So confused on tow capacity

[nomad68]

I would love to get a TT for weekend getaways. I have a 2017 Ram 1500 crew cab 5'7 bed with a 5.7 hemi with 3.92 ratio. I am so confused as to exactly how much TT I can safely tow. I am looking at a Heartland XLT 262RB or a Forest River 2606WS. Both are between 5800 - 6300 lbs dry weight. According to my truck sticker my TV has a GVWR of 6900. There are so many numbers I just am lost. Sorry for long post but I just need someone other than salesman giving me answers. Thanks in advance

[dexters]

Originally Posted by nomad68

I would love to get a TT for weekend getaways. I have a 2017 Ram 1500 crew cab 5'7 bed with a 5.7 hemi with 3.92 ratio. I am so confused as to exactly how much TT I can safely tow. I am looking at a Heartland XLT 262RB or a Forest River 2606WS. Both are between 5800 - 6300 lbs dry weight. According to my truck sticker my TV has a GVWR of 6900. There are so many numbers I just am lost. Sorry for long post but I just need someone other than salesman giving me answers. Thanks in advance

Start here.

Pickup Trucks 101: How Much Can My Truck Tow? - PickupTrucks.com News

https://www.topspeed.com/trucks/truc...-ar170318.html

[LJowdy]

This site says 10,360 lbs https://www.ramtrucks.com/towing-guide.html Click on 2017 then add your features and it will give you a guide based on the truck, its components and final drive ratio..

[60sumtin]

Keep in mind you'll also have add on to those dry weights whatever else you plan on loading into trailer (cargo). Things like your personal belongings, food, water (if any), propane, batteries, etc. etc. Some people carry a lot while others can make due with a few hundred pounds or so. To make an estimate gather everything you'll want to take with you, put them in boxes and weigh them on a bathroom scale.

Then you'll have to determine how much cargo if any you'll be putting into the truck. Knowing those weights will give you both the trailer's GVW and the truck's GVW. Compare each of those numbers to their respective GVWR.

[Dropthejacks]

Originally Posted by nomad68

I would love to get a TT for weekend getaways. I have a 2017 Ram 1500 crew cab 5'7 bed with a 5.7 hemi with 3.92 ratio. I am so confused as to exactly how much TT I can safely tow. I am looking at a Heartland XLT 262RB or a Forest River 2606WS. Both are between 5800 - 6300 lbs dry weight. According to my truck sticker my TV has a GVWR of 6900. There are so many numbers I just am lost. Sorry for long post but I just need someone other than salesman giving me answers. Thanks in advance

Don't believe anything the salesman says, be he the RV salesman or a truck salesman. I owned a 2016 RAM just like yours, in a Bighorn edition. It was rated to tow 8200lbs. I purchased a TT that was 6300 empty. I found out on the way home with it I had messed up, and a few weeks later there was a 2500 RAM in the driveway. If I was only going to be towing it a short distance down the road every once in a while and packed light, I probably could have made do with the 1500, although the life expectancy of the truck would have shortened I believe. But we pull for hours at a time, up and down the east coast and out across the Blue Ridge Mountains, so we upgraded. The 1500 RAM you have will be fine, but I would not get an RV that maxes out loaded at more than 63-6500 lbs, depending on what kind of camping you will be doing. In your case, lighter is better, say 5K lbs. Good luck!

[aether_one]

When figuring out what you can tow forget the TT dry weight and use the TT GVWR for all your calculations. If you aren't at the GVWR you'll still be good.

[tuffr2]

Have you towed before?

I can tell you I towed a 5,500lb 26.5' Streamlite 22 SLB with a 2011 F-150 5.0 litre engine and a WD hitch very comfortably. Towing I got 10.5 mpg, solo I would get 19 mpg. You have more truck than that 2011 F-150. Just be aware, the truck will know it is towing.

Also I can tell you my wife wants a trailer with a 8,800lb GVWR so I bought a F-250 as I felt that would be pushing the comfortable towing with a half ton truck.

