A Comprehensive Guide to Towing with the 2019 RAM 1500 - Everything You Need to Know!

[Trooper4]

New member here! According to the Dodge website my tow capacity is 8140lbs. My 5th wheel weights 7740lbs. So in the real world I'll be right about at the capacity.
Is the rating any different for a 5th wheel?

tow capacity does not diferintiate between trailer types.

 

[devildodge]

New member here! According to the Dodge website my tow capacity is 8140lbs. My 5th wheel weights 7740lbs. So in the real world I'll be right about at the capacity.
Is the rating any different for a 5th wheel?

I really do not want to get into this...but here goes

The 8140 tow rating is with 10% tongue weight. So a max tongue weight of 814lbs...this is with only a 300lb passenger/driver combo.

Most 5th wheels are about 22% so 1740lbs...if your weight is true on your 5th wheel.

Most 1500 trucks average 1500lbs payload....some much less few much more.

Have fun, but I am going to say, no.

 

[devildodge]

tow capacity does not diferintiate between trailer types.

The tow capacity for a 5th wheel would be different. You would have to account for the much larger pin weight...

But, we know you have towed 5th wheels quite successfully...so, it can be done...but I find it quite interesting.

 

[devildodge]

I really do not want to get into this...but here goes

The 8140 tow rating is with 10% tongue weight. So a max tongue weight of 814lbs...this is with only a 300lb passenger/driver combo.

Most 5th wheels are about 22% so 1740lbs...if your weight is true on your 5th wheel.

Most 1500 trucks average 1500lbs payload....some much less few much more.

Have fun, but I am going to say, no.

Let's say this.

You make no mention of what truck you have...but let's say, 1500, Hemi 4x4 3.92

7100 GVWR
17000 GCWR

Avg 1500 payload.

7100 minus 1500 is a base weight of 5600

1500 minus 300 minus 150 equals 1050

1050 pin weight would be for a 5800 lb 5th wheel.

Need more info about your truck and camper.

Is this scale weight or what the brochure tells you.

Good luck.

 

[devildodge]

All that said. Depending the truck you do come back and tell us you have.

If you weight the setup and you are under your front and Rear GAWR and you keep enough of the original weight on the front...you may be fine.

But unless you have a quad cab 2wd and are traveling by yourself with everything in the the camper...it is doubtful this will be true...but it could. Good Luck

 

[xjarcher]

New Truck is a 1500 4x4 crew. 5.7 3.21 gear set. the payload is 1464 lbs
Trailer weight is 7740 according to the sticker on it and the title.
Hitch weight according to the manual is 1380 lbs.
using the math @22% that's 1704 lbs.
So according to that I'm WAY over already. Yay.
But the literature says I'm under.
Two additional observations.

1) Old truck was an 05 2500 The truck squats 1-2" when said 5th wheel is loaded by comparison, 4-6" squat when a ton of pellets is loaded. Pin weight may be less?
2 Why is it the tables used here show the 3.92 truck has a much higher capacity all other things being equal?

 

[Trooper4]

The tow capacity for a 5th wheel would be different. You would have to account for the much larger pin weight...

But, we know you have towed 5th wheels quite successfully...so, it can be done...but I find it quite interesting.

The pin weight has to do with load capacity, not tow capacity. Tow capacity has to do with the weight of the trailer, not how it is connected. A fiver will most likely reach load rating before tow rating. But a tow behind may do the same thing depending on trailer configuration and design. Load rating and tow rating are two totally different things.

 

[devildodge]

The pin weight has to do with load capacity, not tow capacity. Tow capacity has to do with the weight of the trailer, not how it is connected. A fiver will most likely reach load rating before tow rating. But a tow behind may do the same thing depending on trailer configuration and design. Load rating and tow rating are two totally different things.

They are. Exactly. Which is why the tow rating for a 5th wheel is different. You said exactly what I said.

