How screwed am I?

[Seadoorxpguy]

Here’s the manufacture specs on my camper

 

[LoNeStAr]

A 36’ trailer with a 1/2 ton is not something I would do. The salesman that sold you your truck is an A-S. He was just looking for a sale and straight up lied to you.

 

[ClancyO]

Here’s the manufacture specs on my camper

The problem with their spec is it’s not qualified. Is that measured from the ball, the jack pad, or the tow vehicle axle? Each has a different lever arm. I weighted my tongue with an (from jack pad) empty trailer, and it was ~560 lbs. Then I scaled the whole thing (still empty), dropped the trailer and just the truck. As you can see, I had 700lbs on the rear axle. If it’s really 1100, you could be 1300 on the axle.

10500 is an odd gross- is it a triple axle trailer?

 

[bcso0416]

Another way to see what your truck is rated at, is to go to this web site and put in your vin number. Then deduct all the added weights you pull or load, including people, trailer tongue weight and anything else you tow or haul. You might be surprised at what you find out. - www.ramtrucks.com/towing-guide.htm then click on towing capability then towing guide then look up my vehicle. That's where you enter your Vin.

 

[Seadoorxpguy]

So I guess I’ll have to deal with it for now. I only have to tow the camper 2-3 times a year. There really won’t be any cargo in the bed of the truck and very minimal stuff in the camper. Clearly I should have done my research first rather than trust the dealer. I just saw a really good number on the truck and needed to pull the trigger and figured with the tow capacity it would have been fine. Hopefully between the air bags, wd hitch and load range e tires it will be way more comfortable.

 

[devildodge]

This is all I have to say on the matter.

7100 minus 1397 is 5703

11297 plus 5703 is 17000.

That 11297 is everything you can add. Not a max tow number.

7100 is GVWR
5703 is base weight
17000 is GCWR.

Your truck has 3.92 gears

A 3.21 equiped truck would be 13900 GCWR

And its numbers would be

1397 payload and 8197 tow.

It can not tow a 8197 lb trailer either. That is what can be added. Passengers. Cargo. Hitch. Tongue weight. Trailer.

 

[AmericanRebelution]

So basically if you buy a Dodge Ram and have 3 friends (225lbs x4 ) in the truck with you, you cant even haul a yeti cooler full of beer in the bed or your going to be over payload capacity.

Not exactly. If you buy certain half ton trucks (not brand specific) that are loaded up with many options, you may not be able to haul all your beer - you may have to go with liquor.

My payload is over 1600. I can haul buddies and lots of beer. My buddies will just have to go without some fancy options.

 

[cj7]

So I just picked up my new 2021 ram Laramie ccsb 5.7 e torque with every option except air ride ( it was on the lot and checked all the boxes for the price) Tried towing my 32` keystone cougar last night and boy was it kinda sketchy even with a wd hitch. The camper is 8300 lbs with 1100 lbs of tongue weight. Told the dealer exactly what I had for a camper and he said it wouldn't be a issue. Now im thinking I should have done a little more research on the truck. I just ordered the helper bags. Any help would be appreciated

What exactly was “sketchy”? That would help inform some suggestions...

 

[Aseras]

Another way to see what your truck is rated at, is to go to this web site and put in your vin number. Then deduct all the added weights you pull or load, including people, trailer tongue weight and anything else you tow or haul. You might be surprised at what you find out. - www.ramtrucks.com/towing-guide.htm then click on towing capability then towing guide then look up my vehicle. That's where you enter your Vin.

FCAs towing lookup by vin is so wrong for so many trucks. Use the door jamb.

 

[Seadoorxpguy]

Figured id post a update from when I first started this adventure. Helper bags, load range E tires and a Hensley arrow w/d hitch. I drove from Connecticut to Florida then to Texas and back to Connecticut. Made a world of difference. I could cruise at 65 and the trailer never moved at all. The Hensley is worth every dollar. I've put about 6k miles total towing my camper now.

 

[silver billet]

How easy does the Hensley work in real life? If you are parked on an angle (left to right) or on a slope (up and down) etc is it still easy to hook back up, or do you have to be pretty much straight and flat?

 

[silver billet]

And second question; how much of a pain is it to go from towing an rv with the hensley, to the same truck pulling (say) a small fishing with a standard hitch? So does the hensley mount kind of permanently to your truck or can you just as easily swap the the truck bits out and put in a standard hitch when you need to tow something else?

 

[Seadoorxpguy]

The flatter the surface the easier it is to back the stinger into the hitch box. I’ve done it a few times when the truck was on a pretty steep angle and it wasn’t a big deal. As far as the hitch itself. Most of it stays on the trailer. So there’s no heavy w/d head you have to wrestle out of your truck. Pretty much just a drop hitch bar with no ball on it.

 

[Aseras]

Aside from the lower payload this is where the air suspension is great when towing. I can lower the truck, back up and line up the hitch and then raise the truck to snatch the trailer all from inside the truck. Then I just need to lock it and put on the tow chains and lights. Don't even need to crank the jack. Just flip it up and go.

 

[Seadoorxpguy]

The Hensley hitch doesn't work that way btw.

 

[cj7]

I have the ProPride version, and haven’t had an issue. You can use the weight distribution adjusters to angle the trailer-side receiver to match the stinger, and between the tongue jack and air suspension, get them at the same height.

i leave the stinger in the trailer receiver when not towing the TT, as I have another hitch (Recirve R6, which is very good) for the cargo trailer.

 

[silver billet]

Is there a significant difference between the ProPride and Hensley?

 

[Seadoorxpguy]

Basically same hitch, there is a long drawn out backstory on the facebook groups. Both are well made and worth every penny. You cant sway a trailer if you tried

 

[nc_beagle]

Help me with my Propride math. I see the P3-800 hitch weighs 195#, I'll round up to 200#.

My payload is 1317#, but figure 1250# if I leave the tonneau cover on.
My camper's max weight is 6200# so 750# of tongue weight at 12% (rounded up.)

So, 1250-200-750=300# remaining payload if I installed a propride and had the trailer fully loaded, correct?

That, for me, would mean I couldn't have me, my wife, and our two beagles in the truck. Well, we'd be right on the edge of 300# combined, without anything she'd want to have in the truck with her.

 

[Seadoorxpguy]

I hate to admit this but I'm well over my payload whenever I set out on a trip. But I'm stuck with the truck and had to make due. My payload is under 1400 lbs. My camper pin weight is around 1100, plus my Hensley on paper I'm not even allowed to sit in the truck. My truck pulls and stops completely fine. Id say if you already have the truck and the camper and cannot upgrade do everything you can to make it safer.