GCWR losing my mind!

[Nicol]

I have been searching for hours! I
have a 2017 Crew cab
4X4
3.21 axle ratio
5 foot bed
6800 GVWR
GAWR front and rear are 3900
5.7 L, V8
1292 payload
transmission: A8 8HP70

I bought it from carmax and they weighed it and said it weighed 5780 (steer axle 3200, drive axle 2580)

I have tried the Mopar site - it says "towing info isn't available for your vehicle". It sends me to the online user manual which lists 3 sites - none of which show a way you can look up your own truck, especially a used truck.

My daughter is taking a job on Wednesday to tow a 7500 lb camper to California - from Colorado. I'm trying to make sure that will be safe for her - but i can't find the right info. My only other idea is to call the dealership, or Mopar. I've found a few random sites that list things - but none of them are exactly what I have. Any thoughts much appreciated!!

 

[rmill]

You mean 6800? Right

 

[rmill]

More than likely you are at a cgvwr at 13500 that's what my 14 is same 3.21.
tongue weight and tires will be key if it's doable.

 

[rmill]

Not sure I would trust carmax either. Those are pretty stock weight numbers.
Are you positive of trailer weight? Is that with some water? Dry? Supplies?
If so you are on outer limits. Most here would say don't do it.

 

[mrack]

Better make sure you have a good weight distribution hitch and it’s properly set up. Personally I would not send my daughter through Colorado tugging 7500 lbs with a 3.21 half ton, but sometimes you gotta do whatcha gotta do.

 

[Nicol]

You mean 6800? Right

yes - exactly. i just edited it.

 

[Nicol]

More than likely you are at a cgvwr at 13500 that's what my 14 is same 3.21.
tongue weight and tires will be key if it's doable.

I read that you should estimate the tongue wait at 10-20% of the trailer weight. is that correct? truck tires or trailer tires are key?

 

[Nicol]

Not sure I would trust carmax either. Those are pretty stock weight numbers.
Are you positive of trailer weight? Is that with some water? Dry? Supplies?
If so you are on outer limits. Most here would say don't do it.

I don't know what's in the trailer. I think it's really iffy from what I've read. i just don't understand why Dodge doesn't just give you the GCWR! it's maddening! and unsafe. what the heck??

 

[Nicol]

Better make sure you have a good weight distribution hitch and it’s properly set up. Personally I would not send my daughter through Colorado tugging 7500 lbs with a 3.21 half ton, but sometimes you gotta do whatcha gotta do.

Yes - i agree. i bought the truck used this year - hadn't really intended to do major towing - just the one off horse emergency. Where do you get a weight distribution hitch? and is it something you install yourself?

 

[mrack]

Yes - i agree. i bought the truck used this year - hadn't really intended to do major towing - just the one off horse emergency. Where do you get a weight distribution hitch? and is it something you install yourself?

A trailer dealer should have them. It has to be set up to that specific truck and trailer though, which takes a bit of time. You can youtube it and do it yourself, or get the place you buy it from to do it for you.

 

[Papa Red]

Welcome to the forum.

Hope you get it resolved before the truck needs to head out.

Red

 

[crash68]

I have been searching for hours!

It's listed on the SAE J2807 for any vehicle..
The one for the 2017 Ram 1500 is attached

 

[Nicol]

It's listed on the SAE J2807 for any vehicle..
The one for the 2017 Ram 1500 is attached

I did look at that but several of the numbers are just off. it lists the box size as 5'7" and mine is 5'. it lists the GVWR as 6900 but mine is 6800. it lists the payload as 1510, but mine is 1292. it shows the base weight as 5218 and mine is apparantly 5780 (but i do have a truck cap - leer, mid height), it lists the front axle as 2977 and mine is 3200 (steer axle) it lists the rear axle as 2241 and mine is 2580 (drive axle). It lists the GAWR as 3700 and 3900. mine are both listed as 3900. Then finally it lists the GCWR as 13,800 and the trailer weight at 7990. could these last two numbers be right with most of the other numbers off?

 

[392DevilDog]

I did look at that but several of the numbers are just off. it lists the box size as 5'7" and mine is 5'. it lists the GVWR as 6900 but mine is 6800. it lists the payload as 1510, but mine is 1292. it shows the base weight as 5218 and mine is apparantly 5780 (but i do have a truck cap - leer, mid height), it lists the front axle as 2977 and mine is 3200 (steer axle) it lists the rear axle as 2241 and mine is 2580 (drive axle). It lists the GAWR as 3700 and 3900. mine are both listed as 3900. Then finally it lists the GCWR as 13,800 and the trailer weight at 7990. could these last two numbers be right with most of the other numbers off?

The GCWR GVWR and GAWR are standard numbers. The payload and trailer weights are max numbers and only for information.

