Best 1/2 ton configuration for towing

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OLEJOE

OLEJOE

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That’s what I was wanting to hear. The 13 you’re getting towing is what I get with the 2500 daily driving unloaded. I have looked online at several 1500’s (Classics and other wise) and it’s hard to find one with all of the towing essentials like mirrors, hitch and brake controller. I would really like to have the bigger fuel tank also. Thanks again.
 

RoMac

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Hey there. I tow a TT and a raft trailer LOADED every summer for thousands of miles at a time. Probably in the 4-7k weight range, depending on what I have going on. I tow over a lot of rough dirt roads as well. I have an leveled ecodeiesel with 3.9 gear ratio and a GDE tune. I am currently running 33's, but I have had 35's. I use a couple of things that I find to be very valuable when towing.

First I installed a 5000 pound airlift rear suspension. This does more than just make the truck not sag, it stiffens the ride up. This is a bit overkill for a 1/2 ton truck, but I would rather have more and not use it than need it and not have it there. I installed a on-board compressor and linked it to my phone. It was about a days worth of work for me to install and debug the system, but it has been great. Great customer service as well. https://www.airliftcompany.com/products/air-springs/loadlifter-5000-ultimate/

On my trailers I put a sway bar controller as well. This helps on the rough roads as well as on the highway. It helps keep the trailer wheels in my trucks wheel track so tight corners are much easier to pull off. This does not equalize the load, just keeps the trailer behind you. https://www.harborfreight.com/trailer-sway-control-kit-96462.html

I get about 22-24 mpg when I am not towing and about 15-17 mpg when I am towing. I try to keep it under 75 (when the speed limit is 80). I am very happy with my rig.
 

ramffml

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That’s what I was wanting to hear. The 13 you’re getting towing is what I get with the 2500 daily driving unloaded. I have looked online at several 1500’s (Classics and other wise) and it’s hard to find one with all of the towing essentials like mirrors, hitch and brake controller. I would really like to have the bigger fuel tank also. Thanks again.

You more than likely won't get 13 towing. If that's accurate, it's by far the highest I've ever seen on this forum and is definitely an outlier. Myself I tow a smaller trailer than that and get 8 (stiff head wind) to 11 ish (tail wind). That seems to be the very common range, it seems less dependent on weight and more on speed + size of the frontal area of the trailer. I've seen higher MPG reports with 5th wheels oddly enough, maybe due to better truck/trailer aero vs a standard TT.

My truck isn't sweating it either, I'll tow anywhere from 1800 (7th gear, OD on level roads and no wind) to 2300 rpms (6th gear, the bulk of my towing) with avg speed about 63 mph.
 
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OLEJOE

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I usually try to stay around 65 or less. I’m really just trying to get a better ride, better unloaded mileage and a little easier parking. Don’t know how much longer we’re going to travel and the 3/4 is really overkill for my small trailer. But the only 1/2 tons I’ve been able to find have the 3.21’s with everything else I was looking for short of having to order one and wait.
 

Hvytrkmech

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Thanks. I’ve got a 2500 but the TT is the heaviest thing I haul and wonder if it is possible to use a 1/2 ton since I don’t pull it very often. Fuel mileage and ride are the reasons for even looking. Just 2 of us when we travel.
I went from a 2019 1500 to a 2020 2500. 7200# TT. I airbagged my 1500, heaviest weight distribution and anti sway. Just couldn’t get it dialed in to my satisfaction. Traded it for a 2500 6.4 with 4:10 gearing.

Just my .02

Good luck
 
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OLEJOE

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I went from a 2019 1500 to a 2020 2500. 7200# TT. I airbagged my 1500, heaviest weight distribution and anti sway. Just couldn’t get it dialed in to my satisfaction. Traded it for a 2500 6.4 with 4:10 gearing.

Just my .02

Good luck
I’ve got 3.73’s in my 2500 and it pulls the trailer well but I’ve only pulled it 50 miles so far with this truck. I had an 18’ CTD and you couldn’t even tell the trailer was behind it and pulled it about 7000 miles or more. Traded the 18’ for the 22’ Hemi because I wasn’t using the truck the way it needed to be after Covid hit. Got the new one in September of 21 and haven’t been able to travel so far. Thanks for the reply. May just hang in there with what I have and see how it goes.
 

Hvytrkmech

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I’ve got 3.73’s in my 2500 and it pulls the trailer well but I’ve only pulled it 50 miles so far with this truck. I had an 18’ CTD and you couldn’t even tell the trailer was behind it and pulled it about 7000 miles or more. Traded the 18’ for the 22’ Hemi because I wasn’t using the truck the way it needed to be after Covid hit. Got the new one in September of 21 and haven’t been able to travel so far. Thanks for the reply. May just hang in there with what I have and see how it goes.
I traded an 2018 CTD for the 2019 1500 after I sold my 5th wheel. Then the wife wanted a bunkhouse TT for the grandkids. So we bought a 2020 Sunset Trail 289qb because it fell into the weight and tow capacity of the 1500. Made 2 trips with the 1500 and traded it in for the 2500. Honestly the electric power steering was one of the reasons. Absolutely no road feel and easy to over correct if you got some wind induced sway going. I don’t even need weight distribution on the 2500 but do use it.
 

