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Can... he... tow it?

31RamIt

31RamIt

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Let's play a game.

2021 Ram 1500 Crew Cab Laramie Short bed 2WD. Has a mopar 2" lift, hellwig sway bar, core 4x4 end links, airlift 1000HD bags.

I am looking at a travel trailer that has a GVWR of 7700 lbs with a tongue weight of probably 700ish. It is 29' 5" from tip to tail.

Is this safe to be towing with a 1500? Or, is this my excuse to my wife to upgrade?
 
31RamIt said:
Let's play a game.

2021 Ram 1500 Crew Cab Laramie Short bed 2WD. Has a mopar 2" lift, hellwig sway bar, core 4x4 end links, airlift 1000HD bags.

I am looking at a travel trailer that has a GVWR of 7700 lbs with a tongue weight of probably 700ish. It is 29' 5" from tip to tail.

Is this safe to be towing with a 1500? Or, is this my excuse to my wife to upgrade?
Click to expand...
Upgrade to Cummins if the COF will let you.
 
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I had to look up the tow rating on a 21 1500 and max was 8290lbs that's a regular cab 2wd tradesman. I'd upgrade to a new 1500 with an 11klb+ plus tow rating certainly don't need a 3/4 ton for 7700 lbs. Maybe if you planned on towing 7700lbs every day but not a few times a month to go camping. Just my 2 cents
 
According to THIS CHART, I have a max of 11,370lbs. I have the 4x2 Crew Cab - 5'7" Box with the 5.7 eTorque and 3.92 gears. If I am reading this correctly.

1730298991942.png
 
Probably wont be an issue weight wise but length could become issue where a 2500+ might be better suited.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
I think it depend on your payload sticker on your door. It's a little long for what I would want to tow with a 1500. A good weight and sway hitch would be in order for sure.
 
31RamIt said:
According to THIS CHART, I have a max of 11,370lbs. I have the 4x2 Crew Cab - 5'7" Box with the 5.7 eTorque and 3.92 gears. If I am reading this correctly.

View attachment 192043
Click to expand...
You'll hit payload before max tow weight. Check your door sticker, see what the payload says, do the math. That number on the door sticker is the truck with a full tank of gas and nothing else. You, luggage, an extra trailer hitch, your lift, your airbags, new wheels and tires, everything else reduces from that number. A good estimate of tongue weight for a TT is 10-15%, 15% is the conservative estimate, so you're looking more at 770-1155 pounds of tongue weight from the trailer.

**Very general example**: Your door sticker says you have a max payload of 1700 pounds. You + wife + luggage + all gear and modifications to your truck are 700 pounds. You have 1000 pounds to play with. Weight distribution hitch, let's add another 100 pounds, so you're down to 900 payload. If the tongue weight of the trailer is less than 900 pounds you're good, but you're towing at or near max capacity.
 
well...i have the same tow capacity / gears / engine as you and I tow my 6k-6.5k lbs 30ft TT with a tongue weight of 750lbs ish. With a WDH the truck did perfectly fine...though to be fair I recently put on the cargo max rear springs and was a MASSIVE improvement over the airlift bags in the oem springs. I still have the bags in but havent inflated them since as theyre just not needed unless im putting the maximum available payload in the bed its self.

The truck stays in 7th nearly the entire trip on flat terrain and handles inclines without any problems at all. Breaking is great, even in high winds and bad weather. I get the normal 9-11mpg depending on the weather, driving speed, terrain, ect. but EVERY tow vehicle ive had gets basically the same mpg while towing..regardless of the engine. I recently had the unfortunate/fortunate experience to have my truck in the shop for a couple months and had to rent several trucks for camping trips. I pulled with a 3500 diesel, 2500 diesel, and a 2500 v8. The 2500 diesel was my favorite when it came to power, but the two 2500s pulled way nice than the 3500. More comfortable and just felt better overall. With the cargomax springs this 1500 now feels just like the 2500 did while pulling, planted and sturdy while not being over spongy or over stiff. But the the truck still drives like the regular 1500 while unloaded.

You could always look at the cargomax rear springs that are designed for the ram since they give 2" of lift in the rear. Theyll give you the height you wanted and more capability.

The 1500 will be fine for you.

But...there is a difference between fine and perfect. And a 2500 is always the perfect answer 🤷‍♂️

If I hit the lottery today ill be buying a 2500 with a 6.4 in it.

