Do I have the right tow rating?

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dsherman26

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I'm a little confused by the sticky at the top. I found the links to the towing capacities (notably missing from the owner's manual), but I'm confused by the "DT" and "DS". I just bought a 2021 RAM 1500 Big Horn Quad Cab, 4x4, 3.6 ETorque, and from the VIN lookups I've found, it has the 3.21 rear axle. I *think* if I'm looking it up correctly, it should be 6,530 pounds, but I've also seen 7,700 pounds. Our camper is 3,200 pounds, so I'm sure it will be more than adequate, but do I have it right?
 

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but I'm confused by the "DT" and "DS". I just bought a 2021 RAM 1500 Big Horn Quad Cab, 4x4, 3.6 ETorque, and from the VIN lookups I've found, it has the 3.21 rear axle.
The DS body is the Gen4 truck, it's wheels has five lug nuts, the DT is a Gen5 truck, it's wheels has 6 lug nuts.If your truck is a '21 Bighorn it's most likely a Gen5
If you do have a 3.6L V6 w/3.21 gearing, your maximum towing capacity is 6500 lbs but you'll know that much is back there when you hit the hills
 

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Travelin Ram

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I commend you for doing your due diligence, too many people just hook up and roll without a clue. One thing to understand is that “tow rating” is a bit of an imaginary number. Meaning it’s only valid in one condition where the load in the truck itself is minimal.

It is more complex, but more accurate, to think in terms of two limitations.

A. GVWR- what’s the most your truck can weigh?
B. GCVWR- what’s the most the combination can weigh?

Tow capacity is really just B-A in the real world. Load a lot of people or stuff in your truck, and your towing capacity is less. Fill up the cab with family and fill the bed with toys to GVWR, and your towing capacity will be zero (no capability left for tongue weight).

Run with just a driver in an empty truck and you’ll almost certainly run into GCWR first.

With a V6 frontal area of the trailer will affect you too. Some vehicles have specifications on that also. I don’t know if Ram does.

I doubt 3200# is a concern, in any case. Is that weight as-built, from a scale loaded to camp, or trailer GVWR?
 
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dsherman26

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Thank you! I think the trouble I ran into previously trying to look up the VIN was it didn't work unless capitalized. Had to chuckle a little there, I work on software for embedded systems and know exactly why it didn't work, then I start thinking how I would have made sure that a lookup like that would have first promoted all lowercase letters in the input to uppercase.

The 3,200 weight was based on the actual dry weight placard on our unit, plus our gear. Forest River ensures they weigh each one, so that figure I trust since it's higher than the figure in their sales literature. We travel light and keep the tanks empty. I've been towing it with my Honda Pilot (4500 lb tow rating), and while it managed, it had to work at it on hills. Wife's car got into a fender bender last weekend, and the insurance totaled it. She decided that since she likes driving my Pilot more than her old car, maybe we should look at getting a truck with a better towing capacity than the Pilot.

I've confirmed from the link John Jensen posted that our truck has the 6530 pound tow rating, I'm sure that will be more than adequate.
 

mtofell

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Travelin Ram nails it.... basically two things with tow vehicles: What can it carry? What can it pull? Manufacturer's of trucks and RVs tend to focus on one number for the purposes of selling you something.

You should be fine with your setup but you'd be surprised how fast that payload disappears. 3200# trailer lightly packed is going to weigh at least 4000#. 10-15% of that goes on the truck as payload.... so, 500#. Add on a nice hitch, coolers and firewood in the bed and people in the truck and that can be another 1000# or more. All of the sudden you're at 1500# payload. What does you door sticker say for max payload? In your OP it looks like you're only focused on what you can pull.... check your door sticker for max payload.
 

Chuck962500

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One thing that's real important and I almost couldn't stop a dump trailer that electric brake is like a 1 of r be 2 hundred dollar must have..then when you got that dialed add jjt
 

Chuck962500

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One thing that's real important and I almost couldn't stop a dump trailer that electric brake is like a 1 of r be 2 hundred dollar must have..then when you got that dialed add a Hayden cooler for the tranny. I pull stupid amounts of weight and have no issues with 10 ply tires that's the three things you need to make it a super hauler
 

Chuck962500

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The front tires on my Ram 3500 dually are now about worn out, while the rear tires have twice as much tread left. So, I am looking to purchase a couple of great tires for the front that can hold up to the weight of the CTD. These type tires (pictured below) are I guess designed for over the road tractor trailers and other heavy duty commercial vehicles, and are called "steer tires." Can anyone tell me if I may find a similar type tire that would fit my 3500? I like them because they seem to have much less rolling resistance, and would last forever.

One thing that's real important and I almost couldn't stop a dump trailer that electric brake is like a 1 of r be 2 hundred dollar must have..then when you got that dialed add jjt
Told ya stupid amounts of weight the second bunk leveled out the trailer

20210510_143529.jpg
 

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dsherman26

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Travelin Ram nails it.... basically two things with tow vehicles: What can it carry? What can it pull? Manufacturer's of trucks and RVs tend to focus on one number for the purposes of selling you something.