So a 8140 tow rating is limited to the 10% tongue weight. A 5th wheel will have 18 to 25 % this lowering the tow rating.

This is hard to describe with a 1500, but look at the 3500 dually ratings. They will show that a bumper pull only goes to such rating. 5th wheel to such rating. The actual max tow rating is with a gooseneck. So when that 3500 says max tow is 35,000, that is not bumper pull or 5th wheel it is gooseneck ball rating.

The same goes for pulling a camper. 8140 would not be the max tow with a camper, as they are generally 12 to 15%

It would decrease the 8140 based on how much tongue weight the truck can handle.

So, we said the same thing. And I stand by my comment. You can not tow a 8140 pound 5th wheel or for that matter bumper pull. And of course the whole dang thing is changed if you have more than 300 pounds in the truck and your hitch weighs more than 70 pounds.

Why I constantly mention in all my posts...the max tow number is bogus...Everytime.

But, as I mentioned, depending what the axle ratings are...he may be able to fudge the numbers and be safe...going over rear axle rating, will lighten the front and cause issues with the axle.

Oh well,

Tow away!

 

[xjarcher]

Last question, then I'll go shopping for a different truck.
I will be upgrading the suspension, whatever truck I get. It seems the stock suspension parts are the weakest link. If I install HD coils and coil overs- ie: Tuftruck springs- am I fooling myself? Worked like a charm on my dads 99 dodge 1500.

 

[Casull]

Why I constantly mention in all my posts...the max tow number is bogus...Everytime.

Well, since my payload is 1868, I think you're "Everytime" statement is a bit of a stretch.

 

[Trooper4]

They are. Exactly. Which is why the tow rating for a 5th wheel is different. You said exactly what I said.

So a 8140 tow rating is limited to the 10% tongue weight. A 5th wheel will have 18 to 25 % this lowering the tow rating.

This is hard to describe with a 1500, but look at the 3500 dually ratings. They will show that a bumper pull only goes to such rating. 5th wheel to such rating. The actual max tow rating is with a gooseneck. So when that 3500 says max tow is 35,000, that is not bumper pull or 5th wheel it is gooseneck ball rating.

The same goes for pulling a camper. 8140 would not be the max tow with a camper, as they are generally 12 to 15%

It would decrease the 8140 based on how much tongue weight the truck can handle.

So, we said the same thing. And I stand by my comment. You can not tow a 8140 pound 5th wheel or for that matter bumper pull. And of course the whole dang thing is changed if you have more than 300 pounds in the truck and your hitch weighs more than 70 pounds.

Why I constantly mention in all my posts...the max tow number is bogus...Everytime.

But, as I mentioned, depending what the axle ratings are...he may be able to fudge the numbers and be safe...going over rear axle rating, will lighten the front and cause issues with the axle.

Oh well,

Tow away!

Max tow rating for my ram is 12000. Load rating is 1400. Depending how I load the trailer I can satisfy both and be within specs. Two different numbers for two different ratings. They are not the same.

 

[silver billet]

Max tow rating for my ram is 12000. Load rating is 1400. Depending how I load the trailer I can satisfy both and be within specs. Two different numbers for two different ratings. They are not the same.

Are you still pulling that massive sandpiper, 9000 pounds? If so, I'm quite certain you're well past your payload. 9000 pounds at 15% pin weight = 1350 pounds on the bed, add another 50 to 100 for the hitch. You haven't even sat in your truck, add 200 pounds for you, another 200 for your wife (guessing here of course I have no idea if you have a wife but you get the idea).

A more realistic pin weight is 20%, so 1800 pounds before the hitch and passengers and cargo.

Only reason I remember your setup is because how massively overloaded you appear to be and how nonchalant you are about the situation

I'm happy to hear the truck appears to take such a beating, gives me good vibes for my setup which I'm sure is half of yours in every metric.

