Towing Questions

[SacredSub]

Hello all. I am new to the Ram world, well pickups/trucks in general. I have a few questions about towing and what is needed.

1: I know I have the Class III bumper hitch, but I am wanting the receiver that goes underneath the rear bumper. I've looked to see what I need and it appears that I might have the bar that the receiver goes onto already on my pickup. Would it be best to just go to the dealer or ask an autopart store if I just need the receiver or the full assembly?

2: I have the 7-pin wiring harness already on the vehicle. Is there anything specific I need to get to put into there to tow?

3: Is there anything else I need in order to tow trailers with the pickup?

Thank you for your kind responses!

 

[cj7]

What truck do you have? Can u post a pick of what’s u def the rear bumper? Same for the 7 pin.

Usually, the trailer has a 4 or 7 pin plug that connects with the truck’ s receptacle. So, normally, you just need the wiring the trailer comes with.

What r u planning to tow?

 

[SacredSub]

Its a 2021 Ram 1500 Big Horn. I'll try and get a picture of it after work.

I'm planning on towing, at the moment, an enclosed uhaul trailer to help family move.

 

[cj7]

What options/packages do you have on your truck? Like H1 or H2 or Big Horn pkg, etc?

 

[Andymax]

I'm a bit confused by your wording... I assume by "bumper hitch" you are referring to the "receiver tube", in the picture, commonly referred to simply as the receiver. It also seems when you say "receiver" you are referring to the "ball mount" in the picture. Ball mount is also referred to as a draw bar...same thing. The ball mount/drawbar is usually selected for it's towing class (I, II, III, IV, etc), and ball height (from the ground to the top of the ball). You can get ball mounts at Walmart, auto parts stores, Harbor Freight, etc. Ask Uhaul what size ball you need and it'll be easy to find a ball mount/ball combo.

Most all trailers will come with the wiring, safety chains, and if there are electric brakes it will have a breakaway switch cable.

Most, if not all, UHaul trailers come with the 4-pin wiring and it will plug right in to your truck.

If this is literally your first time towing I'd strongly recommend going to an empty-ish parking lot and familiarizing yourself with how to make tight turns, etc...swing wide.

 

[SacredSub]

What options/packages do you have on your truck? Like H1 or H2 or Big Horn pkg, etc?

It has the Big Horn package.

I'm a bit confused by your wording... I assume by "bumper hitch" you are referring to the "receiver tube", in the picture, commonly referred to simply as the receiver. It also seems when you say "receiver" you are referring to the "ball mount" in the picture. Ball mount is also referred to as a draw bar...same thing. The ball mount/drawbar is usually selected for it's towing class (I, II, III, IV, etc), and ball height (from the ground to the top of the ball). You can get ball mounts at Walmart, auto parts stores, Harbor Freight, etc. Ask Uhaul what size ball you need and it'll be easy to find a ball mount/ball combo.

Most all trailers will come with the wiring, safety chains, and if there are electric brakes it will have a breakaway switch cable.

Most, if not all, UHaul trailers come with the 4-pin wiring and it will plug right in to your truck.

If this is literally your first time towing I'd strongly recommend going to an empty-ish parking lot and familiarizing yourself with how to make tight turns, etc...swing wide.

By bumper hitch, there is a hole in the rear bumper that I can place a ball in. On the pickup there is no receiver (square tubing to put ball into). I think there is the tubing to put the receiver on, but I'm not sure.

 

[cj7]

Last time I checked, the Big Horn pkg included the Class IV receiver.
if true, you’ve got a 2” square hole under the rear bumper. That’s where your drawbar (sometimes called a ball mount) would go. The drawbar will have a hitch ball on it, which is where the trailer would connect with the truck.

