So you want to tow a camper! Discussion thread.

[Croaker]

I tow a 30’ TT that has a 7200# dry weight. My truck has the Ecodiesel and 3.92 anti-slip rear end.
One of the most important features about modern weight distribution hitches is Sway Control. I have this hitch….

Equal-i-zer Weight Distribution w/ 4-Point Sway Control​

I really like this hitch. I have towed many miles and up and down steep grades without any issues. Large semi trucks can blow by me and never disturb the truck/trailer stability. This WDH also allows tight turns without removing the bars.
The weight of the loaded truck/trailer is close to capacity, so I added “AirLift 1000” airbags which helped to prevent rear end squatting. The air bags can be inflated when towing and deflated for improved ride for daily driving. They have been installed on my truck now for five years with no issues.
The brakes on my truck/trailer stop as expected. I have 50,000 miles on my truck and the brakes are still in good shape.
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[Trooper4]

I tow a 30’ TT that has a 7200# dry weight. My truck has the Ecodiesel and 3.92 anti-slip rear end.
One of the most important features about modern weight distribution hitches is Sway Control. I have this hitch….

Equal-i-zer Weight Distribution w/ 4-Point Sway Control​

I really like this hitch. I have towed many miles and up and down steep grades without any issues. Large semi trucks can blow by me and never disturb the truck/trailer stability. This WDH also allows tight turns without removing the bars.
The weight of the loaded truck/trailer is close to capacity, so I added “AirLift 1000” airbags witch helped to prevent rear end squatting. The air bags can be inflated when towing and deflated for improved ride for daily driving. They have been installed on my truck now for five years with no issues.
The brakes on my truck/trailer stop as expected. I have 50,000 miles on my truck and the breakers are still in good shape.
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View attachment 100153

How does the ECO-D do with that trailer? Decent mpg?

 

[Croaker]

How does the ECO-D do with that trailer? Decent mpg?

I get 14-16 mpg depending on how flat the road is.

 

[Bt10]

I didn't search this whole thread, and I've read some of the others about sway, but maybe a dumb question is - why doesn't Ram list the types and proper setup of hitches for the link suspension in a manual somewhere? Sure would take a lot of the complaining away. Former 1/2 ton GM leaf spring tow'er, white knucklin'.

 

[IvoryHemi]

I didn't search this whole thread, and I've read some of the others about sway, but maybe a dumb question is - why doesn't Ram list the types and proper setup of hitches for the link suspension in a manual somewhere? Sure would take a lot of the complaining away. Former 1/2 ton GM leaf spring tow'er, white knucklin'.

Every setup is different. There is nothing special about setting up the WDH with the standard coil springs.

The optional air suspension is a different story

 

[brian42]

I didn't search this whole thread, and I've read some of the others about sway, but maybe a dumb question is - why doesn't Ram list the types and proper setup of hitches for the link suspension in a manual somewhere? Sure would take a lot of the complaining away. Former 1/2 ton GM leaf spring tow'er, white knucklin'.

The more stuff RAM officially says, the more stuff RAM is legally accountable for.

 

[Croaker]

The trailer dealer should steer you in the right direction. (Pardon the pun)

 

[d2theave]

Hello – At the end of the month, I am going to be going on my first road trip with a camper. I have read mixed responses regarding the process of hooking up the camper when factory air suspension is installed.

Others have commented to follow the steps in manual and set to jack mode before attaching the camper and so on. Is that what you all do, if you have air suspension, or do you not bother with the jack mode enablement and just hook up in normal height?

Also, will the truck adjust its ride height to Aero when I am trailering and if so, could that cause a problem? Should I disable Aero mode via the menu and lastly does Tow / Haul change anything with the suspension changing height - like stops it from occurring?

Sorry for all the questions – just want to make sure that I am doing it all correctly.

2020 RAM 1500 LIMITED CREW CAB

Thank you

 

[IvoryHemi]

Hello – At the end of the month, I am going to be going on my first road trip with a camper. I have read mixed responses regarding the process of hooking up the camper when factory air suspension is installed.

Others have commented to follow the steps in manual and set to jack mode before attaching the camper and so on. Is that what you all do, if you have air suspension, or do you not bother with the jack mode enablement and just hook up in normal height?

