness of the 2500 with the Cummins. With a well-optioned truck, your payload is probably around 2000 pounds. As far as the specific towing quality of the Cummins, I can't speak to that as I have a 6.4.

 

[mtnrider]

Towing with a 2500 cummins is excellent, but like mentioned you have to watch the payload. Given that you were towing that trailer with a F150 (not ideal but it pulled it) you should be fine with a 2500. Don't read too much into the payload, as long as you are not grossly going over it you will be fine.

Of course a 3500 will give you more payload but a little rougher ride unloaded. 2500/3500 engine and drivetrain are the same unless you go with the HO motor and or aisin transmission so no real difference there between the trucks, just stiffer springs for the increased payload rating.

.

 

[Wadejesu]

My son has a 2500/Cummings, he pulls same as you, He installed air bags in rear, big difference

 

[dhay13]

Like was said, payload will be your issue. Don't worry about the coils spring capabilities. They work fine. You will probably have about 2000lbs of payload and you can find that on the yellow sticker inside your drivers door panel. There is nothing you can do to change that. Going over slightly won't really affect you but it won't be legal

 

[MADDOG]

Yup...it's all about the weight. A 2500 with the 6.4L HEMI has more payload than an equivalent 2500 with the Cummins because the diesel truck weight is higher due to that big chunk of iron under the hood. But, the 6.4L HEMI produces less torque which is a critical consideration.

Payload is important so you need to know your weights:

Truck empty weight or UVW - No fuel, passengers, tools, accessories, etc... in the truck
Truck Gross Vehicle Weight Rating or GVWR - Weight of the truck with fuel, passengers, tools, accessories, etc... don't forget to add the Weight Distribution Hitch weight.
Trailer UVW
Trailer GVWR
Trailer hitch weight - pin weight for a 5'vr, tongue weight for a TT
GCVWR or Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating - Maximum weight of the truck (loaded) + pin weight or tongue weight + Trailer weight

If the GVWR or the GCVWR actual weights exceed the specified weights in your truck's towing chart then you are gonna have to lighten up a bit.

What is your trailer GVWR? We can figure out the truck and actuals weights added pretty easily.

 

[Firebird]

I've had 6 Cummins 2500's, all pulled like a mule. I currently have a 6.4, also pulls like a mule. Unless that 28' trailer is freaky heavy, you should be in pulling heaven!

 

[SBelt]

First, what is the tongue weight that you're needing to accommodate; that's the weakness of the 2500 with the Cummins. With a well-optioned truck, your payload is probably around 2000 pounds. As far as the specific towing quality of the Cummins, I can't speak to that as I have a 6.4.

Sorry, should have specified that. The car hauler is not a 5th wheel, it uses the class 5 hitch. Should be under 1000 lbs tongue weight.

 

[Travelin Ram]

I have a 28’ enclosed car hauler myself. Unless you’re hauling very light vehicles I’d expect the tongue weight to be more than that. Typically 12-15% of trailer weight.

 

[mtofell]

Your truck is a great choice for your trailer. 2500s can usually carry just about any trailer tongue weight that you'd reasonably want to pull, even with the somewhat reduced payload due to diesel engine. The main 2500/diesel problem comes in with 5th wheel pin weight. As for coils v. leafs, again you have a great truck.

I haul an 11K 5th wheel with my Hemi/coils and couldn't be happier with the carrying (pulling everything is another story entirely.... it's less than great but that's an engine/tranny thing). Anyway, coils are far better as a daily driver and I prefer to the leafs in my past HD. The coils are smooth and firm where the leafs are bumpy and jarring. I did add Firestone 5000 airbags but it was really optional not necessary. And I'm right at my 3000# payload with the 5th wheel attached. With your trailer I'd recommend trying it out first to decide if you need them. Overall, you have a great setup.

 

[Stryker755]

Since when does RAM make a Lariat trim?

 

[tourrider]

Use this to lookup you vin for towing capacity of your exact build.



https://www.ramtrucks.com/towing/towing-guide.html

Scroll down to the lookup my vin option.


You should be fine unless you’re a racer and loading the nose of the trailer with tools and spare engines. [emoji41]





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[John Jensen]

Since when does RAM make a Lariat trim?

Ever since a man calls a Laramie a Lariat - simple!

