Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
RV Trip Planning Discussions

Go Back   iRV2 Forums > TRAVEL TRAILER, 5th WHEEL & TRUCK CAMPER FORUMS > Trailer Towing and Tow Vehicles Discussion
Click Here to Login
Join iRV2 Today

Mission Statement: Supporting thoughtful exchange of knowledge, values and experience among RV enthusiasts.
Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on iRV2
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 11-28-2014, 04:53 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 104
1500 v. 2500 ????

We have narrowed our trailer search to the Forest River Puma 30RKSS (6,997 & 977 hitch) and Crossroads Rezerve 28RK (7,006 & 782 hitch).

Can we tow either of these trailers with a Ram 1500 with a 3.92 axle and tow package (and WDH)?

There are 2 of us in the truck and about 1,000 of stuff. We travel with dry tanks also.

Any feedback would be appreciated.
Lori Meyer is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 11-28-2014, 05:02 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
vsheetz's Avatar


 
Fleetwood Owners Club
Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: SoCal
Posts: 15,749
Many threads here about trucks, and the suitability of a 1/2 ton vs 3/4 ton vs 1 ton.

Are you buying the truck or already have the 1/2 ton? If buying I would go bigger than the minimums as you will surely be over in the end when fully loaded with all your stuff.
__________________
Vince and Susan
2011 Tiffin Phaeton 40QTH (Cummins ISC/Freightliner)
Flat towing a modified 2005 Jeep (Rubicon Wrangler)
Previously a 2002 Fleetwood Pace Arrow 37A and a 1995 Safari Trek 2830.
vsheetz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2014, 05:12 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Ca
Posts: 1,076
Its just as easy to drive a SRW 3500 as a 1500 and you don't have to worry about what they can tow.
timetogo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2014, 05:42 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
keymastr's Avatar
 
Outdoors RV Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,539
Those weights are not accurate. You need to know what the gross weight of the trailer is, not the dry weight. The tongue weight will be approximately 13 % of that weight. You Then you need to know the payload capacity of the truck which can be found on the drivers door sill. There will be a sticker with tire and axle loading info for your particular truck. All 1500 trucks will pull more than both of those trailers but many will not have the payload capability to carry the tongue weight. Cargo capacity will be your limiting factors and you should use the trailer gross weight to figure that out.
keymastr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2014, 06:28 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 401
My sister in law had a Dodge 1/2 ton with a hemi.. she was told she could tow up to 9,000+ so she bought a 27' TT and took a trip.. the TT whipped her truck back and forth .... and she was concerned about the brakes..

If you don't have the truck now... and are buying one... I'd get the 2500hd at minimum, larger engine, larger springs, larger tires, and larger brakes.

I have a GMC 2500HD 2007 new chassis.. it pulls our Jayco 26RKS great with the tow haul mode on.. don't even know it's behind me and I hand that to the larger frame and capabilities of the 2500HD... Get your self the best weight distributing hitch with sway control you can afford... you won't regret it
davidki is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-29-2014, 12:35 AM   #6
Registered User
 
Outdoors RV Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: La Verne, Calif
Posts: 3,649
I can answer that. I have a 14 Ram 2500 CCSB diesel 4x4 and a Wind River 250rdsw, 31 feet and 6900 dry. My son has a 14 Ram 1500 hemi 8 speed CC 6.4 bed, 3.92 gears . I towed that TT all over Oregon this year with my 2500 and it was great. Went down the Columbia Gorge with 40 MPH + winds, not a problem. My son hooked up his utility trailer with quads and filled the bed with camping gear and his rear axle is less than an inch off the bump stops. There is no way I would pull my TT with his truck and I don't care what you do to it. Some will argue with me but I know and I would not do it. Brakes, suspension, and just everything is built to tow on the 2500. I think the 1500 would do a good job on TT's <5000 pounds and <28 foot. BTW, I get 21MPG on the highway not towing, that's a 8000 pound 4x4 diesel. My son's 1500 gets the same.
Highway 4x4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-29-2014, 04:39 AM   #7
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 401
Highway 4x4 how do you get 21mpg on the highway not towing.. most folks I see with the newer diesels are telling me they are getting at best 12 -14mpg not towing and about 10mpg towing. I was at one point thinking of getting a diesel but the earlier comments on gas consumption on the new trucks steered me away. Diesel here in Tn is about 1.00 more than gas (30%) it is way crazy!
davidki is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-29-2014, 06:50 AM   #8
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 21
I get an easy 20mpg on the highway with my 3500 drw diesel not towing. I can do even better if I keep the speed down.
sdrutledge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-29-2014, 06:59 AM   #9
IC2
Senior Member
 
