One minor correction - our 2004 36RE3 has a 16,000 lb GVWR.
Yep, I had to resign from the "weight police" in August 2004. They ripped off my stripes, badge, took my calculator and everything. It was really a sad ceremony!!
Actually, the Dodge handles it very well, but power was never a concern (my "not quite stock" truck makes 347 BHP and 762 lb-ft at the rear wheels, per a Dynojet 246C chassis dyno - with the 15% drivetrain loss rule-of-thumb, that equates to approximately 408 BHP and 896 lb-ft at the flywheel). Rather, I was more concerned about overheating, stopping, turning, ride, etc. The results of these are:
1. We've pulled in 105 degF ambient temps, and the truck still runs at its normal 195 degF that it always has when towing.
2. The rig stops better than our previous 5th wheel. I credit the larger, self-adjusting brakes (no one-wheel lockup under hard stops like I had before) and the Jordan Ultima 2020 controller.
3. In turns, I can definitely tell this 5th wheel is heavier. I've just learned to dial things back a notch and leave my SCCA competition license at home.
4. The truck/trailer ride better than our previous 5th wheel. Much less fore-and-aft "chucking", less vertical motion, etc. I attribute this to (a.) the trailer's Mor-Ryde equalizers and (b.) the fact that the truck is no longer bouncing off the overload springs like it was with our previous 5th wheel.
No, I don't recommend towing overweight. All of our RVing life, however, we've been in the "bigger RV/bigger truck/bigger RV/bigger truck" cycle - just a fact of life. Right now, we have the bigger RV. I'll be moving to a bigger truck - if Dodge doesn't come out with the much anticipated 4500/5500 series MegaCab with the 6.7L or 8.3L Cummins, I'll probably have to build a MDT around a Peterbilt 330/335 or Freightliner FL60/70.
Rusty