 

[rwhjr]

I looked at a 2500 Cummins truck with mega cab and the payload was below 2000lbs. It was only 1,8XXlbs.

I was shocked in not so good of a way.
No way I’d buy an HD truck with such a weak payload. By the time you get even close to what it can tow you’ll surpass payload. So to me the truck just makes no sense because the payload will restrict what you can tow down to half ton range especially if you have any other people and gear you need in the truck.

by the time I have 4 guys in that truck the available payload would be just 1000lbs.

long story short of either buy a 1500 or 3500. The diesel 2500 seems like such a misfit application sometimes.

 

[dhay13]

Yep. My son has a 2018 2500 6.4 and towing his 8100lb travel trailer would have been right at the max payload on a 2500 Cummins. His truck with tongue weight (1100lb tongue weight) was 9100lbs. Add the extra 800 or so for the Cummins weight and that would have been maxed out, on only an 8000lb camper.

Now he was pretty loaded up. Me, him, full tank of fuel, back seat full of work related stuff, toolbox in the bed and maybe another 100-150lbs of stuff in the bed. The truck was also 8100lbs without the TT so about 1000lbs of passengers and gear. Either way a 2500 Cummins being maxed out with an 8000lb trailer is ridiculous. Really a waste of an extra $8000

 

[TMyers]

The 3/4ton (2500/F250) truck is a Registration Class mostly set at 10,000 pounds Gross weight. (I think GM has an 11K now. Some older 3/4 trucks were 9k.)

Weigh your truck at a truck scale where you can get a Drive Axle and Steer Axle weight. It cost $12 at a Black Cat Truck Stop scale. Compare these weights to your door jamb axle weights. These are Real numbers, not Class numbers.

Whether you are using Real or Class numbers, I urge you to weigh your trucks, with and without your trailers. Too little tongue weight will get you killed. Knowing your weights will teach you how to load your trailer or camper correctly.

 

[dhay13]

Here is what a CAT scale slip looks like. This is my sons 2018 2500 6.4 with his travel trailer

 

[JeffN]

I have a 28’ enclosed car hauler myself. Unless you’re hauling very light vehicles I’d expect the tongue weight to be more than that. Typically 12-15% of trailer weight.

running empty that trailer will come in around 3,800 lbs. I never calculated the tongue weight on my 28’ car hauler but now I am curious. A lot of that trailer is in front of the axles but physics works in a lot of ways. Loaded it would change with every different vehicle. Either way, a 2500 will tow this trailer nicely.

 

[SBelt]

Thanks for all the comments. First, I have a Laramie, not a Lariat. You can tell I came from a Ford to my new Ram. Just a slip. With respect to tongue weight, I do not race, I just pull cars to car shows, so I don't heavily load the nose with additional equipment. Also, I have the trailer setup with rails to raise the vehicle up a few inches to allow my vehicles' doors to clear the trailer's inner fender and escape door opening. This also serves to position the vehicles over the axles to keep from overloading the tongue. I read, with interest, the comments about weighing the whole setup and getting the various weights. Good idea, and I'll be doing that.

Time will tell how it tows, but I am optimistic and will post my experience here after I pull the first car. I have to pick up my 54 chevy 3100 from a shop in north texas in a few weeks, so I'll have an opportunity.

 

[Firebird]

Thanks for all the comments. First, I have a Laramie, not a Lariat. You can tell I came from a Ford to my new Ram. Just a slip. With respect to tongue weight, I do not race, I just pull cars to car shows, so I don't heavily load the nose with additional equipment. Also, I have the trailer setup with rails to raise the vehicle up a few inches to allow my vehicles' doors to clear the trailer's inner fender and escape door opening. This also serves to position the vehicles over the axles to keep from overloading the tongue. I read, with interest, the comments about weighing the whole setup and getting the various weights. Good idea, and I'll be doing that.

Time will tell how it tows, but I am optimistic and will post my experience here after I pull the first car. I have to pick up my 54 chevy 3100 from a shop in north texas in a few weeks, so I'll have an opportunity.

I had a 1946 Cadillac that I towed to shows in a 30' V-nose enclosed hauler. Towed it with my 2011 Cummins 2500 Mega Cab, that truck never missed a beat pulling it.