Buying to tow

[Ridgerunner665]

Forgot to add...my 2018 Bighorn CC 4x4 has a payload of 1,373 lbs. on the sticker.

It is a well equipped truck, very nearly a Laramie... only lacking the leather seats and woodgrain trim.

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[Sandevino]

A 2500 isn’t much more than a 1500... that’s good stuff.

 

[AFMoulton]

I bought a 2500 6.4 Tradesman 4x4 for less than I paid for my 1500.......it can be done.


2018 Ram 2500 6.4L 4x4
Amsoil SS 0W-40

 

[dhay13]

I bought my 2018 2500 6.4 CCSB Outdoorsman w/ Off-Road package slightly used with 8000 miles on it for $39,900. Truck has 4.10's and about every option except leather, sunroof, and heated seats. I think it has everything else offered. My son bought an identical truck from the same place with 6000 miles on it for the same price. I have attached my window sticker so you can see the options but mine was built for Canada and came from there. Conversion rate says mine would have been about $54,000 American new.
I tow my 9000lb boat and my son tows his 2018 Grand Design Imagine 2670MK with his. Dry weight on it is about 6600lbs. He towed it 1500 miles to North Dakota with no issues. Drove about 10 hours a day by himself. Doubt he could have done that with a 1500. Mine is the blue one, his the gray.

 

[Papamugger]

A 1500 will be more than maxed out on payload. this is a good time to get a 2500; I was towing our Airstream with a 1500 and the 392, it all worked okay but I could feel that I was overloaded. Crew cab 2500 short bed is only slightly longer than the 1500 but you will have a much more capable truck. I have a 2500 long bed with the cummins but the larger hemi is plenty of engine for you. We just got home from a trip to Alabama where I talked to a Ram owner who was lamenting his purchase of a new truck that was not a good match for his travel trailer. This is the right time to get a truck capable to tow your chosen rig.

 

[Unoccupied Mass]

Slightly different scenario, but a friend of mine was going back and forth between a 2500 and 3500 Ford. I suggested the 3500 because he wants a 5th wheel. His neighbor pulls a 5th wheel with a 2500 and says it's great, so I told him to just be sure, as stated by others in this thread, to read the sticker on the door jamb. He ends up buying a 2500 because the dealer found him a silver one. He bought the 2500 BECAUSE IT WAS SILVER!!! Now he's having trouble finding a trailer that will work because his "silver" 2500 is a diesel with 3.31 gears and low payload capacity. If more folks would pay more attention to the payload ratings than the towing capacity, these types of things can be avoided. I think 75% of max rating is a good figure to go by, so decide what you want in a trailer and then look for a truck that can pull it within that range. You're definitely on the right path by looking at trailer first, then truck.

 

[Narg]

Well...nost tradesmans have about 1750. Bighorn most will have about 1650. Rebel and Laramie...about 1450. Limited right around 1350. For whatever reason a Laramie Longhorn has the least abroind 1200.

That is interesting about the Limited vs. Longhorn difference. They are truly the same truck, just different colors and materials inside. Maybe the filagree (the curly designs on the dash and seats) weights a lot (LOL) My Longhorn has just under 1,000 payload. Very weak IMHO. I guess the 33gal tank, trick tailgate and undercarriage protection ate the 200lbs difference between what you stated, 392DevilDog, and what I have. Though most folks I talk to say it likely will do more very easily. Yet, with the air suspension I have, the computer knows when it's overloaded and complains. Oh well. I'm almost glad I didn't get the 3.92 thinking I could tow more with this setup. With that payload, there's no way. With the 3.21 it's rated at 8K tow. I understand with the 3.92 it would have likely been around 9600lbs tow. That'd mean about 1,000K hitch weight, and no way. I'd have to jog beside the truck to keep in weight limits for payload.

 

[4airstreamer]

Hi Jay,

I have two young adult kids and 3 dogs and we pull a 35’ TT with a 9990 GWVR with our 1500 Hemi with a 3.92 axle. I haven’t scaled yet but pretty sure I’ve pushed my payload, etc. I tow safely ( I mean my wife feels safe and that says something). The ride quality is sometimes great, sometimes not but that’s the sacrifice one makes when choosing a half-ton[emoji6]. It’s all about the WDH/airbag setup and trailer/truck loading...also maintain the truck. There’s more wear on fluids, brakes, tires so need to be caring for the workorse!


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This is some joke or something else. You could not tow this trailer safely. If you were in a accident the insurance would never never cover. You are so overweight, no telling what lawsuits you would be subject too, if you hurt someone or caused property damage.

