Made a boo-boo buying a 6.7 Ram?

[BWL]

I'm partial to reese hitches for no particular reason. I'd go with a 20k that has height adjustment and is made to bolt into the factory 5th wheel mounts. Sliders are nice to shift forward and back for weight shifting and a little extra clearance on a short box, but add weight as does going all out on a 30k. Decent 20k with height adjustment and a mounting kit should be about 175 to 200 lbs and do the job just fine without breaking the bank.

 

[dhay13]

Check your states laws. As far as I know and I read in PA payload is your limit. Individual axles mean nothing. You pull on the scale with your trailer attached and front and rear combined must be below 10,001lbs. You individual axle ratings only apply to each axle so if you have a snow plow then your front must be below GAWR for the front, etc for the rear, but still be under 10,001lbs

 

[Travelin Ram]

The best hitch for a short bed: https://www.pullrite.com/products/superglide

And guess what? It’s HEAVY.

I bought a 2500 diesel ONE time for a small fifth wheel that was within it’s capacity. Every other Cummins or other brand HD diesel has been a 350 or 3500. Unless you’re unfortunate enough to live in one of those states where they tax you by the pound a diesel 3500 is the way to go.

 

[cutterman]

I have the B&W which was recommended by other short bed owners and I am glad I went with it.

 

[BWL]

The other option of course is to just get a bigger bumper pull. 26k max total with a 10k max truck keeps you legal, under the 10k and not requiring a commercial license or endorsement most places. The 5th wheel is more maneuverable and safer to tow in the bigger sizes, but as the laws go the bumper pull is easier to stay legal everywhere.

 

[serp16]

Ditto on the commenter who mentioned Cougar Half-Ton. We have a 2018 29RKS and are very happy with it. I will say though, I have the 6.4 and we have a little over 3K payload. I'm not sure you have enough. We use the Pullrite Superglide hitch which works great, but the commenter that said it was heavy wasn't lying. It is about 200 pounds - so add that to your cargo weight too. Between my "half-ton" 5er pin weight and the hitch it's putting close to 1800 pounds on the rear axle (unloaded) - more than that with my stuff in it. You will get more trailer for your money and be legal if you go bumper pull.

 

[David F]

i have a 2019 Laramie, 2500, with same set up, pulling a Grand Design Reflection, GVW of 9980. Yes, it is close to max payload, but i have had no difficulties pulling it, on freeways and mountain roads.

 

[Dan50]

Tongue weight is usually around 10% so the 9000 should put around 900 on the truck not 1800. That should help ease your mind a bit to start off. Now I've started looking through spec sheets and the luxury 5ers are closer to 15%. Still means an 11k is no problem even without the axle weight wiggle room and a 15k trailer is an easy pull for the 6.7. Night and day difference from the 1500 eco.

He is talking about moving up to fifth wheel and the pin weight will be between 20 and 25% depending on how it is loaded.

 

[mtwofeathers]

I should have checked load capacities before i pulled the plug, but I just wanted to upgrade from my Eco Diesel for better towing for a trailer i already have. Turns out that even with the fifth wheel package and the puck setup that my load capacity is only 2291 pounds!! Arg. One nice thing about the internet is you can ask dumb questions without too much embarrassment. I would like to upgrade to a 5th wheel but the smallest i can do with the features i want is a minimum weight of 9,000 lbs which should be approx 1800 pounds to the truck. Add a couple bodies and a modest amount of storage stuff and i will likely be an easy couple hundred pounds over. So, I am asking myself how much risk would i really be taking going there? My thought being that Ram would be VERY conservative with their ratings for a lot of logical reasons, not the least of which could be fools like me pushing the boundaries. Any thoughts with minimal insults please?

Been a RVer for 26 years. I haul my 5th wheel easily. I bought my 07 new, and its the 5.9 early 07. My pin weight is 3100 lbs. I can pull 30,000, but without added features I'm limited to a bit over 11,000. Engine no problem. Fully deleted 5.9 engine, 5" exhaust all the way back. Better injectors, air bags, solid driveshaft. And a host of other things. Base is 4x4 and i put 3.73 Elockers front and rear. Bully dog tuner. Alison 1000 transmission built up. Sure it doesn't ride like a car but still comfortable to drive long distances. And capable for going off road here in arizona. I know there is a guide online, just couldn't find it for ya.

