3.0 Ecodiesel Towing - Truck Sags A Ton

[myles]

Ok so i now have a bit over 3000 miles on the truck, towed about 400 miles with a 9500# trailer to Glamis, CA

truck tow rating: 9700#
payload rating: 1800#
according to mopar website when i input my VIN

trailer specs:
- 26' box, 30' overall
- 9400# fully loaded, 6900# dry with a 970# tongue weight
- dual axle
- tongue weight should be around 1300-1400 pounds when loaded
- just my wife and i in the car, nothing in the bed of the truck

Mileage: 10.5 average mpg, pretty good considering with my GMC I was getting about 5 mpg, which was horrible because i had to constantly stop for gas

OK so to start, I know this is a big trailer for a 1500, but my 2015 GMC 1500 5.3L towed this thing no problem.
The truck sags a ton, even with a weight distribution hitch.
Im pretty sure it was just barely not resting on the bump stop
Going to need to buy some airbags for this truck to help it out.

Other than that towing was fine, was a pretty smooth ride, no rocking/lurching
But if you are planning on maxing out this truck you are definitely going to need air bags.

 

[Willwork4truck]

Ho-- crap, 9500# with that tongue weight, no wonder a coil truck sags...
But that's your rig and you bought it being an experienced trailer puller so no "tsk tsk tsk" or "you're gonna' wreck and kill everyone on the planet" post.
You pretty much have to get those bags and then make sure you have a premium WDH.
I've been out of towing for too long and there's been some nice improvements in hitches for sway and the heavier trailers, so I will let others who actually own a heavy trailer and tow with their 1500 chime in. There's some good towing threads on here as well as 3rd party threads on the rv forums. Look em' up.
Kinda surprised your GM 5.3 pulled it well, musta' have had it well dialed in.

 

[myles]

Ho-- crap, 9500# with that tongue weight, no wonder a coil truck sags...
But that's your rig and you bought it being an experienced trailer puller so no "tsk tsk tsk" or "you're gonna' wreck and kill everyone on the planet" post.
You pretty much have to get those bags and then make sure you have a premium WDH.
I've been out of towing for too long and there's been some nice improvements in hitches for sway and the heavier trailers, so I will let others who actually own a heavy trailer and tow with their 1500 chime in. There's some good towing threads on here as well as 3rd party threads on the rv forums. Look em' up.
Kinda surprised your GM 5.3 pulled it well, musta' have had it well dialed in.

Ya I just go slow, its not crazy far, takes 4 hours going 55 mph, 50 if its windy, and i only pull this trailer 4 or 5 times a year, if I was pulling all year i would go up to a 2500 for the ease of towing
I was just really surprised the 1st time i hooked it up and back of the truck dropped so far down.

Pulled it once with my work's ram 5500 that we use for towing equipment, now that thing is the dream tow vehicle, truck weighs 5.8 tons and couldn't even tell the trailer was back there lol.

 

[Willwork4truck]

Ya I just go slow, its not crazy far, takes 4 hours going 55 mph, 50 if its windy, and i only pull this trailer 4 or 5 times a year, if I was pulling all year i would go up to a 2500 for the ease of towing
I was just really surprised the 1st time i hooked it up and back of the truck dropped so far down.

Pulled it once with my work's ram 5500 that we use for towing equipment, now that thing is the dream tow vehicle, truck weighs 5.8 tons and couldn't even tell the trailer was back there lol.

Well for that little bit of towing you should be fine after the mods. Like you said, much more usage and you'd be in a 2500.

There's a lot of debate on if towing that heavy is safe, sidewinds, tail wagging the dog, etc. However if you have a really top-notch quality WDH, stay slower, don't tow in high winds and in general take it easy (with your trailer brakes properly set up), that should get you there.

I came over from the newer model aluminum F150 (2015 and up) and they lightened that truck up by something like 700#. Boy you should have read the pissin' and moaning about how skittish it was compared to a 14' model. Just takes re-educating yourself on the truck. Same here, a coil unit will respond differently, so just re-learn how to do things.

Be prepared for a bit of flaming by the 1 ton crowd but in general this forum is pretty civil compared to the F150 one.

 

[habu987]

I'd doublecheck the door sticker for your payload rating...my truck is pretty similarly configured and has a much lower payload. 1800 lbs doesn't sound accurate.

I can't speak to anything about the towing since I haven't towed anything with mine, just thought I'd chime in on the payload since that stood out.

 

[Mchurch52]

I'll second the check your payload by looking at the yellow sticker on your door jamb. My Laramie, which is similarly equipped, has a payload significantly lower than 1800 lbs.

 

[silver billet]

As the other posters already mentioned, that payload of 1800 pounds is totally inaccurate. You can't use the website because it doesn't account for the specific features of your truck (despite requesting the VIN). You absolutely need to check the door jamb, and you will find a much lower payload there, probably south of 1400 pounds.

