Lgrevaz
Junior Member
Hello everyone,
I need some advice. I own a 2021 RAM 1500DT Limited. Recently, I purchased a 22-foot double-axle caravan with a tare weight of 3.3 tons and an ATM of 4.5 tons. The tow ball mass is 250 kg when unladen. When I towed my caravan for the first time, I felt a floating sensation at the steering wheel, as if the front wheels of the RAM were not really touching the road. Starting at 90 km/h, the caravan began to sway dangerously. So, I decided to have it weighed (I am attaching the results Dec 23) and was very surprised. With the car unladen, I had 2000 kg on the rear axle, while the tow ball only weighed 280 kg, and the front of the car seemed very light with only 1460 kg. It seemed as though the rear airbags couldn't support the weight of the tow ball. I measured the distance from the ground to the tow ball, which was 530 mm. My first instinct was to think that I was carrying the caravan too high.
So, I lowered it to 450 mm, making sure the caravan remained perfectly horizontal, and went back to have it weighed. On the road, the caravan behaved much better, with no swaying and The steering feel is also better. However, I was very surprised to see that the weight distribution of the RAM had hardly changed (I am attaching the results Jan 24). I ended up with an illegal overload of 150 kg on the rear axle, while I only had 280 kg on the tow ball (even though the maximum allowed on the tow ball is 450 kg). Could someone explain this to me? Do I have a problem with my rear suspensions?
I need some advice. I own a 2021 RAM 1500DT Limited. Recently, I purchased a 22-foot double-axle caravan with a tare weight of 3.3 tons and an ATM of 4.5 tons. The tow ball mass is 250 kg when unladen. When I towed my caravan for the first time, I felt a floating sensation at the steering wheel, as if the front wheels of the RAM were not really touching the road. Starting at 90 km/h, the caravan began to sway dangerously. So, I decided to have it weighed (I am attaching the results Dec 23) and was very surprised. With the car unladen, I had 2000 kg on the rear axle, while the tow ball only weighed 280 kg, and the front of the car seemed very light with only 1460 kg. It seemed as though the rear airbags couldn't support the weight of the tow ball. I measured the distance from the ground to the tow ball, which was 530 mm. My first instinct was to think that I was carrying the caravan too high.
So, I lowered it to 450 mm, making sure the caravan remained perfectly horizontal, and went back to have it weighed. On the road, the caravan behaved much better, with no swaying and The steering feel is also better. However, I was very surprised to see that the weight distribution of the RAM had hardly changed (I am attaching the results Jan 24). I ended up with an illegal overload of 150 kg on the rear axle, while I only had 280 kg on the tow ball (even though the maximum allowed on the tow ball is 450 kg). Could someone explain this to me? Do I have a problem with my rear suspensions?
