Towing limits with RV

[Cwaggoner]

Hey everyone I am new to the forums and am seeking advice for towing a Destination trailer. I have a 2010 2500 is deleted and has a standard non vgt turbo. I don’t have issues towing a 5th wheel but was wondering on the limitations on the hitch receiver for my truck. The destination camper weighs between 10k to 13k. So my question is will 10k or more be to much for a class IV receiver or am I just thinking to much about it?

 

[Longhorn1500]

What does the data plate on the receiver say? That will be your best source of information. If that is not available, look up the specifications for your year/model.

 

[GTyankee]

compare your planned weights against this sites

2010 Ram 2500 Trailer Hitch | etrailer.com

Great Priced Trailer Hitch . Installation instructions and lifetime expert support on all purchases of 2010 Ram 2500 Trailer Hitch. Order online at etrailer.com or call 1-800-940-8924.

www.etrailer.com

 

[Cwaggoner]

No plate on receiver and I’ve looked it up and usually comes up with mixed answers. That’s why I wanted to ask some people that may have done this without issue

 

[crash68]

For the little amount of $$ it would cost to upgrade to a Class V, it's probably worth not having to think about it. You'll want to set up the WDH for the load also.
In general a Class IV tops out about 12K lbs.

 

[PA Ram]

I thought class IV was up to 10,000 and anything above that you should use a class V.

 

[Longhorn1500]

For the little amount of $$ it would cost to upgrade to a Class V, it's probably worth not having to think about it. You'll want to set up the WDH for the load also.
In general a Class IV tops out about 12K lbs.

That's what I would do. Otherwise you'll be too close to the limits, IMHO.

 

[Tulecreeper]

I thought class IV was up to 10,000 and anything above that you should use a class V.

• Class 1: 2,000 lbs. GTW capacity and 200 lbs. TW.
• Class 2: 3,500 lbs. GTW capacity and 300 to 350 lbs. TW.
• Class 3: 5,000 lbs. GTW capacity and 500 lbs. TW.
• Class 4: 10,000 lbs. GTW capacity and 1,000 lbs. TW.
• Class 5: Over 10,000 lbs. GTW.

Understanding Trailer Hitch Class Ratings

Trailer hitch class ratings are important because they tell you how much weight it’s safe to tow. Find the right hitch at TruckSpring.com or call 800-358-4751.

www.truckspring.com

 

[Longhorn1500]

I believe some class IV hitches are good to 12,000 pounds. Class V would be safest though.

 

[18CrewDually]

I thought class IV was up to 10,000 and anything above that you should use a class V.

Yes. But they can slightly vary by manufacturer and receiver tube size.

 

[Tulecreeper]

I believe some class IV hitches are good to 12,000 pounds. Class V would be safest though.

You are correct. This is from eTrailer.com:

 

[tron67j]

You're going to greatly exceed your GVWR because you have a diesel in a 2500.

 

[2003F350]

You're going to greatly exceed your GVWR because you have a diesel in a 2500.

Depending on options, the hitch he chooses, how much stuff they carry in the truck, and what the actual pin weight is, he might not. He'll be cutting it close but may not be over. There are fifth wheels out there that have a pin weight light enough half ton trucks can pull them and not be over payload - again, certain combinations, you're not going to be doing it with a loaded out Limited.

That said, it's more important to watch the GAWRs, both front and rear, and he may well be under on both.

Couple that with the fact that most states basically ignore campers on the road until they're in an accident, and he may never have an issue.

 

[BossHogg]

Couple that with the fact that most states basically ignore campers on the road until they're in an accident, and he may never have an issue.

I'll throw in the what-if. What if there was an accident caused by overloading, and someone was killed or sustained lifetime disabilities? One would likely spend the rest of their life with their conscience reminding them they could have avoided this.

Maybe not everyone has a conscience that would do this, I do, so I always err on the side of doing it the right way.

 

[2003F350]

I'll throw in the what-if. What if there was an accident caused by overloading, and someone was killed or sustained lifetime disabilities? One would likely spend the rest of their life with their conscience reminding them they could have avoided this.