You should be fine with your setup but you'd be surprised how fast that payload disappears. 3200# trailer lightly packed is going to weigh at least 4000#. 10-15% of that goes on the truck as payload.... so, 500#. Add on a nice hitch, coolers and firewood in the bed and people in the truck and that can be another 1000# or more. All of the sudden you're at 1500# payload. What does you door sticker say for max payload? In your OP it looks like you're only focused on what you can pull.... check your door sticker for max payload.
Evidently you overlooked a few details. The camper is not 3200 lb dry. The camper weighs about 3200 WITH OUR GEAR ALREADY, not 4000 lb. Also, the GVWR is only 3900 lb, so no, "lightly packed" for us is not 4000 lb, it's about 3200 lbs. We're not permitted to transport firewood because of the emerald ash borer, so we don't and we buy it at the campground. We don't carry more than 150 pounds of gear, so following some basic math, a dry weight of just over 3000 pounds plus 150 pounds equals about 3200, not 4000. Perhaps you also missed that I've already been towing it with a Honda Pilot, which would be overloaded in your "lightly packed" scenario when it has a maximum tongue weight of 450 lb. And to answer your question, I already knew the truck's door sticker said 1700 lb payload.
 

mtofell

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Evidently you overlooked a few details. The camper is not 3200 lb dry. The camper weighs about 3200 WITH OUR GEAR ALREADY, not 4000 lb. Also, the GVWR is only 3900 lb, so no, "lightly packed" for us is not 4000 lb, it's about 3200 lbs. We're not permitted to transport firewood because of the emerald ash borer, so we don't and we buy it at the campground. We don't carry more than 150 pounds of gear, so following some basic math, a dry weight of just over 3000 pounds plus 150 pounds equals about 3200, not 4000. Perhaps you also missed that I've already been towing it with a Honda Pilot, which would be overloaded in your "lightly packed" scenario when it has a maximum tongue weight of 450 lb. And to answer your question, I already knew the truck's door sticker said 1700 lb payload.
Jeez man.... just trying to help. GVWR is a rating.... no guarantee anyone will stop packing there. An Emerald Ash Borer? Yeah, I should have known. Towing with a Honda Pilot.... plenty of idiots out there tow 26' trailers with those. Hope you wake up happier the rest of the week!
 

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We don't carry more than 150 pounds of gear, so following some basic math, a dry weight of just over 3000 pounds plus 150 pounds equals about 3200, not 4000.

I have a -very- similar (but older) truck than you have - engine, gear ratio, the works. You should be good overall, but I think you forgot something...

That would be 150 of gear -plus- fresh water (assuming you don't add more as your gray and black tanks fill) -plus- propane (20-60lbs or more extra including tank weight, depending on configs, since they never count that), plus any/all additional tackle tossed in for weight/level/etc. Also, not 100% sure if the WDH counts, but if it does, that's 80-90lb or so more you'll have to account for.

(note that as long as you only do full-service campgrounds, you can possibly get away with having empty water/sewer tanks everywhere you go, but only if that's always the case and you can always get a full-service spot with a dump -right there- next to your parking spot. I intend to be way too much into boondocking for that ****, since I've always camped remote with previous RV trailers.)

I have a truck almost exactly like yours right down to the gear ratio, but it's old(er). My 2022 Forest River NoBo 19.2 weighs 3600lb empty, but once loaded, I fully expect to come fairly close to my truck's absolute limit of 800lbs more (240lb of it is just the water in a full fresh tank!)

Now for the good news - your body, frame, and (hopefully) your hitch will be -more- than capable to drag the (far more realistic) ~3600 lbs of stuff sitting in the trailer. Mine handled 3600lb of dragging it home through mountain roads like it wasn't even there most times (you'll still feel it on the inclines, though), even with no WDH. So, I think you'll do fine.
 
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dsherman26

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Thank you to the helpful ones who were able to answer my one question about a specification that is not published in the owner's manual instead of making assumptions.
 

mtofell

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Thank you to the helpful ones who were able to answer my one question about a specification that is not published in the owner's manual instead of making assumptions.
Still don't want to tell us your payload rating, huh?

I was once camping (with Ash-Borer free firewood btw) with some friends and the subject of payload came up. We were surprised to find that one guys Subaru Forester actually had a higher rating than another guys Ram 1500. So you're idea that "it was towed by the Pilot so the Ram is fine" well may not be correct.

I know you came in asking about tow/pulling rating but it's clear from your posts that you have no idea what your payload is or how close you may be to it. Obviously, the last thing you'll ever do it come back and admit it and that's fine. We're all here to learn and that's really all I was trying to do. I have a lot of towing experience and have learned a lot from others on these boards. Was just trying to help.... stay safe and have fun.
 
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tron67j

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Lots of good people trying to help you out here. What we know to be true: payload is 1,700 pounds.

What we don't know: weight of your truck with fuel, people, pets, gear, hitch, tools. This is important to weigh with everything because we don't know if you have aftermarket additions such as bed liner, cover, running boards, larger tires. etc. All of this gets subtracted from your payload. So weigh your truck, including each axle separately so that you have the numbers to start from. The total weight gets subtracted from your GVWR and the result is your available payload. Then look at rear axle weight because any weight placed from the rear bumper to over the axle (i.e. trailer tongue) goes 100% against that value. One possibility is that the rear axle weight availability is less than your trailer hitch value.

Second, weigh the trailer full of water, drinks, food, clothing, etc. You need both the axle weight and the hitch weight. You need exact numbers to calculate where you are on the weight spectrum.

Everything else is just conjecture without these exact numbers.
 
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