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Old 10-31-2020, 11:46 AM   #1
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Tow Rating - real talk!

Hi all. I'm reaching out to the forums again hopefully to clear some muddy waters.

Not sure if this is in the right forum, apologies if its incorrect.

Tow Capacity: I have been told so many different things over the months I'm just confused. I'm searching for a specific trailer and if it comes up I'm going to buy it and I need some clarity.

I have a truck rated to tow 8000 lb. The trailer I want to get is 6800 lb unloaded. Simple math says I can do it as long as I don't load it much and don't drive up a mountain.

Some people say I'm good to go, some people say no way, some people say sure, your truck will tow way more than it's rated for. Others say "just because it's rated for it doesn't mean you should do it .....and on and on.

So, I might be opening another can of worms but I'd like to get some more feedback. I don't want to find and buy this trailer just to realize I should have never done it in the first place (and I cant afford a bigger truck!)

Opinions, tips, ideas all welcomed, and thanks in advance.

PS,
It's a 2014
Dodge Ram - Sport
Crew Cab
V8 5.7 Liter HEMI
8 speed AT
Short Box
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Old 10-31-2020, 12:04 PM   #2
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Where will you be towing? On back roads to local state parks you will be fine.

On the highway with semi trucks traveling 68 to 72mph in the right lane you will be pushing it.

Look at your drivers door sticker to see how much 'Occupants and cargo' you can carry. Then look at your hitch. How much weight can it carry...downward force.

A 7,000lb trailer will have about 1,000lbs on your hitch.

That trailer seems too big for your truck IMHO.

I towed my 6,500lb trailer with my friends 2005 Ram 1500 5.7 hemi to the local state park. Top speed was 50mph. In a nut shell that trailer felt heavy behind his truck. But a 50mph the was zero sway.
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Old 10-31-2020, 12:31 PM   #3
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Welcome .

What can I tow ? or ; Can I tow this ? are perhaps the most asked questions here in the forums.
First advice is ; anyone who tells you " Just hook up and go ! " Get their REAL name and a bank account number .
Second , look at how the manufacturer determines max tow capacity .
EMPTY truck with an allowance of 150 lbs for a driver.
Yep that's a real world possibility.
You have a crew cab , I'd imagine you have family , so get all the family together, any pets and gear you'd expect to load for a weekend of RVing , fill the truck with gas and drive over the scales . Get both axle and combined weights; to compare to your trucks door sticker and payload numbers.
Then you'll be able to see how much more weight you can carry , and where you can add it.
When corporate fuel economy regulations came in ; years ago ; manufacturers found that lightening up the truck , gave better fuel mileage , and with that lighter truck, the max weight ratings became way more important . Where a 1974 1/2 ton truck could be considered " overbuilt " a 2014 is not .
BTW: I worked for Dodge dealer for 33 years , and hauled 4 different 5 th wheel trailers with two Dodge 4x4s . I've towed at the limit ; it's not fun.
I know it is possible to overload a 2006 Dodge 1/2 ton crew cab , by putting an adult in every seat . Nothing in the box , no trailer , OVERLOADED with 6 people in the cab.

The trailer you've mentioned , and a good hitch , will load approx 1,000 Lbs on the rear axle of your truck , you need to know if the axle and tires will support that weight.

Please take the time to get all the numbers and act accordingly.
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Old 10-31-2020, 12:33 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by greenic View Post
Hi all. I'm reaching out to the forums again hopefully to clear some muddy waters.

Not sure if this is in the right forum, apologies if its incorrect.

Tow Capacity: I have been told so many different things over the months I'm just confused. I'm searching for a specific trailer and if it comes up I'm going to buy it and I need some clarity.

I have a truck rated to tow 8000 lb. The trailer I want to get is 6800 lb unloaded. Simple math says I can do it as long as I don't load it much and don't drive up a mountain.

Some people say I'm good to go, some people say no way, some people say sure, your truck will tow way more than it's rated for. Others say "just because it's rated for it doesn't mean you should do it .....and on and on.

So, I might be opening another can of worms but I'd like to get some more feedback. I don't want to find and buy this trailer just to realize I should have never done it in the first place (and I cant afford a bigger truck!)

Opinions, tips, ideas all welcomed, and thanks in advance.

PS,
It's a 2014
Dodge Ram - Sport
Crew Cab
V8 5.7 Liter HEMI
8 speed AT
Short Box
'Tow Rating' is the least accurate/important rating when it comes to towing a travel trailer or 5th wheel. Manufacturers determine the tow rating with the truck pulling a low trailer loaded with a pile of bricks, not a 30' 'sail'.

The only way to accurately know what your truck can really tow is by filling up the tank, loading it up for camping (including all passengers and gear) and taking it to a CAT scale. Subtract this weight from your vehicle's GVWR (posted on the sticker on the driver's side door pillar). This remainder is what you have left to carry the trailer's tongue weight, plus a good weight distribution hitch.

Example:

Vehicle GVWR: 7000 lbs
Vehicle loaded for camping scales at: 5900 lbs
WDH: 100 lbs

Available for trailer tongue weight: 1000 lbs

Take this remaining figure and divide it by 13% (recommended avg. tongue weight) to determine the max GVWR trailer weight you can safely tow.
From this example:

Available for tongue weight: 1000 lbs
1000 / .13 = 7690 lbs

So in this example, 7,690 lbs is the max GVWR of any trailer you look at.

Load and weigh your truck, do the above math and you will no what trailer's are in your safe range based on their GVWR.

