Calling on the weight police.

[1st-tt2018]

I am getting in deep now....DW wants to move to a 5th wheel and we are researching. My main concern is having a safe, good towing rig moving forward.

Constraints:
Must use current truck. No budget or desire for a new one.
-2019 ram 2500 tradesman crew cab short bed.
-Gawr rear 6390
-base axle weight rear 2795

3595 left on rear axle
3213 cargo capacity
14410 total allowable trailer tow weight

Needs:
Hitch and hitch mount options. Puck vs rail. I still use the bed at times when not towing...but not all the time.
Suggestions for hitch?

Knowing the above, what would you say the max gvwr area I should be looking at for a 5th wheel? We do not want a toy hauler. There will be some long highway towing happening, just for planning sake.

Please ask clarifying questions....I know there must be more needed, I just don't know what that is.

[SB_James]

Any mid profile fifth wheel with a GWR of around 12k would be a good fit for your truck. We have a Jayco 321RSTS, but we also looked at GD Reflection, Cougars, and evening some of the smaller Montana High Country rigs.

We tow with a 2006 F250 with no issues, and your truck is far more capable [emoji16].

Take your time, do lots of research online, and have fun with your DW picking your next rig!

[rvneil]

Take a look at the Grand Design Reflection 150 series. Our 295RL is 10,100lbs and we've been very happy with it. Do take a look at the sticker on your door pillar to see your truck's payload capacity. It's payload where everyone gets in trouble. A fifth wheel puts 15-25% of its weight on the bed of the truck. Add hitch weight, people, dog, cooler. Pray.

[xrated]

Originally Posted by 1st-tt2018

I am getting in deep now....DW wants to move to a 5th wheel and we are researching. My main concern is having a safe, good towing rig moving forward.

Constraints:
Must use current truck. No budget or desire for a new one.
-2019 ram 2500 tradesman crew cab short bed.
-Gawr rear 6390
-base axle weight rear 2795

3595 left on rear axle
3213 cargo capacity
14410 total allowable trailer tow weight

Needs:
Hitch and hitch mount options. Puck vs rail. I still use the bed at times when not towing...but not all the time.
Suggestions for hitch?

Knowing the above, what would you say the max gvwr area I should be looking at for a 5th wheel? We do not want a toy hauler. There will be some long highway towing happening, just for planning sake.

Please ask clarifying questions....I know there must be more needed, I just don't know what that is.

The very FIRST thing to do is to check the sticker on the driver side door post or the door itself. You will be looking for the sticker that shows the Payload or Cargo Carrying Capacity (C.C.C.) of YOUR truck. Whatever that number is, will be the payload capacity of the truck as it was built, coming off of the assembly line. Anything that has been added to the truck such as a bedliner, a toolbox, airbags, etc, will reduce that sticker weight number by however much weight the additional items weigh.

Once that is accomplished and you know the available payload of the truck, you now have a firm number to work from. Most 5th wheel camping type trailers will put down at least 20% of the trailer weight as pin weight on the truck. So for example, a trailer with a GVWR of say 10,000 lb, will put at least 2000 lbs of pin weight on the truck. A 12,000 lb GVWR trailer would assume at least 2400 lbs. Keep in mind, those examples I just quoted are if the trailer is loaded to the full GVWR number respectively.

The next thing to look at is anything and everything that will go in/on the truck. Obviously you will need some type of 5ver hitch and whatever that weighs will be deducted from the payload number. Next to consider is everything that will go in/on the truck besides passengers. Only you know what all you will load into the truck to take along....firewood?, toolbox loaded with tools/jacks/Impact wrench......whatever.

So in summary, you best bet is to get your truck weighed at a CAT scale to see exactly what the weight of the truck is. Once that weight is known, deduct that weight from the GVWR of the truck (10,000 lbs is the likely number here), and you now have your available payload number. An example might be: 10,000 lb GVWR for the truck, and the weight of the truck is 7248 lbs. Do the math and you come up with.....2752 lbs. Hopefully this helps you get a good start.

[1st-tt2018]

So, the sticker says 3213...i have weighed the non people part of the load I currently have and it is 124lbs( some tools and bedliner) the hitch is the next thing to consider. I know i should be looking at auto sliders....but I also have to consider the mounting system and additional wiring and safety chain attachments.

Originally Posted by xrated

The very FIRST thing to do is to check the sticker on the driver side door post or the door itself. You will be looking for the sticker that shows the Payload or Cargo Carrying Capacity (C.C.C.) of YOUR truck. Whatever that number is, will be the payload capacity of the truck as it was built, coming off of the assembly line. Anything that has been added to the truck such as a bedliner, a toolbox, airbags, etc, will reduce that sticker weight number by however much weight the additional items weigh.

Once that is accomplished and you know the available payload of the truck, you now have a firm number to work from. Most 5th wheel camping type trailers will put down at least 20% of the trailer weight as pin weight on the truck. So for example, a trailer with a GVWR of say 10,000 lb, will put at least 2000 lbs of pin weight on the truck. A 12,000 lb GVWR trailer would assume at least 2400 lbs. Keep in mind, those examples I just quoted are if the trailer is loaded to the full GVWR number respectively.

