Ram 2500 Towing Capacity

[budasc]

I purchased a 2024 Ram 2500 Laramie Crew Cab 4x4, it has the 6.4L V8 HD Hemi MDS engine with the 3.73 axle ratio and the 6.4 bed, it's GVWR is 10,000 #, I believe the towing capacity from what I can find is 14,900. #, I'm looking to confirm that is correct and if anyone knows if it will tow a travel trailer weighing 12,800 # GVWR without issue.

 

[PolarisCobra]

There is a sticker inside the drivers door. It tells you the carrying capacity. This value is more important the tow capacity, you will reach carrying (cargo) capacity before you reach towing capacity.

Next make your best guess at how much weight you will put in the truck before you connect the trailer. Weight of passengers and anything in the bed, tools, bikes, etc. Subtract that from the number on the sticker. Then subtract the weight of the hitch. If it is a weight distribution hitch, maybe 75 pounds? If its a 5th wheel, it will be heavier.

Whatever is left for capacity is the max tongue weight (pin weight for a 5th wheel) of the trailer.

Typically, tongue weight can be calculated by taking max weight of trailer (sticker on the side), times 13%.

So - a trailer with a max weight of 7500 pounds will have a tongue weight of around 975 pounds. If the prior calculations leave you 975 pounds of capacity, you're good.

You will clearly have to insert your actual numbers

Note that a truck with more options will have less capacity because the options weight factor into the capacity. That is why you need to look at the sticker on the door of YOUR truck.

Others here will have some different guidelines, but this is a decent start.

 

[nlambert182]

Since you know the GVWR of the travel trailer, start there. General rule of thumb on a travel trailer is between 13-15% of the GVWR for tongue weight. 18-22% for a fifth wheel. I always err on the side of caution and use worst case scenario, so you could have a tongue weight as high as 1,920 lbs.

As Polaris said, find the payload sticker in the door of YOUR truck. Take that number and subtract the weight of everything that didn't leave the production line on the truck. People, cargo, hitch, running boards, bed cover, tool boxes, etc.. Whatever is left is your available payload. If the tongue weight number is higher than the available payload, you're over. If not, then you're probably ok.

The only sure fire way to know with certainty is to run the truck and trailer (fully ready to camp) across CAT scales.

 

[MADDOG]

Linked here is a spreadsheet that may help determine your actual tow capacity using the numbers @PolarisCobra posted above.

Tow Capacity Spreadsheet

 

[Daniel Scheppman]

It's my understanding that to be at a safe maximum tow capacity, subtract 20-25% off of the maximum tow capacity for the Truck and stay within that range. That way you're sure to be in a safe zone, and not putting yourself or others at risk should something happen. I hope this helps. Cap'n Dan

 

[rzr6-4]

It's my understanding that to be at a safe maximum tow capacity, subtract 20-25% off of the maximum tow capacity for the Truck and stay within that range. That way you're sure to be in a safe zone, and not putting yourself or others at risk should something happen. I hope this helps. Cap'n Dan

As I have discussed recently:

I'm always very annoyed when I see people stress this. If you are rated to carry a certain weight then you can carry said certain weight. There's no reason to be afraid of 100%. If you are going to be at 100% all day every day then ya you would probly want to change your set up, but once in a while is no problem.

 

[diymirage]

View attachment 576168

As I have discussed recently:

ive been told that toyota, when they first started selling 1/4 tons in the US were absolute junk
they did a study and found out Americans usually use a 1/4 ton like a 1/2

so, they made a 1/2 truck and marketed it as a 1/4 and all has been well since

dont know if its true, i dont care much for *** cars anyway, but thats what ive been told

 

[Fake-Account27]

Without issue is the key to this statement. What trailer are you towing?

On paper the answer is yes if its a bumper pull. Tongue weight will max out at 1900 lbs, leaving about 1000 lbs of payload for you, passengers, etc. If its a 5th wheel then no, your tongue weight would be 2500 lbs, leaving at most 500 lbs for passengers etc.

R

 

[nlambert182]

It's my understanding that to be at a safe maximum tow capacity, subtract 20-25% off of the maximum tow capacity for the Truck and stay within that range. That way you're sure to be in a safe zone, and not putting yourself or others at risk should something happen. I hope this helps. Cap'n Dan

If you're towing full time every day then this isn't a bad methodology to use for longevity, but if you're a weekend warrior towing up to 100% of the capacity isn't going to kill the truck.

