Will this rig be OK?

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Jimbojo

Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2012
Posts
7
I a m sure you guys get tired of these questions but I am in the process of purchasing my first TT and I would like to get a sanity check from you good folks.  My TV is  2000 Dodge Ram 1500 with the 5.7 liter Hemi and the towing package, it is 2 wheel drive and has 20' wheels with a tow rating of 8100 lbs, I believe.  I am buying a 2000 Skyline Layton M-250LT, with a dry weight of 4650, it is a tandem axle TT.  I will be getting a weight distribution hitch with a 1000lb tongue rating and sway control as well as setting up the electric brakes on my truck.  I figure with water and essentials I would be adding 1500 lbs to the trailer so my total tow weight should be just over 6,000 lbs.  Does this seem reasonable?  Also, how does any load in the bed of the truck impact the over all load?  Finally, is there any other accessories or suspension mods that can be done to help this rig pull to its full potential (besides smaller rims, I just bought $1200 worth of All Terrains).

Thanks for your help,

Jimbojo
 
Jimbojo said:
I a m sure you guys get tired of these questions but...
Anyone who gets tired of questions doesn't belong here. The basic reason for any forum to exist is to answer questions. There are no dumb questions, only people who are too dumb to ask a question that they don't know the answer to. It is extremely smart of you to ask these questions before you purchase your rigs rather than suffer your fate if you don't ask.

I have no answer to your questions since I have never towed but we have many experts here who can give you the answers.

Staff edit: Fix quote
 
I think you will be satisfied with your truck-travel trailer combination.  Your truck is few years older than mine but I also have the 5.7 Dodge Hemi.  I have been very satisfied with mine.  You should get your TT weighed once you get everything loaded in it as nothing beats knowing actual weight.  But I would be surprised if you don't have a good margin of capability.  For good handling, tongue weight should be about 12%-15% of the trailer weight.
 
Looks to me like you will be fine. To your question of items in the bed of the truck, the tow rating giving to a vehicle is usually for that vehicle with a full tank of fuel and a driver so anything more than that (family, firewood, generator, equalizer hitch) will need to be subtracted from the vehicles towing capacity, I believe.

And yes you should find a scale once it's loaded ready for camping, you will be surprised.
 
I couldn't find a 2000 Ram 1500 with a 5.7L engine or a tow rating quite that high. The Trailer Life Tow Guide for 2000 shows a 5.2L or a 5.9L and a max tow rating of 7950 (if equipped with the optional 3.55 axle). The TL info may be erroneous or incomplete - I know the 20" wheels have an effect on the tow rating and that option doesn't show in their guide. Still, it would be prudent to verify just what you have because some V8 Ram 1500's are as low as 4650. Assuming you have the 5.9L engine, though, it's probably at least 7600 and you would be in fine shape.
 
Gary RV Roamer said:
I couldn't find a 2000 Ram 1500 with a 5.7L engine or a tow rating quite that high. The Trailer Life Tow Guide for 2000 shows a 5.2L or a 5.9L and a max tow rating of 7950 (if equipped with the optional 3.55 axle). The TL info may be erroneous or incomplete - I know the 20" wheels have an effect on the tow rating and that option doesn't show in their guide. Still, it would be prudent to verify just what you have because some V8 Ram 1500's are as low as 4650. Assuming you have the 5.9L engine, though, it's probably at least 7600 and you would be in fine shape.

I made a typo, my Ram is a 2008, I have seen a couple different ratings on sites but I am pretty sure the 8100 is right on mine, without the 20's it is 9100, again from what I have seen, I could be off some.
 
Here's my thoughts, yes it will pull, may be a little slow on the steeper grades.  Will it be enjoyable, very questionable.  The reason I say that is because we used to pull a 91' 24' Prowler approx 5K fully loaded with a Chevy Heavy 1/2 with full towing package and the 5.7 (350) and 3.73 gears, Reese WD hitch with dual cam sway control.  Pulled fine, not too bad on hills, but at the end of a long drive I was beat, arms and shoulder ached.  Always had to keep both hands on the wheel.  Starting thinking of upgrading TT so went looking for a 3/4 Ton but could find what we wanted, local dealer had a new 1 Ton Dually that they would make a better deal vs ordering.  WOW what a difference pulling that little TT, made traveling enjoyable.  We have since upgraded to a larger TT, mid size 5er, to our present 40' 16.5K 5er and didn't have to worry if the TV would be up to the task.  Just our experience over the last 20 years.
 
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