Towing with the bumper

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77gmcserria

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I have a 2020 RAM 1500 Classic that has a rear bumper with a hole for the ball hitch to be installed. The only question that I have is where would you connect the safety chains?

Towing would not exceed 5,000lbs or a tung weight of 500lbs.
 

IDSandman

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How are you going to tow without a ball??
 

OC455

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I have a 2020 RAM 1500 Classic that has a rear bumper with a hole for the ball hitch to be installed. The only question that I have is where would you connect the safety chains?

Towing would not exceed 5,000lbs or a tung weight of 500lbs.
Do you have a picture of it? There should be some flats with holes in them where the safety chains/cables go.
 
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77gmcserria

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I’m looking at getting a camping trailer that usually weighs 1,800lbs.
 

IDSandman

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Again, your post sounds as if you don’t have a ball or receiver on your truck. Is that the case?
 

huntergreen

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You would be be better off putting on a hitch and a plug for the blinkers and stop lights. That being said, my old trucks had three holes in the step bumper. One for the ball and the other two holes for the safety chains. Keep in mind bumpers were more heavy duty back in the day.
 

Fediej

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I have a 2020 RAM 1500 Classic that has a rear bumper with a hole for the ball hitch to be installed. The only question that I have is where would you connect the safety chains?

Towing would not exceed 5,000lbs or a tung weight of 500lbs.
You would be be better off putting on a hitch and a plug for the blinkers and stop lights. That being said, my old trucks had three holes in the step bumper. One for the ball and the other two holes for the safety chains. Keep in mind bumpers were more heavy duty back in the day.
Iirc, There is a section in the owners manual that goes over the set up and weight restrictions for using the old fashioned ball and bumper method of towing. Cuts towing capacity to something like 2 or 3000 pounds.
Like others have stated you'd probably be better off in the long run with the class IV hitch setup but it's not necessarily a requirement. Not for light duty stuff anyway.
Most members have probably never seen a bumper mount actually being used, or at least don't remember. Ah the good ol' days of pulling that overloaded 8x10 single axle to the landfill. Going across the mud and ruts, that rusty bumper canted at a 30 degree angle towards the ground. The 80's were a much simpler time. ;-)
 

dhay13

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Last time I saw a bumper hitch being used was on my grandfathers 1977 Chevy 1500 back in 1977...lol. I do know a guy that bought a brand new pontoon boat and tried towing it with his Suburban with a bumper ball and it ripped the bumper off. Granted the Suburban had some rust but either way you will be much further ahead and much safer installing a regular frame mounted hitch
 

crash68

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I have a 2020 RAM 1500 Classic that has a rear bumper with a hole for the ball hitch to be installed. The only question that I have is where would you connect the safety chains?
The bigger problem you'll have is the height of ball mounted when mounted in the bumper. The trailer will probably be sitting really nose high which is bad for handling and the rear of the trailer will scrape the ground going up/down elevations in the road. Also you have a limited turning range before the trailer hitch will hit the bumper.
As mentioned above you'll want to add the receiver to under the bumper and probably use at least a 2" drop draw bar.
 

sam darakjy

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Is the OP stating he has a 2020 truck that came from the factory with no hitch/receiver at all. Is that normal?
 

392DevilDog

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Is the OP stating he has a 2020 truck that came from the factory with no hitch/receiver at all. Is that normal?
Yes. Bighorn and tradesman the class IV hitch is something that needs added. It is standard on Rebel Laramie and Limited.

So when buying a tradesman or bighorn...you need to make sure to add the hitch...either stand alone or as one of the packages.

And if buying used...you need to take a look under the bumper, so many have gor the big surprise by assuming all trucks have them.

The hitch receiver ( class V )is standard on all HeavyDuty trucks
 

Doug Ram

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I have a 2020 RAM 1500 Classic that has a rear bumper with a hole for the ball hitch to be installed. The only question that I have is where would you connect the safety chains?

Towing would not exceed 5,000lbs or a tung weight of 500lbs.
NOPE! Don't do this!

5,000 lbs is way too much for the bumper in the real world. Heck 2,000 without a receiver hitch and brakes is not smart. A 1000 lb cargo trailer is all I'd pull with the setup you have in mind. And I don't care what your dealer and manual "saiz" about capacity.

Get a regular receiver type hitch and do it right. Get a brake controller. Get a trailer with brakes.

If you don't, here's what you risk: Dragging the trailer's rear butt on the ground at every improperly built tilted driveway or street. Denting the bumper as you hitch up. Replacing brake pads and disks twice as often. $h!++ing your pants while standing on the brakes as the idiot in front of you just did something stupid. Getting a major ticket and facing loss of insurance coverage in an accident while towing the trailer without brakes in a state with ridiculously low trailer brake weight requirements.

It just ain't worth saving a few hundred bucks. Get a properly installed hitch, brake controller and brakes on the trailer. Even if the trailer doesn't come with brakes, you can get them.
 

DRam2019

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Get yourself a receiver that bolts to the frame. There is no way I personally would trust pulling a trailer with the bumpers of today. 30 year ago step bumpers sure, but not the ones that have been coming on trucks for the past 10 or so years.
 

2003F350

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I'm going to chime in and agree with the guys above. If all you're going to pull is one of those little Harbor Freight special trailers (you know, the little 4x6 ones that fold in half?), then sure, go ahead and pull from the bumper on a newer truck.

But if you're going to pull anything that's got some weight to it, spend the money and get a real hitch receiver and draw bar, for a lot of reasons. Oh and get at least a 4-way plug installed so you've got lights on the trailer, even if it doesn't come with brakes and you don't legally need them. A 7-way round plug and a brake controller are a good idea.

First, that receiver is going to be able to take more weight than your bumper. You don't want the weak point in your system to be your hitch.

Second, you can pull the ball out and store it, while still being able to use the step in your step bumper. I leave my ball in place and use it as an additional step, because my big feet don't really fit in the step of the bumper very well.

Third, that receiver is going to have nice, sturdy points to hook your safety chains.

These just scratch the surface of why a receiver is a good idea instead of pulling from the bumper.

These aren't the old days when trucks had bumpers that could take a beating. Truck bumpers today are thin and meant to crumple to absorb kinetic energy.
 

crash68

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5,000 lbs is way too much for the bumper in the real world.
Actually the bumper hole for mounting ball on the OP's truck will handle the 5K lbs it rated for, maybe even more. That hole is used to bolt on the Mopar Class III receiver hitch which has a straight rating of 6K up to 10K w/WDH.
The bolt that goes through the hole is torqued to 275 ft/lbs
 

Doug Ram

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Actually the bumper hole for mounting ball on the OP's truck will handle the 5K lbs it rated for, maybe even more. That hole is used to bolt on the Mopar Class III receiver hitch which has a straight rating of 6K up to 10K w/WDH.
The bolt that goes through the hole is torqued to 275 ft/lbs
Yeah. I am sure it is rated for that.
BUT...
As I said... I don't care what the manual, dealer or manufacturer says that bumper hitch is good for. I don't believe them. I've seen what the a bumper looks like after a year pulling a small 2,000 lb cargo trailer. It's ugly... Especially after the back of the trailer has been slammed into the ground too many times. This pushes down on the bumper/hitch one too many times.

Don't do it... All to save a few hundred bucks. No thanks.
 

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