Help determining tow capacity

[msal]

Hey everyone, I'm new here and new to towing in general. I bought a new RAM last year and now we're looking into travel trailers. I'm trying to determine what our realistic max trailer weight is. If it matters, we're a family of 5 (2 adults, 3 young kids). We're looking at travel trailers rather than 5th wheels due to the lighter weight of travel trailers in general. My specs:
Year: 2019
Make: RAM 1500 5.7L HEMI (Big Horn) 4x4
Bed: 6' 4"
Axle ratio: 3.21
GVWR: 7100 lbs
GCWR: 13900 lbs
Max trailer weight rating: 8220 lbs

I've attached my stickers along with a picture of the axle ratio. I had to crawl under the truck to determine the axle ratio - I couldn't find it anywhere in the original listing or paperwork. I was surprised (let's be honest, annoyed) to find that had I gone with the higher axle ratio (a decision I didn't even consciously make at the time) that I would have had a much better towing capacity. This is my own fault for not doing my research ahead of time and trusting the dealer when I mentioned "we will probably do some towing" (one of the reasons we bought the truck in the first place), so lesson learned there. We've considered biting the bullet and trading up to a bigger truck but instead we are going to pick up a cheaper travel trailer, get our feet wet, and perhaps later consider upgrading across the board.

I understand that I need to take into consideration the tongue weight so I'm not over my truck's GCWR. I also understand that most trailers publish their dry weight, and I need to account for whatever I'm hauling (water, propane, stuff, etc.). My biggest question is, how close to my max trailer weight rating can I get assuming I'm within my truck's GCWR? So far we've been limiting our search to travel trailers under 5000 lbs playing it safe, but I'm curious if I could bump that number up closer to 6500 lbs without issue. What do you guys think?

Cheers,
msal

 

[nicolasbvillegas]

Hey everyone, I'm new here and new to towing in general. I bought a new RAM last year and now we're looking into travel trailers. I'm trying to determine what our realistic max trailer weight is. If it matters, we're a family of 5 (2 adults, 3 young kids). We're looking at travel trailers rather than 5th wheels due to the lighter weight of travel trailers in general. My specs:
Year: 2019
Make: RAM 1500 5.7L HEMI (Big Horn) 4x4
Bed: 6' 4"
Axle ratio: 3.21
GVWR: 7100 lbs
GCWR: 13900 lbs
Max trailer weight rating: 8220 lbs

I've attached my stickers along with a picture of the axle ratio. I had to crawl under the truck to determine the axle ratio - I couldn't find it anywhere in the original listing or paperwork. I was surprised (let's be honest, annoyed) to find that had I gone with the higher axle ratio (a decision I didn't even consciously make at the time) that I would have had a much better towing capacity. This is my own fault for not doing my research ahead of time and trusting the dealer when I mentioned "we will probably do some towing" (one of the reasons we bought the truck in the first place), so lesson learned there. We've considered biting the bullet and trading up to a bigger truck but instead we are going to pick up a cheaper travel trailer, get our feet wet, and perhaps later consider upgrading across the board.

I understand that I need to take into consideration the tongue weight so I'm not over my truck's GCWR. I also understand that most trailers publish their dry weight, and I need to account for whatever I'm hauling (water, propane, stuff, etc.). My biggest question is, how close to my max trailer weight rating can I get assuming I'm within my truck's GCWR? So far we've been limiting our search to travel trailers under 5000 lbs playing it safe, but I'm curious if I could bump that number up closer to 6500 lbs without issue. What do you guys think?

Cheers,
msal

You're probably fine to go up to a 6,500 but there are a lot of other factors and information that you have to consider and that you've left out of the equation. You have to consider the combined weight of your family. 2 adults and 3 kids doesn't tell us how much each one of them weighs and that needs to be considered if you're looking at going up to a 6,500 lb trailer. You also need to consider if you're putting anything additional into the bed of your truck, that means more weight counting against your GVWR.

This thread does a great job of explaining all that you need to know when looking at what you can pull with your truck: https://5thgenrams.com/community/th...19-ram-1500-everything-you-need-to-know.4819/

 

[msal]

Thanks for the response! I can't accurately guess at how much our gear in the truck itself will weigh at the moment. Our human flesh + small dog total is somewhere around 450 lbs. I do understand that that all counts against the GVWR (whoops, think I mixed this and GCWR in my original post).

Assume I've added everything up, or heck even went to a scale and measured everything loaded (somehow also measured the tongue weight, etc.). How close to the various maximums should I get? I get that I probably don't want to hit it exactly on an empty tank of gas and immediately go over once I fill, but wondering how close I can get within reason. I've read here and there about "staying under 80% of your capacity" as a rule of thumb. Was that rule just intended as a quick and dirty way to guess at your max dry weight? Is that rule BS?

Thanks!
msal

 

[SemperGumby]

I keep a spreadsheet with all of this, and am somewhat confident in my numbers after going through the towing thread and some Google-fu. Placed your numbers in:

GVWR - Payload = Base weight.
7100-1682=5418lbs
GCWR - Base Weight = Trailer Weight Rating
13900-5418=8482lbs
That is the theoretical maximum your truck could tow with nothing else inside.

What I did is add all accessories I've added (bed cover, steps, etc), passengers, and normal gear, to reduce the Payload and thus weight which will then give true trailer weight rating.

As far as doing it safely, your truck is designed to tow that, but more importantly stop that. However it is ALSO designed to redline at a certain RPM, but I wouldn't keep it pegged there nonstop.

 

[Howitis]

If all the stats have you confused focus on payload. that is going to limit you first and its easier to focus on one number. just remember that the hitch weight from the company is minus batteries and propane. then add your WDH.

 

[Wileykid]

I like to tell people on the trailer weight to use the GVW of the trailer for figuring numbers. That will give you a good number to work with, and the heaviest weight you may encounter. Trailer manufacturers in the brochures like to use a very stripped out trailer to entice people.

 

[2020ramwv]

How do you know the gcwr of your truck

 

[Cueva del Osos]

I'm in agreement with Nicolasbvillegas - I put a post on page 7 of the "everything you need to know" thread that included a calculation spreadsheet, how I weighed at CAT and how I then calculated the tongue weight and remaining available payload. I'd also suspect that you can handle up to 6500# gross trailer weight, but your axle ratio is gonna give you less than spectacular takeoff and will wear faster at that level of towing.

 

[NH_Ram]

The Dodge website shows your particular trucks payload and towing capability by VIN. Wish other companies would do this.
Click on Lookup My Vehicle and enter your VIN. https://www.ramtrucks.com/towing-guide.html

Attached is your truck.

 

[devildodge]

How do you know the gcwr of your truck

With a Hemi...13900 if you have 3.21 and 17000 if you have 3.92.

Rear gear decides the GCWR.

If you don't have the Hemi...let me know what engine and rear gear and I will get it for you