Maybe not everyone has a conscience that would do this, I do, so I always err on the side of doing it the right way.

I mean there is always that. It's a risk OP needs to determine if they're good with. Some people are, some people aren't. Some people also tow slow and keep their eyes on what's happening in front of and around them, and will likely never be in an accident. Others drive their RVs like they are a sports car and are likely to end up seriously injuring someone or worse.

There's a lot of human factor involved here too. Yes there are regulations and payloads and axle ratings, yes they are somewhat arbitrary because they're based on what a vehicle can do based on a standardized test. But ask just about any farmer if they pay attention to those and the answer will be 100% no.

For instance, my granddad (god rest him) only ever owned half ton 2wd trucks. He would routinely head to the feed store and fill the bed with burlap sacks of feed for his pigs. Put that thing on the bump stops every time. He never broke anything, and he was never in any accidents. Was it legal? Definitely not. Did he know? Yes. Did he drive carefully to avoid accidents? Also yes.

Yet I still see the big farmers with their semis running 65-70 on 55 mph roads fully loaded with grain. Sure the truck can handle the weight but it's still not safe driving a live load at those kinds of speeds.

 

[rzr6-4]

I'll throw in the what-if. What if there was an accident caused by overloading, and someone was killed or sustained lifetime disabilities? One would likely spend the rest of their life with their conscience reminding them they could have avoided this.

Maybe not everyone has a conscience that would do this, I do, so I always err on the side of doing it the right way.

I mean there is always that. It's a risk OP needs to determine if they're good with. Some people are, some people aren't. Some people also tow slow and keep their eyes on what's happening in front of and around them, and will likely never be in an accident. Others drive their RVs like they are a sports car and are likely to end up seriously injuring someone or worse.

I tried looking into this and just came up with more "what ifs" and technical guidance, and no actual instances of someone getting into any legal trouble from overloading (in the context of pulling a camper). Not to say it's never happened but it's certainly not common. As it has been discussed on here before, even if you are in a wreck it would be very hard to weigh everything, much less figure out what your weight distribution was like to be able to prove any sort of liability.

If you tow all day every day then it is something to keep in mind, but for getting a camper out a few times a year, throw a 1500 on it a drive and just drive smart. OPs 2500 should be no problem.

 

[BossHogg]

no actual instances of someone getting into any legal trouble from overloading (in the context of pulling a camper). Not to say it's never happened but it's certainly not common.

Over the past 8 years, I can only recall reading, on the RV forums, of two instances when an overloaded tow vehicle's driver was charged with causing an accident from being overloaded. One was in Flordia and the other in Texas. I know that Flordia has laws on overloading that are enforced but I've only read about Texas.

Let me reinforce, that I only read of these two events on an RV internet forum, both included links to local news channels, so I have no first-hand knowledge or more detailed facts.

 

[62Blazer]

I'm not saying you should blindly disregard factory rated payloads and towing capacity, but my comments. If you are driving down the freeway, lose control causing an accident, and kill somebody.....you are still liable for the accident and death regardless of whether the truck or trailer is overloaded. The "only" additional trouble you could get into, which would mainly being your insurance company refusing to pay, would be if they proved gross negligence on your behalf. I'm not a lawyer but believe proving gross negligence is a lot more than just disregarding factory recommendations. Think about it....you run a stop sign and cause a wreck, which means you broke the law by running the stop sign. Your insurance company doesn't refuse the claim and drop you for that.
Again, not saying to blinding disregard factory ratings and you shouldn't hook up a 18,000 lb. camper to a 1500 truck and go running 80 mph down the freeway. But will say that I question all these people making comments of legal issues. As stated in a reply above there are very few actual examples (assuming what you read on the internet is always true) post of people getting in legal trouble. Not saying it doesn't happen, but just doesn't seem to be that common. I've challenged many people on forums to provide an example of somebody getting in legal trouble and the most I have ever gotten was "I knew somebody who caused an accident and got in trouble because they were overloaded", but when pressed for details they never replied. I think the reason for this is because it's really hard to prove the gross negligence part if this happens, especially if it's not completely blatant (i.e. 18k trailer on a 1500...).