Towing a travel trailer with a 1500

[Phillip Southern]

He y’all, I am in the market for my first travel trailer. I have a 2020 Ram 1500 etorque. I spoke with mopar and they gave me all the specs based on my VIN#. My truck has a sticker of 1331lbs “Payload”. However mopar tells me my payload is 1680 lbs. from what I’ve read you take the GVWR (7100 lbs for my truck) and subtract the curb weight (5424 my truck). That would give me a payload of 1676 lbs. why does the sticker say 1331 lbs? Is Ram just being conservative cause people always push to limits?

my other question is I was looking at a 6” lift kit. It’s the BDS adjustable coil over lift kit and I’m adding airbags as well. I’ve read that lift kits effect towing and I’ve read that it doesn’t effect it. I’m looking at a 30/31’ (Hitch to bumper) travel trailer with a GVWR of 7600 lbs. I don’t plan on maxing it out as far as the GVWR but, has anyone pulled this type of trailer with a lifted half ton?

 

[Farmer Fran]

The GVWR minus your PAYLOAD equals your truck's curb weight.

The payload sticker on your truck is correct. And anything you add comes off that number.

 

[Farmer Fran]

My math says your curb weight is 5769 assuming you got the 1331 from the sticker on the truck

 

[Farmer Fran]

Also if goto ramtrucks.com you can put in your vin, it will tell you your towing max and payload.

Do not use the generic numbers

 

[JF19Longhorn]

Mopar is giving you the max payload (1680lbs) for your trim truck with base model options. Every option you have takes away from your payload.

My Longhorn is 1347lb payload. (no sunroof & no air suspension)

 

[Firebird]

How heavy a trailer are you considering? What gears do you have?

 

[Phillip Southern]

Ok sounds good. I thought you just subtract the curb weight from GVWR and that automatically gives you your payload. But that makes sense about adding in the options.

the trailers we have found weigh 7600 fully loaded. Like I said I won’t be traveling with water. We have two kiddos and a dog so just us and the pooch added 600lbs to the truck. That doesn’t seem to leave me much room for hitch weight.

 

[JF19Longhorn]

I would take the TT manufacturers weight / tongue weight claims with a grain of salt. I'm betting you're going to be in the 900+/- lb tongue weight range once you put stuff in the trailer, maybe more.. Add in the weight of your hitch, some stuff in the cab/bed, and the family.. you're around 1,700+ lbs payload.

A lift will make it even worse. Eating into your payload due to the larger parts and wheels/tires associated with them.. not to mention the stability/braking degradation.

 

[Farmer Fran]

You can safely put 1331 lbs in your truck if that is what the door sticker says - that includes anything and everything - change, phones, chargers, pens, tissues <--- I know that stuff does not weigh much but it will add up fast. Then if add side steps or bed covers or or or all come off that 1331lbs. 2 passengers in the 350lb range total (I KNOW VARIES GREATLY), WD hitch setups are heavy also.

You need to be in the 12% tongue weight range, so even unloaded and no propane you are looking at over 700lbs on the tongue just with the trailer.

a 7600lb trailer is technically 2500+ territory because of payload.


FWIW: I towed a Dutchmen Denali 289RK 1000s of miles with my 1500.

 

[pacofortacos]

Ok sounds good. I thought you just subtract the curb weight from GVWR and that automatically gives you your payload. But that makes sense about adding in the options.

the trailers we have found weigh 7600 fully loaded. Like I said I won’t be traveling with water. We have two kiddos and a dog so just us and the pooch added 600lbs to the truck. That doesn’t seem to leave me much room for hitch weight.

That is how you do it, but you have to go actually weigh the truck to get the accurate curb weight.
Add side steps - weight goes onto the curb weight and off of the payload.
add rustproofing - same thing.
Add rear cover - same thing, etc. etc etc.

Most accurate way is to go to a scale with the truck with a full tank of fuel and you and everything you would normally carry while traveling - extra tools/jack/toys, etc.
7100 - that weight = your left over payload.

