2014 Ram 1500 V6 - What can I Tow?

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ewbull

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I have googled away, and I am confused as heck on what my truck can really tow, or stated more specifically, according to the ram website the maximum towing is 7100 lbs.  Ok so what is the maximum weight of the trailer I can tow?  We really like some that are in the 6600lb page but am assuming that is a dry weight without propane, or water, or my fat rear end in the drivers seat.  So from someone not trying to sell me something, what is the max weight of the TT I can safely and comfortable tow?
 
Cab type, bed length, transmission, axle ratio, and 2 or 4 wheel drive also affect towing capacity.
To start, take a look at pages 20 and 21 of the Trailer Life 2014 towing guide (the footnotes are on page 18):
http://prodcontent.s3.amazonaws.com/trailerlife.com/digital_editions/TrailerLifeTowGuide2014.pdf
to get a clearer idea of your specific truck's towing capacity.
Yes, it can get complicated. There are several different weight limits to take into consideration: Cargo carrying capacity (people and stuff in the truck, including the hitch itself and the weight on the ball assuming you're talking travel trailers, not fifth wheels.), Towing capacity (the number that the manufacturers like to put in their ads), Gross combined vehicle weight (GCWR - sum of truck and trailer, fueled, loaded and hitched), and front and rear axle weight ratings for instance. You'll find several threads in this forum that do a much better job of explaining all of the factors than I can.
Some folks are really particular about weight limits and others just take a guess and hope nothing goes wrong.
 
I wouldn't go over 6000-6500 gross.  Beware of trailer sales men that only qute empty weight . they will also tell you your truck can pull 10,000.  Even thow your 21 center v6 has more hp then a 2000s v8    I still wouldn't expect blistering performance.  A 6000 gross trailer will only give you a 600 tong weight. So that should give you pleanty spare cargo capacity to handel fuel cargo and your butt
 
Hi and welcome to the forum.

Check out this thread,

http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php/topic,102311.msg921564.html#msg921564

You need to check door pillar B and look for the yellow label which shows the specifics for your truck.
 
Need way more info than provided.
A real basic (emphasis on basic) calculation is first to ignore the max tow capacity.  It's marketing, just like the dry weight of a TT.  You have a gross vehicle weight, and a combined gross weight.  Subtract the gross vehicle weight from the combined gross weight, and you will have a reasonable idea of the max weight you can tow.
That can change depending on how much weight you actually have in the tow vehicle (occupants, cargo, etc, etc).  But if you work with the max weight you will leave yourself some room provided the tow vehicle isn't over loaded. 

My personal feeling is you should keep your loaded trailer @ 75% of the max.  Maxing out your trucks capacity isn't a great idea. For short hauls probably no big deal.  Just my opinion, however.
 
Safety is critical when towing an RV Trailer. This training video discusses the importance of understanding a Truck's ratings and how these ratings limit the size of the trailer that can be safely towed. You will be provided the tools and basic understanding needed to assist your endeavor to properly match a truck and trailer, so that you can enjoy RVing safely.


http://rvsafety.com/rv-education/matching-trucks-to-trailers
 
The website is generic, what is the max payload in your truck yellow sticker on the door jam. You may be surprised. 
 
First, welcome to the Forum!

As several have said, most published weights from the manufacturer are publicity fodder.  Ignore them all!

Published max tow capacity uses the lightest base truck with max towing package, two 150# passengers, very lightly optioned, and a full tank of fuel.  No more passengers, no cargo.  The published Payload is for the same truck with no passengers or cargo.  Some charts will be specific for the body, wheelbase and power train, but the payload is for a base truck with no options.  The footnote says the weight of all factory and aftermarket options must be subtracted from this payload value.

The real payload for YOUR truck is on a yellow label on the driver door B pillar which states the max load of all passengers and cargo shall not exceed XXXX.  This is the real payload as the truck left the factory.

Add together the weight of all passengers, pets, car seats, tools, firewood and other cargo to be carried in the truck when you go camping.  Add 80# for a WD hitch.  Subtract this from your payload.  What is left is the max hitch wt your truck can handle.  Remember, hitch wt plus WD hitch plus passengers and cargo can not exceed payload.

A TT needs a minimum of 10% of its' gross weight as hitch wt to give good towing manners.  Take this hitch wt X 10 to get the max weight of TT you can tow.  Note, this is the LOADED trailer wt, not dry wt.  Use the TT  GVWR here.

The engine, tow packages, rear end ratio, etc also come into play.  Trailer Life magazine provides good information on max tow ratings based on these factors, but remember this is for a truck with no cargo.

Hope this helps.
 
Looking at (the holy bible) Ram 2014 body builders website shows the 1500 with the 3.6 Pentastar with the 3.21 gears can tow in the 4xxx lb range.
and the 3.55 gears in the 7xxx lb range.
Use this clicky from Ram to find your trucks tow rating ....and other specs you may want to know. http://www.rambodybuilder.com/2014/docs/ram/rammlup1500.pdf.
I wouldn't exceed Ram tow rating for how much weight the truck can pull without wearing the truck out premature.

Now how much load can the 1500 truck carry ??
Ram uses those small 3900 RAWR which can be good for around 1300-1500 lb payload in the bed before exceeding axle/P tire/wheel and rear spring pack ratings. The trucks front axle usually unloads when pulling a TT so its not a overload concern.
You have the truck so weigh its front and rear axle separately. That way you know if a overload exists and helps to set up your hitch bars.
Note; be careful when using a gvwr payload as it comes from the trucks front and rear axles. Some owners have reported exceeding their RAWR with those high gvwr based payload stickers.

When choosing any type of trailer look at its;
  dry weight..
  GVWR..
  and CCC.
    There all players in figuring approx trailer weights when road ready.
  I would look at 5000-5500 lb dry weight trailers. These can weight 6k-6.5k after loading.

Good huntin'.... Jim





 

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