What weight will turn on overload protection light for a drw 3500 with auto level suspension

[Billet Bee]

I have tried and tried to communicate with ram on this but there not giving up the information and just keep telling me it's propriatory. I have a 2020 drw 3500 I had custom built online with all the max tow set up options for my heavy fifth wheel as were full time rvers. The truck obviously has a legal gvwr of 14k. my pl rating was around 5600lbs new but it's actuelly about 5000lbs because of all the extras. What point will my rear auto level suspension throw up the warning on my evic that says overload protection and when it does this what actuelly is happening? Yes I know if I have way to much pl then it will trigger to protect itself, but at what point will this happen? Surely there isn't some technology in the truck that can tell when your at max gvw or max pl. I've asked ram over and over again what's the rating for my mopar model # air bags and explain that these are kits rated for a certain amount of lbs per each different specd kit. Is it rated for 4500, 5500, 6500, 7500, 8500, what's the magic number? I get no information besides it's propriatory. There is obviously a threshold and I don't buy for 1 second overload protection is somehow set to come on when my truck reaches max gvw or pl, the system must be rated for so much and ram has a program in there for it to protect it self once that max threshold has been reached, but what is it. Obviously if your close to that mystery number and you bounce over a over pass expansion joint , its probably going to set off the overload protection, but what actuelly will happen. My understanding is that when the overload light comes on then it won't allow bed lowering any more, any ideas out there from anyone with actuel knowledge or experience with this system?

 

[BWL]

Throw a few people in the bed until you find out.

 

[Billet Bee]

Throw a few people in the bed until you find out.

Im hoping for around 14.5 k so maybe about 15 of the above pic, lol

 

[crash68]

Obviously if your close to that mystery number and you bounce over a over pass expansion joint , its probably going to set off the overload protection, but what actually will happen.

I highly doubt the overload protection will trip from going over a bump in the road. The auto-level system measures the pressure required to lift the back of the truck. Using the pressure applied in the airbags and the size of the airbag you can determine how much how much force is being applied to lift the back of the vehicle. It's during the auto-level process is when the system will determine if the vehicle is overloaded. The system isn't going to try to auto-level while traveling down the road as the system pressure and height sensors would fluctuate too much causing the system to inaccurately level the vehicle.

 

[Billet Bee]

I highly doubt the overload protection will trip from going over a bump in the road. The auto-level system measures the pressure required to lift the back of the truck. Using the pressure applied in the airbags and the size of the airbag you can determine how much how much force is being applied to lift the back of the vehicle. It's during the auto-level process is when the system will determine if the vehicle is overloaded. The system isn't going to try to auto-level while traveling down the road as the system pressure and height sensors would fluctuate too much causing the system to inaccurately level the vehicle.

So your thinking that if I'm right on that threshold but hooking up and sitting still is on the ok side off things, then when i bounce over a over- pass and more pressure and weight get applied to the rear suspension, that it won't activate overload protection?

 

[crash68]

@Billet Bee just going over bumps in the road won't cause the system to go in overload. Even if they monitored pressure and it spiked going over bumps there would be time delays to reduce false alarms. It's common practice to put time delays and do multiple fault counts to before actually setting an actual alarm to reduce false alarms.

 

[Billet Bee]

@Billet Bee just going over bumps in the road won't cause the system to go in overload. Even if they monitored pressure and it spiked going over bumps there would be time delays to reduce false alarms. It's common practice to put time delays and do multiple fault counts to before actually setting an actual alarm to reduce false alarms.

Ok that sounds good to hear , I won't look for a light to pop up after crossing every over pass hahaha.
So you sound pretty knowledgeable about this technology. From my understand when that overload protection light comes on its supposed to disable leveling, what actuelly happens when the light illuminates?
When i hook up to fifth wheel the bags start adjusting on there own , I'm assuming to compensate for the extra weight? Then I get into the truck and hit my auto level button and it lowers the rear accordingly.

 

[tnpete]

Wish I could fine where this is at. But one guy pulling a 3 car wedge. Had his start flashing. It was from hitting hard bumps. Now he was loaded heavy, 3 full size autos on the wedge. Crew Cab diesel on front of trailer. Will try to find it again, but he had this happen a lot.

Sure hope this is not a issue. As we plan on loading a 6000 lb truck camper in our 22 DRW with the factory Air on the rear.

