Camper tounge weight...

[vetteyog]

WOW... I never thought this post would have so much to give. Here's my 2 cents; my truck is a crew cab, 5.7 with the 6 spd, 3.55 gears. The camper is a 2022 Open Range Lite 261BH. EW 5925 lbs, and tounge weight of 780 lbs. We won't be living in the camper, and we usually pack pretty conservatively. After 2 years of searching for a camper that will fill my families needs (and my budget), talking to MANY people and my over 20 years towing experience, I feel my truck will safely drag this camper down the road fine. I know that I am on the higher end of my trucks capabilities, but not close enough to the edge that I am concerned. I'd love to go out and drop $85,000 on a new 3500 diesel, but that is not in the cards right now, so I'm working with what I got.

I will be setting up the WD hitch right, and I already have the airbags installed, so they are there if I need them. I will also scale the setup as well.

I'll update the post with my experience towing home after we pickup the camper.

One other thing... I am the 2nd owner of this truck and when I bought it, it had a 5th wheel mount in the bed, so someone out there towed a 5th wheel using this 1/2 ton. Not saying that's a good idea, but it can be done.

 

[Jas34]

I do think you'll be fine, though you may find your tongue weight more than you expect.

Concerning the axle argument above, no one mentioned that regardless of which axle is in the truck, they will both have the same payload capacity. Payload capacity will be the thing that limits how much you should tow with a half ton Ram when you're towing a travel trailer, since they are tongue heavy. You'll never get close to what the manufacturer claims as towing capacity for the 3.92 axle anyway. You'll run out of payload first.

 

[ramffml]

Sorry I just skipped to the end of your REALLY LONG POST. Didn't seem like much in there. Anyhow that table is from RAM. Nothing edited. Just google them man! Ok... Here's a link to 2024 RAM Classic's payload and towing guide; just in case you're still skeptical. You'll note the 5.7 Hemi w/ 8HP70 transmission has different tow capacity numbers for each axle. The 3.92 gives you the best towing capacity per RAM. RAM knows better than anyone the capabilities of their trucks!
https://www.ramtrucks.com/content/d...hure/24MY_Ram_Classic_Customer_PayTow_1.6.pdf

I have towed campers for well over 20 years. I personally, I try to stick to 30% capacity. So, if my truck has 10,000 tow capacity, I will buy a trailer no more than 7000 lbs. That's what I have, and it tows great. I wouldn't buy a 3.21. This 2024 Hemi with a 3.21 looks to tow 8040/8330 lbs. That's realistically a 5600/5800 lb trailer in my book. I towed my 7000 lb. camper with a different truck that had a tow capacity of 8400 lbs. It wasn't fun! After packing for camping, it was probably close to the max tow capacity. I sold that truck and bought a truck properly sized for my camper.

You're completely missing the argument. The argument is not that ram is rating them 3000 pounds different. I can read/see the chart.

The argument is that the rating is not an indicator of real world performance.

Ram rates the v6 with 3.92 only 800 pounds less than the v8 with 3.21. Do you think that is at all accurate? Course not. Tow with both those trucks and then tell me with a straight face that the hemi can only tow 800 pounds more.

 

[ramffml]

And the OP who asked the question still doesn’t have an 8 speed transmission.

Your 8 speed is a 6+2OD and his 5/6 is a 3+2OD. Vastly different experience with a 3.21 rear end.

SAE J2807 wasn’t used by dodge until I think the 2015 model year, his 2012 was rated before J2807 and the 2012s with 3.92 were rated with a higher towing capacity.

A 2012 quad cab hemi with the 3.21 was rated at 6500 pounds and the same truck with 3.92 was rated at 10000.

I haven't towed with the 6 speed so I'm not commenting on that. However the guy I'm arguing with is referring to the 8 speed as well as you can see from the chart he posted.

 

[vetteyog]

Found this video very interesting...

The Difference Between Using Weight Distribution and Air Bags to Level Your Load

Fastway engineers Jason Harper and Matt Barnes investigate the difference between using either a rear axle air bag system, or a weight distribution hitch to ...

www.youtube.com

My thought is to use the WD hitch to get the weights and ride the best I can and maybe use the air bags to fine to the levelness (if that's even a word... ha ha) of the truck to have the headlights aimed right.

 

[CanRebel]

Found this video very interesting...

The Difference Between Using Weight Distribution and Air Bags to Level Your Load

Fastway engineers Jason Harper and Matt Barnes investigate the difference between using either a rear axle air bag system, or a weight distribution hitch to ...

www.youtube.com

My thought is to use the WD hitch to get the weights and ride the best I can and maybe use the air bags to fine to the levelness (if that's even a word... ha ha) of the truck to have the headlights aimed right.

As few people mentioned. You shouldn't need air bags. Properly setup WDH will do what air bags will do, but more. As they were explaining in that video.

Some people do like to have both. Airbags can help with little squat and could make ride more comfortable.

If you go that way. Just make sure you setup correctly.

Here is a video, with someone doing setup with WHD and airbags.

Setting up a Weight Distribution Sway Control Hitch with Airbags

Occasionally I find myself resetting up my weight distribution hitch and air bag setup due to varying trailer and tongue weights. Once a frustrating task... ...

www.youtube.com

 

[nlambert182]

Found this video very interesting...

The Difference Between Using Weight Distribution and Air Bags to Level Your Load

Fastway engineers Jason Harper and Matt Barnes investigate the difference between using either a rear axle air bag system, or a weight distribution hitch to ...

www.youtube.com

My thought is to use the WD hitch to get the weights and ride the best I can and maybe use the air bags to fine to the levelness (if that's even a word... ha ha) of the truck to have the headlights aimed right.