[bneukam]

I tow a Lance 1995 with the same truck. It’s a Longhorn fully loaded so my payload suffers at just over 1,200 lbs. The TT comes in at 4,600 lbs dry, and fully loaded with batteries, propane, and gear we are right around 5,500 lbs. gross. Usually in the 11 mpg range, tows it very nice, but not sure I would want to go any heavier. Remember you are buying this to be an enjoyable trip, not being stressed out.
Good Luck on your search!

[RPr]

Every truck is unique when it comes to cargo capacity. My F-150 with the standard towing package is listed on the door jamb sticker as 1411 lb. Max cargo. Some F-150s with the max towing package can carry over 2000 lbs.

A good starting point for many half tons is a 5000# dry weight TT. Still you have to know the max cargo for your particular vehicle.

[Normal_Dave]

Confusing, but not impossible. Yes to all posted above, but let me paint a picture that might make it easier to understand.

I would start with your truck's actual payload rating from the "yellow" sticker. I would guess that would be the first rating you might exceed on your truck, with a travel trailer hooked up.

For shopping purposes, consider adding ~ 1,200-1,500 lbs of "stuff" (cargo, propane, batteries, water, lawn chairs, grill, charcoal, led patio lights, tiki torches, dog run, etc.) to any trailer's dry weight to get a more real-world idea of what the total loaded travel trailer weight might be.

Then take that new number, multiply by .15 to estimate the prospective trailer's tongue weight applied to the truck.

Subtract that result from your payload rating on that yellow sticker, after you already subtracted Mom, kids, (mother-in-law?) dog, luggage, firewood, bicycles, rip-stick skateboards, anything else you put in the truck.

Ok, any capacity left? Well there you go, at least you're in the neighborhood.

Here's the chart for your year truck, don't get excited about the max towing on the right column, remember, payload capacity gets eaten up quick before you get to the max trailer rating. (rear axle capacity too).
https://www.ramtrucks.com/assets/tow...ing_charts.pdf
The good news is, within the Ram 1500's limitations you've got the right setup, the 3.92 gear really helps with the pulling power.

I found a Heartland Sundance 262XLT with a dry weight listed at
5,920 LBS
1,500 LBS (stuff)
7,420 LBS (est. loaded trailer)
x .15

1,113 LBS tongue weight estimate
-1,510 max payload 4x4 CC Ram 3.92

397 LBS capacity left...You, your crew, tank of gas, and your stuff in the truck have to weigh well under 397 LBS. BUT, the Ram towing chart limits the tongue weight to 1100 lbs on the receiver hitch anyway. See how quick you get into trouble?

Clear as mud right? OK team, how was that... reasonable for a new trailer shopper for starter's?

Edit: just noticed forum member jimmerz has a similar truck and tows a similar weight/size trailer...might reach out to him and have a discussion?
http://www.irv2.com/forums/members/jimmerz-112814.html

[Oldelevatorman]

Don't always trust the yellow sticker. My previous truck, 2011 F150 eco-beast, had a payload rating of 1799. I took it to a scale with me and a full tank of gas and it was only 1450. I towed an Outdoors Wind River TT, weighed around 8200 like a boss. My current truck, 2015 F350 DRW 2WD had a payload of 5860. Dealer let me take it to a scale before I bought it. With me, the salesman and full of gas it was 5650. I need every bit of it. Pin weight on my Landmark is 3940!
As others have said, there's all kinds of info available just don't get it from a salesman. My local trailer supply let me use their tongue weight scale after I'd loaded my TT to see exactly what I had! Good luck!

[ScoobyDoo]

To me, the best idea, is get the GCVWR for your truck. Not what the truck could be spec to but what it is
Now fill the tank with gas, load your family, and everything you want to take camping, go to scale and weigh the truck. (Bell, all loaded, might as well go to CG) Now when looking at trailers, if the weight is enough below [GCVWR-GW] to allow for batteries, water and propane, whatever is not included in MT weight, you should be good...

[SmokeyWren]

Hi, nomad68, and and to our campfire.

