Towing trailer to the mountains for skiing

[shane_the_ee]

You have a brand new truck and brand new trailer. Congrats! How much towing experience do you have? It's one thing to add "wintry conditions" to decades of experience towing large and heavy trailers over all sorts of terrain. It's another thing entirely to add "towing in wintry conditions" to "I've never towed anything before"...

[tuffr2]

I towed one time on icy snowy roads that were salted. That salt rusted things on my trailer that if not in the salt there would be no rust. Really messed up my pristine new (ish) trailer.

Also the salty spray from other vehicles got higher than you would expect.

No way I would tow on salty roads by design. My one time was a mistake.

[Dropthejacks]

Originally Posted by avigil

I researched quite thoroughly before making both purchases. 3 to 4 months for each. I did also actually put in the VIN the to verify and at the dealership they ran it as well. And when I was researching, then shopping for a truck, I read pretty methodical about the requirements for towing.

So, I'm quite confident in the towing rating of 11,840. Move has the 3.92 rear gear ratio, trailer brakes, the 5.7L, it's a crew cab 4x4. I think that is all that is relevant for the towing capacity of the truck.

Was there a specific reason you think the 2019 ram 1500 can't be rated that high?

Btw, I have an equalizer anti sway weight distributing hitch. And i don't plan on going anywhere near the max gvw of the trailer. The max I would load it is to 8,500 pounds, which should leave me more like 30% extra.

They don't have the 2019 tow charts out yet, so all I can go by is for the 2018 RAM. And set up like you're saying they top out at around 10,200-10,300 lbs. If they added an additional 16oo lbs of tow capacity, that's great. But that's quite a jump. I just feel when you start hitting those hills, you are going to be surprised at how hard that 1500 is going to have to work to get the job done. It looks good on paper, but real world performance is different. Good luck!

[avigil]

Originally Posted by Dropthejacks

They don't have the 2019 tow charts out yet, so all I can go by is for the 2018 RAM. And set up like you're saying they top out at around 10,200-10,300 lbs. If they added an additional 16oo lbs of tow capacity, that's great. But that's quite a jump. I just feel when you start hitting those hills, you are going to be surprised at how hard that 1500 is going to have to work to get the job done. It looks good on paper, but real world performance is different. Good luck!

Got it. Thanks for the response. I know the rear gear axle ratio of 3.92 that I got made a big difference in towing capacity. And with the 5.7L it also a difference (vs the v6). And I think with me having the tow package that also made a difference. I misremembered the exact number in my previous reply. I think I said 11,840 lbs for towing capacity earlier. Here's what Ram's site says when I enter in my VIN:
Max Payload: 1,840 lbs
Max Towing: 11,340 lbs

There is a lot more details that I have. But I need to look those up tonight.

[Jshopes81]

Originally Posted by xrated

Really, try pulling a flatbed with xxxx lbs of weight on it, then take the same amount of weight that is a camping type trailer and let me know how that works for you. And I'm talking about weights that are approaching the max rating for the truck, not some rinky-dink trailers/weight. Even the truck manufacturers talk about towing with frontage area limitations and sizes in square feet of frontal.

Yes really. I dont have a class a cdl on my license just for fun. Ive drug over 150,000 lbs up tight back windy country roads in first gear, ive driven cross country with a ram 5500 at max capacity, ive driven straight trucks and cranes up the sides of mountains that would make a mountain goat dizzy. Ive trained over 100 guys to pass their cdl tests. Between cdl class a, b, and light trucks i drive over 50k miles per year. I think i know at least a little about driving and pulling a trailer.

[tuffr2]

Dude, you are a pro. Advising people as if we are all pros is not helping.

[twinboat]

Reminds me of the saying " Kid, I've got more time in reverse then you have in foward ".

[Jshopes81]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

Dude, you are a pro. Advising people as if we are all pros is not helping.

I gave him advice from a realistic perspective regarding his weights and my experience driving in poor weather conditions with a trailer and it was good advice. More truck is not going to make driving in snow or ice any better. Being prepared for the situation and equipped mentally will make a huge difference. Bigger trucks do not make up for a lack of skill. Its like riding a motorcycle. I passed my skills test years ago but i still go to an empty parkinglot and practice tight turns and quick stops. Practice and repetition is what makes the difference.

[avigil]

Originally Posted by grumpyman

great idea … plus … what are you going to do with motorcycles on a ski slope?

I will only be taking motorcycles in the toy hauler when I go to the track. Other trips I'll be using it just as a TT.

