Help with Towing Calcs

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yankeefan

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2019
Posts
8
I'm going to be purchasing a 2019 Dodge Ram 1500 and need some help determining what travel trailer will be safe to pull. 

The truck has:
  Towing Capacity : 8040 lbs.
  Payload : 1520 lbs.
  GVWR:  6900 lbs.
  GCWR - 13,800 lbs.

I live in Colorado and will be in the mountains at times.  My neighbor is a very experienced RVer with a huge 5th wheeler.  He told us to keep the weight of the trailer (with our stuff in it) at about 70% of our towing capacity.  I've been looking at trailers with a Dry Weight of around 4700 lbs or less.  Does that sound reasonable?  There will be three people but can't I imagine we will be bringing so much stuff as to bring us over the 70% mark of towing capacity. (All the trailers we have looked at have at least that as their cargo capacity).  The trailer will be used mostly as a place to sleep and not necessarily to be making meals, etc so I don't foresee a lot of weight in food and kitchen supplies.

I'm concerned though because I know that I need to take into account payload as well.  I know that includes everyone in the car (for us that's 480 lbs) and everything in the car.  The part that I'm unsure about is the hitch weight.  The trailers have a dry hitch weight listed but do I calculate the hitch weight based on a full camper?  One of the ones I looked at has a hitch weight of 600 lbs. with a dry weight of 4629 lbs.  Another one has a hitch weight of 434 lbs. and a dry weight 4735 lbs.  I don't think I understand the hitch weight well enough to calculate this.  I'm concerned that when I calculate that I'm not leaving a lot of room for stuff in the truck.

I'm a total newbie so I hope that what I'm asking are the right questions.  I'm nervous that you don't know what you don't know and from reading the forums I feel like there's a lot I don't know. 

Thanks for your help!
 
Always base your calculations on gvwr of the trailer, not dry weight as that rating is useless. Usually on a travel trailer (I assume we're talking travel trailer because with a 1500 no way for a fifth wheel) you usually figure 10% to maybe 12% of weight of trailer for hitch weight.
 
Your truck has very similar specs as my YukonXL.  Personally, I wouldn't do more than 23' long Travel Trailer (box), max loaded weight of 6500# on trailer, with 700# max tongue weight.  You need to leave a little under the hood to make it up the hills.  You could do a little more, but I've been pulling trailers of some kind many years, and I highly recommend that you keep it close to my above numbers.
 
Working from dry weight and attempting to estimate the cargo weight is a very risky approach. Hardly anyone correctly estimates the weight of their gear, water, etc., plus it invariably grows over time.  Much better to use the trailer GVWR to compare to the truck capability. If you can handle the trailer at max load, you know you are safe. If you load the trailer less than max, then your truck performs better and you are a happy camper.

Limiting to 70% of the truck max tow is ultra-conservative, even for mountainous terrain.  I'd say 80% is conservative and most trucks can handle 90% without difficulty. If you figured trailer GVWR at 90% and also keep the cargo in the trailer below its max capacity, you are perhaps somewhere around 70-80% anyway, yet you can also be confident that you are fine when & if the trailer gets to max loading.

The reason for staying under the truck max tow rating is mostly to allow for extra passengers and gear in the truck. The tow rating for a late model pick-up is calculated using the SAE standard method, which includes two 154 lb people in the vehicle and no other cargo. Most RVers carry more than that, sometimes much more.Any extra weight in the truck detracts from the max tow capability.
 
Here?s a good place to start, although you already  have numbers similar to my recently purchased 2019 Ram 1500 Classic Hemi.

https://www.ramtrucks.com/towing-guide.html

My truck came with the trailer tow package, receiver hitch, Tow/Haul system, But no trailer brake controller.  Ram no longer supplies a pig tail for an after market controller, so yesterday my dealer installed a nice factory unit for about $500.  You?ll be needing trailer brakes.

