New 2021 Forest River RV Salem Cruise Lite 273QBXL

[Eric Coble]

Bought a new camper Saturday - 2021 Forest River RV Salem Cruise Lite 273QBXL (33ft from tongue to bumper). The salesman told me my truck could haul it but after a lot of research I realized my F150 FX4 couldn't handle the weight safely (6000 to 6300 dry weight). Today I found a good deal on a 2012 DODGE RAM 2500 ST CREW CAB 4X4 (5.7L V8 HEMI VVT Engine) in my home town. From my research on the Dodge Power Wagon, it appears this should pull my camper without any trouble. Am I correct?

 

[CamperMike]

Congrats on the new trailer. I would think it should be well within limits. You should base that on the trailers gvwr though not dry weight. Tongue will be close to 15% of the ready to camp weight of the trailer. So to be safe figure 15% of gvwr(7752 from a quick search). Tongue weight could be up to 1160lbs. With a gas 2500 you should still have plenty of payload left. Look at the yellow sticker inside the door of that RAM to confirm how much payload it has.
That truck is a bit down on power vs newer ones with the 6.4 though. You should be able to safely tow your new trailer; it just might work it pretty hard from time to time especially if you tow in the mountains.

 

[2003F350]

My FIL had a slightly older 2500 with the 5.7, and he pulled a 35' Jayco fifth wheel with it (I don't recall the specs, but my at-the-time 7.3 Powerstroke even knew it was back there). The suspension of the truck handled the weight just fine, so I think you're well within the limits of the truck. However, that 5.7 will need to wind out into some higher RPMs for you, since, as stated above, the 5.7 doesn't quite make the power the 6.4 does.

Still, you made the right move looking into a bigger truck for that camper, and the truck you're looking at will do it all day long.

 

[dhay13]

Yeah that TT weight is close to my sons and he has about 1000lbs tongue weight loaded. His GVWR is about 8500lbs. He was at about 8100lbs when we weighed it. You should be fine on your tongue weight vs payload. The 5.7 will pull it but it will rev harder. You should be fine. And yeah, I'm sure you would be way over payload with your F150. Check the yellow sticker inside your drivers door jamb.

Oh, and don't EVER believe a salesman when they tell you 'yeah, you'll be fine'....lol. First they likely don't know. They have no idea. Secondly, they have a vested interest in you buying a product. I worked at an auto parts store when I was in my late teens/early 20's. I had been building my own engines and wrenching on cars for a few years by then but they hired people that had never changed their own oil. Not joking. I would NEVER take advice from an auto parts employee knowing who they hire. Not knocking the ones that are legit and do know their stuff but I'm not going to take the chance of finding that one that can't figure out how to put air in their tires

 

[jvbuttex]

That truck is a bit down on power vs newer ones with the 6.4 though. You should be able to safely tow your new trailer; it just might work it pretty hard from time to time especially if you tow in the mountains.

I pull my trailer with a 5.7. Yes you need to wind it up on some of the long climbs. You can do it tough. Just watch your temps on the long climbs.

 

[2003F350]

Yeah that TT weight is close to my sons and he has about 1000lbs tongue weight loaded. His GVWR is about 8500lbs. He was at about 8100lbs when we weighed it. You should be fine on your tongue weight vs payload. The 5.7 will pull it but it will rev harder. You should be fine. And yeah, I'm sure you would be way over payload with your F150. Check the yellow sticker inside your drivers door jamb.

Oh, and don't EVER believe a salesman when they tell you 'yeah, you'll be fine'....lol. First they likely don't know. They have no idea. Secondly, they have a vested interest in you buying a product. I worked at an auto parts store when I was in my late teens/early 20's. I had been building my own engines and wrenching on cars for a few years by then but they hired people that had never changed their own oil. Not joking. I would NEVER take advice from an auto parts employee knowing who they hire. Not knocking the ones that are legit and do know their stuff but I'm not going to take the chance of finding that one that can't figure out how to put air in their tires

I once had one try to tell me that 'cadillac converters and O2 sensors don't work together.' I was like...my dude, the downstream O2 sensor very much is intended to tell you the health of your catalytic converter.

My wife is incredibly knowledgeable about cars (thanks to growing up helping her dad wrench on their drag car)...Auto Zone wouldn't hire her.

I used to send her to the local Advance Auto with a part number to look up - and to not tell them what car it was for because it didn't matter. She actually had to tell one worker that 'my husband told me not to tell you what car it's for.'

 

[jvbuttex]

I used to send her to the local Advance Auto with a part number to look up - and to not tell them what car it was for because it didn't matter. She actually had to tell one worker that 'my husband told me not to tell you what car it's for.'

So true; I had to do this for a hot rod I built years ago. When I left the wrenching biz, had to deal with local Autozones and such, what a PIA when they asked for make model and year. HEY SUPPID just look up the part number.

 

[CamperMike]

I pull my trailer with a 5.7. Yes you need to wind it up on some of the long climbs. You can do it tough. Just watch your temps on the long climbs.

Good advice in general. With my 1500 5.7 and lighter trailer its still important. Oil temps can get pretty high if you push too hard. But solution is easy.. slow it down a bit.