Also, will the truck adjust its ride height to Aero when I am trailering and if so, could that cause a problem? Should I disable Aero mode via the menu and lastly does Tow / Haul change anything with the suspension changing height - like stops it from occurring?

Sorry for all the questions – just want to make sure that I am doing it all correctly.

2020 RAM 1500 LIMITED CREW CAB

Thank you

You need to adjust/setup your WDH in tire jack mode.

I have automatic Aero Mode disabled, and manually adjust my height. I only tow in Aero

Tow/Haul doesn’t change suspension height by itself. But if you have automatic Aero mode on, then Tow/Haul will keep you at Normal height

 

[dannymcd]

Well here you go, the truck, myself, 2 kids, and a 6800lb trailer, with a 1000lbs to spare for extra junk.

2019 Ram 1500 5.7l 3.21 Laramie, sunroof, adaptive cruise package, 5100 lift, 1000HD air lift, weigh safe WDH, Michelin Agilis Crossclimate e rated 275/65r20's and a soft topper.

 

[Redfour5]

I didn't search this whole thread, and I've read some of the others about sway, but maybe a dumb question is - why doesn't Ram list the types and proper setup of hitches for the link suspension in a manual somewhere? Sure would take a lot of the complaining away. Former 1/2 ton GM leaf spring tow'er, white knucklin'.

Three days after they would put it in writing someone would sue them... Of course it might as soon as less than a day.

 

[Cliffrunner88]

Weigh My Truck - Home page

Onto the owners who have both the truck and camper. And the next step for the process.

A CAT scale will tell you exactly where you are with your set up.

The 3 weigh approach will give you all your weights and you can then judge them against your ratings.

Go to the site at the top and download their app. Find the closest one to you. Hook up your camper how you would for your trip.

Pull up to the scale. There are 3 pads. Steer axle, Drive axle, and trailer axle. Pull onto the scale. Front axle on the first pad. Rear axle on the second pad. Trailer axle(s) on the third.

This will give you the weight with your WDH attached. You can then either pull off and unhook the bars...or if you are alone there(no-one else waiting) JUST unhook on the scale and weigh again. This will show how much weight you took from your front axle.

Then pull off. Unhook the camper. Pull back on the scale and weigh just your truck. This will help you calculate tongue weight.

Maybe I’m missing something but sort of defeats the purpose if you’re trying to find out if you CAN tow it, if you just hooked it all up and drove all the way there to see…lol

 

[devildodge]

Maybe I’m missing something but sort of defeats the purpose if you’re trying to find out if you CAN tow it, if you just hooked it all up and drove all the way there to see…lol

For people who already own both...they already made the leap.

Very first sentence.

For setting up the camper...

 

[Willwork4truck]

Not gonna' comment on what vehicle he had, what hitch (can't see it), what length the trailer was, don't know how fast he was going or anything else...
Just to say that a longer trailer can cause the "tail wagging the dog" situation like the video shows.

Edit- Aside from SUV's as TV's, bumper pull trailer physics causes TT's to be less stable than 5vers, (but most all 150/1500's cannot tow a fiver safely so the long bumper pulls are often used by peeps with families).
Trailer weight and length vs the TV's weight and wheelbase is also a big deal. So is speed, winds, TV tires, type of hitch and driver experience.

All this to say: don't be this guy... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siVH_cr5ZnE
(Start at 50 seconds, you can stop at 1:10) Somewhere in the latter part the commercial driver said that there were no serious injuries. Credit seat belts and maybe air bags for that.

 

[Willwork4truck]

Can't quite tell if this is staged or photoshopped image, however I'd sure hope it was...

 

[dfrink]

Just installed some ride rite coil spring bags, thought i would share a before and after. It made quite a difference in the ride and squat. My tongue weight is around 700 lbs, TT is 26ft hitch to tire and 5,300 lbs. Using a Recurve r3 WDH

I just ordered a set of these for my 1500. I'm good on spec for tow capacity (according to my calculations). I have a tradesman with the max tow capacity for our trucks. Towing a Coleman 2455 BH, 5700lb dry, 662 hitch weight. I'm using a eaz-lift 800 (10,000 gw, 1,000 tongue). When the WDH is hooked up my front stays within a half inch, but my rear sags close to 2 inches. I'm guessing this may be in part due to the coil springs on this truck? I had the WDH setup at a local reputable shop. The truck feels good when towing, but I don't like the sag. My understanding is that I need to figure out the right PSI for the bags, and then look at setting up the WDH again. Curious on what PSI to start with? Also, can I take measurement at the wheel wells before and after hooking up and possibly avoid having to re-do the WDH? Assuming that the front stays even and the rear only settles .5-1" after being hooked up would that be safe?

