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Old 03-11-2018, 09:18 PM   #29
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I cant believe no one has mentioned that it is possible to beef up your present truck and increase its capacity. I am not a chevy guy but the concept should be the same. towing capacity is based on several things, engine, trans, suspension, brakes, wheelbase etc. on a dodge truck the 1500 and 2500 have the same wheelbase, engine, trans, frame, brakes. the main difference being the suspension and axles. just adding airbags in the back ($100 bucks) can increase tongue weight capacity and hauling capacity. find the difference between your 1500 and a 2500 and beef it up to match. it sure couldn't hurt. airbags, beefier springs, better brakes, performance chip, etc
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Old 03-11-2018, 09:48 PM   #30
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Old 03-11-2018, 09:55 PM   #31
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very good thought from everyone hadnt considered beefing up the truck a little i like that idea just because but i will be lookjng at the lances as well and again feel free to give your 2 cents to anyone else i appreciate all the info.
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Old 03-11-2018, 10:34 PM   #32
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Originally Posted by jeeepz View Post
I cant believe no one has mentioned that it is possible to beef up your present truck and increase its capacity. I am not a chevy guy but the concept should be the same. towing capacity is based on several things, engine, trans, suspension, brakes, wheelbase etc. on a dodge truck the 1500 and 2500 have the same wheelbase, engine, trans, frame, brakes. the main difference being the suspension and axles. just adding airbags in the back ($100 bucks) can increase tongue weight capacity and hauling capacity. find the difference between your 1500 and a 2500 and beef it up to match. it sure couldn't hurt. airbags, beefier springs, better brakes, performance chip, etc
While true you can do things go make towing easier nothing increases your tow ratings. The only way you can change ratings is to have the manufacturer do it. Assuming they would even do this (they wont) the cost would make just going out and buying a 3/4 cheaper.

As for airbags I'm not even going to touch that, there are plenty of videos explaining why there not the best idea.
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Old 03-12-2018, 12:07 AM   #33
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very good thought from everyone hadnt considered beefing up the truck a little i like that idea just because but i will be lookjng at the lances as well and again feel free to give your 2 cents to anyone else i appreciate all the info.
Shop carefully, if you have YouTube watch don't buy an RV by Lehtos Law. The video is done tongue and cheek and I wish I could say it's not true, but it is.

There are people right here on this forum who've had there trailer sit 10 out of the first 12 months waiting for warranty work, it really happens and there aren't any laws protecting you. Sounds extreme yes, welcome to the world of RVs.

Be sure to thoroughly research the dealer you purchase from, it's one of the most important things you can do.

There are really just a few companies that put out quality units.

Airstream of course is at the top and they are light which is great if you have a hundred grand lying around.

Northwood the makers of Arctic Fox and Nash are built like tanks, most are heavy. Nash has some that are towable by your truck. The Nash is old school all wood and the decor is simple in appearance.

ORV the sister company to Northwood ( same owner Ron Nash) makes some outstanding trailers, they are amongst the best you can buy. They are heavy unless you go small. Both ORV and Northwood are built in E Oregon and the company stands behind what they sell.

Lance has made some of the best truck campers for years, they've only been making trailers about ten years. There trailers are super well engineered. Everything in Lance is CNC machined so fit and finish is amongst the best. My only issue with Lance is the dang tiny bathrooms. The only bunkhouse is small, but with the Murphy bed it's quite functional and will have features you won't find anywhere else. I have two 10 yr old granddaughters that we are raising so I've researched the heck out of bunkhouses. I generally like a little larger than Lance builds but again it's the weight thingy. As a kid when we camped I usually had a friend along and we slept in a tent, we liked that better actually . So my thinking now is maybe go with a Lance but skip the bunkhouse. The 2185 is the BH, The 2285 has a couch that makes a bed and that huge U dinette that will sleep two. The 2375 doesn't have the huge u dinette, but you can option a rear couch and the dinette makes a bed. The bedroom is awesome in the 2375 and it even has a decent bathroom, rare in a Lance. New and not even available yet is the 2465 , it will have two slides one in the rear bedroom with an unheard of King Size Bed! This thing looks sharp from what I can see on YouTube. I talked to a guy from Lance who showed me some photos of this trailer, he said they are still working out the exact configuration for seating etc. The new trailer will have a disc brake option unheard of and even a rack for kayaks on the roof, this thing is cool. Since this will probably only sleep a couple kids anymore than that will have to just tent it.

Sunnybrook was a top name in TTs a dozen years ago but they were purchased by Winnebago. From all reports the Minnie and Minnie Plus are solid units, not in the league of Airstream or Northwood but they seem to hold up. Minnies are available with a beautiful gel coat in several cool colors. One of my personal favorites is the 26rb. The bathroom looks like your home's. It has a full sleeper sofa, sleeps two adults or maybe three little ones. This has a U Dinette that'll sleep a couple more. A family member has this, I borrowed it and towed it over the cascades from Seattle to Idaho. I loaded light and was surprised how well my truck performed. Of course this is pushing things.