 

[Richard Harter]

I tow a 6000# fully loaded TT with my '17 EcoDiesel ~5000 miles per year. It does extremely well. Having said that, I believe that is the absolute most I would tow with it. I don't want the tail wagging the dog, I don't want to be pushed around by semis or the wind, and I don't want to overload the rear axle.
Check the door sticker for YOUR actual payload and go from there. Never use the empty weight of any trailer to do calculations for payload. Always use the GVWR and you will be happy.
I wouldn't tow as heavy as you are looking at with a 1/2 ton truck. BTW, and meaning no disrespect, boats and TT's tow completely different. Boats are lower profile and reasonably aerodynamic so it is comparing apples to oranges. Come back and check with the group and we can do numbers for you to make these purchases enjoyable and safe.

Last, and most important, DO NOT believe anything a truck or RV dealer tells you. They have absolutely no idea what they are talking about in most cases. Their job is to sell you on their product, not insure your family's safety or comfort.
Canyon

 

[dbctmc]

I got my '19 2500 cc 4x4 with the 6.4 Hemi, Tradesman with just a few options, for an even 40K brand new. My 2010 F-150 I had previously was 45K new (Lariat). could have gotten a Big Horn for around 45K. I have 3260# of payload. Tows my Coachmen 310 BHDS much better than the F-150. I have read and heard from multiple places that around 6500 # and 25-26 ft length is a good max for a 1500 pulling a TT, regardless of "towing capacity." I think that's pretty much correct. If you are towing rarely, say, to leave it on a site at a lake all summer then tow home in the fall, a properly equipped 1500 would probably be ok. If you want to tow more/farther, I'd recommend a 2500 gas.

 

[PerfEm]

A couple of years ago I bought an '02 F-150. I liked it, but then the opportunity came up to retire unexpectedly, and we took it. Bought a 29' 5th wheel. When I brought it home with the Ford, I could tell it was straining a bit.


It was only 100 miles or so home with it, though, so I put that thought away.

A couple of months later, I towed a 4x6 U-Haul from MN to ID. Took the US Hwy through Jackson Hole, which involved some steep, tall passes going through the Rockies. The trailer was loaded with boxes of books and other heavy stuff I didn't want to pay the movers by the pound to move. It struggled a bit! Then on the next trip I towed a Safari van loaded with stuff the movers wouldn't take. It was full, and reasonably heavy.


Took I-90 through Montana this time. Lots of long, steep grades going over the Rockies. All this time I'm thinking to myself that this may not be a lot of fun towing that 5th wheel on the next trip!

I was in Salt Lake for a few days, so I found some trucks to look at while my wife was taking care of other things. Came home with a 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 SLT Big Horn CC, 3.73 axles, 5.7 Hemi, 5A, etc., etc. I did some work on it (tires, brakes, suspension, stereo ... you know, just the important stuff for a long trip cross-country).

A couple of months ago I went back to MN to pick up the 5th wheel. Hooked it up and tacked on a little trailer with a 13 kW generator set.


I just happened to pick a week of high winds. As in, I lost count of the number of semi rigs on their sides between Montana and Minnesota on the way out on I-90, and it was just as bad coming home on I-80! Not a good time for towing a high-profile trailer. The trailer itself was 5540 pounds, and I only had a couple hundred pounds of stuff in it. The generator trailer added another 500 pounds or so, so my total tow was within sight of the limits (7700 lbs), but it was considerably lower than the max. It's a good thing I wasn't in a hurry, but it handled the trip the way any good truck towing 6k pounds into a stiff head- and cross-wind would. Even going up and over 8500'+, I was doing 60+ mph. Cars were passing me, but I was passing 1-ton pickups with trailers, and semis too.

Okay, if you're still reading this, here's the lesson. The F-150 Supercab (5.4 V8, 3.55 rear end, towing package, etc.) had met its limits with the lighter tows I did with it. F-150 specs aren't all that different from a Dodge 1500 similarly equipped. My 2500 Crew Cab (5.7 Hemi, 3.73 rear end, towing package, etc.) never once complained, and never struggled as long as I drove it like a truck and not a hot rod.

Towing like this, the 3/4 ton likes to drink deeply from its 38-gallon tank, but it does the job much better and (in my opinion) much safer than the 1/2 ton. I was perfectly content with the F-150, until I tried towing something more than my 4x8 utility trailer on long trips.

You mileage may vary. One size does not fit all. Both trucks in this comparison were in good condition, with more than 150k miles on them.

