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How big have you towed? w/Pics no tricks!

TR5th GenRam1500 said:
What size is your truck? 1500 and what trim? Didn’t think the 1500 could handle a fifth wheel? I currently have a 1500 bighorn with the 5.7 Hemi and 3.92 rear. Pulling a 35 foot travel trailer and overall happy but had to add airbags for the tongue weight (800lbs).
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Limited-5'6" bed-3.92 rear end. I'm good to just under 1400lb. in the bed and just over 13000lb. trailer. I'm just under on the pin loaded, and only 10000 trailer.
 
barr0208 said:
here is my biggest tow. 8429lbs in this pic scaled ready to camp.View attachment 43383
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Have you scaled your rig. Would really like to see the drive axle weight and how much you took off the steer axle.

Does it steer and stop fine?

The lug bolts on the axle are the weak link...i know RAM gave the 1500 an extra one...but you guys towing these 5th wheels make me think i can here them screaming.

Great looking setup. I would like bigger camper...but our favorite sites and parks are more remote and very few pull thrus.

Edit: when the other member quoted your post i thought it was a new one. I see you already answered all these questions. I apologize for asking again.

Did you ever post the scale slip though?

I am very impressed with what these 5th Gens can do.
 
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What is the weight rating for the 5 larger lugs vs the 6 smaller lugs of the new Ram or a ford or Chevy. I have heard this idea before knocking the Ram 5 lugs vs other 6 lugs on competing company forums but never anything to substantiate it.
 
The 6 lugs allowed for the bigger brakes and the 200 lb increase in GVWR.

I do not think there is a big difference in them really. At least in the older trucks.

But more is always better.

I always thought dodge kept the 5 lug because of the pentastar of Chrysler lol.

The went from the 5 x 4.5 to the 5 x 5.5 in 1981
 
2019, 5.7, 3.92 Fifth wheel 28ft, 7000 dry, Anderson hitch. Coming up 6% grade, 6 miles long in over 100 degrees, this is my stats....IMG_20200705_143013117_HDR.jpg
 

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txramguy910 said:
I’m pulling a new Transcend Xplor 265BH with a 2019 Limited. 33ft long, 6734 dry with 654 tongue weight (as built per VIN sheet from factory). It’s probably around 8k loaded. Started with an Andersen and hated it, so swapped it out for a 10k Equal-i-zer hitch. RV dealer setup the hitch with trailer relatively loaded but no water, and truck empty. Driving it that way with only me in the truck, it pulls like a dream.

Took it about 45-60 miles this weekend fully loaded, and it was a completely different story. Outbound I had a full water tank (62 gal/516lb) and a loaded truck with me, wife, son, 2 dogs, and 65 quart RTIC with drinks and ice. I was getting pushed around like crazy, white knuckling it at 55 mph, & probably had a good 20 mph cross wind. I saw a CAT scale, so I did a single weigh just for reference, as I couldn’t really change anything at that point and only had another 10 mins to go. I was overweight on the truck, but I don’t have any unhooked weights to compare to.

Coming home, I had dumped all the tanks. Interesting thing about this trailer, the fresh water tank is at the very back, so that’s 516lbs of back end weight gone. I stopped at the same scale and weighed again. The return trip home felt completely solid and comfortable, and if it weren’t for the scale showing me being overweight, I never would have known and wouldn't be looking to change anything.

I'm thinking the water in the trailer made me tail heavy and the load was therefore unbalanced. I’m going to do another round of scale weighing before the next trip. Hopefully I can move some weight (the cooler) from the truck bed to the trailer over the axles, and also adjust the WDH to get the measurements closer to the GVWR, and shift more from the drive axle to the steer axle. Max load capacity is 1154lbs, GVWR is 7100, but GAWR is 3900 front and 4100 rear for a total of 8000 GAWR. It does strike me as a little odd that there is a 900 lb difference there. If it drives comfortably and solid, do I really need to be all that concerned about being 260 over the GVWR even though it’s under the axle limits? Any advice?

View attachment 64215View attachment 64217
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Seems odd that the TT would have the fresh water tank so far back. My TT (Lance 2445) has it just ahead of the axles so that most weight is just on the TT axles, but the rest biases toward the front. Having water in my trailer actually helps mine tow better.
 
Coopers_Dad said:
Trailer was 8480 last time I took it over the scales.
I added bags and used a Blue OX WD Sway setup with 14k bars last year which was disappointing when it got windy. I purchased a Hensley Arrow for the upcoming season.


View attachment 43765
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Was considering Blue Ox for a 9,000 lb trailer. May need to rethink that...I heard great things about the Hensley and the Propride.
 
MeyerzRam said:
Was considering Blue Ox for a 9,000 lb trailer. May need to rethink that...I heard great things about the Hensley and the Propride.
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At that size/weight I'd recommend it. It's not just about safety (though that's obviously top priority) — towing is a lot more comfortable as well.

If you're trying to decide between the two, they're identical while towing. The ProPride 3P uses an updated version of the design on the Hensley Arrow. The main differences are an adjustable hitch bar for matching TV/TT height and way the hitch bar and box mate making it easier to hook up. Also, ProPride's customer service is ridiculously good.
 
A couple months ago I helped a buddy move his grandfather's Chevy to Austin. My 10k trailer weighs about 2500-3000 lbs. and my guess is the work truck is in the 5500 lb. range. I'm coming from a 2001 Cummins that was tuned and running the same diameter tires as my Rebel. Obviously, I didn't spend as much time in high gear as my (built) 47RE 4 speed behind the Cummins, but I was quite frankly surprised how well it did....especially from a stop. That stump puller 1st gear in the 8 speed is a game changer. And towing at highway speeds through the Texas hill country still netted me 10.8 mpg. All things considered, I'm impressed and can't wait to tow my Jeep all over the country soon!

i-BQJXWpj-X2.jpg
 
Acouple weeks ago I picked up a 10k rated enclosed vnosed trailer with front and rear loading ramps.

Highly doubt I'll ever need the full 10k, but rather have a lightly loaded 10k trailer than worrying about GVRW with a 7k trailer.

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thats the one the wife and I like. we would never max the weight with the 2 of us or even if we brought our older kids along, because they would probably drive themselves 😂. I like the flexibility of being able to add more weight if down the line we decided to take really long trips and dry camp. I would just have to upgrade the truck. Which down the line is definitely a possibility.
 
Just got back from a trip to the Smokey Mountains ~700 mile each way trip towing my new 2020 Coachman 29' Travel Trailer. It was my 3rd trip towing it with my 2020 Bighorn 1500 5.7 etorque 3.21 (longest trip by far though).

Trailer is ~6400 empty ~7600 loaded (probably wasnt anywhere near fully loaded). Tongue weight is ~740 . Vin on truck is rated for ~8300, payload ~1550. Nothing of note in the truck except for passengers and dogs. Biggest thing I've ever towed.

7.9 miles to to the gallon on the way there (mostly uphill), 8.5 on the way back (mostly downhill)

I was very impressed with the truck's performance. No struggles on any of the hills, great response, and a very smooth ride (outside of 1 really bumpy area).

Even though it did a great job, this is pretty much maxing out my truck. Already starting some research on a bigger truck and trailer. I'll probably wait a year before that though.

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Nice 👍🏼. What model Freedom Express do you have? What do you think you had the trailer weighed down to?
 
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