Your truck has a 5'7” bed or a 6'4". So, your 5 foot bed is 5'7

Can you show a picture of your two door jamb stickers? The silver one has your GVWR and GAWR and the tire loading sticker has your payload.

The GCWR is your engine transmission and changes with rear gear.

GVWR is 2wd and 4wd and engine

Payload number is amount of options, bed and cabin size, and engine weights.

So, yes. The base weight in the chart is for a truck with a 1510 pound payload. Which means it is lighter than your truck, that obviously has some options to it(or 22 inch wheels).

The only thing that is not kosher is the 6900 and 6800 GVWR. Do you have the 22 inch wheels?

 

[Jas34]

Here's how to figure it all out. Take your truck to a scale. Look up Cat scales near you or maybe find a garbage transfer station or gravel quarry that will let you weigh it. Weigh the truck with any passengers and gear in it she is planning to load in it for travel. Subtract that weight from your GVWR on the door sticker. This will give you the available payload left for the trailer hitch.

Your truck will be payload limited, so it really doesn't matter what the max tow listed is (or the gcwr either). If the trailer is actually 7500 lbs, you can assume the max tongue weight might be around 15% of that or 1125 lbs. Some of that will be transferred back to the trailer with the weight distribution hitch but probably no more than 150 lbs. You could verify this by doing 3 weights of the truck and rig at a cat scale, but just looking at things on paper, you'll probably be overweight payload wise with the truck. You definitely need a weight distribution hitch installed and properly set up for that trailer. Figure at least $1k for that if you have someone else install it. You also will need a brake controller, if the truck doesn't already have one and the trailer has electric brakes.

If the person towing has a lot of experience towing, being overweight might not be a huge issue for them. For someone inexperienced, it would be a really bad idea to send them with this load and truck, imo.

 

[damo9966]

Try this attachment. Says GCWR for yours is 13800.

 

[Nicol]

Welcome to the forum.

Hope you get it resolved before the truck needs to head out.

Red

thank you!

 

[Nicol]

Here's how to figure it all out. Take your truck to a scale. Look up Cat scales near you or maybe find a garbage transfer station or gravel quarry that will let you weigh it. Weigh the truck with any passengers and gear in it she is planning to load in it for travel. Subtract that weight from your GVWR on the door sticker. This will give you the available payload left for the trailer hitch.

Your truck will be payload limited, so it really doesn't matter what the max tow listed is (or the gcwr either). If the trailer is actually 7500 lbs, you can assume the max tongue weight might be around 15% of that or 1125 lbs. Some of that will be transferred back to the trailer with the weight distribution hitch but probably no more than 150 lbs. You could verify this by doing 3 weights of the truck and rig at a cat scale, but just looking at things on paper, you'll probably be overweight payload wise with the truck. You definitely need a weight distribution hitch installed and properly set up for that trailer. Figure at least $1k for that if you have someone else install it. You also will need a brake controller, if the truck doesn't already have one and the trailer has electric brakes.

If the person towing has a lot of experience towing, being overweight might not be a huge issue for them. For someone inexperienced, it would be a really bad idea to send them with this load and truck, imo.

thank you for all of the info!

 

[Nicol]

Thanks all of you! I kind of give up - I called Mopar and they said have to ask Dodge dealership b/c it seemed to them that my truck had some customization. so i called Dodge and the guy had no idea. finally he said i could come in and talk to the foreman. Foreman wasn't there and I talked to a service guy and a parts guy and each of them gave me diff numbers but one said a minimum of 9000 something. and that it might actually be over 10,000. the parts guy said because I have a level 4 tow hitch then it was more like 11,000. the stuff i found on the dealership site - that said stuff like that had a footnote that said "if properly appointed" - which makes that number meaningless to me. They said there site didn't say that.

I don't think there actually are solid numbers on this. I really don't. it's ridiculous. They said I didn't need a weight distribution hitch - that it would be overkill and could damage the truck. I don't know what to believe. I also asked my mechanic (not a dodge dealership) and I knew more than they did. wth??

It seems to me my truck towing limit is somewhere between 8,000 - 9500.

I am at least going to buy the hitch that moves up and down, if not the big one.

My daughter is decided and is going - she's hauled single and double horse trailers with horses - in her truck - but within the state. She has a 2009 1500 4.7L. (and who knows what her tow rate is - it seems somewhere between 6300-8300 pounds. she has some experience - but she's about to have more - say a little prayer!

 

[mrack]

A weight distribution hitch overkill for a 7500lb trailer and could "damage the truck??" Wow, whoever said that is really full of it. Weight distribution hitches are the only tried and true addition that are actually proven to allow you to safely pull more weight, and there are a thousand tests to back that up. And you'd have to be trying pretty hard to set one up in a way that possibly do any amount of miniscule damage.