 

[Billet Bee]

Wish I could fine where this is at. But one guy pulling a 3 car wedge. Had his start flashing. It was from hitting hard bumps. Now he was loaded heavy, 3 full size autos on the wedge. Crew Cab diesel on front of trailer. Will try to find it again, but he had this happen a lot.

Sure hope this is not a issue. As we plan on loading a 6000 lb truck camper in our 22 DRW with the factory Air on the rear.

that would be unfortunate to hear proof of that. My pl from fiver will be around 5200 but I'm already at 9200 so I'll be between 13,8 and 14,4. Then I'll just move weight around the best I can to adjust to be as close to 14k as possible

 

[tnpete]

that would be unfortunate to hear proof of that. My pl from fiver will be around 5200 but I'm already at 9200 so I'll be between 13,8 and 14,4. Then I'll just move weight around the best I can to adjust to be as close to 14k as possible

I'm trying to find it again. But sure he was over 8K on the rear for this to happen. Engine forward with a 2500 HD on front of the trailer. Pin weight plus all the front of that truck on that.

 

[Billet Bee]

I'm trying to find it again. But sure he was over 8K on the rear for this to happen. Engine forward with a 2500 HD on front of the trailer. Pin weight plus all the front of that truck on that.

When you say 8k, are you referring to 8k of pl ( which would be a very lot) or the rawr because mines rated for 9750?

 

[tnpete]

When you say 8k, are you referring to 8k of pl ( which would be a very lot) or the rawr because mines rated for 9750?

Yes I'm thinking that's what he had. Extra 8K from the trailer pin on the rear of the truck.

 

[Billet Bee]

Yes I'm thinking that's what he had. Extra 8K from the trailer pin on the rear of the truck.

Ughhhhh yah that's way to much, I would hope the override protection would kick in at that and before

 

[BWL]

What I'd be worried about is blowing the bags and at what point that is I don't know. Loaded a gravel truck once and the guy wanted me to stuff it full. Once the bags popped he reconsidered and loaded lighter next time. Also, we were both a little deafer. I'm sure there's a fair bit of overload built in in case of rough roads etc or just throwing something too heavy in the box so every guy that hooks up a trailer too heavy or loads a heavy camper doesn't pop them. As far as I know the overload kicks in at a certain bag pressure, but that doesn't stop it from over pressurizing from the compression of the load and what the actual max pressure of the bags is I couldn't say.

 

[Billet Bee]

It would help tremendously if ram or mopar would just tell us what model the bags were so we would know if there rated for 5500, 6500, 7500, 8500 etc. I've tried numerous times and all I ever get is that its propriatory after you get beyond the insulting answer of don't go over the vehicle manufacturers posted capabilities. They post the gawr when that exceeds the legal capabilities so why the big secret on the bags.

 

[Timsdually]

Go to a landscape supply with a scale and have them load sand in your bed until it gets triggered.

 

[Billet Bee]

Go to a landscape supply with a scale and have them load sand in your bed until it gets triggered.

Hahaha, ill let you try it first and then let us know

 

[Timsdually]

Funny story:
I had just bought 1985 Dodge D150 pickup. Only about a month old. Still babying it.
GF asks can I get sand for her dad as he was building a stone wall for her and needed it for mortar.
Go to the mason supply and tell them I want 1/2 ton of sand. I drive out to the sand pile and guy backs me up to the pile and proceeds to dump a bucket in.
Truck barely dropped.
I told him add some more.
Again truck barely dropped.
Told him that should be enough and pulled away.
Truck REALLY dropped!
The guy had backed me up and my bumper was on the sand pile. So, as he loaded the truck didn't budge because the bumper was supported by the sand pile.
Drove back to GF's house and man, she didn't utter a peep the whole ride back. I was PO'd. My new truck almost on the rear axle.

 

[Freeland Mark]

I would think that if it hits a certain air pressure on the bags and the truck is not up to ride height that would be the trigger. If you hit a bump that could put it under if it is at the bottom of the range. Just a guess but how else could they tell the weight not using pressure and ride height? Might have to put a resistor in the pressure sensor circuit to fool it. (just kidding on the resistor please dont attack me)

 

[Billet Bee]

I would think that if it hits a certain air pressure on the bags and the truck is not up to ride height that would be the trigger. If you hit a bump that could put it under if it is at the bottom of the range. Just a guess but how else could they tell the weight not using pressure and ride height? Might have to put a resistor in the pressure sensor circuit to fool it. (just kidding on the resistor please dont attack me)

My thoughts exactly, how else can you explain it. It's just figuring out the tripping threshold