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Old 03-06-2013, 07:22 PM   #1
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New to this and Need Advice

Hello, I am going to buy my first trailer. It is a 2005 Starcraft Antigua 195ck. I have a 2010 Dodge Ram 4x4 Bighorn 1500. Do I need anything special to pull this trailer? Thanks.
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Old 03-06-2013, 07:30 PM   #2
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Recommend you look at the GVW weight of the trailer along with the tongue weight and compare it to what your truck manual says it is rated to tow along with the kind of hitch on the truck and it's capacity.

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Old 03-06-2013, 07:32 PM   #3
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Need a bit more information. What is the tow rating of your RAM (on the drivers door sticker)?
What is the GVWR of the trailer? Not the dry weight.
On your RAM take the tow rating and subtract any passengers, cargo, hitch weight.
You will probably need a WDH and sway bar.

Good Luck
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Old 03-06-2013, 08:21 PM   #4
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Thanks for the quick information. I checked out my truck's door and the GVWR is 6800lbs. My bumper has a message that says 5,000lb max gross trailer weights 500lb max tongue weight. The hitch (which is just a normal trailer hitch) says max weight of 6,000lbs. This is all foreign to me. Does this make sense.
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Old 03-06-2013, 10:49 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zrosett View Post
Thanks for the quick information. I checked out my truck's door and the GVWR is 6800lbs. My bumper has a message that says 5,000lb max gross trailer weights 500lb max tongue weight. The hitch (which is just a normal trailer hitch) says max weight of 6,000lbs. This is all foreign to me. Does this make sense.
Yes it does. You have a standard Class III type receiver hitch by the sounds of it. Don't know the weights of the trailer you are buying but they are quite commonly referred to as light weight. You will need to know the weight of the trailer and as well the tongue weight (hitch weight), this should not exceed the 500 lbs Max on your receiver hitch of the truck.

It would also help to go weigh your truck at a scale to figure out it's curb weight, then subtract the curb weight from your GVWR of 6800lbs, this will give you your payload. This is the weight of all passengers, fuel, trailer hitch or tongue weight. All of that can not exceed your 6800lbs. I'm thinking your truck would be able to handle this trailer, but you should ensure it is within all the weight ratings as stated by the manufacturer.

If you don't have an electric brake controller in your truck, then you will need one installed (I'm assuming the trailer should have electric brakes). If you haven't towed anything before, then find a good large open lot and practice turning, backing etc. prior to going out camping.

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Old 03-07-2013, 08:25 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zrosett View Post
It is a 2005 Starcraft Antigua 195ck.
Dry weight about 3,000 pounds, so that's a very light TT. Count on at least 4,000 pounds trailer weight with up to 600 pounds hitch weight when wet and loaded for the road.

Quote:
I have a 2010 Dodge Ram 4x4 Bighorn 1500. GVWR 6800 pounds.
The GVWR will be your limiter. It means you cannot haul a bunch of weight in the truck and haul the 600 pounds of hitch weight of the wet and loaded trailer at the same time without overloading the truck.

So plan to load the truck and trailer lightly until you can get the wet and loaded rig to a certified automated truck (CAT) scale. The weight on the two truck axles should not exceed the 6,800 pounds GVWR of your truck.

Quote:
Do I need anything special to pull this trailer?
Yes, definitely. You need the trailer brake controller SlyFox mentioned. My first choice would be the one that was optional equipment with your Dodge. If that one costs too much for your budget, then there are several less-expensive brake controllers on the market. They work okay, but not as good as the integrated trailer brake controller (ITBC) that was an option on your Dodge.

You also need a weight-distributing (WD) hitch with weight capacity of not more than 800 pounds hitch weight (TW or tongue weight).

And it sounds like you are reading the specs from your step bumper that includes provisions to tow a trailer with a weight-carrying (WC) hitch. DO NOT tow that trailer with a ball mounted on your step-bumper. You need a weight-distributing (WD) hitch with sway control, and that means you must have a receiver attached to the frame of the truck and sticking out below the bumper. The WD hitch shank fits into that receiver.

Here's a receiver hitch that will meet your needs. Note the applicable specs:
WDTW 1,000 lbs
Receiver Size 2 inch
Draw-Tite Class IV, 2 inch Receiver Hitch 75662

The WDTW spec means you can tow a trailer with tongue weight or hitch weight up to 1,000 pounds with a WD hitch without overloading the receiver. Since your tongue weight will be about 500 to 600 pounds, that's all the receiver weight capacity you need.

The 2 inch receiver size is the standard size for towing trailers that have hitch weight of less than about 1,200 pounds.

For the WD hitch itself, I skip the economy models and go for a Reese Strait-Line WD hitch with dual-cam sway controls. Here's one that's complete with the shank and everything else you need to have an excellent WD setup:
Strait-Line Weight Distribution System w Sway Control - Trunnion Bar - 800 lbs TW Reese Weight Distribution RP66083

Note that one is rated for tongue weight up to 800 pounds. Do not buy one rated for more than 800 pounds tongue weigh, because they will be harder to adjust to handle your actual tongue weight.

There are cheaper WD hitches available, but I like my Reese Strait-Line dual-cam. On a recent 4,200 mile trip when my TT grossed 4,870 pounds with 650 pounds hitch weight, it performed flawlessly.
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Old 03-07-2013, 12:00 PM   #7
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I appreciate all your help. You truly made the experience sound more doable for me. I will let you know how it goes.
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Old 03-07-2013, 03:17 PM   #8
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I agree with Smokey on the Reese Strait-Line dual-cam.. Excellent hitch fro the money. One word of warning, a lot of dealers do not like them because they are just a bit harder to install and set up correctly. All the dealer needs is a moron capable of reading standard English, and then following the instructions.

Ken
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