Community Forums

codym444 · 05-06-2021, 11:36 PM

Greetings, newbee here, this thread again....many variations of this thread exist, i know...but I am looking for the expert take. What are your thoughts on this config:

Truck -
2021 Ram Big Horn 1500 5.7 etorque
8100 lbs towing 13900 GCWR
1728 Payload
4100 Rear axle
1200 lbs Husky WD hitch with sway control.
475 lbs passengers/ cargo in truck, no other mods or added payload.

Trailer-
21KVS ORV 5959 dry, loaded with about 1300 lbs including water and 2 bats and LP

Dry hitch is 685...Im thinking loaded will be over 1000...

What can i expect...is this a towable setup?

Cumminsfan · 05-07-2021, 10:08 AM

I think you're borderline fine. Only issue is the fresh water tank being behind the axles. 650 lbs could wag the tail.

litzdog911 · 05-07-2021, 01:05 PM

ORVs are heavy. Your 1728 lb load capacity is your key issue. With a 1000-lb tongue weight you'll only have 728 lbs of truck capacity for you, your passengers, and stuff loaded in the truck. You'll be much happier with a 3/4 ton truck.

bneukam · 05-07-2021, 03:37 PM

Towed a ORV 21fqs with a 17 Ram 1500, and it was more than I was comfortable with. Especially in the back country mountain roads of Idaho, and Montana.

You are correct that you’ll be close if not over 1,000 lb tongue weight. But as mentioned if the fresh tank is in the rear you could use that to offset some of the weight.

By the numbers you’ll be ok, but expect a lot of pushing in the corners, and pulling with a lighter weight 1/2 ton. The coils on the Ram 1500 are designed for a nice ride, not so much for a heavy trailer. Swapped out the coils on my truck with TuffTruck 1211, which added more strength, less sag, and less tension on the WDH, and overall better ride. But my tongue weight only weighs 650 to 700 lbs.

If you already have the truck then get a high quality WDH, and see how it goes, if not then I would go 3/4 ton.

codym444 · 05-07-2021, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cumminsfan

I think you're borderline fine. Only issue is the fresh water tank being behind the axles. 650 lbs could wag the tail.

Thanks! My math agees about being borderline fine...we dont plan to carry the full 79 gallons at any one time...maybe 30 to 40 max...we only go out for 3-4 nights tops. We shall see.

codym444 · 05-07-2021, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by litzdog911

ORVs are heavy. Your 1728 lb load capacity is your key issue. With a 1000-lb tongue weight you'll only have 728 lbs of truck capacity for you, your passengers, and stuff loaded in the truck. You'll be much happier with a 3/4 ton truck.

Yeah, we just bought the truck.... as I said we plan ro have at most 500 lbs in the truck, usually 450-475. I just dont want to exceed any max weights while getting some experience. Appreciate the input.

codym444 · 05-07-2021, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bneukam

Towed a ORV 21fqs with a 17 Ram 1500, and it was more than I was comfortable with. Especially in the back country mountain roads of Idaho, and Montana.

You are correct that you’ll be close if not over 1,000 lb tongue weight. But as mentioned if the fresh tank is in the rear you could use that to offset some of the weight.

By the numbers you’ll be ok, but expect a lot of pushing in the corners, and pulling with a lighter weight 1/2 ton. The coils on the Ram 1500 are designed for a nice ride, not so much for a heavy trailer. Swapped out the coils on my truck with TuffTruck 1211, which added more strength, less sag, and less tension on the WDH, and overall better ride. But my tongue weight only weighs 650 to 700 lbs.

If you already have the truck then get a high quality WDH, and see how it goes, if not then I would go 3/4 ton.

Yep i live in MT, lots of mountain camping...we pack pretty light, but I hear you. Im hoping to see how it goes this season. Is husky any good for a WDH, or should I upgrade?

Hurricane-TX · 05-07-2021, 09:18 PM

I haven't towed a camper since the 1980s. That being said, every campground I go to is full of all sizes of trailers being towed by 1/2 ton four door pick ups.

bneukam · 05-08-2021, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by codym444

Yep i live in MT, lots of mountain camping...we pack pretty light, but I hear you. Im hoping to see how it goes this season. Is husky any good for a WDH, or should I upgrade?

Not familiar with the Husky, but if you already have it, then I would give it a try. Hensley, and Blue Ox are my two favorite for heavy loads. More importantly is that it’s setup correctly. Measure your front fender at normal, trailer with no WDH, and then with WDH to see if your getting at least 50% restored. Probably will take you several adjustments to get it dialed in. Take the time to weigh it, and adjust loading for roughly 13% tongue weight. Once you gain experience towing the trailer you’ll notice slight adjustments have an impact on how the truck feels going down the road.

Have family, and friends that live in Corvallis, and Choteau. Always enjoy our visits, camping at high elevations, and driving through the beautiful state.

litzdog911 · 05-08-2021, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetiredbutWorking

I haven't towed a camper since the 1980s. That being said, every campground I go to is full of all sizes of trailers being towed by 1/2 ton four door pick ups.

Yeah, we see that, too. Doesn't make it appropriate, though. Too many of those rigs are way too heavy for the trucks pulling them.

Cumminsfan · 05-08-2021, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetiredbutWorking

I haven't towed a camper since the 1980s. That being said, every campground I go to is full of all sizes of trailers being towed by 1/2 ton four door pick ups.

We do a mix of RV parks, St parks and dry camping. I see all sorts of stuff as well. SUV's with 28' Ultra Lights, 2500/250's with 38' Montana's/Solitudes etc, and 1/2 tons with 5th wheels. None of it works on RV forums but for some reason they make it there. Guessing they make it home as well since how often do we hear about RV wrecks. In my short 11 years I've only seen a few.
Some of the big 5th wheels being pulled by 3/4 tons are out of state and many times several states away. Like 1000-1500 miles.

codym444 · 05-09-2021, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bneukam

Not familiar with the Husky, but if you already have it, then I would give it a try. Hensley, and Blue Ox are my two favorite for heavy loads. More importantly is that it’s setup correctly. Measure your front fender at normal, trailer with no WDH, and then with WDH to see if your getting at least 50% restored. Probably will take you several adjustments to get it dialed in. Take the time to weigh it, and adjust loading for roughly 13% tongue weight. Once you gain experience towing the trailer you’ll notice slight adjustments have an impact on how the truck feels going down the road.

Have family, and friends that live in Corvallis, and Choteau. Always enjoy our visits, camping at high elevations, and driving through the beautiful state.

Thanks! They are installing it at the dealer priror to delivery. I look forward to learning and gaining experience, and I appreciate the guidance. My number one priority right now is safety, and keeping my weights correct while I learn the setup.

Dave Pelletier · 05-11-2021, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by litzdog911

Yeah, we see that, too. Doesn't make it appropriate, though. Too many of those rigs are way too heavy for the trucks pulling them.

....yep. Most people have to learn the hard way, unfortunately

Dave

codym444 · 05-19-2021, 07:56 PM

Well we picked her up this weekend (the 2021 ORV 21KVS). Hitched up and headed to a nearby campsite about 25 miles away. We had a blast. The TT handled well behind my Ram 1500. Granted it was a short drive without many obstacles but we had no troubles at all. We blew through an entire tank of propane in one night though...is this normal? We only used the furnace briefly in the morning...though we had the fridge on LP the whole time... Can't wait to take it out again. Also, the truck seemed to handle better when the camper was full of water than when it was empty...is this to be expected?