2500 Diesel with factory Auto Level max pin/load?

[Attila Kun]

Hi all, I've been searching up and down for some answers on this, but there is a lot of conflicting info as usual.

My Truck:
2015 2500 Diesel, Crew Cab, Long Bed, 4X4 with factory Auto Level

I'm looking at living quarters horse trailers and wondering how much pin weight my truck will take before freaking out. The 2500's with the factory auto level, have neither coil or leaf springs, they are bags only, so those with 3500's and auto level, unfortunately your experience doesn't transfer to me. Anybody out there have any real experience with this who can tell me what weight they've loaded in the bed and/or at what point the air ride displayed "overload"? I have had it loaded as in the picture a couple times, which between the toolbox full of tools, the round bale and the trailer weight has to be over 2K, but some of the trailers I'm looking at would have a GVWR of 16K of which if 20-25% transfers to the truck, I'd be sitting at 3200-4000, do I need to go down to a 14K (2800-3500) or is even that too much? Thanks!

 

[mtnrider]

Hate to say it but you are going to be way over payload for a 2500. I don't have hard numbers but do know someone that had a gooseneck at 2800lbs pin weight and his overload light was on and was unable to level it or add air at that point. Not sure if it trips at 2400, 2500, etc. but it was definitely on at 2800.


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[HDGoose]

My 2013 RAM 2500 Tradesman had a payload 2470ish. Higher trims had less.

 

[BossHogg]

Anybody out there have any real experience with this who can tell me what weight they've loaded in the bed and/or at what point the air ride displayed "overload"?

That is a good question, and I have looked over the years for an answer that I never got from the Internet or RAM dealers. I can tell you I've read of folks with the overload notification but I don't remember the details.

I guess the question is how does RAM program the air leveling system. Do they write in the payload of the truck, a number that reflects the ability of the air system (I know this isn't the case), some number in between, or does the system have an "I can't do it" feedback.

Regardless of how it is implemented, if you stay within the payload specs of your truck you should have issues. If moving to a 1 ton is an option, that would be the best preventative solution.

I have an SRW 3500 with air leveling. One day earlier this year at the quarry, the loader operator accidentally overloaded my 16-foot gooseneck dump trailer with 1x3 crushed. The scale caught the overload on the way out. Going in I was 13,380, coming out I was 31,800. The dump trailer has a maximum load capacity of 9,500. Unfortunately, the scale weighed the truck and trailer so I don't know what the actual pin and axel weights were. An educated guess was around 4,700 pounds of payload, about 1,000 over my payload specification, and the air leveling system leveled out the truck with no complaints.

 

[GsRAM]

My truck has the factory coil springs, is a tradesman with the hemi. My payload limit is just north of 3100lbs. Yours is a diesel and appears to be a higher trim level (heavier) so I'd bet your payload is in the low 2,000s lbs range. That includes you, any passengers, stuff in the cab and bed of the truck all count against that payload limit. The balance is what you have available for pin weight.

I'm the last person who will tell you never to exceed your payload ratings, but your first trailer option is neatly double your payload. Even the second I'd bet your pushing your grawr, which is a limit you should not exceed.

Honestly your first trailer option is in 3500 drw territory, the second is more doable, but you better double check your loaded graw before you sign on the line. Good luck man.