 

[tron67j]

Since you already have the truck, fill it up with gas, family, dog, hitch with sway bar and load bars plus what you would take with you in the truck ( tool box, cooler filled up, etc.) and go to CAT scales and get your weight. This will be real world weight you can then find your max hitch weight from. There is a hitch you can buy from Weigh Safe that has a scale built in. Take that and get a good idea if trailer tongue weight dry is low enough to allow you to safely tow with your gear. Never trust weights on trailer stickers, dealers add accessories after manufacturer that are not included in the sticker numbers. Good luck.

 

[Phillip Southern]

It appears these 1500’s can’t tow much. By the time I get all our camping gear, kids toys and other stuff I, gonna be down to a darn popup trailer ‍

 

[Dennis2]

I’m in the same boat as you and a smaller trailer. I ran out of payload with a Rockwood 2104s. Truck is 2019 1500 etorque. I’m now shopping for a 2500. Your truck will easily pull the trailer your looking at but you will definitely run out of payload first.

 

[dhay13]

With a 7000lb trailer you will likely be at about 900lbs tongue weight, maybe slightly higher. My sons weighs about 8100lbs loaded and he has about 1000lbs tongue weight. He has a 2018 Grand Design Imagine 2670MK. I towed it with my 2013 1500 5.7 3.55's that had about 1300lb payload and 8600lb towing capacity. I was likely over payload. I towed it about 200 miles. Wasn't fun. He bought a 2018 2500 with a 6.4 Hemi to tow it now. Tows like a dream now. He has towed it over 8000 miles and I went with him 1400 miles to Texas and drove part of the way.

A lift will magnify any issues. A semi passes you it won't be fun. It will be bad enough being stock height. Not only that but if your new tires and wheels are 100lbs heavier than stock now you lost 100lbs of your payload.

Just a note, adding airbags, steeper gears, etc, will not change your legal tow ratings, just make it feel better. Will your truck tow it? Sure. Will it be safe? Hard to say, depends alot on you and your experience. If you are only towing a few times a year a short distance then you will likely be fine (but still not legal). If you plan to tow far and often then I'd either get a smaller trailer or bigger truck.

 

[RyanGuynn]

I’m in the same boat as you and a smaller trailer. I ran out of payload with a Rockwood 2104s. Truck is 2019 1500 etorque. I’m now shopping for a 2500. Your truck will easily pull the trailer your looking at but you will definitely run out of payload first.

I just today ordered a 3500. I considered the 2500 but it still fully loaded didn't give me much extra payload capacity. i.e. a few 100 lbs maybe. The 3500 gave me 2000lbs extra. For me it was a no brainer I simply don't have to worry one bit about payload pretty much no matter what I want to carry in the bed with the travel trailer being fully loaded (which adds to the published hitch weights of most)

 

[dhay13]

I just today ordered a 3500. I considered the 2500 but it still fully loaded didn't give me much extra payload capacity. i.e. a few 100 lbs maybe. The 3500 gave me 2000lbs extra. For me it was a no brainer I simply don't have to worry one bit about payload pretty much no matter what I want to carry in the bed with the travel trailer being fully loaded (which adds to the published hitch weights of most)

Now there will be no problems when you decide you need a bigger travel trailer

 

[Phillip Southern]

https://www.happycampertrailers.com...aff-Micro-Lite-25BRDS-Flagstaff-Boise-9954359

So we found a trailer that has all we need and looks like it will fit for my pickup. Thank you everyone for all your help I appreciate it!!

 

[Farmer Fran]

AWESOME TRAILER! Remember,

it is all about what you make out of the experience not what the experience makes out of you!

 

[Anthony Kalos]

I am considering selling my 2019 Bighorn 1500 and getting a 5500 chassis CrewCab diesel and mounting a bed on the back !!! Saw one for $57k marked down from $64k ! Then no more issues with towing anything !!!!

 

[HDGoose]

I am considering selling my 2019 Bighorn 1500 and getting a 5500 chassis CrewCab diesel and mounting a bed on the back !!! Saw one for $57k marked down from $64k ! Then no more issues with towing anything !!!!

Get the 10 ft bed!