 

[dhay13]

I can vouch for the boat vs camper thing. I have towed both my 9000lb boat (32' total length) and my sons 8000lb camper (32' total length) with my 2013 1500 and the boat tows so much better. The boat has no WDH while the camper does. And the camper was a brand new 2018 with a brand new WDH. The boat towed easier at speed and was much more stable when being passed by big rigs

 

[nd_012]

We have a 2015 1500 sport 4x4 3.21 5.7 with 34" atx 10 plys pulling a 2020 Rockwood ultra light 2911BS 7789 dry, 1100 tongue, 35'2" before bike rack.
Drilled and slotted heavy duty brake kit, performance pads, air bags, 5100 series shocks.

2 adults, 2 kids, 100 lb dog and several hundred pounds of firewood. Husky Centerline hitch set up very well. It tows very well given the work I ask of it. It is my daily and I've wanted a 3/4 diesel but ~7 trips a year doesn't warrant it. Its around 9250 loaded. I'm just wishing I held out for the 3.92 gears.

I drive very cautiously, never over 65, normally a good 5 under the limit, defensively. I do not get pushed or moved around a bit but do lose more speed than I'd like on big ny hills. Just hold speed or let it drop and make it up on the downhill.

Truck calc 9.9 mpg on last week 179 mile trip. 9.5 mpg hand calc. Overall these handful of trips won't have fuel savings and taking the extra 15-20 minutes getting there and back keeps it all very smooth.

 

[MoPowered]

I pull a 20ft R-pod 179 that weighs about 3,000lbs dry, got anti sway bars and load leveling. Pulling it with my 12’ Power Wagon w/37 Patagonia MTR’s with an 8 ply rating. I’ve always believed in not pulling anything heavier than your own vehicle and I pull the trailer like it was a bike rack back there. And you might want to check the the regulations on the campsites you’re going to visit as you might find the sites limited to what size trailer you have or how many sites are available to host your Trailer. Our Trailer fits in about 90% of all our destinations and if it the sites are full I can pull it off just about anywhere and set up which is what we prefer.

 

[Elkman]

Unfortunately many people do not appreciate how much trucks have improved over the years in what is a very competitive space. Truck frames and drivetrains and brakes and other components have been greatly improved over the years. A 1500 pickup will outperform a 2500 pickup from the 1980's by a wide margin. 20 years ago big pickups had drum brakes and going to 4-wheel disc brakes made a tremendous difference in performance.

I look at from a perspective as to how much of a safety margin do I want to have. If the truck is rated to tow 12,000 lbs then I feel safe towing 10,000 lbs. Others will feel safe towing 12,500 lbs with the same truck and they may get by or then again they may not.

Check the 2020 Ram trailering guide and see what configuration with a 1500 truck will provide their advertised 12,000 tow capacity. For the 2019 crew cab 1500 trucks to get their top towing capacity one needed to go with the 5.7L V8 engine with the 3.92 gears. With the quad cab that provided 12,750 lbs but with the crew cab the maximum tow load was 11,530 lbs.

For me the limitation with towing a heavy trailer is the use of coil springs on the 1500 trucks. Air bags may help but they are really a band-aid if the truck's springs cannot handle the load. This is why the 2500 and 3500 trucks have leaf springs.

 

[392DevilDog]

For the 2019 crew cab 1500 trucks to get their top towing capacity one needed to go with the 5.7L V8 engine with the 3.92 gears.

Just to add. The max tow package RAM for 2019 in 5th Gen form is an even more specific truck.

It is 5.7l Hemi with eTorque 2wd 3.92 with the super dana rear end (I have been searching seems no one on the forums got it yet) in quad cab 6'4 bed with the Tradesman trim.

It amazes me how many people have not realized this.

The 2019 RAM 1500 has a similar tow rating to my 1999 V10 5speed 2500. The 99 Dodge still has about 1800lbs more payload on average.

As @MoPowered said. I have to wonder how much trouble you big trailer guys have finding spots and getting to them. Do most of you camp at RV parks and skip past the wilderness type campgrounds.

Our camper is 26 foot...we have lots of choices and have had to back into some very odd sites when we reserved late.

Good times

 

[Firetruck41]

Unfortunately many people do not appreciate how much trucks have improved over the years in what is a very competitive space. Truck frames and drivetrains and brakes and other components have been greatly improved over the years. A 1500 pickup will outperform a 2500 pickup from the 1980's by a wide margin. 20 years ago big pickups had drum brakes and going to 4-wheel disc brakes made a tremendous difference in performance.

I look at from a perspective as to how much of a safety margin do I want to have. If the truck is rated to tow 12,000 lbs then I feel safe towing 10,000 lbs. Others will feel safe towing 12,500 lbs with the same truck and they may get by or then again they may not.