There are some of these newer fiberglass trailers like livin light which look to be super well engineered, maybe even at Airstream level. Not much to look at on the inside but look like they'll outlast most everything else.

Grand Designs lighter trailers appear to be built like most of the cheaper Indiana flimsy trailers. What makes them appealing to a half ton owner is they are lighter than the Minnies have the exact same floor plans but they have a great after the sale customer service reputation.

Open Range by Highland Ridge is supposed to be upper end of the ultra lights that come out of Indiana. What you will like is they are loaded with features but still come in pretty light.

OR makes a couple towable by your truck, one will be at the top end of your trucks abilities, the other has a little room to play with. The 2510 is unique in that it feels as though it has a separate bunk room, it's separated by the bathroom. Usually you can see the beds from living and kitchen area unless you are in a huge 32 ft BH. Also bathrooms are usually on the smaller side in a trailer this size. OR had a better idea making the bathroom the full width giving it a much roomier feeling. I haven't heard a lot about OR but the materials seem to be above average. 5/8 tg Plywood floor decking, plywood full walk on arched roof with a ladder, PVC roof membrane, all led exterior lighting, looks sharp, made in usa Goodyear tires, not the usual China bombs like most. OR are tested down to zero degrees, not many do that. OR is not much more rxpensive than the ordinary fall apart daily trailers. I don't know much about their reputation but I intend to learn more.
If you want to tow heavy they have a 28 ft with bunks, big U dinette and two heated massage Thomas Paine recliners. This one grosses at 7400 so your legal, maybe not happy though. I'm actually considering this one, it's at my max but I'm upgrading truck next year to the 6.2 max tow.

I'm pretty excited about the new Lance though, gotta love the king size bed and disc brakes. The kids will have to make do on the couch or dinette bed.🤣 Hard to beat a Lance in the weight range they build but they are expensive.

So now you know everything I've spent three years researching, hope the long post didn't make your eyes bleed. I'll end with a little humor, what a raised truck means to a Ford owner LOL [emoji16] Click image for larger version

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Old 03-12-2018, 07:29 AM   #34
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Too much math! Let's look at trailers for awhile. While you're at it, consider determining the minimum acceptable size and weight trailer, then add a little margin to it and see what that looks like?

Family of four, modern 1/2 ton truck with toys...
Northwood Nash 25C:
https://youtu.be/f8ZLgWhcnZ4
Northwood | Nash 25C

or: sister company's Outdoors RV Creekside 23KRS:
ORV | Creek Side 23KRS

Last, if you want more trailer, and less money, get one of these with the power pack option, bring your own tv, and you're set.
ORV Black Rock Back Country series:
ORV | Black Rock 23BKS
https://youtu.be/5olZI3DnrSw

These all are built on heavy duty frames, Nash has wood wall framing, ORV = aluminum wall, check out their videos on construction and see what's different about them.

If you add ~1,500 lbs of "your stuff" to the "full featured" dry weight of any of the above, you're getting pretty heavy pretty fast.

Good Luck!
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Old 03-12-2018, 10:48 AM   #35
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Y was going to mention both of trailers you mention, but post was already mind numbingly long.

The Nash is a well built trailer, of course any thing from Northwood or ORV is. I personally don't like the all wood framing or the cheap what looks like homemade upholstery in the Nash but that's just taste.

The creek side 23rks is on my final 5 list, I didn't list for OP because I thought he wanted a bunk house.

I have a buddy that tows an Artic Fox 25Y with his half ton and loves it. Again the creekside 23rks isn't a BH but has decent sleeping.

And then after all that are listed above you have the rest where quality varies even within brands..Take 10 XYZ trailers, one will be full of issues and one will be a gem, I want the gem.
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Old 03-12-2018, 11:18 AM   #36
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Originally Posted by jeeepz View Post
I cant believe no one has mentioned that it is possible to beef up your present truck and increase its capacity. I am not a chevy guy but the concept should be the same. towing capacity is based on several things, engine, trans, suspension, brakes, wheelbase etc. on a dodge truck the 1500 and 2500 have the same wheelbase, engine, trans, frame, brakes. the main difference being the suspension and axles. just adding airbags in the back ($100 bucks) can increase tongue weight capacity and hauling capacity. find the difference between your 1500 and a 2500 and beef it up to match. it sure couldn't hurt. airbags, beefier springs, better brakes, performance chip, etc
That's because there is nothing, I repeat nothing, you can bolt on, weld on, buy, etc. etc. to increase its legal capacity. Its legal capacity is found on the both the trailer and tow vehicle and determined by the engineers that designed them. If you exceed the limits and get into an accident you'll find out the hard way those add-ons mean squat and you'll be denied your claim and could face legal consequences. If your rig is weighed and found overweight in anyway you'll find out those add-ons mean squat as well. Please don't advise others you can increase the truck or trailer capacities because you can't.
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Old 03-12-2018, 04:29 PM   #37
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Sorry about the length of this post. I do like the lance bunk house except for the fact theres no wall or stand separating the main bed thats really a featured id like to have but will see what i find also those other trailers look nice as well.