So, to tow a uHaul cargo trailer (enclosed box), you would need a 2” drawbar/ball mount with a 2” ball on it, and a couple inch drop (how much lower the ball is than the receiver tube). Walmart, eTrailer, the uHaul store, and a zillion places sells such. You’ll also need the hitch pin (holds the drawbar in place) and some grease to lube the ball. There will be several hundred pounds of weight pressing down on the ball, and the trailer will pivot on the ball as well.

Plus some time to practice. The truck plus trailer will take longer to stop. The trailer will take turns tighter than the truck, so you have to remember to drive the truck with bigger (wider than needed) turns. And backing up will take a fair amount of practice, as the trailer will seem to wander and exaggerate your inputs.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[SacredSub]

Last time I checked, the Big Horn pkg included the Class IV receiver.
if true, you’ve got a 2” square hole under the rear bumper. That’s where your drawbar (sometimes called a ball mount) would go. The drawbar will have a hitch ball on it, which is where the trailer would connect with the truck.

So, to tow a uHaul cargo trailer (enclosed box), you would need a 2” drawbar/ball mount with a 2” ball on it, and a couple inch drop (how much lower the ball is than the receiver tube). Walmart, eTrailer, the uHaul store, and a zillion places sells such. You’ll also need the hitch pin (holds the drawbar in place) and some grease to lube the ball. There will be several hundred pounds of weight pressing down on the ball, and the trailer will pivot on the ball as well.

Plus some time to practice. The truck plus trailer will take longer to stop. The trailer will take turns tighter than the truck, so you have to remember to drive the truck with bigger (wider than needed) turns. And backing up will take a fair amount of practice, as the trailer will seem to wander and exaggerate your inputs.

Good luck and have fun!

I don’t have the square under the rear bumper. I think I have the tubing that it attaches to, but I’m not sure on that part

 

[cj7]

I don’t have the square under the rear bumper. I think I have the tubing that it attaches to, but I’m not sure on that part

Will need to see the pics.
a Big Horn (trim) with either Big Horn package, has the receiver.
a Big Horn without either Big Horn package, doesn’t have the receiver.

If you don’t have the receiver, it’s an easy add for your dealer. I would definitely have the Mopar hitch installed, over any other aftermarket hitch. It’s a bolt on installation that is well built and meets all the standards.

You will be vastly better off with the receiver, than sticking with the bumper ball.

 

[Andymax]

I don’t have the square under the rear bumper. I think I have the tubing that it attaches to, but I’m not sure on that part

Did you buy this truck used? This sounds like a former rental truck...they removed the hitches so renters wouldn't tow with them. As you can see, your truck should have a receiver. Sounds like you might need to have Uhaul install one. I dont know, but I would be surprised if they allow you to tow from the rear bumper.

 

[Rlaf75]

It would help if you had a couple pictures of the bumper so we can better understand what you need. Also, does that enclosed trailer you plan on towing have brakes? The 7 pin connector is for trailer brakes and the 4 pin is without brakes. You also need to have the trailer brake controller on the truck if you're using the 7 pin. Again pictures of your current setup would help

 

[SacredSub]

Hopefully this can help.

 

[cj7]

Here’s the list:
- Mopar Class IV receiver
- 4 & 7 pin trailer connector (if not already on the truck)
- drawbar (aka ball mount), pin and 2 or 2.5” ball, depending on the trailer.
- some form of brake controller, either the Mopar integrated one or an add-on like the Curt Spectrum (I happen to have one of those extra...)
- misc fuses to enable trailer connector and power
- small amount of grease to lube the ball

thats all I can think of at the moment...

 

[pkman]

Hi - new to this forum and this is the closest match I could find for my question: Is there a plug in connection under the dash to install an aftermarket brake controller? Just got this truck - 2020 new body Bighorn with tow package but no brake controller. I think the harness I have from my Grand Cherokee might work, but not sure where to plug it in. TIA

 

[swoter]

Yes, if you have the 7 pin wiring. There are videos on utube about this. Mine did not have a controller either, so I had dealer install a factory one.