Towing with a RAM 1500

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John97031

John97031

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 2, 2016
Posts
59
Location
Hood River OR
I've been bouncing around the idea of selling our Jayco Greyhawk 26DS Class C MH and using my RAM 4x4 to tow a new trailer (not a 5th wheel)  When I bought the truck I didn't consider towing in my future so I didn't go with a 2500 or 3500.  So I'm interested if others use this to tow.  Looking up my specs My GCWR is 14,000 with a base weight of the RAM at 5,414.  Giving me a towing ability of somewhere about 8,400 lbs.  I have the Hemi  5.7 liter engine so it should have the power.  Unfortunately I seem to have the 3.55 real axle.  But that seems to make a 6,000 lb trailer pretty reasonable and there are quite a few in the 26' range.  Anybody have any experience with this?  Or any pointers?
 
I tow a TT that weighs about 6000 pounds loaded. I have a 2wd Toyota Tundra, with the 5.7 engine and the tow package, and a Blue Ox WDH. It works quite well in the flat lands, but I can see that if we start heading for the big mountains, I need a heavier duty truck. Everybody says a diesel is best, and I am coming around to that conclusion too. But...in my opinion, and for what it's worth, you can get by with what you have, just like I have. But...next year I'm buying a diesel F250 or GMC 2500.
 
John, you are going at this the right direction.  The unstated inclusion of passenger and cargo weight (8400 max tow, 6000 max TT GVWR) is very important.

The other check is this:  Check your CCC on the yellow label.  Verify this exceeds the total weight of passengers, cargo, tools, firewood, WD hitch and hitch wt.  I think you should be fine.  You are looking at a TT within the capabilities of the truck.
 
The brother in laws friend came up last weekend pulling a 34 ft camper with his new 1500 ram. I think it weighed about 8500 lbs. Looked like it had it squatting pretty good. I dont think I would want to tow it very far like that. I would stay down in the 6000 lb range if you want to tow any distance.
 
I pull a 28 ft TT. 6300 lbs with our 2009 Ram 1500 5.7 Hemi 3.92 rear end.  Never had a problem pulling it with this Ram or the 2005 Ram we had before it.
 
When I towed with a 2013 Ram 1500, 5.7, 6 speed trans, Quad Cab Bighorn, I towed a Salem Hemisphere 272RLIS that was 34 1/2' from hitch to bumper. I used a Reese Dual Cam hitch. The GVWR of the trailer was 9650#. I could not load the trailer anywhere close to that. If I kept the trailer weight down to 8200# and run 12 1/2% of that as tongue weight, I was right at the raggedy edge of the weight limits. It pulled it very comfortably. It helps that I have two truck scales at my disposal! ;D We had the trailer parked and loaded down after we set up for camphosting, and we were probably close to the GVWR of the trailer then. I ended up changing sites because another host showed up with a 40' fiver, and wouldn't fit in the only open host site. Believe me, the truck didn't like it and neither did the hitch considering the weight change. I would never have gone on the highway like that.
 
With the 3.55 rear end, listen to your engine and don't lug it.  You may wind up towing more comfortably in fifth gear instead of sixth, but there's nothing wrong with that.  With about a 10% difference between the two gears this will give about the same RPMs as being in 6th gear with a 3.92 rear end.

What you want to avoid is having the transmission repeatedly up and downshifting to maintain the road speed.
 
We towed a 21 foot North Trail to Yellowstone last year.  Pulled up the grades just fine.  You will need a good equalizer hitch and stabilizer bar.  It was a 2012 hemi but we need to up grade to a 3500 when we got the 5er.  My avatar was shot in Teddy Roosevelt NP in North Dakota. 
 
Moot point now. Pulled the trigger and upgraded to a Ram 2500 Diesel. ?. But I appreciate the help. This allowed us to move up to a 28ft.
 
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