I really dont take a lot of stuff most places and like i said only 2-3 trips tops to orlando which for me is a long drive through the mountains. Even then mostly clothes and usually when we camp paper plates amd plastic not a ton of extra weight. I know some people keep a ton of stuff in there campers and some are necessities but my family packs pretty light really.

Thank you to everyone for your concern and help but i feel like you guys have pushed me in the right direction.
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Old 03-12-2018, 08:02 PM   #38
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I have an ORC Creekside 23dbs, which now is the timber Ridge 23dbs. I hauled it about 5000 miles behind my Toyota Tundra, all over the Rockies and western states. It has two full size bunks in the back and is a well made trailer. Weight is somewhere between 6000 and 8000 depending on how loaded down you are. I’m always loaded down with full water tank, toys and gear. The combo did fine but I eventually bought a new 2500 Ram diesel and am glad I did. The 2500 is more comfortable but the Tundra was plenty safe. There is a lot of misinformation on this thread about tow capacity, payload etc. I think your dealer has it about right. Main thing is to not go over your rear axle capacity and with a decent weight distribution hitch you will be fine. Some people on here get pretty spun up on this stuff but at 7500 pounds or less you will be fine.
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Old 03-12-2018, 08:38 PM   #39
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There is a lot of misinformation on this thread about tow capacity, payload etc. I think your dealer has it about right. .

Misinformation must be contagious then. If most experienced towing folks here are wrong and the dealer is right, then please elaborate with specific facts.
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Old 03-13-2018, 01:14 PM   #40
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That's because there is nothing, I repeat nothing, you can bolt on, weld on, buy, etc. etc. to increase its legal capacity. Its legal capacity is found on the both the trailer and tow vehicle and determined by the engineers that designed them. If you exceed the limits and get into an accident you'll find out the hard way those add-ons mean squat and you'll be denied your claim and could face legal consequences. If your rig is weighed and found overweight in anyway you'll find out those add-ons mean squat as well. Please don't advise others you can increase the truck or trailer capacities because you can't.


Maybe nothing can change manufacturer ratings, but certain upgrades can and do increase a vehicle’s ability. That is the point of an upgrade: it improves upon what was stock. You just need to know where all the limits are.

Regarding insurance and legal consequences... people have asked many times for references to these claims and nobody can provide any. Lots of fear mongering in posts like yours.

Man have been upgrading vehicles since the model A... it’s what we do (well, some of us).
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Old 03-13-2018, 01:55 PM   #41
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I have an ORC Creekside 23dbs, which now is the timber Ridge 23dbs. I hauled it about 5000 miles behind my Toyota Tundra, all over the Rockies and western states. It has two full size bunks in the back and is a well made trailer. Weight is somewhere between 6000 and 8000 depending on how loaded down you are. I’m always loaded down with full water tank, toys and gear. The combo did fine but I eventually bought a new 2500 Ram diesel and am glad I did. The 2500 is more comfortable but the Tundra was plenty safe. There is a lot of misinformation on this thread about tow capacity, payload etc. I think your dealer has it about right. Main thing is to not go over your rear axle capacity and with a decent weight distribution hitch you will be fine. Some people on here get pretty spun up on this stuff but at 7500 pounds or less you will be fine.
I sort of agree with you, modern half tons will tow what they're rated at. I've tried to illustrate what you said in my post, but also let the OP know that pushing the limits Wil not be comfortable. So yes if your under rating and properly hitched you can be safe In your own post you say you bought a 2500 and are glad you did? Why are you glad? Is towing easier and more comfortable with the big truck? So yep you can safely tow what it's rated for, but if you stay say 6500 and under gross then the half ton experience can be like it is with your Ram. I have towed heavy with my brothers Minnie Plus and wouldn't hesitate to do it again. If I buy the big heavy trailer I might tow it a year but I like easier towing and like you will get a bigger truck.
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Old 03-13-2018, 03:18 PM   #42
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Maybe nothing can change manufacturer ratings, but certain upgrades can and do increase a vehicle’s ability. That is the point of an upgrade: it improves upon what was stock. You just need to know where all the limits are.

Regarding insurance and legal consequences... people have asked many times for references to these claims and nobody can provide any. Lots of fear mongering in posts like yours.

Man have been upgrading vehicles since the model A... it’s what we do (well, some of us).
You can't say you haven't been warned. Good luck.
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