IC2's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Upstate New York
Posts: 3,722
When we were pulling a pretty heavy 27' TT my F150 did an OK job. It was well within the GCVW rating, had a WDH and was level even without that hitch. I needed a sway control as the two vehicles tended to 'twitch' a little bit. We then decided to look for a 5th wheel, so I found the perfect truck, an F350 but couldn't find the 'right' 5er so ended up pulling that TT for a season. What difference!! No wiggle, really didn't need the WDH but used it at a lower chain link and the sway control was never used again. The brakes worked much better with no fade as I had experienced on some mountain roads. The F350 also had a rear sway bar, something the F150 didn't have. As far as gas mileage, the F150 with a 5.4 engine was better without the trailer by 3-4 mpg but towing, both did about 10mpg. With the last 5er, usually about 8mpg (it was a very heavy unit). Now, I have a 6.7 diesel - and a pretty big new 5er (38'). Towing it will get 12-13.4 mpg, open road, no tow 20-21mpg highway, around town in summer - 16.4, in winter it drops to 14-15 with the winter blend fuel. This truck with a CAT scale truck weighs in at 8360#. What you have to factor in with the diesel are the added costs - purchase $8000+ for the engine, maintenance - 13 quarts of oil, a fairly expensive oil filter, then every other oil change time, a couple kinda costly fuel filters as well. Then there is the DEF (diesel exhaust fluid @5 gallons/5-6000 miles).

Ford, GM and Dodge all have decent, even great gas engines and all have 150/1500 limitations which are virtually negated by going up 1 or 2 steps to the 250/2500 or 350/3500 models. If you are worried about poor gas mileage - then maybe you should consider other pasttimes as RVing is not inexpensive - but you probably already know that
__________________
Dave W
2011 Ford F250 6.7 Lariat CCLB, Gone but not forgotten
2014 Montana High Country 343RL (sold it!)
IC2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-29-2014, 07:08 AM   #10
Senior Member
 
TDI-Minnie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,781
Quote:
Originally Posted by davidki View Post
Highway 4x4 how do you get 21mpg on the highway not towing.. most folks I see with the newer diesels are telling me they are getting at best 12 -14mpg not towing and about 10mpg towing. I was at one point thinking of getting a diesel but the earlier comments on gas consumption on the new trucks steered me away. Diesel here in Tn is about 1.00 more than gas (30%) it is way crazy!
21mpg highway is no problem with my Cummins. I can get higher if I "try". Around town average is 18.5mpg.
We towed 5,300 miles on our trip this summer and average was 14.3mpg. And I made no effort at it, in fact, I held 73mph most of the time on the highway. But usually I get 15+ towing.

No question about the truck decision... get the 2500.
__________________
Manny & Larissa
2013 Winnebago 2301BH-Red
2012 Ram 2500 Megacab HO CTD
TDI-Minnie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-29-2014, 07:59 AM   #11
Senior Member
 
wandering1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: NC
Posts: 578
Send a message via ICQ to wandering1
Now that you know what the trailer weighs read the manufacturers towing specs for the trucks and get one that will handle the trailer weight. You are legally responsible for having an adequate tow vehicle. Get the facts not personal opinions from expert wannabes.
__________________
Wandering1
wandering1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-29-2014, 09:35 AM   #12
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Oregon
Posts: 6,621
Simple answer is a big NO!.
Ram 1500's won't have enough payload to carry the TT's TW and passengers.
Haven't you asked these kinds of questions several times before? You always seem to be trying to match up a heavy TT with a light weigt truck. Also why do you keep leaning towards Ram trucks? Ford has some of the highest payload ratings of 1/2 tons.