 

[rvance]

Ditto on the commenter who mentioned Cougar Half-Ton. We have a 2018 29RKS and are very happy with it. I will say though, I have the 6.4 and we have a little over 3K payload. I'm not sure you have enough. We use the Pullrite Superglide hitch which works great, but the commenter that said it was heavy wasn't lying. It is about 200 pounds - so add that to your cargo weight too. Between my "half-ton" 5er pin weight and the hitch it's putting close to 1800 pounds on the rear axle (unloaded) - more than that with my stuff in it. You will get more trailer for your money and be legal if you go bumper pull.

Specs say 277 pounds!!

 

[lezmark7]

oops, duplicated response

 

[lezmark7]

Specs say 277 pounds!!

Yikes, thats heavy! I am not too concerned (now) about the hitch weight since i will be at reasonable trailer weights with what i am looking at. I would like a hitch that i can remove myself to use the truck bed. I have researched the Andersen, and it looks great, but the number of reviews of failures scares me. Anyone have recommendations?

 

[lezmark7]

I do have the factory puck system

 

[rawone]

I should have checked load capacities before i pulled the plug, but I just wanted to upgrade from my Eco Diesel for better towing for a trailer i already have. Turns out that even with the fifth wheel package and the puck setup that my load capacity is only 2291 pounds!! Arg. One nice thing about the internet is you can ask dumb questions without too much embarrassment. I would like to upgrade to a 5th wheel but the smallest i can do with the features i want is a minimum weight of 9,000 lbs which should be approx 1800 pounds to the truck. Add a couple bodies and a modest amount of storage stuff and i will likely be an easy couple hundred pounds over. So, I am asking myself how much risk would i really be taking going there? My thought being that Ram would be VERY conservative with their ratings for a lot of logical reasons, not the least of which could be fools like me pushing the boundaries. Any thoughts with minimal insults please?

Keep in mind towing a camper which is basically a big box is different than towing a flat bed trailer with the same weight. The "big box" camper has wind resistance, it can easily sway with the wind and when semi trucks pass by. I know some with give their opinion also but control is a key element. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[chri5k]

Good point on control. In order to maintain control, your equipment needs to be in top shape if you are towing near or slightly over the maximums. Worn shocks, under-inflated tires, tires with cuts in them, sagging springs, etc. can all reduce control.

 

[ghvanhorn]

Somebody above used the term "legal". There are several youtube videos (Big Truck Big RV or Keep Your Daydream come to mind) that explain the relationship of truck capacity and trailer weight. I second the CAT scale suggestion. Common thinking is if you have and accident and it is determined you are over any of your truck ratings your insurance company may say good luck with that. There are not many 5ers I'd tow with a SRT less than a 3500

 

[Brett A Landry]

That is why I went with a 3500 SRW, payload is 3891. 2500's are for the know it all's lol jk.

 

[serp16]

Specs say 277 pounds!!

Depends on which spec you are looking at. Pullrite offers multiple models and they weigh different amounts. I have the 2900 that weighs 224 lbs.

 

[Farmer Fran]

Keep in mind the 2500 are artificially limited to a 10K GVWR for legal purposes in many states.
The numbers you don't want to go over is your GAWR and the GCWR your vehicle is plated for. Many states you can even plate a vehicle for more or less GVWR/GCWR .
Now we'll let the payload police tell you how you'll lose control killing everyone in a two block radius and you'll be sued for your great grandchildrens inheritance.

Awesome, I just gained 900lbs of payload in my 1500!

 

[Zoe Saldana]

Awesome, I just gained 900lbs of payload in my 1500!

You should always check forum info.

For example I've read that the 2500 Ram coil rear suspension is what limits it to 10,000 GVWR. That is not artificial it is engineering.