 

[dhay13]

So true; I had to do this for a hot rod I built years ago. When I left the wrenching biz, had to deal with local Autozones and such, what a PIA when they asked for make model and year. HEY SUPPID just look up the part number.

We have a boat and occasionally I need a part from one of those stores. Maybe an alternator belt or spark plugs. I go in with the part number and they ask what it's for. I tell them it doesn't matter. Finally I tell them it's a 2006 Crownline boat and they lok confused then just grab the parts I asked for in the first place...lol

 

[HDGoose]

I once had one try to tell me that 'cadillac converters and O2 sensors don't work together.' I was like...my dude, the downstream O2 sensor very much is intended to tell you the health of your catalytic converter.

My wife is incredibly knowledgeable about cars (thanks to growing up helping her dad wrench on their drag car)...Auto Zone wouldn't hire her.

I used to send her to the local Advance Auto with a part number to look up - and to not tell them what car it was for because it didn't matter. She actually had to tell one worker that 'my husband told me not to tell you what car it's for.'

I've been told that most car parts places do not sell motorcycle wheels bearings. And refused to obtain the bearings, by number, on the shelf. They looked up the part number and they had 12 in stock.

 

[2003F350]

I've been told that most car parts places do not sell motorcycle wheels bearings. And refused to obtain the bearings, by number, on the shelf. They looked up the part number and they had 12 in stock.

There is an option in their systems, all of them, to look up an item by part number. They do it with spark plugs for my snow machine all the time. But, as said, these people are trained to ask for make/model/year so they can try to sell more stuff instead of just what the customer wants.

 

[paulxeter1]

I think I can! ......

Same trailer.
Salem 273QBXL
33’ 7700lbs loaded.
752 tongue weight

Ram 1500 5.7 Hemi e-torque
1486 payload. 8285 towing cap.
Curb weight 5850lbs
GVWR. 7100lbs

Equalizer WDH 4 point hitch.

This issue for me is everyone I talk to tells me I can pull this trailer all day! “Yes, salesmen too. “
I’d love to get some feedback here.
The best opinion that I’ve got so far is the lady who runs the scale at a scrapyard. She seemed to know more about trailering and GVWR than anyone else.

Please ease my mind. I have the trailer on order but may back out if the shoe doesn’t fit.


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[dhay13]

I'm guessing that 752lb tongue weight is the advertised TW? You will probably be closer to 1000lbs. Is 7700 your GVWR on the trailer or how much you are guessing it will weigh loaded? At 7700lbs you are pretty much maxed out and at the trucks limit (close enough to be considered maxed). How far are you towing? How often? If it is short trips a few times a year you will probably be ok being close to max. If you are planning on longer trips I think you are cutting it too close to be comfortable on a long drive

 

[paulxeter1]

UVW on the trailer is 6000lbs.


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[Halligan]

Towing bigger RV trailers with half tons is a crapshoot. If you’re not going that far (think 1-2 hour trip) and it's flat terrain then you may be fine with a half ton. However, if you're going to be logging serious miles on family adventures traversing varying terrain your into 3/4 or 1 ton territory. Just because the manufacturer says a vehicle can tow a certain weight doesn't mean you want to be behind the wheel doing a max GCVWR for 5+ hours. Pulling RV's can be stressful and fatigue will set in much sooner if your white knuckled driving because your rig is pushed to the max.

I know the truck manufacturers are publishing that properly spec'd 1 ton dually's can tow around 30,000 pounds. I might want to do that for a one hour trip to a nearby location but if I had a 30,000 pound rig and wanted to criss cross the USA I'd be driving a Medium Duty Truck RV hauler like a Freightliner or International.

 

[CamperMike]

I'm guessing that 752lb tongue weight is the advertised TW? You will probably be closer to 1000lbs. Is 7700 your GVWR on the trailer or how much you are guessing it will weigh loaded? At 7700lbs you are pretty much maxed out and at the trucks limit (close enough to be considered maxed). How far are you towing? How often? If it is short trips a few times a year you will probably be ok being close to max. If you are planning on longer trips I think you are cutting it too close to be comfortable on a long drive

Great advice. Wind will also be an issue towing that long trailer with a 1500. The trailer will push the truck around in windy conditions.

 

[KMKKOZ]

Towing a load safely has more to with suspension and braking than horsepower. The stock coil springs on my 1500 limit the overall payload. I added airbags to my rear coil springs and this increased the capability of my truck a lot. My 26 ft camper is probably 8500 lbs fully loaded, realistically, and without the airbags it was mushy and way saggy. Even with WD hitch. Now it rivals or exceeds an HD leaf spring truck and doesn't comprise the ride quality unloaded.

But as the original poster was asking about his 2500, that would still be a better setup than my 1500.

 

[dhay13]

Towing a load safely has more to with suspension and braking than horsepower. The stock coil springs on my 1500 limit the overall payload. I added airbags to my rear coil springs and this increased the capability of my truck a lot. My 26 ft camper is probably 8500 lbs fully loaded, realistically, and without the airbags it was mushy and way saggy. Even with WD hitch. Now it rivals or exceeds an HD leaf spring truck and doesn't comprise the ride quality unloaded.

But as the original poster was asking about his 2500, that would still be a better setup than my 1500.

Airbags help the feel and ride but don't change your legal payload. But yeah, you are right that safe towing is about brakes and suspension