can I tow it safely?

[larrygerald]

The listed weights on the fifth wheel are 10375 empty, 2299 hitch, and 1625 cargo carrying capacity.
The truck is a 2016 ram 2500 6.7, 4x4, short bed, crew cab. Max trailer 17210, payload 2380.
I can't figure why this truck has such a low payload listed. Is it derated for licensing requirements or is it unsafe with even a lighter fifth wheel? The truck has F rated tires, air bags, and a fifth wheel hitch.
Really like this camper! Maybe enough to trade trucks. I thought the truck was just derated at first but now that I'm staring at it I'm getting weak kneed.

 

[larrygerald]

The 6.4 is listed for a whooping 1000 pounds more payload than the 5.7 hemi and the 6.7 cummins. I can understand(maybe) losing payload for the heavier engine but why would they do it for the 5.7 hemi also?

 

[HuskerRam]

Short answer is no. The 81 lbs of payload you have remaining will be eaten up by you, any passengers, any hardware (to include the 5th wheel/gooseneck hitch), additional weight in the trailer, etc. Is that payload figure what the sticker on your door jamb says, too? The chart doesn't really account for trim level. Can it pull it? Sure it can. Will you be over on weights? Absolutely.

 

[tron67j]

Those charts are just a listing of maximum capability for a general truck meeting the definition on the left side. You need to look at your door jamb, you'll probably find even less capacity. The 5.7 just can't handle as much work as the 6.4 over the long term so I believe capacity is reduced to not overtask the smaller engine.

For that 5th wheel you need a 3500 dually. The ride will be so much better because it is designed for that kind of load.

2500 diesels aren't going to be able to tow as much as a gasser, the engine eats up about 800 or so pounds of payload capacity.

And the advertised maximum trailer towing capacity is essentially unreachable except for a single occupant in a bare bones version of the truck with no gear or anything in the truck with a meticulously balanced load. Really a ridiculous number to put out there, but it is what it is.

 

[MeatCurtains]

Will it pull it? Yep. Drag it right on down the road even if you've exceeded max weight. Can it get you in trouble? Maybe. The 68rfe might not like it a lot and some cops are toolbags and will start questioning **** they know nothing about.

My issue with the coil spring trucks and a 5th wheel is they feel like the back of the truck is rolling in the ocean. It doesn't feel as stable as the older leaf sprung setup.

The most I had behind my old truck on the gooseneck was a 24000lbs. It moved it but I wouldn't recommend it.

 

[ramffml]

The 5.7 just can't handle as much work as the 6.4 over the long term so I believe capacity is reduced to not overtask the smaller engine.

They never reduce payload due to a smaller engine. Always the opposite, the smaller engine is lighter and increases payload all else being equal. There is no reason a 5.7 2500 can't handle a few thousand pounds of payload.

 

[larrygerald]

I still don't get why the 5.7 is listed with so much less payload than the 6.4. I can get towing capacity derate, not payload. thought about upgrading sway bar but it still is looking unsafe to tow a fifth wheel. the truck already has airbags on it

 

[mtofell]

For comparison my 2014 Hemi with 3000# payload was right at (or sometimes a couple pieces of firewood over) the limit. Dry weight of the 5th was 9200# You're starting with 700# less payload and 1400# more trailer... not going to be able to stay within specs.

If you really want your head to spin look at the axle weights on your door sticker and you'll likely find they add up to more than the 10,000# GVWR of the truck. Many argue staying within axle weights is all that matters. There are numerous 100+ page threads on RV message boards of people arguing about it.

 

[DILLIGAF]

I added Airlift 5000s to my 1500, Ive towed overloaded plenty of times with no issues. Ive frequently had to put 80psi in the bags to level her out

 

[Grams]

I added Airlift 5000s to my 1500, Ive towed overloaded plenty of times with no issues. Ive frequently had to put 80psi in the bags to level her out

I definitely want to follow the advice of people who boast they deliberately tow overloaded.

 

[DILLIGAF]

Tell me you don't live in farm country and have to get sh!te done without telling me.

Wait until you find out how overweight the Winch trucks moving oil rigs are and why they do it on the weekends

My truck is better built than any POS factory Ram and can handle what I throw at it. Source " trust me bro " or read my sig line.

 

[crash68]

I still don't get why the 5.7 is listed with so much less payload than the 6.4.

The 5.7 GVWR is 1000 lbs less than what the 6.4 is rated for. The Cummins has the 10K rating but the engine eats up the extra 1K even though it can pull the 6.4 backwards every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

One caveat that's not mentioned is 2500s are typically artificially limited on the vehicle GVWR to usually 10K lbs due to class weight restrictions for commercial and some states. Going over the 10K lbs rating will automatically classify a vehicle as commercial use and depending on the state you'll pay significantly more in vehicle registration and insurance. The SAE J2807 which is what is used to determine towing/hauling capacity already has safety factor built into the numbers so there's no need to artificially derate the truck to 80% of those. As of 2015 all Ram trucks starting using the SAE J2807 for it's ratings.

 

[stevenP]

You should se a tag inside your door jam, with your max weight rating. Mine is a 2500 diesel, so you can see its only 2000lbs! I am towing a fifth wheel with mine, but my RV is only 8200lbs. With rams coil spring rear end, you are really limited to the 1500 series fivers, or the super light versions.

 

[joesstripclub]

You would probably be safer with this truck overloaded than most of the half tons and SUVs I see with giant campers going down the highway. I agree with others you would be over on specs but so are most of the other 2500s with big fifth wheels going down the road.

 

[Grams]

Tell me you don't live in farm country and have to get sh!te done without telling me.

Wait until you find out how overweight the Winch trucks moving oil rigs are and why they do it on the weekends

My truck is better built than any POS factory Ram and can handle what I throw at it. Source " trust me bro " or read my sig line.

If you don’t think you are towing “overloaded”….then simply Don’t Post That You Do.

If you’ve modified your equip’t to a higher capacity…and you want to crow about it…then say what you’ve done and how you got that higher certificaton.

Don’t point out how overloaded OTHERS operated …as if to justify your own misuse. (I learned waay back in my youth what my Mom meant when she asked, “If Johnny jumped off a bridge …would YOU?”

Misbehavior by others doesn’t justify it for Them Or you…or me… right?

 

[nlambert182]

I'd love to have your payload. I have a whopping 1,681 lbs.

Pulls my travel trailer just fine. The rear suspension is the limiting factor on the 2500s, and no, airbags don't fix the issue. They just cover it up.

Why not move to a 3500 SRW? You'll probably be able to get the payload you need and will certainly get a much stiffer and stable suspension since it uses leafs. It won't be quite as stable as a DRW, but you'd almost certainly have enough to handle a 2,400 lb pin weight with your crew on board.