The next thing to look at is anything and everything that will go in/on the truck. Obviously you will need some type of 5ver hitch and whatever that weighs will be deducted from the payload number. Next to consider is everything that will go in/on the truck besides passengers. Only you know what all you will load into the truck to take along....firewood?, toolbox loaded with tools/jacks/Impact wrench......whatever.

So in summary, you best bet is to get your truck weighed at a CAT scale to see exactly what the weight of the truck is. Once that weight is known, deduct that weight from the GVWR of the truck (10,000 lbs is the likely number here), and you now have your available payload number. An example might be: 10,000 lb GVWR for the truck, and the weight of the truck is 7248 lbs. Do the math and you come up with.....2752 lbs. Hopefully this helps you get a good start.

[tuffr2]

If your truck has the factory puck system you can tow some mid profile 5th wheels. Agree, keep the GVWR of the 5th wheel to 12,000lbs - 10,000lbs is better.

If you don't have the factory puck system a trailer supply store can install the Gooseneck set-up for about $1,200 for the B&W Turn Over Ball. Then you would need a King pin on the 5th wheel like the Reese Goosebox 16K for another $1,200. You then need a camera to see in ball in the bed of your truck.

You can see this set up on YouTube easy enough.

There are other ways once you have the B&W ball. B&W makes a companion 5th wheel hitch that connects to the ball. Then you use the standard looking 5th wheel hitch which is heavy and clumsy.

Anderson makes an interesting 4 tube mount that sets the ball above the bed rails. This set up is lighter at about 40lbs. I have seen a picture of this set-up collapsed as the 5th wheel crushed it.

Oh, I priced having just the rails added to my truck which was $700.

Again YouTube and Google can show you the B&W Turn Over Ball set-up. Same for the Anderson set-up.

[TMyers17]

Gross weight on the 2500's has been long debated. The 3/4 ton class as a whole is 10K max. But, if you add the gross axle weights, most are over 10K. My Ram 2500's axles add up to 11K.

With that said, I'm over 300lbs. cargo towing our 5th wheel per the door sticker but under 700lbs. on the axle.

Edit: I have the Reese Goosebox and the B&W turnover ball setup. I also use the 4" offset ball that B&W sells. I have more than enough turning radius in my standard bed Ram.

[artman1913]

Odds are you are going to be over GVWR before anything else
Upgrade your tires next tine you need em ( 3500 per tire is the upper end of E )

hitches .... a lot of options

I have the pullright superglide only one of two that is a auto sliding hitch
Do you need a sliding hitch with a shortbed ? depends on you and can you watch and make sure the trailer doesn't hit the cab.
A lot of people love the AUH but some have problems with the pinbox hitting the tail gate
Don't go with rails mounted in the bed you can get adapters that drop in the puck holes that gives you rails

If I had to over again I would look at a goosebox

[NewBlackDak]

I’m in a ‘14 Ram 2500. Available “payload capacity” on mine is less than yours, but same axle capacities. I tow a 10k lb dry 14k max fifth wheel toy hauler(2300lb pin weigh) using the Andersen ultimate. I think you would be fine in the 12-13K max range.

I’m happy with the hitch. I can go past 90° without contact, and it’s only about 40lbs to move and get my bed back. The hardest part was getting it aligned properly. I cut down a couple 1x10 boards to help center it, and now it goes really fast.

[Toby Dog]

I don't see any reference to gas or diesel, or RWD or 4WD. Both change many of the weights left that you will have available.

[mtofell]

For some comparison - I have a very similar truck with a 3040# payload. I have a 9000# dry 5th wheel and am right at the 10,000# GVWR most of the time. I've been a few hundred pounds over it with a full load of water in the trailer and supplies in the truck. My slider hitch weighs at least a couple hundred pounds. I've never weighed my 5th wheel all by itself but can make a pretty good guess from multiple trips through the scales (free here in Oregon at the closed weigh stations). I'm usually in the 11-11.5K# range.

My rear axle (2014 truck) is rated at 6600# and most I've ever had on it is 5800#. Tires are rated for 7200# total so I feel pretty good about my setup overall. Back in 2014 the rear axle for my 2500 is rumored to be the exact same as the 3500 (SRW) and the tires were the limiting factor. I'm pretty sure OP's rear axle is specific to the 2500 so I'm not sure what the limiting factor is (tires or axle itself). And before everyone leaps out of their barcaloungers.... Yes, I know nothing changes what my door sticker says.

[1st-tt2018]

Everything listed is for my individual truck, not a brochure.

Originally Posted by Toby Dog

I don't see any reference to gas or diesel, or RWD or 4WD. Both change many of the weights left that you will have available.

[HDGoose]

My 2013 Ram 2500 diesel had a payload of 2470-ish. I currently have a 2008 WolfPack 295WP that has a max rating of 12k. Max load for me was 11,500 with two motorcycles, fuel, 100 gallons fresh water and propane. Truck weighed at scales was not over RAWR. (I only hauled two motorcycles once, usually only mine.) Then my total weight for both was 21,800 total.

Really like the diesel in the mountains and was at 90% capacity of that 2013 truck with current 5th wheel. That's why I just bought a 2020 RAM 3500 diesel. Not sure I'd like a gasses at 90% capacity in western NC, eastern WV or TN.

[BuzzWolfAR]

May want to look at Cedar Creek Silverbacks. I have a 29 ik. Would fit your weight parameters well.