 

[raven_DT]

Ok so i now have a bit over 3000 miles on the truck, towed about 400 miles with a 9500# trailer to Glamis, CA

truck tow rating: 9700#
payload rating: 1800#
according to mopar website when i input my VIN

trailer specs:
- 26' box, 30' overall
- 9400# fully loaded, 6900# dry with a 970# tongue weight
- dual axle
- tongue weight should be around 1300-1400 pounds when loaded
- just my wife and i in the car, nothing in the bed of the truck

Mileage: 10.5 average mpg, pretty good considering with my GMC I was getting about 5 mpg, which was horrible because i had to constantly stop for gas

OK so to start, I know this is a big trailer for a 1500, but my 2015 GMC 1500 5.3L towed this thing no problem.
The truck sags a ton, even with a weight distribution hitch.
Im pretty sure it was just barely not resting on the bump stop
Going to need to buy some airbags for this truck to help it out.

Other than that towing was fine, was a pretty smooth ride, no rocking/lurching
But if you are planning on maxing out this truck you are definitely going to need air bags.

May try timbrens first since they are a low mass option. Then if you still need airbags (more mass) then you can get airbags and have the safety backup of the timbrens if you ever have an airbag failure.
x2 on the payload, Im at ~1771# with a relatively modestly equipped Bighorn (purchased for that reason). The higher trim models are nice but for towing they lack the payload numbers of the lower level models.

 

[ldoh]

Maybe to the excessive, FCA bumped up tow/payload ratings for 2020. Depending how equipped tow/payload are 12750/2300lbs.

I agree with timbrens for occasional max towing. They are a couple hundred bucks.

 

[raven_DT]

Well I dunno, I plug 2 different 2020 4wd CC Laramie VINs (similar to myles) into the Ram site and get payloads of:
1. 1215#; with air suspension
2. 1800#; without air suspension

 

[StuartV]

I don't know why you'd bother with Timbrens.

I put airbags on my 4th Gen RAM 1500 for about $80 (with a coupon code I found - and this was 6 or 7 years ago). Install was easy, done by myself.

Should be about the same for a '20 without air suspension.

 

[Willwork4truck]

SD Spring has a set:

2019-2020 Dodge Ram 1500 1/2 Ton Pickup 2WD & 4WD - "Air Lift 1000HD" Air Helper Springs (2100 LBS) [REAR] Model: 60828HD

Retail: $190.95 Your Price: $146.74 + 25% OFF SALE Sale Price: $110.06​

No idea about how well they work, standard disclaimers, no affiliation blah blah blah etc...

Oh, so the "Classic" owners don't feel left out (not that they'd be on the 5th gen forum): (same price just different #)
2019 Dodge Ram 1500 "Classic" Pickup Only 2WD & 4WD - "Air Lift 1000HD" Air Helper Springs (2100 LBS) [REAR] NEW Model: 60818HD

 

[VernDiesel]

I transport TTs (mostly Airsteams) & boats for a living with a 1500 ED. 640k miles so some experience. I'm not very interested in the payload sticker number. I am much more interested in scale slip numbers for the actual safety and stability of tow set up. You need to replace your unloaded steer axle weight first and foremost. On my 4th gen that is 3,300. You haven't said what WDH and or what weight spring bars are with it. Built in sway control hitches work better with Pro Prop or Hensely Arrow better still but very expensive and if you are only working with one trailer and truck.

When using a WDH the proper way to determine tongue weight is to subtract the unloaded combined truck axle number from the loaded combined axle number off the scale slips.

Aside from replacing the unloaded steer axle I aim and adjust hitch & loading toward a tongue weight of 12% of gross trailer weight when towing TTs or enclosed car hauler trailers. As I know that is enough tongue weight that at 65 mph with bow wave from semis or cross gusts that the rear of the truck will remain planted even with a box front TT with a tall flat side. CAT or other truck stop triple scales weigh in 20 pound increments so with a 9,400 trailer I would adjust toward an 1,140 tongue weight for max stability with minimum needed weight put on the truck. This should not put you over your 4,100 max drive axle rating if you have also adjusted your hitch and loading to have replaced your unloaded steer weight. With this type of loading a reasonably smooth road and no crazy wind you should be able to steer this load with two fingers on the wheel. But poorly set up with too little or two much tongue weight could be the proverbial white knuckle ride.

Once hitch & loading is properly set up you may find you don't "need" an air bag setup. However it can be a great addition for heavy bed & tongue loads. They should be used as a compliment to a WDH not to replace it also for support, better control, and damping of the rear suspension, not to fix sag. If she is sagging you don't have your hitch and load set up well. You will get better road compliance and control over rough pavement with air bags especially with load. I'm so spoiled from the good sets of heavy rubber axle to frame air bag setups that I will never go back to the timbren bump stop air tight bags or the thin plasticity bags that squeeze through your coils. Not that they don't work but Its a real good example of getting what you pay for. BTW you don't need an expensive on board air compressor set up with it. Any place that you can get air or a little stow-able portable pump will work fine.

19'-20' RAM 1500 — Timber Grove Enterprises, LLC

timbergroveenterprises.com