My new Ram has the larger touch screen audio system with apps.  One of which is the complete owner?s manual.  That?s where I found the trailer hitch capacity.  Class 4 receiver, 11,000# tow, 1100# tongue weight on my truck.  Forget the ball on the bumper with 500# tongue weight.  You?ll need a WD hitch.

Last, but not least, Get the Hemi, NOT the V6. 

I see Colorado mountains ...  I tow a 30? Coleman TT with a Ram 2500HD Cummins 4x4.  FWIW  ;)

When you?re all set, find a scale.  I use the local Flying J scales for $11.50.  Then you?ll really know how you?re loaded.

Good luck!  Have fun!
 
Here is a chart from Ram for 2019 1500.
https://www.ramtrucks.com/BodyBuilder/service/Image?imageId=MtQrP%2FFqLY5r%2Fest8MtGjGgHzAHGUTU0WB3rWuqSY7YmQ2vEhuBWBAvoEbjA%2Bc5q%0A
Good information posted above. If your planning to do allot of camping with your TT, I would suggest to not buy the new Ram with 3:21 rear end. Great gas mileage but low load/pulling capacity. Had a 2014 with 8 speed and 3:21 rear end. Top 2 gears are overdrive gears. It pulled my 7200 lb camper but pretty close to max weight pulling. The 5.7 he I did good for pulling it. A 6 speed with 3:73 or 3:92 would be better for pulling but lower mpg as your daily driver. You will need to weigh your needs vs wants. Good luck.
 
Thank you for all your help.

We have several travel trailers we are considering so we are going back to look at the GVWR on all of them.  Some of them have such large carrying capacities that they put the GVWR over 90% of our towing capacity so we will be eliminating them.

The Ram is a Hemi V8.  It has a towing package but it doesn't have the tow/haul system.  We were told that was ok.  We would need trailer brakes.  We would also would add the WD hitch.
 
It's a 2019 Dodge Ram 1500 Classic.  Is it ok that it doesn't have the tow/haul system?  The RV and truck dealers have said it was fine.
 
yankeefan said:
It's a 2019 Dodge Ram 1500 Classic.  Is it ok that it doesn't have the tow/haul system?  The RV and truck dealers have said it was fine.

My understanding is that the Tow/Haul changes the transmission shift points for easier acceleration.  It also disables the engine economy mode, which shuts down cylinders when not needed.

Again , my understanding, when towing you?ll never get to economy mode and, depending on standard or premium axle ratio, you?ll never get above 4th or 5th gear.  Unless you?re coasting downhill.

My ?understanding? could be all wrong and I suggest you get with your dealership service department to confirm.  A knowledgeable salesperson might help... Or just say it?s fine.

Personally, I?d prefer to have the system, but it?s absence wouldn?t be a deal breaker if the truck were otherwise equipped with what I wanted and the price was good.

Edit:  I found this, among other threads, on the Ram forum:

https://www.ramforum.com/threads/tow-haul-and-overdrive-explained.34881/
 
Thank you.  I think my lack of towing knowledge has me confused and I'm going to talk to the Dodge and RV dealers again to make sure I have everything clear.
 
Tow haul keeps your rpms in the higher power band to help with smoother transmission shifting. Transmission will last longer. Is tow haul needed for towing, no. But it help for longer life on your transmission. If this truck is within your budget, stick with your budget. But if there is a 2019 1500 that has the tow package for around the same price, get that. Don?t let the salesman push you into a truck you may regret down the road. Feel free to post questions here as this community can help. 1st time can get confusing.
 
Be VERY cautious of ANY advise you get from a RV salesperson.  They are known for giving bad advise.  Car Dealers much better. You are doing the right thing, investigate, investigate.  We have seen many whom listen to a RV dealer only to have to trade up to a bigger truck after the initial drive.  It's not like they let you connect and test drive pulling a loaded Trailer. Truck Forums often give real life help as into what the actual trucks do, rather than the specs that say what they will do.
 
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