There are a lot of variables involved. From the factory there is a margin built in because they know people are going to push the limits. Payloads, axle ratings, tire ratings, engine/trans/rear-end configurations, driver experience, overall length, bumper vs. fifth wheel/gooseneck, etc... Any combination of those things create a different towing experience.

 

[tron67j]

The only true way to know if a truck is ideal for a particular trailer is to load both with everything normally carried including people and then go to scales for axle weights. Unfortunately, by then it is to late to do much beyond downsizing the trailer or getting more truck (doing nothing is not advisable). Seeing that trailer towing capacity is so misleading, they shouldn't even be able to list that because it is rare variant of the truck that comes even close. Like my 2500; it has 3k pounds of PC so theoretically it should be able to tow 20k pounds (20,000 x .15 = 3,000). But in reality, 3,000 less 500 pounds for people, less 40 for hitch, less 300 pounds fuel, less 100 running boards, 100 bed cover, leaves me about 2k actual payload capacity which translates to about 13,000 pounds maximum towing capacity.

Then trailer weights; those printed plates are worthless. With large volume of storage usually up front, full propane tanks and battery, the weight spread is usually disproportionately up front which crushes actual towing capacity. Trailers aren't built with proper weight distribution as the first concern, my experience is manufacturers don't care where it is.

 

[Daniel Scheppman]

View attachment 576168

As I have discussed recently:

I'm sorry to have annoyed you with my response.

 

[KeithP]

The only true way to know if a truck is ideal for a particular trailer is to load both with everything normally carried including people and then go to scales for axle weights. Unfortunately, by then it is to late to do much beyond downsizing the trailer or getting more truck (doing nothing is not advisable). Seeing that trailer towing capacity is so misleading, they shouldn't even be able to list that because it is rare variant of the truck that comes even close. Like my 2500; it has 3k pounds of PC so theoretically it should be able to tow 20k pounds (20,000 x .15 = 3,000). But in reality, 3,000 less 500 pounds for people, less 40 for hitch, less 300 pounds fuel, less 100 running boards, 100 bed cover, leaves me about 2k actual payload capacity which translates to about 13,000 pounds maximum towing capacity.

Then trailer weights; those printed plates are worthless. With large volume of storage usually up front, full propane tanks and battery, the weight spread is usually disproportionately up front which crushes actual towing capacity. Trailers aren't built with proper weight distribution as the first concern, my experience is manufacturers don't care where it is.

Fuel weight is included in factory curb weight and does not count against your payload (based on OEM fuel capacity).

 

[runamuck]

a gas powered 2500 ram laramie is gonna have a cargo capacity of around 3000# and the exact number will be marked on the door jamb. the way to know what you have left for trailer tongue wt. would be to fill up the truck and get it weighed. for instance my last trailer weighed 6000# when towing and the tongue wt. was 560#. my 10000# 5th wheel pin wt. is usually 1500-1600#. you can use percentages from a chart to get a ballpark idea for what you can tow but every trailer is different so going by the actual wt. is best.

 

[JJEH]

There used to be a FCA site where you'd punch in your VIN and they'd tell you exactly how much you can tow, but I can't find it anymore.
So, because there are so many options and configurations, I suggest you contacting RAM and they can tell you for sure.

 

[tron67j]

a gas powered 2500 ram laramie is gonna have a cargo capacity of around 3000# and the exact number will be marked on the door jamb. the way to know what you have left for trailer tongue wt. would be to fill up the truck and get it weighed. for instance my last trailer weighed 6000# when towing and the tongue wt. was 560#. my 10000# 5th wheel pin wt. is usually 1500-1600#. you can use percentages from a chart to get a ballpark idea for what you can tow but every trailer is different so going by the actual wt. is best.

It really is dependent on trim and accessories. A Power Wagon could have that 3,000 cut almost in half.

 

[tron67j]

Fuel weight is included in factory curb weight and does not count against your payload (based on OEM fuel capacity).

It is my safety net, I could have pointed that out. The OP never came back to update us so we can only guess what he had.