Would This Camper Be Pushing The Limit?

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Moparfanatic21

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I remember a few years ago a 98 Durango towing 28,000 around me. He had it registered as a class 3 vehicle. He got into an accident and got into no trouble because the state allowed him to register it as a class 3.

A 1500 could pull almost anything (there is a video of a dakota pulling a house trailer that was so heavy he bent the frame but was still moving it on YouTube) but stopping is another thing
 

392DevilDog

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If you can avoid it, don't do it. Trust me, you may be able to pull it with no problem until you want to stop it. Everyone here seems to quote tongue weight and GVWR's but leave out the part of the brake abilities. Unless you plan to creep down the road without using your brakes too much, you will drive white-knuckled hoping for a safe ride. Just my opinion, good luck!
This is why we quote tongue weight and GVWR.

The reason there is a GVWR is because of brakes. The brakea have to stop the truck and that is the weight it works too.

Everyone keeps going on about resrve axle capacity.

We keep trying to explain there isnt this reserve capacity and bam...weight police.

So we explain how to use the numbers and how you can go into that reserve capacity and then people want to know why they still have so much GCWR.

Especially with a half ton there will always be extra GCWR because the truck runs out of GVWR before you get anywhere near GCWR.

Good times.
 

Thomasw3928

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I tow a coachman 23 se dry weight 4990 with a 2004 dodge 4.7 single cab 3.55 rear end with a wdh and have no issues you should be fine in a hemi truck and I am in as Kentucky lots of hills ..I have added cams headers bored out throttle body cold air intake
 

dhay13

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This is why we quote tongue weight and GVWR.

The reason there is a GVWR is because of brakes. The brakea have to stop the truck and that is the weight it works too.

Everyone keeps going on about resrve axle capacity.

We keep trying to explain there isnt this reserve capacity and bam...weight police.

So we explain how to use the numbers and how you can go into that reserve capacity and then people want to know why they still have so much GCWR.

Especially with a half ton there will always be extra GCWR because the truck runs out of GVWR before you get anywhere near GCWR.

Good times.
Yep. My front axle limit is 5500 and rear is 6500. If I put both of those at max then I'm way over GVWR by 2000lbs
 

Mudders Beast

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It may have been addressed, but do you have an electric brake controller? I had the factory unit added to a like new trade on a 1500 Laramie CC Hemi for pulling a 18 ft trailer and very pleased with the integrated dash display. Stopping is most important to me especially with dumb drivers sharing the road. Plenty of power for me with the 8 speed trans.
 

dhay13

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On the road to Texas so using my phone. May have to wait to post pics but went across cat scale. Total weight is 16100. Front axle was about 4000. Rear about 5000. Trailer about 7000. Truck alone should be about 7900ish but have to calculate that based on my truck being 7250.

3B38C82D-E074-41FA-AD99-6F72FB1F2ED1.png
 

dhay13

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Need to get more accurate numbers but looks like we are getting 8.2 mpg hand calculated. Will get better numbers after a few stops

A8C898A9-2A71-4C80-B9A5-2AE5BD7D4F47.jpeg

E864F733-D5E4-4FF5-A3F0-9756DA71FE83.jpeg

144A3836-6099-46B4-95EE-1021A062A9E7.jpeg
 

dhay13

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Hand calculated read 8.49 mpg and he topped that one off pretty full that was leg 2. Got 211.6 miles and took 24.913 gallons
 

dhay13

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Starting a new thread for the trip with more info and pics
 