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OLEJOE

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I use it on mine also.
 

dhay13

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I had a 2013 1500 with 3.55s and towed a brand new empty 2018 Grand Design Imagine 2670MK that showed an advertised dry weight of 6600 so was probably close to 7000lbs. Towed it 400 miles on the highway and got 8.3 going there and 7.3 MPG coming back (145.2 miles and 19.769 gallons). Coming back had a full load of clothes, pots and pans, etc so was 8000lbs at that point. I'd be shocked if anyone could get 13-15 in a 5.7 1500 towing a 7000lb TT
 

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You're going to need Airlifts on the back and 10 ply tires to keep it from wiggling around.
 

Panduh

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I've got close to what's being recommended: 2016 1500 Crew Cab, hemi, RWD, 3:92. I tow a 6400 lb. 29 ft. toy hauler with no sway or problems over 70 mph, ( I don't cruise that fast but have been up there briefly) and plenty of power. What's crucial is how I LOAD the trailer. I have quite a bit of stuff in the "basement", which is up front right behind the hitch and loads up the tongue directly. The more weight I put in the "garage", the area behind the axles, the less weight I put on my RAM's rear axle, even though the trailer's gross weight increases. Without any toys in the garage, I'm within 280 lbs. of the GAWR on the rear axle, so a passenger or two puts me right at the limit. But with a few hundred pounds of bikes in the garage, my tongue weight decreases and I can carry more payload. I'm using a good, properly adjusted WDH (Husky Centerline). Hope this helps!
 

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7,000 lbs is not a lot of weight and no problem with a modern 1/2 ton truck. As others have mentioned get lower gears, even the 3.55 would be OK. The 3.92 will help with acceleration getting onto the highways and merging with traffic. The V-8 hemi without the eTorque would be my choice consider the cost to repair or replace this unit. I would definitely get the large gas tank option as this cannot be done later and the truck must come from the factory with the larger gas tank.

I would research the Ram trailer brake controller and determine whether the factory one or an aftermarket is better.
 

Bj0480

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I’ve got a 7k TT bumper pull and looking to configure a 1/2 ton p/u for pulling it. We mostly travel out west and wonder what is the best combination. TIA
I have a 2020 1500 5.7 5th gen . Tows my 22ft TT pretty well. I would suggest not taking on mountains regularly but it pulls well at 65mph. Gas mileage is about 10 mpg.
 

Dave Schell

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I have a 2015 1500, 5.7L HEMI, 4x4, 3.55 gears 8 speed trans & 4 corner air suspension. I know all of the stats on Tongue weight RAWR towing capacity etc. go against me nut I tow a a 30 ft travel trailer that fully loaded comes in at 6850#.
I use a WDH to level the truck and trailer and the 4 corner air keeps it that way. I changed to Truck tires and load the trailer to spread out the weight evenly. I use a CAT scale anytime I change what I am loading out and make sure the weight is spread evenly over all 4 axels. I have pulled all over the western US without a problem. My experience only YMMV.
 

Tracy in IL

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Tradesman trim (mostly the grill and a few misc weight savings) will give best overall tow/haul rating. Tradesman grill passes more air flow to engine, radiator, tranny cooler.
 

hallguy

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I have 2014 1500 Crew Cab Sport with Hemi and 3.21 rear end, considering pulling a Jayco M287 which weighs 6000 empty and 7500 lbs max, will the truck handle it ok?
 

JerryETX

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I have 2014 1500 Crew Cab Sport with Hemi and 3.21 rear end, considering pulling a Jayco M287 which weighs 6000 empty and 7500 lbs max, will the truck handle it ok?
Welcome to the forum! Your question can't really be answered without knowing the length of your travel trailer. That's a lot of weight for a 1/2 ton but the length is causes most issues with 1/2 ton trucks. What is the length?
 

hallguy

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total length including hitch is 33ft
 

JerryETX

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total length including hitch is 33ft
Man that's pushing it. The only way I would haul that long of a TT at that weight with your truck is if I had one of 2 weight distribution hitches- ProPride or Hensley and both are about 4 grand.
Just my opinion but to say your truck would handle it ok without either of these WD hitches is not something I would say.
 

Dusty

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"It's a simple fact there is less torque at the transmission output when matched with a 3.92 rear end."
Just a suggestion, the point would be made clearer if the sentence read, "...there is less torque LOAD at the transmission output shaft..."

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 3 June 2018. Now at 78633 miles
 
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