You can get a Max Tow F150 Crew Cab that will have payload rating of 1800-1850lbs. Most Rams are in the 1400lb range.
Cumminsfan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-29-2014, 11:18 AM   #13
Registered User
 
Outdoors RV Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: La Verne, Calif
Posts: 3,649
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cumminsfan View Post
Simple answer is a big NO!.
Ram 1500's won't have enough payload to carry the TT's TW and passengers.
Haven't you asked these kinds of questions several times before? You always seem to be trying to match up a heavy TT with a light weigt truck. Also why do you keep leaning towards Ram trucks? Ford has some of the highest payload ratings of 1/2 tons.


You can get a Max Tow F150 Crew Cab that will have payload rating of 1800-1850lbs. Most Rams are in the 1400lb range.
To the OP,
You seem to be all over the place with your RV choice looking at a few of your posts. The answers here are not always what you want to hear but we are just trying to keep you safe. If you want to tow a 7K, 30+ ft trailer with a 1500 just go ask the trailer salesman as it will probably be a yes from him. You're not going to like the tow through the Rocky Mtns. If you already have a 1500 then get the right size TT for it, not 30ft and 7K pounds. If you want a large TT then get the correct TV for it. We will all be safer.
Highway 4x4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-30-2014, 08:09 AM   #14
Senior Member
 
NFlcamper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Posts: 614
Quote:
Originally Posted by davidki View Post
Highway 4x4 how do you get 21mpg on the highway not towing.. most folks I see with the newer diesels are telling me they are getting at best 12 -14mpg not towing and about 10mpg towing. I was at one point thinking of getting a diesel but the earlier comments on gas consumption on the new trucks steered me away. Diesel here in Tn is about 1.00 more than gas (30%) it is way crazy!
I have a 2006 Dodge 2500 with the 5.9 Cummins and have managed to get 19.8 mpg not towing when I had my Michelin tires. The tires I have now, I can squeeze 17.8 mpg. Mind you these numbers are doing 65 on the highway and not being in a hurry. 70 mph and accelerating rapidly, drops mileage to 14.8 with current tires. Considering the best tank I ever got with my GMC 1500 Z71 4x4 was 16.9 mpg on gasoline, in the Florida Keys, where the max speed limit is 55 and most of the Keys is 45 mph. I'll take paying a $1 more to get 3 mpg better highway and overall average. Average MPG on gas for me was 13 MPG/ diesel is 16 mpg. Truck is stock now, and I hope to add a programmer for economy and towing soon. None of that super performance and smoke out of the exhaust for me.

Figure this: Just 20 gallons = $20 more for diesel. 20 x the 3 miles better = 60 more miles per tank of diesel. 13x4=52. So it will take just over 4 gallons of gasoline to go the same distance. 4x $3(per gallon/ avg price now) = $12. So, for $8 more per 20 gallons I have a truck that I do not have to stop as often for fuel, or worry if it will tow my trailer. These numbers are solo or NOT TOWING.

Put a trailer behind my gasser, and I got 7 mpg! I get almost 11 with diesel (10.8). 7mpg x 20 gallons of gas = 140 miles. 10.8 mpg x 20 gallons of diesel = 216 miles. 216-140=76 more miles or 10 plus more gallons of gasoline! 10 x $3 per gallon = $30 or $10 more to tow with gas! And this is just 216 MILES! I'll take diesel.
__________________
Bob and sometimes - Nina - a Staffordshire Terrier/a SPOILED pit and her kitty Spaz
2006 Dodge SLT 2500 4x4 Cummins Quad Cab w/AT and 3.73
2007 Salem Sport LE 26FBSRV (TH) w/ my Victory Motorcycle in it or a EZ GO Shuttle cart.
NFlcamper is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply



Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
2014 Ram 1500 4x4 diesel Dustdevil Toads and Motorhome Related Towing 8 11-23-2014 04:36 AM
2500 Suburban 8.1 Vortec Towing MPG dcarver Trailer Towing and Tow Vehicles Discussion 12 10-28-2014 08:12 AM
Dodge 2500 6.4 Hemi Gas Mileage ? rideandslide Trailer Towing and Tow Vehicles Discussion 6 07-28-2014 04:56 AM
Tires on your 2500 or F250 WE RV 2 Travel Trailer Discussion 16 04-02-2014 06:57 AM
Towing 1500 vs. 2500 trucks, any notable differnce? Manke Toads and Motorhome Related Towing 20 03-05-2014 07:14 AM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:32 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.