maighen
Junior Member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2014
- Posts
- 19
- Reaction score
- 1
- Location
- North Texas
- Ram Year
- 2014 Laramie Longhorn 3500 dually
- Engine
- Cummins diesel with AISIN tranny
First, I apologize in advance if any part of my query has been answered in other forums (I honestly didn't even know where to start to research it here), but I am a complete newbie both to the Dodge brand and to towing itself. What better place to research answers (aside from the Ram site) than from owner-experts? This means you!
I am seeking the advice of current Ram owners who have experience towing loads ranging from 10,000-15,000lbs. My husband and I will be building a tiny house on wheels on a 24' trailer designed specifically for the task. The house and trailer has an estimated dry weight of 10,500 and a max gross of 15,000lbs once loaded with personal effects. The trailer spec highlights are as follows:
Tumbleweed Trailer Specs:
Radial tires with a 6 lug hub,ST225/75/R15 LRD (4)
Gross vehicle weight rating (GVW) of 9,990lbs
Both axles have brakes
Actual Trailer Width: 8'6"
Trailer Bed Width: 6'11"
Minimum tongue length of 4'
Exterior Structure: HSS 5x2x.120
Interior Structure: C3"x3.5 per linear foot
Dexter Spring 5,200lb axle (2)
Flashing: 22 gauge galvannealed steel sheet
Seven Blade Trailer Connector for electrical wiring
Standard 2 - 5/16” ball hitch
Safety chains: rated for 7,600 each
Hitch Jack: rated to hold 2,000lbs
Scissor Leveling Jacks (4)
With all that info in hand (and the recommendation from a Tumbleweed rep that "F-350 size trucks are typically capable of safely towing the 24' homes"), we are trying to decide which model of Ram would be the most suitable to tow the house first to Colorado from the Dallas area and then around the country and up into Canada and back. Based strictly on what I could glean from the Ram sales site and link to towing info, I'm thinking a Tradesman 2500 Crew Cab (we also have a 2yr old little boy to transport) is the place to start, but when it comes to the specifics like the various axel ratios, diesel vs. gas, and 4x2 vs. 4x4 we're just not as well versed.
I currently drive a Ford Flex AWD and was one of the few vehicles besides the big trucks of various brands that was able to handle driving during our recent "Icemageddon" back in December, so my instinct is to pick 4x4 simply for the added handling capabilities. I know 4x4 is different from AWD (part-time vs. full-time at the very least), though, and I also don't know how that would (or if it even would) apply to towing. As for diesel vs. gas, my instinct is to say diesel, but I don't have much knowledge of them aside from needing to let the engine warm up and that they get better mileage because it burns slower (or some such). Well, that and diesel fuel currently costs an arm & a leg & naming rights to our second born. Neither of us wants a dually if we can avoid it (part of the reason we didn't even consider Fords is because their towing guide suggests that the only way to pull the weight we need to is with dual rear wheels), but otherwise we're pretty open to suggestion.
So, you as a Ram owner: what would you recommend we get?
Just to recap:
-Towing up to 15,000lbs cross-country, including into mountainous regions (though not often)
-To 4x4 or not to 4x4, that is the question.... pros/cons 4x4 vs. 4x2 as they relate to towing?
-Pros/cons of HEMI vs. Cummins for towing purposes?
-Can't go all out on the $$$ either, so we're not looking for massive amounts of upgrades - just what we need to safely pull our house
-Any other recommendations you can make on things we should avoid or definitely need
Thanks in advance for your time! We really appreciate you sharing your knowledge with us!!
-Maighen
I am seeking the advice of current Ram owners who have experience towing loads ranging from 10,000-15,000lbs. My husband and I will be building a tiny house on wheels on a 24' trailer designed specifically for the task. The house and trailer has an estimated dry weight of 10,500 and a max gross of 15,000lbs once loaded with personal effects. The trailer spec highlights are as follows:
Tumbleweed Trailer Specs:
Radial tires with a 6 lug hub,ST225/75/R15 LRD (4)
Gross vehicle weight rating (GVW) of 9,990lbs
Both axles have brakes
Actual Trailer Width: 8'6"
Trailer Bed Width: 6'11"
Minimum tongue length of 4'
Exterior Structure: HSS 5x2x.120
Interior Structure: C3"x3.5 per linear foot
Dexter Spring 5,200lb axle (2)
Flashing: 22 gauge galvannealed steel sheet
Seven Blade Trailer Connector for electrical wiring
Standard 2 - 5/16” ball hitch
Safety chains: rated for 7,600 each
Hitch Jack: rated to hold 2,000lbs
Scissor Leveling Jacks (4)
With all that info in hand (and the recommendation from a Tumbleweed rep that "F-350 size trucks are typically capable of safely towing the 24' homes"), we are trying to decide which model of Ram would be the most suitable to tow the house first to Colorado from the Dallas area and then around the country and up into Canada and back. Based strictly on what I could glean from the Ram sales site and link to towing info, I'm thinking a Tradesman 2500 Crew Cab (we also have a 2yr old little boy to transport) is the place to start, but when it comes to the specifics like the various axel ratios, diesel vs. gas, and 4x2 vs. 4x4 we're just not as well versed.
I currently drive a Ford Flex AWD and was one of the few vehicles besides the big trucks of various brands that was able to handle driving during our recent "Icemageddon" back in December, so my instinct is to pick 4x4 simply for the added handling capabilities. I know 4x4 is different from AWD (part-time vs. full-time at the very least), though, and I also don't know how that would (or if it even would) apply to towing. As for diesel vs. gas, my instinct is to say diesel, but I don't have much knowledge of them aside from needing to let the engine warm up and that they get better mileage because it burns slower (or some such). Well, that and diesel fuel currently costs an arm & a leg & naming rights to our second born. Neither of us wants a dually if we can avoid it (part of the reason we didn't even consider Fords is because their towing guide suggests that the only way to pull the weight we need to is with dual rear wheels), but otherwise we're pretty open to suggestion.
So, you as a Ram owner: what would you recommend we get?
Just to recap:
-Towing up to 15,000lbs cross-country, including into mountainous regions (though not often)
-To 4x4 or not to 4x4, that is the question.... pros/cons 4x4 vs. 4x2 as they relate to towing?
-Pros/cons of HEMI vs. Cummins for towing purposes?
-Can't go all out on the $$$ either, so we're not looking for massive amounts of upgrades - just what we need to safely pull our house
-Any other recommendations you can make on things we should avoid or definitely need
Thanks in advance for your time! We really appreciate you sharing your knowledge with us!!
-Maighen