 

[devildodge]

Max tow rating for my ram is 12000. Load rating is 1400. Depending how I load the trailer I can satisfy both and be within specs. Two different numbers for two different ratings. They are not the same.

You can not have one without the other. They are the same. The tow rating goes down as the payload is used.

Good times

 

[devildodge]

Well, since my payload is 1868, I think you're "Everytime" statement is a bit of a stretch.

The max tow rating is with a 300 load 70 pound hitch and 10% tongue weight. So unless you drive that truck by yourself and have a cargo trailer you can load to 10% your max tow rating is bogus...Everytime.

Remember, the post I am referring to is a camper....bogus...everytime

 

[devildodge]

Well, since my payload is 1868, I think you're "Everytime" statement is a bit of a stretch.

Do you got a pic of that payload...you may be winner winner chicken dinner on having the highest payload in our payload thread.

 

[devildodge]

New Truck is a 1500 4x4 crew. 5.7 3.21 gear set. the payload is 1464 lbs
Trailer weight is 7740 according to the sticker on it and the title.
Hitch weight according to the manual is 1380 lbs.
using the math @22% that's 1704 lbs.
So according to that I'm WAY over already. Yay.
But the literature says I'm under.
Two additional observations.

1) Old truck was an 05 2500 The truck squats 1-2" when said 5th wheel is loaded by comparison, 4-6" squat when a ton of pellets is loaded. Pin weight may be less?
2 Why is it the tables used here show the 3.92 truck has a much higher capacity all other things being equal?

Ok. Since others say tow ratings do not change. Let's not talk about tow ratings. Let's look at numbers.

So now that we got some information, we can do that.

But, one more question. What is the GVWR of this 5th wheel? I am guessing the numbers you shared are base weights. You will be much closer to GVWR loaded to camp. Unless you magically can do it without taking any batteries, propane, water, food, clothes and gear.

And this increases your Pin weight, which is already at base using almost all your available weight.

 

[devildodge]

Since this is the 1500 forum I should not have to explain this, but maybe it will help.

1500 trucks, 2500/3500 Hemi trucks are GCWR limited. Meaning. Once you nail the 17000 in the 1500 and the 22500 in the Hemi HeftyDuty that is it.

Ultimately, the max tow rating is a flatbed type trailer with 10% tongue weight. So once you increase the tongue weight percentage your tow rating goes down. GVWR and GCWR are mutually exclusive.

This is why you see no different ratings for these trucks

Once you get to a HO Cummins Dually you will see that tow ratings increase for each type.

There will be a tow rating for bumper pull, as it will be lowest due the hitch system toping out at 2000 lb tongue weight(this varies greatly by year...2021 is what I am going by). Then the 5th wheel hitch then allows you to increase pin weight. But still will not allow the max tow on a dually 3500, that is reserved to the gooseneck ball hitch system.

Useless information for this forum...but, an explanation for what I am saying, since it seems I am confused with how I am saying it...lol

 

[Casull]

Well, since my payload is 1868, I think you're "Everytime" statement is a bit of a stretch.

Do you got a pic of that payload...you may be winner winner chicken dinner on having the highest payload in our payload thread.

Do I win a prize if I post a pic of it?

 

[Casull]

Well, since my payload is 1868, I think you're "Everytime" statement is a bit of a stretch.

The max tow rating is with a 300 load 70 pound hitch and 10% tongue weight. So unless you drive that truck by yourself and have a cargo trailer you can load to 10% your max tow rating is bogus...Everytime.

Remember, the post I am referring to is a camper....bogus...everytime

Those numbers don't apply to my truck. The max tow number on my truck would be 8668 (13900 - 5232). At 13% tongue weight, that would be 1127 lbs. With payload of 1868, I could EASILY tow that weight since I would have 741 lb of payload left for passengers, etc.

 

[SpeedyV]

Do I win a prize if I post a pic of it?

I don't know, but that's an impressive number. Tradesman? No signature details to help us