Need to know before I buy...

[powermaker]

I need a little help from the experts. We sold our travel trailer and have been shopping for fifth wheel toy haulers. After some research on here, I came to the realization that my single rear wheel Ram 2500 would not be quite up to the task. Well, I bought another truck a few days ago and have been in talks with two dealerships on a toy hauler.

Here is the question. Can I tow it safely within specs?

My truck: 2015 Ram 3500 DWR 6.7L Cummins, auto, Mega, 4x4, 68RFE, 3.73 gears

Rv specs: Grand Design Momentum 376TH,

Gross Weight 19500 lbs
Dry Weight 15900 lbs
Hitch Weight 3250 lbs


Also have the factory 5th wheel gooseneck pkg. and need recommendations on a good hitch that installs easily with the factory puck system. I'm thinking a slider, but have read on here from those that don't think its necessary.
Thanks for any help.
Scott

[jimcumminsw]

Originally Posted by powermaker

I need a little help from the experts. We sold our travel trailer and have been shopping for fifth wheel toy haulers. After some research on here, I came to the realization that my single rear wheel Ram 2500 would not be quite up to the task. Well, I bought another truck a few days ago and have been in talks with two dealerships on a toy hauler.

Here is the question. Can I tow it safely within specs?

My truck: 2015 Ram 3500 DWR 6.7L Cummins, auto, Mega, 4x4, 68RFE, 3.73 gears

Rv specs: Grand Design Momentum 376TH,

Gross Weight 19500 lbs
Dry Weight 15900 lbs
Hitch Weight 3250 lbs


Also have the factory 5th wheel gooseneck pkg. and need recommendations on a good hitch that installs easily with the factory puck system. I'm thinking a slider, but have read on here from those that don't think its necessary.
Thanks for any help.
Scott

You can but not fully loaded on the trailer side; the total combination weight is a maximum of 27,300 LBS.


The long bed truck will not require a slider hitch only with a short bed truck is a slider required. Since you have a Mega Cab you will need a slider hitch; I would look at B&W slider hitches as these are design for the factory puck system on the truck.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by powermaker

Here is the question. Can I tow it safely within specs?

My truck: 2015 Ram 3500 DWR 6.7L Cummins, auto, Mega, 4x4, 68RFE, 3.73 gears

Rv specs: Grand Design Momentum 376TH,

Gross Weight 19500 lbs

No, you cannot tow a 19k 5er with a 1-ton dually pickup without being overloaded. If you already own the pickup, then look for a trailer with several thousand pounds less gross weight. Or trade up for a 4500 or 5500 Ram chassis cab with Cummins diesel, Assian tranny, and GCWR over 32,000 pounds.

An F-450 pickup is a lot stronger than a 3500 MegaCab pickup, but even the F-450 pickup is not strong enough to tow a 19k 5er without being overloaded.

Your best bet for that much trailer is a class 6 or 7 truck such as the Freightliner Sport Chassis, like this one:
http://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.M4...2d4o0&pid=15.1

[V3600]

Trailer Life-Towing guide says two things: if you have the HO Cummins you can tow a 23,320# 5th wheel. If it's the standard Cummins you are limited to 18,460#.

I checked RAM and it shows 24,700 max towing for the HO Cummins and 18,450 for the standard Cummins. All of the Mega cabs have a payload over 5,000. A long box would have bumped max trailering to over 30,000.

[V3600]

Originally Posted by SmokeyWren

No, you cannot tow a 19k 5er with a 1-ton dually pickup without being overloaded. If you already own the pickup, then look for a trailer with several thousand pounds less gross weight. Or trade up for a 4500 or 5500 Ram chassis cab with Cummins diesel, Assian tranny, and GCWR over 32,000 pounds.

An F-450 pickup is a lot stronger than a 3500 MegaCab pickup, but even the F-450 pickup is not strong enough to tow a 19k 5er without being overloaded.

Your best bet for that much trailer is a class 6 or 7 truck such as the Freightliner Sport Chassis, like this one:
http://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.M4...2d4o0&pid=15.1

Where do you come up with this 'stuff'? A dually can't pull 19,000 without being overloaded? Really?

Chevy says my 2013 dually can pull up to a 22,500 5th wheel. My GCWR is 30,500. My truck (CAT scale) weighs 8,800 with a 5,000 payload (Pin is 3,500 per CAT - no problem there). My trailer GVWR is 19,000. 8,800 truck plus 19,000 trailer is 27,800. Where do any of these figures say a dually can't pull a 19,000 5th wheel? Please, if you can, tell me where I (and Chevy) are wrong. Do you sell Freightliners? lol

[peterson]

Momentum 376TH. That's the nifty 5er with the small toy hauler under the bedroom. Pretty neat. Your truck should do fine.

[powermaker]

Thanks for the reply's. I ran the numbers and thought I would be good, but just wanted to double check. for those of you that aren't familiar with this model, it doesn't have a full size garage, it's suited more for a single motorcycle (which is why we are looking at this model) although I won't be picking up another Harley until next fall. The garage will basically be used for mine and my wife's bicycles and maybe a kayak.

Scott

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by V3600

Please, if you can, tell me where I (and Chevy) are wrong.

Experience. Almost everybody underestimates the weight of their rig until the CAT scale shows them the facts of life.