[avigil]

A couple people asked about it, so I wanted to post details regarding my ram 1500. All of this is from Ram's site. I have the 2019 Ram 1500 crew cab with the 5'7"box, 4x4, trailer package:

Max payload:1,840 lbs
Max towing: 11,340 lbs

axle ratio: 3.92
GVWR: 7100
Total base weight:5,302
front base weight: 3,082
rear base weight: 2,219
GAWR front: 3,900
GAWR rear: 4,100
GCWR: 17,000

I mentioned it before, but I had an Equilizer WDH installed. I took the toy hauler to a campground the first night I got it for an overnighter. It was only about 40 miles away and I didn't go over any mountain passes, just up some hills. The 1500 had no problem at all with power for that trip.

I appreciate all of the comments that people have given. I want to do a lot of exploring in this. But learning from the wisdom of others and making sure I'm prepared is top of my list. There are a lot of different opinions on this subject though, so I just need to take it all in and decide for myself. But I really appreciate the constructive input!

As far as my towing experience goes, I've towed open trailers for several years (max of about 1,500 pounds). So, towing a heavy trailer is something I'm a novice at. After reading everyone's comments, I'll do trips to places when the weather is fair before attempting to do a trip where there might be snow. And I'll definitely carry chains for both the TV and TT. Also, I'm going to be researching which ski areas have RV parks at their base or only part way up and staying at those initially.

I attached the pdf of 2019 ram 1500 towing charts.

[Andrewe]

I should point out that the exact numbers you quoted do not appear on that chart. The number on the chart are the maximum available capacity for that configuration. This is not the same thing as it being the max rating for your truck.


Each truck is optioned individually and has its own payload rating. Your exact payload rating is located on a sticker inside the driver door area and states something like: "maximum weight of occupants and cargo."


The difference between your provided GVWR and your payload rating is 5160 lbs which should be the weight of your truck. This seems extremely light for a crew cab 4x4 truck.


This is the most important number you need to figure out your towing capacity. Note that your toy hauler without toys in the garage is going to be especially heavy on the tongue.


I've towed RVs a lot and driven through the mountains in the winter a little. I would not even consider winter towing in the mountains with your rig. Frankly I believe it'll be overloaded or close to it and therefor not a suitable setup for even flat summer towing. But I like to be conservative. And safe.

[xrated]

Originally Posted by Jshopes81

Yes really. I dont have a class a cdl on my license just for fun. Ive drug over 150,000 lbs up tight back windy country roads in first gear, ive driven cross country with a ram 5500 at max capacity, ive driven straight trucks and cranes up the sides of mountains that would make a mountain goat dizzy. Ive trained over 100 guys to pass their cdl tests. Between cdl class a, b, and light trucks i drive over 50k miles per year. I think i know at least a little about driving and pulling a trailer.

Then YOU, of all people should know that towing xxx amount of weight on a flatbed isn't the same as towing that same weight as a camping trailer. And, in all of your centuries of experience, you certainly know that having the right truck for the load you are hauling is paramount!

[avigil]

Originally Posted by Andrewe

I should point out that the exact numbers you quoted do not appear on that chart. The number on the chart are the maximum available capacity for that configuration. This is not the same thing as it being the max rating for your truck.


Each truck is optioned individually and has its own payload rating. Your exact payload rating is located on a sticker inside the driver door area and states something like: "maximum weight of occupants and cargo."


The difference between your provided GVWR and your payload rating is 5160 lbs which should be the weight of your truck. This seems extremely light for a crew cab 4x4 truck.


This is the most important number you need to figure out your towing capacity. Note that your toy hauler without toys in the garage is going to be especially heavy on the tongue.


I've towed RVs a lot and driven through the mountains in the winter a little. I would not even consider winter towing in the mountains with your rig. Frankly I believe it'll be overloaded or close to it and therefor not a suitable setup for even flat summer towing. But I like to be conservative. And safe.

Thanks. If you look at the total base weight of 5,302 I'm assuming that is weight of the truck, correct? That sounds pretty close to the 5,160.

Btw, I looked up my vin on the ram website to get the first 2 numbers (payload capacity and towing capacity). At the dealership, they also did this and came up with same numbers that I provided.

Weight wise, I should never be above 8,500 pounds total for the trailer. So, I think I have some room.

[winniman]

Sorry but this sounds like a bad idea to me. You are going to be at close to max that you would WANT to tow with that truck. Add in snow, and big hills, and you are on your way to a big problem. I wouldnt want to tow something that big in the winter, let alone with hills and snow. Be prepared to stay if needed in the event of a snow storm.