Need HONEST/1st HAND Towing advice

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BWL

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You're close to the rated limit, but that truck can go over the limit safely and often does in commercial settings legally. Have no concerns about hauling the max trailer weight rating. Only thing to watch is your rear axle weight. Load the trailer with your stuff as close to the middle of the trailer axles as reasonable. A wd hitch will transfer more weight to the front axle to help you gain a little more payload. A scale cop is only going to care about your max axle weight and licensed gvw. If you're at or under both you'll be fine. The trailer has brakes, test them occasionally during the drive. If it gets squirrelly under braking set the brakes a bit higher so the trailer brakes are slowing the trailer not the truck. If in snow and the trailer tries to pass you hit the trailer brake check lever and let it drag you straight from the back end.
 

BWL

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And those bigger tires may have a higher load rating than the factory tires(for an example the bfg e rated at2 in a 35 on a 20" rim is 3195lbs per tire vs 3750 on the 37"), but best to make sure they're at or more than the max axle rating. Overloaded tires are no fun to tow with. If your lift has softer springs then you may need airbags to help and not having the 4.10s and larger diameter tires may make it a bit of a struggle at times on the hills, but it seems you have that covered and then some with your plan to add bags and change your gear ratio for the bigger diameter wheels, but you can always just lock it down a gear and take the hills slower like everybody used to before these trucks got so much power in the meantime.
 
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Snake15eyes1998

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This was a much needed forum for me to read. I have a 2006 dodge 1500 5.7 hemi. I have 35x12.5x20s. I'm dropping down to 33x12.5x20s. I just bought a 24ft fifth wheel. Hitch weight is 860LBS, dry weight is 6445lbs, and GVWR is 7800. But I don't haul with water. So that's 500lbs I'm not dealing with. With everything we carry im looking at 7500lbs, loaded. Nothing in the bed of the truck, except maybe a cooler. I know my truck will haul this, I'm not winning any races soon. I don't drive any faster then 60mph. When I'm hooked up, I will post pics.
 

GsRAM

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Don’t tow a 5th wheel with a 1500, you will destroy your truck.


2018 Ram 2500 6.4L 4x4
Amsoil SS 0W-40
Yes especially one that's going on 15 yrs old.

That is a smaller 5th wheel, but still not a good idea in my opinion even if the truck is well maintained and in good mechanical shape. Father time catches up with all of us (and our equipment)
 

SouthTexan

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I pulled my gooseneck cattle trailer (@ 6k lbs empty with no cattle) all the time with my 2012 F150HD Ecoboost before I got my 2500. With several head of cattle it would easily be past 10k. Put my uncle's F250 6.2L gaser to shame pulling it too. I find that many who say you can't tow with a half ton either have never towed with a "modern" half ton or towed with one that was not configured correctly for the amount being towed.
 
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