Towing with a Dodge 1500 with a 3.92 axle

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bigbigman77

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Jun 5, 2018
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Hi

My wife and I are new to RVing. We are looking at buying a 24 to 26 lightweight travel trailer.
We would like to pull with a Dodge 1500 with a 3.92 axle. Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Joe
 
I have a 2012 Ram Bighorn 1500 two-wheel drive with a 3.92 rear-end gear.  Tow rating is 10,200 pounds.  My trailer is 5600 pounds empty and has a max gross weight of 10,000 pounds.  On our heaviest trip we are on the road at 7,800 pounds or less (weighed).  I use an Equalizer WD anti-sway hitch and have absolutely no problems at all...it is a good tow!  My tongue is a little over 800 pounds and I did put Airlift 1000 air bags in the rear coil springs and that took the bounce out.  Max pressure in the air bags is 35 PSI but I only needed 20 PSI or less for a better ride.  However, I towed it for a year without the air bags and it was fine. 

I am sure that you will have no problems at all but I do recommend a WD hitch with anti-sway.  If you Ram was a 2012 with being a four wheel drive my guess would be that your tow rating would be around 9,900 pounds before you put anything in the truck except you and a full gas tank.   
 
Hard to say based on the generic information provided, so the generic answer is maybe.

Provide the exact payload for your truck, GVWR or the GCWR and you will more useful information.
 
Wow, did I get off base there.  Somehow I had it in my head that he wrote Dodge, Hemi with 3.92 rear-end, and our-wheel drive..?? I guess I am delusional today or was thinking about my truck...or mixed it up with another post..??.  Better not post any more today.

You are right, more info would be good!

Oooops!
 
Motor?  Load?
Based on lack of information I will venture to say tent trailer
 
RVfixer said:
Wow, did I get off base there.  Somehow I had it in my head that he wrote Dodge, Hemi with 3.92 rear-end, and our-wheel drive..?? I guess I am delusional today or was thinking about my truck...or mixed it up with another post..??.  Better not post any more today.

You are right, more info would be good!

Oooops!
Click to expand...
LOl I have my delusional moments.  More often then I care to admit. :-[
 
Hi We haven't bought the Truck or Trailer Yet. Were were thinking a 2018 Dodge Ram Crew Cab 1500 With the Hemi Engine and the 3.92 Axle. The trailer we are looking at is 2018 HEARTLAND PIONEER RD210. The Truck GVWR is 6900  the GCWR is 15950 Max Trailer Weight 10140.  Payload 1510
Travel Trailers  Pioneer  PI RD 210

Trailer Specifications
Dry Weight
4,734
Hitch Weight
542 lbs
Height
10' 9"
Length
26' 6"
Fresh Water
41 gal
Gray Water
35 gal
Black Water
35 gal
Awning Length
17'
Sleep Capacity
3-4 People
Bed Size
Queen
 
The specs on the trailer are pretty much useless to us. What we (and you) need to know is the GVWR of the trailer. Dry weight and the factory tongue weight will do you no good. For what it's worth, I had a 2013, two wheel drive, Bighorn quad cab. I towed 8200# (scaled) with 12 1/2% tongue weight. I was right at the raggedy edge of my weight limits. I used a Reese Strait Line WDH, and the truck pulled the trailer with no issues. The trailer was 34 1/2' tongue to bumper.
 
The Heartland web site does not provide GVWR or CCC specs for this camper, so I can only guess the GVWR is around  6000 - 6500 lbs.

You did not indicate the trim level you are looking at.  The specs you quote are for a lightly optioned generic Ram 1500 in the body and chassis you choose.  As previously mentioned, the Max Tow must be reduced by the weight of all cargo and passengers in excess of 300#.  Payload must be reduced by the weight of all options on the truck.  The yellow placard on the truck you buy is the only REAL number.  The rest is advertising hoopla.

With all that said, the Ram you describe should have no problem pulling a 6000 lb - 7000 lb TT
 
I have a 2017 ram with the hemi and 3.92 gears, the yellow sticker is rated at 1494lbs and were towing a tt thats 5500lbs empty with a gvwr of 7600lbs.  Im guessing as I havent scaled it, but I think were around 6400lbs loaded and ready for camping.  Using the Fastway E2 hitch.

We havent gone too far yet, but Ive had her out on the highway and up to 100km/h(60mph) and so far its a stable tow.  I expected terrible fuel ecconomy, but I gotta say, its definitely half my trucks regular fuel economy.

From the specs you listed it sounds like your truck will tow that just fine, just make sure to get an equalizer hitch with some form of sway control. 
 
Just be sure that your not over on your trucks gvwr and you should be good ;) honestly, it was the only thing I was close on.  The dodge half ton really has a low CCC, my sister inlaws heavy half chev can carry 700lbs more than my dodge can and my dodge has the max tow package with the heavy duty springs, the upgraded transmission cooler....etc

Every single ram 1500 I looked at on the lot was rated CCC of 1200lbs or less, that low of a cargo capacity would put any trailer at or above your max in the size of trailer your looking at :)
 
I guess since you havent bought the truck yet, make sure its CCC (found on the tire sticker of the door), is at least close to the reported 1510lbs CCC that their website states.  I noticed that quite a few of them were less than 1000lbs CCC on the door...
 
I have a 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 quad cab 4x4 3:55 gears and I pull a 2018 starcraft 26bhs dry is 5800# gross is 7500# again not scaled, had one hell of a time getting a stable tow out of it. with a few adjustments as in Airlift 1000 bags and adding a second anti sway bar it tows not so bad now I'm not going to go as far as saying it doesn't move around back there but it is no worse then any other I have seen on the highway.
I use a Husky round bar WD hitch with 2 anti sway bars on it as well I also have 10 ply light truck tires on the truck aired up to about 65# and run about 20# in the airlift to remove the bounce and its great.
Have considered trying a hitch with built in sway control like the equalizer or blue ox etc which would probably help but I feel safe pulling it, just came home this past weekend in a storm with consistent 25 mph winds and gusts to 40-45 mph I felt it but was never felt unsafe just slow down a bit and drive.

I think with what you are mentioning you should be fine.
 
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