 

[Redfour5]

I just ordered a set of these for my 1500. I'm good on spec for tow capacity (according to my calculations). I have a tradesman with the max tow capacity for our trucks. Towing a Coleman 2455 BH, 5700lb dry, 662 hitch weight. I'm using a eaz-lift 800 (10,000 gw, 1,000 tongue). When the WDH is hooked up my front stays within a half inch, but my rear sags close to 2 inches. I'm guessing this may be in part due to the coil springs on this truck? I had the WDH setup at a local reputable shop. The truck feels good when towing, but I don't like the sag. My understanding is that I need to figure out the right PSI for the bags, and then look at setting up the WDH again. Curious on what PSI to start with? Also, can I take measurement at the wheel wells before and after hooking up and possibly avoid having to re-do the WDH? Assuming that the front stays even and the rear only settles .5-1" after being hooked up would that be safe?

Two inches is pretty normal for any truck irrespective of springs. You put around 800 lbs tongue weight on a hitch (full 30 lb propane tanks/two batteries) and something is going down. It's when you start going over three, your view up front is compromised and the front end feels light that you should be very concerned. Adjusting the WDH can address sag in back and should be done first. Look at the videos of your set up. They are out there I am pretty sure. I had the airbags on my 2015 and left them at three psi when NOT towing. I only put them at around 10 to 12 psi when towing. The "guy" at the dealership had a Ram 1500 pulling a slightly bigger trailer than mine and had the same airbags and said that was what he did and after experimenting that was what he felt worked best. He took pride in the sag on truck was less than an inch "before" I put the airbags on per his adjustment of the WDH. He took a washer out during the install. Adjusting the WDH is the priority with the air bags secondary. They should not be depended upon to compensate for a WDH that is not adjusted correctly.

 

[dfrink]

Thank you for your response. I am fairly certain WDH is set up correct. When hooked up the trailer is level, front fenders on the truck come up less then 1/2”, bars sit parallel to the trailer frame. I’m not sure what else I can adjust, unless I need 1000lb bars (currently at 800lb).

Maybe it looks worse because I have a 2” level in front (bilstein). Uga40’s before photo in his post are almost exactly my truck. I want the after photo!

 

[silver billet]

Thank you for your response. I am fairly certain WDH is set up correct. When hooked up the trailer is level, front fenders on the truck come up less then 1/2”, bars sit parallel to the trailer frame. I’m not sure what else I can adjust, unless I need 1000lb bars (currently at 800lb).

Maybe it looks worse because I have a 2” level in front (bilstein). Uga40’s before photo in his post are almost exactly my truck. I want the after photo!

Lifts are bad idea for towing, that's most definitely what you're issue is; you're starting out with a level truck and reducing the factory rake which is there specifically to give you some room to sag when you attach a trailer.

You shouldn't go overboard with the bars; too strong bars are just as bad as too weak, as long as your tongue weight is < 90% of the rated bar then I would stick with those.

 

[5thGenLoco]

I just ordered a set of these for my 1500. I'm good on spec for tow capacity (according to my calculations). I have a tradesman with the max tow capacity for our trucks. Towing a Coleman 2455 BH, 5700lb dry, 662 hitch weight. I'm using a eaz-lift 800 (10,000 gw, 1,000 tongue). When the WDH is hooked up my front stays within a half inch, but my rear sags close to 2 inches. I'm guessing this may be in part due to the coil springs on this truck? I had the WDH setup at a local reputable shop. The truck feels good when towing, but I don't like the sag. My understanding is that I need to figure out the right PSI for the bags, and then look at setting up the WDH again. Curious on what PSI to start with? Also, can I take measurement at the wheel wells before and after hooking up and possibly avoid having to re-do the WDH? Assuming that the front stays even and the rear only settles .5-1" after being hooked up would that be safe?

Out of curiosity, how did you measure the loaded tongue weight?