Big_G

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OK so here's my 2 cents. I had the same truck 2016 1500 Laramie 5.7 hemi 3.21 gears. My payload on the door sticker 1179 lbs. GVWR 6900, GAWR rear 3900. My travel trailer, Winnebago 26rbss. 6600 dry, 8800 GVWR. Advertised hitch weight 750 lbs. Now for the real weights. Fully loaded actual tongue weight 1280 lbs. Axle weight 7260 lbs. CAT Scale truck and trailer ready to go Front 3460, Rear 4320, Trailer Axles 7260, total 15040. Oh did I mention our trucks GCWR is 13800. So the rear axle overloaded by 420 , and GCWR overloaded by 1240. Added Airlift 1000's to the coil springs, and Sumosprings replacing the bump stops. How did it handle. Boy that 5.7 never had a problem pulling, even accelerating onto the highway. Ran like a champ, stopped great, even thought it stopped better hooked up, with the brakes on the twin axles. With a Blue Ox Weight Distribution hitch and the Airlift 1000's had no sag at all. But that weight on the rear axle scared me, 420 over. Did get a little squirmy at highway speeds when trucks passed, or on a windy day. So we eventually upgraded to a used 2018 2500, with a payload of 2850 lbs.
Now don't let every one say you'll never add this or that much weight to the trailer. With the bath in the rear, Fridge over the axles, but all the kitchen cabinets, and front bedroom in front of the axles, plus 2 30 lb propane tanks, and 2 batteries up front. Plus the pass thru up front with chairs, out door rug, tools, hoses, electrical cables etc. it adds up fast.
 
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Bramic71

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Here's an update. I have lowered my expectations by talking to the wife. She doesn't want the added cost of purchasing another truck. That i can understand. I want something that I can easily take on the flats as well as travel through the mountains if we choose to do so. I found this camper and was wondering your thoughts on this weight compared to the first one I posted when the thread started. Thank you all.Screenshot_20200924-095933_Samsung Internet.jpg
 

dhay13

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Here's an update. I have lowered my expectations by talking to the wife. She doesn't want the added cost of purchasing another truck. That i can understand. I want something that I can easily take on the flats as well as travel through the mountains if we choose to do so. I found this camper and was wondering your thoughts on this weight compared to the first one I posted when the thread started. Thank you all.View attachment 222484
That should get you well within comfortable range. See my thread over here on towing my sons TT this week over 1400 miles > https://www.ramforum.com/threads/towing-almost-1400-miles.167517/#post-2360910
 

Loudram

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Honestly your first trailer was ok if you loaded it smart. Your biggest issue would have been your loaded tongue weight/ payload.

With this trailer you're golden. With a dry hitch of 426 you have room. Dry hitch weight is usually listed light. To start with always add 100lbs to your dry hitch weight for the battery (50lbs to 60lbs) and full propane tanks (20lbs x 2). Empty tanks are included in the dry weight. Weight distribution hitch weight comes off your payload to. That is around 100 lbs or more. Plus gear and family. All that is why you need room and that light tongue gives you it.
 
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Jeremy Fry

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Here's an update. I have lowered my expectations by talking to the wife. She doesn't want the added cost of purchasing another truck. That i can understand. I want something that I can easily take on the flats as well as travel through the mountains if we choose to do so. I found this camper and was wondering your thoughts on this weight compared to the first one I posted when the thread started. Thank you all.View attachment 222484

You shouldn't have any problem with this. Doe you have an OEM brake controller or do you need to add one? I've been okay with the OEM one, but if you get a cheap one you may find out too late that they don't do a great job of keeping the trailer from pushing you around.
 

GsRAM

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As said, excellent match for your truck with properly adjusted wdh and trailer brake control your truck should have no problems pulling that anywhere.

Great choice! Smart move.
 

68PowerWagon

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If you can avoid it, don't do it. Trust me, you may be able to pull it with no problem until you want to stop it. Everyone here seems to quote tongue weight and GVWR's but leave out the part of the brake abilities. Unless you plan to creep down the road without using your brakes too much, you will drive white-knuckled hoping for a safe ride. Just my opinion, good luck!

The trucks brakes should have little to do with stopping the trailer. The trailer brakes are to stop the trailer.
 

Toddbigboytruck

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I have a similar truck I have. 18 Laramie crew with the same drive train. I pulled a 21 foot hybrid i know mine is a little lighter but I what towers it across Canada and some of the USA. I DID ass airbag to the springs but that is about it.

here is my trailer info. Best just go to a scale and find out upload_2020-9-29_10-16-49.jpg
 

Toddbigboytruck

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it seems that the towing max weight figure is quite deceiving as one is likely to exceed the max gvw before the trailer haul max weight.
How do you think that I have never travelled with full water tanks. You tak the black and grey tank weight that lighten up over 500lbs and I only travel with maybe 5 gallons of potable water so there’s another 400plus lbs saves
 

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