IMG_4557.jpeg
 
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I have yet to put more than 5k behind my 25 1500 but that trailer is roughly 29ft long and it towed with ease. Friday I'll be loading my 10k gvw dump trailer to the max with manure and hauling it 90 miles from our family farm to my home should be a good test. The dump trailer is only 12ft though .
 
Gren71 said:
well...i have the same tow capacity / gears / engine as you and I tow my 6k-6.5k lbs 30ft TT with a tongue weight of 750lbs ish. With a WDH the truck did perfectly fine...though to be fair I recently put on the cargo max rear springs and was a MASSIVE improvement over the airlift bags in the oem springs. I still have the bags in but havent inflated them since as theyre just not needed unless im putting the maximum available payload in the bed its self.

The truck stays in 7th nearly the entire trip on flat terrain and handles inclines without any problems at all. Breaking is great, even in high winds and bad weather. I get the normal 9-11mpg depending on the weather, driving speed, terrain, ect. but EVERY tow vehicle ive had gets basically the same mpg while towing..regardless of the engine. I recently had the unfortunate/fortunate experience to have my truck in the shop for a couple months and had to rent several trucks for camping trips. I pulled with a 3500 diesel, 2500 diesel, and a 2500 v8. The 2500 diesel was my favorite when it came to power, but the two 2500s pulled way nice than the 3500. More comfortable and just felt better overall. With the cargomax springs this 1500 now feels just like the 2500 did while pulling, planted and sturdy while not being over spongy or over stiff. But the the truck still drives like the regular 1500 while unloaded.

You could always look at the cargomax rear springs that are designed for the ram since they give 2" of lift in the rear. Theyll give you the height you wanted and more capability.

The 1500 will be fine for you.

But...there is a difference between fine and perfect. And a 2500 is always the perfect answer 🤷‍♂️

If I hit the lottery today ill be buying a 2500 with a 6.4 in it.

View attachment 192052
Click to expand...
This is what I like to see. I'm not worried then. I have a WDH already that I can strip from the old trailer then add the cargo max springs.
 
31RamIt said:
This is what I like to see. I'm not worried then. I have a WDH already that I can strip from the old trailer then add the cargo max springs.
Click to expand...
I would not recommend it. The WDH, springs, air bags and the new sway bar, all do not contribute to adding payload. Your 2" lift alone take away payload. Depending what your yellow sticker says then adding up 10% of gross, 770 lbs. plus 100 lbs. for the hitch and two passengers, puts you well over pay load plus over your max tow capacity. Theat does not include any cargo in the box or trailer. Its simply not safe.
 
Bubba1120 said:
I would not recommend it. The WDH, springs, air bags and the new sway bar, all do not contribute to adding payload. Your 2" lift alone take away payload. Depending what your yellow sticker says then adding up 10% of gross, 770 lbs. plus 100 lbs. for the hitch and two passengers, puts you well over pay load plus over your max tow capacity. Theat does not include any cargo in the box or trailer. Its simply not safe.
Click to expand...
Why does my 2" lift take away payload? It's the stock springs with the fox shocks and front struts?

Also, why would the HD springs NOT affect it?
 
The weight from the trailers WDH is not distributed in the same way, as a non lifted truck. When the factory tested your truck the payload and towing numbers on the yellow sticker do not account for a lift kit, but a stock vehicle as it comes off the line.
 
31RamIt said:
Why does my 2" lift take away payload? It's the stock springs with the fox shocks and front struts?
Click to expand...
Anything added to the truck takes away payload. Start out with 18x9 +19 wheels and change out to a different set of 18x9 +19 wheels, but they're 5 pounds heavier a piece? That's 20 pounds taken away from your payload. Can the truck do it? Most likely without issue. Is it legal? No. Should you do it? That's your decision.

Airbags and stiffer springs make the truck feel better when loaded, but it doesn't increase payload. My payload is 1550 on the door sticker, probably around 1200 or so with me in the truck and everything else on it. I've had more than 1200 pounds in the bed, and it handled fine, but technically it's illegal.
 
I guess I'm not understanding. The kit does not level the truck, it maintains the stock rake. I adjusted the WDH to make up for the height difference. I guess I don't see the issue.

The furthest I go is an hour away for camping once every month of two. Am I really pushing the limits?
 
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