If you need airbags to level it at all, something isn't right and either the WDH is not properly set up or the load is too heavy. I've said this a few times, but if you have to modify the truck in any way to carry a load, you have too much load for the truck.

I can't think of anything I've towed that has required airbags.

 

[09SilverRam]

If you need airbags to level it at all, something isn't right and either the WDH is not properly set up or the load is too heavy. I've said this a few times, but if you have to modify the truck in any way to carry a load, you have too much load for the truck.

I can't think of anything I've towed that has required airbags.

If his 2012 rear springs are anything like the 2009 1500 rear springs you 100% need to modify the truck to carry reasonable (500 pound) tongue weight without a WDH. I don't tow anything with my ram that needs a WDH (since I have F350 on the farm), but had to add airbags to run a trailer with 485 pound tongue weight scaled. 485 pound tongue weight is well within what the truck is rated to tow without a WDH.

 

[nlambert182]

Then you don't need airbags. The truck is designed to carry a specific amount of weight. You may want to for optics, but if the truck is designed for it, it will do it.

 

[09SilverRam]

Then you don't need airbags. The truck is designed to carry a specific amount of weight. You may want to for optics, but if the truck is designed for it, it will do it.

I don’t think the truck is designed to slam on the bump stops driving over dips going on and off a bridge with 485 pounds of tongue weight. Dodge screwed up the spring rates in the early 4th gen.

 

[vetteyog]

Picked up my camper yesterday, I towed it 140 miles back to our storage place and the truck did great! The dealer set up the hitch pretty good, and the whole trip went really well... except for the fuel mileage, OUCH! I did not run my set up across the scales, but I'm going to scale it once I have it packed and ready to use. The truck sat basically level, steering felt really good, and I had only 5 lb of hair in my bags.

 

[dhay13]

Yeah my 2013 1500 got 6.5 MPG towing my sons ~7500lb TT. It was 8100lbs loaded so guessing 7500lbs empty. Got about 8.0 MPG towing it loaded with his 2018 2500 6.4 Hemi

 

[wrench78]

Picked up my camper yesterday, I towed it 140 miles back to our storage place and the truck did great! The dealer set up the hitch pretty good, and the whole trip went really well... except for the fuel mileage, OUCH! I did not run my set up across the scales, but I'm going to scale it once I have it packed and ready to use. The truck sat basically level, steering felt really good, and I had only 5 lb of hair in my bags.

View attachment 558848

Nice looking trailer. Very similar to mine. I have a Imagine 22MLE. Truck tows it fine. Even in the mountains of PA and NY. Here is my rig.

 

[vetteyog]

Here's the weights, about where I thought they'd be. I'm gonna adjust the hitch and try to get a little more weight in the steers.

Hooked up...


Unhooked...

 

[dhay13]

Here's the weights, about where I thought they'd be. I'm gonna adjust the hitch and try to get a little more weight in the steers.

Hooked up...
View attachment 565853

Unhooked...
View attachment 565854

Check your GRAWR. I think it's 3900lbs so you are right at that limit. Shifting weight to the front axle should unload the rear a little

 

[vetteyog]

Check your GRAWR. I think it's 3900lbs so you are right at that limit. Shifting weight to the front axle should unload the rear a little

Yes it is & I've already adjusted the hitch. Gonna see how it feels tonight when I take it back to where I park it.

 

[Slick61]

Interesting how bad some of y'alls mileage is. A few weeks ago, I picked up a Lance 2375 (28' length)... 6500 GVWR. We just threw the hitch on & went. Was NOT set up properly. Squat on truck rear axle didn't look that back, but when stopped at rest area, the lift on the front axle was noticeable. The tongue was riding too high as well. I could tell most (all) of the weight was riding on the rear axle by the tire pressures. Fronts didn't go up at all... rears went up about 10-13 psi... so I KNEW weight distribution was not set right (at ALL). No problems with sway, but braking was a challenge, even with gain turned all the way up. Regardless, I averaged 11-12 mpg in my '16 Ram 2500 Tradesman (6.4L, 4.10 gears), but that was keeping speed at 65 mph. Have a new shank on order so I can level it out & hopefully get the weight distribution set right.

 

[Ritchie_Rich]

The 2025 Cummins won't even offer anything other than a 3.42 (?). One rear axle ratio, and its even going to start in second gear for the most part, for heavy loads it will still use first.

That’s bs.

 

[Ritchie_Rich]

Interesting how bad some of y'alls mileage is. A few weeks ago, I picked up a Lance 2375 (28' length)... 6500 GVWR. We just threw the hitch on & went. Was NOT set up properly. Squat on truck rear axle didn't look that back, but when stopped at rest area, the lift on the front axle was noticeable. The tongue was riding too high as well. I could tell most (all) of the weight was riding on the rear axle by the tire pressures. Fronts didn't go up at all... rears went up about 10-13 psi... so I KNEW weight distribution was not set right (at ALL). No problems with sway, but braking was a challenge, even with gain turned all the way up. Regardless, I averaged 11-12 mpg in my '16 Ram 2500 Tradesman (6.4L, 4.10 gears), but that was keeping speed at 65 mph. Have a new shank on order so I can level it out & hopefully get the weight distribution set right.

Seems optimistic to me based on my towing experience.

 

[ramffml]

That’s bs.

Call it what you like, it's a simple fact though. There is only one axle ratio, and unless you use TH it won't drop to first.