Check the 2020 Ram trailering guide and see what configuration with a 1500 truck will provide their advertised 12,000 tow capacity. For the 2019 crew cab 1500 trucks to get their top towing capacity one needed to go with the 5.7L V8 engine with the 3.92 gears. With the quad cab that provided 12,750 lbs but with the crew cab the maximum tow load was 11,530 lbs.

For me the limitation with towing a heavy trailer is the use of coil springs on the 1500 trucks. Air bags may help but they are really a band-aid if the truck's springs cannot handle the load. This is why the 2500 and 3500 trucks have leaf springs.

Not only is it a special, specifically configured truck, but the trailer that weighs the max towing weight and has a tongue weight under payload is unobtanium.

Also, the 2500 went to coil springs all around, in 2013, IIRC. Wish I had them.

 

[William Heil]

I am towing a 26 TT with my 1/ 2ton Ram, 5.7, 3.52 axle, 6 speed. Trailer is 7000 lbs, 8000 max. It does fine, I feel safe. equalizer hitch and sway control. Truck probably needs air bags in the rear springs, cant get it quite level. to me 9600 is a bit too much. Have fun

 

[TomB 1269]

OP - These trucks will pull a house, but is it safe to pull a house down the road at 65-70....NO. Travel Trailer referenced weights can be difficult to grasp and easily miscommunicated. 1st the tongue weight list on the trailer is dry tongue weight and does not include weight of fluids, propane, and in some cases doesn't include the weight of option added to the base model. This is also true of the Dry weight list on the trailer. However these 2 numbers together will give you the percentage of tongue weight, i.e. how much of trailers actual weight is transferred to the truck. As someone previously stated 11.5 to 13% on average. Therefore 9000 GVWR would equate to a fully loaded trailer transferring between 1035lbs and 1170lbs onto the truck and the confusion does not stop there. You truck has a max payload listed on the door as well as GVWR, GCWR, and Axle weight ratings. Each of these are important as none should be exceeded, but some can be pushed, and others if not carefully understood will cause you to be overweight.

Payload - How much you can put in the factory truck beyond a 150lb driver and a full tank of fuel.
***** This means that every tow strap, dog, kid, glove, jacket, as well as the running boards, spray in bed liner, tonneau cover or cap subtracts from this number., as well as the hitch weight of the trailer.
GVWR - max weight the truck is rated to handle on its axle /frame etc. including weight transferred from trailer
GCWR - max combo weight of truck and trailer together
Axle weight - how much each axle is rated to carry

So when looking at trailer the method I use is to determine my trucks actual capacity. The more accurate I am in determining it the better off. Most accurate way is to weigh truck with family dogs, etc. that you'd pack to go camping with AND LOAD in the truck verse loading in the trailer. (Note: 100 pound in the truck is 100lb less you can tow. 100 lb in the trailer is only 11 to 13 lbs in the truck.
The 2nd method is understand trucks actual weight then add kids dog, etc.

Now once you have the remaining available weight you can now look at trailer and know if you can truly tow them (remember the sales guys have no info on your dog, kids, gear, etc they will just tend to know the "tow rating for your truck and max you out to sell you the biggest trailer your willing to pay for)

Now when looking at trailers, find the dry weight and divide it buy the dry tongue weight to get the percentage of tongue weight, then multiple by the trailers GVWR and you will have what it takes to tow that trailer.

Couple of notes:
Average tongue weight percentage for trailer types:
Travel trailer - 11.5 to 13%
Toy Haulers - 15 - 19% until loaded with toy of proper weight to counterbalance trailer (i.e. not a good fit for unless you have a toy to haul)
5th Wheel 18-25%

Also, almost everyone says they will never max out the trailers GVWR. But unless its a couple thousand more than the dry weight most get very near their GVWR once loaded, even without water in the tanks. Remember, you have clothes, food, bedding, hoses (water and drain), extension cords, screen rooms, camping lights, etc, etc, etc. and it adds on fast.

Good luck............

 

[Marley]

Why are there so many trailers being pulled by marginal tow vehicles ?

Because the dry weight of trailer needs to be ignored, it has zero validity.

On my 4th trailer and have always kept it simple in determining if I have enough tow vehicle.
Have the tow vehicle capable of towing the GVWR of trailer.
Have enough payload to absorb 12 - 15% of trailers GVWR as tounge weight while factoring in everything else in or on truck besides driver.

You'd be surprised to find that once weighed, all 4 trailers were much closer to GVWR than UVW or dry weight.

I had to move up to a 2500 on payload alone which is a shortcoming for the half tons.

Stay safe.