Originally Posted by nomad68

There are so many numbers I just am lost. Sorry for long post but I just need someone other than salesman giving me answers.

If you're going to match trailer to tow vehicle without winding up overloaded, then you must deal with numbers. But some numbers are more important than others.

Absolute limits include GCWR, GVWR, rear GAWR (rGAWR) of the tow vehicle, and the tongue weight (TW) capacity of your receiver hitch.

Of those absolute limits, GVWR is the first one you will exceed on most tow vehicles. So initially, ignore the other weight limits and concentrate on the GVWR.

The OEM receiver WITH A WEIGHT DISTRUBUTING (WD) HITCH usually has enough TW capacity to tow any travel trailer that will not result in your exceeding the GVWR of the tow vehicle.

GCWR and the so-called "tow rating" that is based on the GCWR is severely overstated for a normal family wanting to tow a TT on a camping trip.

rGAWR is the limiter on some half-ton pickups, but trying to estimate the resulting gross trailer weight using rGAWR is difficult and will be close to the estimated gross trailer weight based on GVWR, so just use GVWR for matching trailer to tow vehicle.

GVWR is the maximum weight that can be on the tow vehicle when wet and loaded on the road. It includes all the people and everything else in and on the tow vehicle, including hitch and tongue weight of any trailer in tow.

GVWR minus the shipping weight of the tow vehicle is the payload capacity of the tow vehicle. Max gross payload capacity is on a sticker on the door frame of most new pickups and SUVs. So if you are a good enough estimator, you can subtract the weight of all your people and cargo in the truck and determine the payload capacity available for hitch weight.

But most people will under-estimate the weight of the people and cargo in their truck. So if you already have the truck, then the best way to estimate max trailer weight you can tow without being overloaded is to weigh the wet and loaded truck

Subtract the weight of the wet and loaded truck from the GVWR of the truck and the answer is the payload capacity available for hitch weight

For a TT, subtract 100 pounds from the payload capacity available for hitch weight and the answer is the payload capacity available for tongue weight (TW). Divide the payload capacity available for TW by 13% and the answer is the maximum weight of any TT with average TW that you can tow without being overloaded.

For a fifth-wheel RV trailer (5er), if your truck does not have the factory 5er prep kit, or aftermarket 5er hitch installed, subtract 200 pounds from the payload capacity available for hitch weight and the answer is the payload capacity available for kingpin ("pin") weight. Divide the payload capacity available for pin weight by 20% and the answer is the maximum weight of any TT with average pin weight that you can tow without being overloaded.

[ScoobyDoo]

Originally Posted by SmokeyWren

Absolute limits include GCWR, GVWR, rear GAWR (rGAWR) of the tow vehicle, and the tongue weight (TW) capacity of your receiver hitch.

Of those absolute limits, GVWR is the first one you will exceed on most tow vehicles. So initially, ignore the other weight limits and concentrate on the GVWR.

Tilt! On many light trucks, the GVWR does not change with larger engines, or gear ratio, but the GCVWR does change.

The OEM receiver WITH A WEIGHT DISTRUBUTING (WD) HITCH usually has enough TW capacity to tow any travel trailer that will not result in your exceeding the GVWR of the tow vehicle.

Now do you think OEMs change the hitch depending on what engine they put in? My receiver is rated for a trailer nearly twice the size my little 6 is rated to pull...

GCWR and the so-called "tow rating" that is based on the GCWR is severely overstated for a normal family wanting to tow a TT on a camping trip.

The GCWR or GCVWR is a engineering number based on the capacity of the lowest rated component of the vehicle and conditions it would normally be expected to encounter. "Tow Capacity", OTOH, is a advertising number, GCVWR - the lightest vehicle in the class with the power/gears needed to get that rating. Where most get into trouble is understanding that all the extra seats, doors, FREDs increase weight but do not increase weight capacity.
In '95 a friend bought 2 brand new Fords. One had XL trim, the other had XLT. The XLT was 1000 heavier. And that was standard size cabs...