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New to truck world...new to towing.
- Thread starter fastsoup
- Start date
Subtle
nc_beagle
Ram Guru
Hang around. The people on here are great at helping you find ways to spend your money on your truck! LOL. 
Check back to this thread in a few months and let us know how much you've spent!
5thgenrams.com
Check back to this thread in a few months and let us know how much you've spent!
What have you spent on customization?
Everyone likes to personalize the looks and/or performance of their vehicle. I'm curious what people have spent on non-maintenance and repair items on their 5th Gen trucks. Things like window-tinting, new tires (assuming the old ones were not worn out,) engine mods, fuzzy dice, naked girl...
5thgenrams.com
Threesuns1
Ram Guru
I've seen several listed on FB Marketplace for half the price of new, some look pretty new.
Seriously? That is actually a thing?
Yeah my wife's already on the hunt
They have a bit of a following among the class A RV crowd where people tow big trailers with big buses. My concern is that they take tongue load off, but don't do much for the yaw stability problems that can arise from towing a big trailer with a smaller vehicle.Seriously? That is actually a thing?
Yeah my wife's already on the hunt
I did see that you can lock the caster if the sway gets too bad, making it significantly better than conventional towing with 2 spread solid axles. But I also was questioning the no tongue weight setup. I guess it works?
I assume you're talking about the Trailer Toad. That's interesting, I didn't know you could lock the caster. 
Assuming it lines up with the truck's rear axle, that could be similar to duals, giving you more sidewall stiffness (and therefore stability). It might make steering heavier, as you'd be scrubbing tires a bit. Can you lock/unlock by remote control? That might be convenient for low speed maneuvering. Sounds like it could work. I was aware of existence, but don't have anything big enough to need it. Sounds like you've looked at it a bit closer than I. Making me think. 
Assuming it lines up with the truck's rear axle, that could be similar to duals, giving you more sidewall stiffness (and therefore stability). It might make steering heavier, as you'd be scrubbing tires a bit. Can you lock/unlock by remote control? That might be convenient for low speed maneuvering. Sounds like it could work. I was aware of existence, but don't have anything big enough to need it. Sounds like you've looked at it a bit closer than I. Making me think. I went to their website and educated myself a bit. I'm going to have to walk back what I said about the locking pins. 
They are not there for forward motion, but so you can lock the caster while backing. So I don't know if they would work at all as "duals" as I first thought. And their decision to support all the tongue weight on the caster might play well with heavy tow vehicles, but not with pickup trucks light in the rear. They move the pivot point several feet farther back, which would tend to make yaw stability problems much worse, and then put not one but two stiff dampers on the caster to fix it. So I'm very conflicted about the thing.
They are not there for forward motion, but so you can lock the caster while backing. So I don't know if they would work at all as "duals" as I first thought. And their decision to support all the tongue weight on the caster might play well with heavy tow vehicles, but not with pickup trucks light in the rear. They move the pivot point several feet farther back, which would tend to make yaw stability problems much worse, and then put not one but two stiff dampers on the caster to fix it. So I'm very conflicted about the thing.
IvoryHemi
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7,200 lbs (GVWR) - 1,331 lbs (payload) = 5,869 lbs (curb weight)
15,600 (GCWR) - 5,869 = Your Max tow capacity of 9,731 lbs
Thanks for that...I also found out that RAM's website will provide towing capacity via VIN # which came up with the 9800lbs.
So this is what happened:
I ordered a WDH from Amazon with the intention of towing my trailer out of the park yesterday. On Sunday I got a "ordered cannot be delivered and is being shipped back".
I went to Lordco in a scramble and they didn't have a WDH in stock, but they did have the Curt 45900 in stock. Being in a tight spot, I bought it and here is what happened:
First picture was measurement of trailer level (coupler @ 20.6") and the hitch set to 23". That's how we left the park. During that initial drive, the truck definitely was doing a fine job, but I did feel "a little uneasy" on the hwy doing around 95kph. Now I don't know if that was the set up, or just the lack of towing time I have (one other time last year).
So we stopped at an RV rest stop and I decided to reset. I put the tounge jack down, flipped the trailer hitch and raised the ball to 25". Set the trailer back down and noticed a lot less squat. Decided to just set the hitch to the highest point and noticed even less squat...with the trailer being extremely level.
First picture was us pulling into the RV rest stop with the initial set up. Second pic & third are me making the adjustments mentioned above...last picture is us pulling into the dealer with that final setting. The drive from the RV rest spot to the dealer felt far more "compotent" then when we first left the camp site. Not sure if it was placebo or if raising the trailer did help...but we got er done. I really want to now get my hands on a WDH for when we take it from the dealer to the parking site to see if I actually can notice a difference.
So, two things happened when you raised the ball.
You tilted the trailer's weight a bit to the rear, which took a bit of load off the hitch and let more of the truck's normal weight down on the front steering wheels.
And you moved a bit more of the trailer's weight back onto its rear axle, moving the effective pivot point back, so you had more trailer following the truck and less "fishtail" behind the pivot point.
Ultimately, you'd like to have both truck and trailer close to level, and a WDH will help you do that. You'll probably feel at least as much improvement, probably more, after installing and setting up the WDH.
For that size trailer, I think I'd be considering at least a friction type sway control device also.
You tilted the trailer's weight a bit to the rear, which took a bit of load off the hitch and let more of the truck's normal weight down on the front steering wheels.
And you moved a bit more of the trailer's weight back onto its rear axle, moving the effective pivot point back, so you had more trailer following the truck and less "fishtail" behind the pivot point.
Ultimately, you'd like to have both truck and trailer close to level, and a WDH will help you do that. You'll probably feel at least as much improvement, probably more, after installing and setting up the WDH.
For that size trailer, I think I'd be considering at least a friction type sway control device also.
Quint
Well-Known Member
I tow my boat and snowmobiles without a WDH, but they don't weigh anywhere near your trailer weight. However, the key is to have everything level. So many people tow things where the tongue is angled down and then the front wheels of the tow vehicle are pulled up. That's a great way to get into a wreck when an emergency jumps out at you.
When towing a new setup, I always throw a level on the tongue to make sure it is level. You can even download phone apps that will acts as a level. Adjustable trailer hitches, or just using the right drop on a standard hitch, will work for most situations. Heavier trailers really benefit from the WDH. Just always make sure that you are level.
bigdodge
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this is pretty cool.
Agreed...that is why I adjusted it as high as I could and made it level as possible. The fact that I tow it 40 mins within city/little hwy limits, I just cannot justify buying a WDH for that. If I ever plan to take it up the interior into the mountain passes, a WDH will be a must.
SnowBlaZR2
Fuel Economy Champion
A lot can happen in 40 minutes with an unsafe setup.
But that's the point I am trying to establish...how is it unsafe? The Curt hitch I use allows me to level out the trailer...it's rated for 14klbs...and my truck can tow 9800lbs. Just because I don't have the sway bars on? I ensure that the two days I tow it out of the year that the weather is not inclement and road conditions are clear.
SnowBlaZR2
Fuel Economy Champion
I didn't say it was unsafe. I commented on the belief that only 40 minutes makes it OK. I don't know what you're pulling or what your weights look like. Put your truck and trailer on a scale, and that should answer your question.
My truck can tow over 11k lbs. That doesn't mean I can just hook up 11k lbs and call it good. My trailer weighs almost 7k lbs and that's about the max I'd consider safe without a lot of work.