In the middle of your third long RV trip, stop at a truck stop that has a CAT scale. Fill up with fuel, then weigh the wet and loaded rig. Add the weights on the front and rear axle and compare the total to the GVWR of the tow vehicle. Compare the gross weight of the rig to the GCWR of the tow vehicle. Compare the weight on the trailer axles to the combined GAWR of the trailer axles.

Your rig will probably be a lot heavier than your estimates. Are you overloaded over any of the weights mentioned above? Most folks that attempt to tow a 19k RV trailer with a GM 3500 dually pickup will be overloaded.

Do you sell Freightliners?

No, I retired 20 years ago and haven't earned a dime since then. However, way back in 1969 thru 1972 I moonlighted as a Dodge salesman. Nights and Saturdays only. Hemi Chargers, Challenger 440 6-Pacs, as well as ordinary Dodges. And the Hemi was the real 425 HP dual-4-bbl Hemis that required Sunoco 260 super-premium gasoline, not the weak sisters Ram now calls a Hemi. Lowzy pay for an honest guy. The slimy crooks that lied to their customers made a lot more, but I refused to do that. Word got around, so I sold more cars per hour on duty than any other salesman at that dealership, but not much gross profit per deal, so my paychecks were not big.

[NW Explorers]

We tow a Lifestyle 39FB with a '15 RAM 3500 Dually Mega Cab. Only differences are we have the Aisin trans and 4:10 gears. Our Lifestyle weighs about what your Grand Design does. The truck handles the 5er beautifully.

We use the Andersen Ultimate 5th Wheel Connection and I highly recommend it. With our last truck/5er combo we used a Pull Rite Super Glide hitch. The PR handled the trailer just fine and I never had to be concerned with a truck/trailer collision. That's the good news. The down sides were that you have to back into the hitch hard to latch it - sometimes I actually pushed the trailer back slightly. If you aren't dead nuts straight on when hitching, you can spin the head of the hitch and the only way to separate it from your king pin/capture plate is to pull the pins holding the head to the pivot and lift the head off using your landing gear - a real PITA! The hitch was also often very difficult to release when un-hitching. On top of that the Pull Rite is very noisy - clunking with every stop & launch.

With the Andersen, hook up is easy - especially if your RAM is equipped with the cargo camera - that gets me centered and my wife lets me know when I'm under the ball socket for the Andersen. She loves it! There is no noise going down the road, un-hitching is easy and I have plenty of cap-cab clearance. Add to that, the fact that the Andersen will save you about a thousand dollars over a slider and you can easily lift it in and out of your truck by yourself. I can't imagine ever going back to a conventional or sliding hitch.

Good luck with your new rig and whatever hitch you decide on!

Happy trails,

[Cumminsfan]

You don't have the HO because you don't have the AS69RC tranny. According to Rams tow chart you can only tow 18,460lbs. Your GCVWR is 27,300lbs.
You can tow that TH but not fully loaded.
http://www.ramtrucks.com/assets/towi...ing_charts.pdf

[V3600]

Originally Posted by SmokeyWren

Experience. Almost everybody underestimates the weight of their rig until the CAT scale shows them the facts of life.

In the middle of your third long RV trip, stop at a truck stop that has a CAT scale. Fill up with fuel, then weigh the wet and loaded rig. Add the weights on the front and rear axle and compare the total to the GVWR of the tow vehicle. Compare the gross weight of the rig to the GCWR of the tow vehicle. Compare the weight on the trailer axles to the combined GAWR of the trailer axles.

Your rig will probably be a lot heavier than your estimates. Are you overloaded over any of the weights mentioned above? Most folks that attempt to tow a 19k RV trailer with a GM 3500 dually pickup will be overloaded.

To make such a blanket statement that a dually can't tow a 19,000 pounder is totally without merit. As I stated in my previous post, I have been to the CAT Scale and know exactly what my truck and trailer weigh and I know exactly what Chevy says I can tow. I'd have to put 2,200 pounds of extra stuff in my truck and trailer to be over weight. I don't have 2,200 pounds of stuff. I do have a 950 pound Harley but that won't put me over.

My point is that I have been to the scales, I know exactly what I weigh and I know that I am no where near gross thereby disproving your blanket statement that a 3500 dually can't tow a 19,000 pound trailer.

[wandering1]

HAHAHAHAA! the expert wannabe responses are hilarious. You need to check the tow specs from the manufacturer to determine what your truck is capable of towing. Get the facts, stay away from the expert wannabe opinions and the magazine articles. You are legally responsible for having an adequate tow vehicle.

[Cummins12V98]

Smoky is referring to the FACT that the 3500 RAM dually has a 14K GVWR, funny so does the F450. Why is that?????? It's because that magical number keeps the trucks in the Class 3 segment. As soon as you hit 14,001# you are in Class 4 and are subject to Commercial licensing and insurance.

The FACT is my RAM has a rear axle rating of 9,750# and my front axle weighs 5,100# right from the factory. Well that sure does not add up to 14K or less!

Forget the 14K number and stay within the front, rear an combined ratings you will be just fine!!!

I towed a combined 28-29K with a 11 HO Dually with 3.42 gears no issues at all with many thousands of miles towing. Way overloaded? YES but the EXACT same truck with 4.10's would have been within specs. Only difference was NOT safety but drivetrain longevity.

So folks read beyond the numbers!!!

Chart for the 2015 MY 16's are even higher.