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Old 02-21-2019, 08:26 AM   #1
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Truck/Tailer/Hitch - Did I Screw Anything Up?

My girlfriend and I recently bought a large bunkhouse travel trailer. She has previously owned small travel trailers and I had a slide in truck camper that we used a few times. We had been looking at larger travel trailers for a couple of years and finally pulled the trigger at an RV show recently. The deal was agreed to so fast that I didn’t have time to talk to anyone with more experience that this set up would work. However, that doesn’t mean that I haven’t done a lot of towing research before buying. Anyway, I formally submit myself to the scrutiny and judgment of the weight police (and anyone else that knows more than me, which is pretty much everyone). LOL

Truck:
2013 Ram 2500 Power Wagon
Crew cab 6’4” bed
GVWR: 8,510 lbs. Payload: 1,760 lbs.
5.7 Hemi (383 HP / 400 TQ)
4.56 axle ratio

Trailer:
Grand Design Imagine 3170 BH
GVWR: 9,495 lbs. / Tongue Wt.: 794
Length: 36’11”

Hitch:
Reese round bar weight distributing hitch rated for 1,200 lbs. tongue and 12,000 lbs. trailer weight w/ dual cam sway control
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Old 02-21-2019, 09:05 AM   #2
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Your biggest issue is that the Power Wagon was NOT set up for towing.........it was for off road use


Trailer tongue weight will be closer to 1000/1100# when trailer is loaded up 'camp ready'


You will be max'd out on weight ratings......
SO you need to load up 'camp ready' (truck/trailer with all people/pets/stuff)
Go to CAT Scales and get three weigh tickets
1 with truck/trailer and WDH hooked up
1 with truck/trailer w/o WDH hooked up (just drop the bars and ask for reweigh)
1 with truck only (drop trailer in parking lot then weigh just truck)


$12/15 per weigh with one free reweigh


With those weigh tickets you will have real world actual weights on truck axles, trailer axles and how much weigh your WDH is distributing the tongue weight
AND if/how much you are pushing your max ratings
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Old 02-21-2019, 11:11 AM   #3
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^^Yep. Get thee to the scales.

It passes initial sniff test but it’s going to be close.
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Old 02-21-2019, 12:44 PM   #4
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The 2013 Ram 2500 Power Wagon is the most capable truck...for off road. It is just ok for towing.

I am thinking you will be ok towing with the Power Wagon but not by much.

Off topic - cool go anyplace truck.
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Old 02-21-2019, 04:50 PM   #5
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When you get weighed.......


The trucks axle ratings are:

FAWR......4500#
RAWR.....6010#
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Old 02-22-2019, 09:21 AM   #6
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Thanks for the responses - and the compliments on my truck I knew that I was going to be close to my GVWR with the tongue weight and a passenger. I'm fine with that for this truck because it's a heavy duty truck with soft springs, so all of the components are capable of significantly more than what the ratings say. Also, we'll probably have a second vehicle on camping trips. I would never have bought this trailer if my truck was actually a half ton truck instead of being a heavy duty truck with a half ton rating.
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Old 02-22-2019, 09:54 AM   #7
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2500 is a 3/4 ton ....... (Old distinctions----which have little meaning anymore)

Power Wagon just doesn't have much payload because GVWR is soooooo low


Hit the scales and check the weight on trucks axles.
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Old 02-23-2019, 07:23 AM   #8
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Ouch, not the best choice for a tow vehicle.
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Old 02-23-2019, 01:30 PM   #9
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Even not taking into consideration what they figure in for payload and considering 1100 lbs for tongue weight that still leaves 660lbs for the 2 of you. Me and the wife arent small, shes 5ft11 and im 6ft1 and no ones starving, that still would leave us enough room to be comfortable and still be well under on that payload number (not a legally enforcable number btw).
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Old 03-03-2019, 09:47 PM   #10
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I'm making the change from a class A RV to a 40' Fifth wheel and although I have decided on purchasing a 350 DRW, I'm not sure what type of braking/tow equipment is necessary with the truck.
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Old 03-03-2019, 10:37 PM   #11
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Numbers for thought. IF your trailer is at it's max weight 15% tongue weight will be 1425 lb That is REAL close. I would be concerned how much cargo capacity the trailer has and how you fill it. 1000 lbs of "stuff" ( bedding, pots and pans, food, etc) is easy to have. We have over 1,000 lbs and run with dry tanks.

You really need real world ( truck fully fueled and travel ready, trailer completely loaded) weights to know.
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Old 03-06-2019, 11:49 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BTC-70 View Post
I'm fine with that for this truck because it's a heavy duty truck with soft springs, so all of the components are capable of significantly more than what the ratings say.

And just how do you figure that? Just because RAM calls it a HD truck does not mean its under-rated. They call every 2500-3500 "HD" trucks. But the ratings are what they are. If it was capable of more, make no mistake RAM or any other dealer would advertise it as such.
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Old 03-06-2019, 11:52 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Len791 View Post
I'm making the change from a class A RV to a 40' Fifth wheel and although I have decided on purchasing a 350 DRW, I'm not sure what type of braking/tow equipment is necessary with the truck.

Just a 5th wheel hitch. The truck will came with the trailering brake/tow package already equipped.
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Old 03-09-2019, 07:12 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Len791 View Post
I'm making the change from a class A RV to a 40' Fifth wheel and although I have decided on purchasing a 350 DRW, I'm not sure what type of braking/tow equipment is necessary with the truck.
Do yourself a favor and don't let someone bugger up your wiring harness to the connector. You can get a 7 pin to install inside the bed for the 5th wheel that "T"'s into the wiring at the bumper connector, so you have two plugs, one in the bed and one in the bumper and no wires were harmed in the process.

https://www.etrailer.com/s.aspx?qry=...Wiring+Adapter

Charles
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