I have so many questions...

[marcdanz]

Thanks in advance for the schooling I'm about to get -

In the market for a truck; wife and I ride motorcycles long distances (me: BMW S1000XR, her: Yamaha MT-07 - hey, she's tiny!) and our retirement plan is: get dog, buy toy hauler, drive around North America (including the long boring straight roads in the middle) to places where we can spend time, camp and ride.

Here's the rub - I've owned trucks (Tacoma, 71 F150 to haul the racebike), but towed very little.

The plan was to buy a new 1500 Lariat; but talking to folks I know who trailer, they are pushing me hard to get a 2500. We won't get a giant trailer - but it'll still weigh 8500 - 10k loaded and while that's within the range for the truck with the HD Tow package, my towing crowd tells me anything over 7k needs a 3/4 ton truck.

The issue for me is that the truck will also be a daily driver here in LA - and I'm kinda wincing at the thought of that.

Anyone have a 3/4 ton as a daily driver? How does that work for you? Anyone regularly towing 10k with a 1500?? How's _that_ working for you??

Next, I'll be asking about the Cummins!!

...inquiring minds want to know, as they say!

Marc

 

[G-Ride990]

Welcome!

I don't tow often but I have towed 8000+ pounds with my 1500 a few times. If I did it often yes, bigger truck no question! The 1500 has okay power at that weight but it is the stopping and stability that leaves a lot to be desired. I recently bought a super tiny travel trailer but it is a damn wind-sail, really moves my truck around. And that is a single axle trailer that weights a few thousand pounds.

There are a ton of guys here that are knowledgeable and tow all the time so hopefully they chime in.

Welcome again best of luck on the truck hunt!

 

[dhay13]

Your friends are right. And DO NOT listen to salesman at the dealerships telling you they are wrong. They'll tell you you can tow it with a Volkswagon if they can make a sale. ..lol.

10,000lbs is really pushing the limits of a 1500. Even 8000lbs often and longer distances won't be fun. First consideration is your GRAWR. Guessing it is around the 3900lb mark. My step-son has a 2021 Tundra and with his 9300lb camper behind it he had 4260lbs on the rear axle so pretty sure you will be pushing the limits on your rear axle weight and that can cause premature bearing failure and even axle failure. Secondly is your payload. With a 1500 Lariat you will probably have less than 1200lbs of payload. The tongue weight alone on an 8000lb trailer will be about 950lbs minimum for proper handling, meaning you and your wife and anything else you have in your truck need to weigh less than about 340lbs. As was stated, you will be pulling a big sail and it won't be comfortable for cross country trips. Also, 10,000lbs is going to work that 5.7 very hard (even 8000 will work it pretty hard).

I work from home so don't put a ton of miles on my 2500 but I average about 12MPG with my 6.4. It would tow that toy hauler with ease. I towed my step-sons 9300lb camper and it had no problems at all. I get about 8.0-8.5 MPG towing that. A Cummins should get better mileage but will cost you about $10,000 more. I don't have any experience with a Cummins but my son just bought a 2021 2500 Cummins and after 2500 miles is averaging about 16 MPG but he has not towed anything with it yet but I'm sure it would have no issues at all towing your toy hauler. Before that my son had a 2018 2500 6.4 that he towed his 8100lb camper all over the country with. He put 90,000 miles on it in 2 years and 8500 of those were towing his camper. Never had a single issue with it. Only reason he got rid of it was cause he changed jobs and his 6.4 was getting close to 100,000 miles and a steep depreciation hit.

 

[WY.Ram]

I can give a little feed with regards to city daily driving a 2500. Mine is a lifted (3" total) on 37" (36.25") tires. I live rural but if I want anything more than what a gas station, post office and one stop sign have to offer than I have to hit the next town / city. There are many trucks around way bigger than mine but I really would not want one much bigger and have it be a committed daily driver, mine is big enough for that. I don't steer away (pun) from heading downtown in the city or any other place. I drive to packed or sold out sports events all the time. NHL.

I will admit the wife's Grand Cherokee is probably easier to drive in extreme busy conditions, but not so much easier that we ever take hers instead of mine. Also to complicate the experience in mine I have 4% vlt tint on all my windows (side and rear), that is more difficult to drive (windows up) than it being a 2500. Sometimes parking lots here are made or at least striped for electric cars and those can be tricky, 360 View would address that.

Really the only caution I would put out there is mine seems to have a blind spot just behind the front wheels / A-pillar and in crazy downtown traffic, 2pm to 5pm on Friday type of traffic, it can be a bit of added stress and probably made worse by the extra lift, but I still take mine when given a choice. I have missed seeing pedestrians twice that really shook me up when they appeared out of the blind spot, almost puke type of shook up. I triple check those blinds spots and stay out of the 7' parking garages. This is a new city to me also, I never have any familiarity with where am driving and I still choose the 2500. If you are in your back yard, you won't even know your driving a 2500, just don't pass a fuel depot without stopping. Ha Just kidding.

Welcome to the Forum and Nice retirement plan

 

[JohnnyMac]

As others have noted, I think you'll run out of payload before tow capacity. If you figure standard tongue weight of 9-15% that puts you anywhere from 900 - 1500lbs based on your 10k trailer. My 2018 1500 CC 4x4 Laramie payload is in the neighborhood of 1520lbs if I recall. Once you put stuff in the bed, add your family and all the junk that goes in the truck with you, you will be overloaded. The max I have towed my dump trailer is at 9200lbs. It has no wind load like a travel trailer would but I could definitely feel it back there. I don't think it will be a comfortable tow at 10k with a 1500.

**Edit to add** I had a 2500 prior to my 1500. It definitely road harsher, but if you air down the tires from the 80psi they run them at (hard like a rock) they ride way smoother. You'll just have to either get something to change your TPMS settings or deal with your TPMS idiot light on all the time.

 

[GTyankee]

When you drive a larger truck, anything over a 1 ton, you learn to leave 4 or more feet of distance between your bumper & the Stop Bar
You never know when someone in a wheel chair is going to come off the sidewalk to enter the cross walk.

I drove 10 wheel trucks for 33 years, whenever it was needed

I mention that because you can't get the 360 View on any Ram due to the computer chip shortage
Hopefully the advanced technology products for our Rams will be more readily available by January

 

[Papa Red]

Welcome to the forum.

Red

 

[Harley Harrold]

 

[Joe w.]

Welcome

 

[Dodge 1500 4X4]

Welcome to the Forum, you're in 2500 territory.

 

[BadHemi2014]

I'm a firm believer that you can never have too much truck, within reason of course. Why not go with the 2500, it's made for the heavier towing and you just won't have the stress and worry of not having enough truck. As pricey as they are now, you don't want to get a 1/2 ton and regret it and lose money when you upgrade to a 3/4 ton!
You won't have any issues daily driving a 2500 compared to a 1500. Heck, my husband loves his crew cab long bed dually so much he daily drives that 10mpg monster. He's a bit nuts lol.
Good luck, welcome to the forum, and enjoy retirement, that sounds like the perfect life to me!