Final Note: Do not use the trailer dry weight or website/brochure tongue weight. These are not real world figures. Always go by the trailer's GVWR and the 13% rule for calculating.
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Old 10-31-2020, 03:39 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by greenic View Post
I have a truck rated to tow 8000 lb. The trailer I want to get is 6800 lb unloaded. Simple math says I can do it as long as I don't load it much and don't drive up a mountain.

. . .

PS,
It's a 2014
Dodge Ram - Sport
Crew Cab
V8 5.7 Liter HEMI
8 speed AT
Short Box
First, thanks for posting the vehicle, but you really need to post your GVWR and empty weight of your vehicle to determine your payload.

I'm going to guess you'll not be able to safely tow that trailer. I have a truck rated for 7,600 pounds and my trailer weighing about 3,900/4500 empty/full is about the limit.

The big issue for me is payload. You'll need to calculate that as mentioned above, but don't forget to subtract out your hitch weight and tongue weight, the other stuff you'll keep in the truck as well as passengers.

There's also tongue weight limit. Mine is 770, and your trailer would likely be over that without even considering the weight of the hitch.

There's also the axle weight limits. Even with a WDH I'm within 500 pounds of mine.

Note you're truck will have different limits than mine, but the max payload number is largely a BS number designed to sell vehicles.
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Old 10-31-2020, 03:51 PM   #6
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No you won't be able to tow it. Yes you can tow it home from the dealer, but once you load it up it will be a handful on all but the slowest roads. IMO thats no way to camp and have fun.
Buy a smaller trailer or get a bigger truck.
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Old 10-31-2020, 04:11 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Skip426 View Post

Second , look at how the manufacturer determines max tow capacity .
EMPTY truck with an allowance of 150 lbs for a driver.

It’s also with a low profile trailer with almost no aerodynamic drag. It’s very different when you’re towing what resembles an 11-12’ tall brick.
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Old 10-31-2020, 04:19 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by NewBlackDak View Post
It’s also with a low profile trailer with almost no aerodynamic drag. It’s very different when you’re towing what resembles an 11-12’ tall brick.
I think it goes even beyond that, because they need a relatively low tongue weight percentage or they don't test the trailer for sway. In any case, but for a boat or maybe a car trailer that can get by with lower tongue weight you're not likely to be able to tow near the max tow rating of most vehicles.
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Old 11-01-2020, 05:46 AM   #9
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I have a 6300 lb Winnebago. 2016 Ram 5.7 with 3.92 gears rated to tow 10000 lbs. Mechanically it’s more than strong enough to tow the trailer on most any conditions. What I didn’t know when I bought the truck was weight capacity is more important than towing capacity. My truck formed pretty bad rear sag and at times we were in a bucking bronco. I have a WDH which didn’t do enough. I recently installed airbags that helped, but won’t increase weight capacity. I’m still towing with it but now pack absolutely nothing in the truck. My wife and I and two small dogs and a completely empty bed. With 1000 lbs on the hitch and us were at the limit. When I was in Florida last winter I hired a service tech to repair my furnace and he looked at my truck and trailer and said do you really tow from Michigan with that? I didn’t understand the comment at the time now I do. My next truck wlll be a 3/4 ton. We needed a trailer the size we bought, but got lots of bad advice from RV and car sales people. Buy a lighter trailer or a bigger truck.
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Old 11-01-2020, 06:36 AM   #10
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You can tow a flatbed trailer with re-bar on it easier, you can also tow a boat easier.

The most difficult to tow is the big front and big high sides and big flat back travel trailer. It is more like trying to tow and control a big shoe box.
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Old 11-01-2020, 07:56 AM   #11
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Originally Posted by tuffr2 View Post
You can tow a flatbed trailer with re-bar on it easier, you can also tow a boat easier.

The most difficult to tow is the big front and big high sides and big flat back travel trailer. It is more like trying to tow and control a big shoe box.
On the plus side the lack of aerodynamics will provide some braking on downgrades relative to a boat or flatbed trailer.
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Old 11-01-2020, 08:09 AM   #12
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I'm towing a 20' that probably tips the scales at 3800lbs...with a 2020 Tacoma double cab. Family of 4 in the truck and we load up the bed with firewood...and about 100 lbs of other stuff. Towing with a standard weight distribution hitch was not too bad but sway was not fun. Upgraded to a Centerline TS hitch with 800-1000 lb bars and aside from feeling weighed down i have little sway even when its windy. In NE Ohio and surrounding areas I can easily go 65-70 and pass. Gas mileage was bad at first (once I had 1500 it improved alot) but now I'm averaging 13-15 mpgs. Someday I would like a bigger truck but the Tacoma has surprised me with how it handles everything. Next year I'll do an AAL or helper spring of sorts but not truly necessary at this point.
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Old 11-01-2020, 08:26 AM   #13
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Not going to talk about yes or no but pass on a word of wisdom I discovered.

You may think that you can keep the additional weight out of your trailer but that does not apply to the wife and family in most cases. You have to figure they will fill every nook and cranny with "stuff". My wife likes to be prepared for any social gathering eventuality. So we have plates and pots and appliances for almost any event possible. Having a pot luck? Well there are multiple serving dishes and accessories so any situation will have the proper presentation (you cant put dip in a cereal bowl!).

In conclusion - plan to be at GVW!
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Old 11-01-2020, 09:08 AM   #14
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Thank fully my wife isn't like that! And my younger kids...bike and a 3 qt container of legos is all they ever bring. Also helps to have camping clothes....she has specific clothes just for the camper that are easy to care for. Some people I see at the campgrounds have more than I have in my own house. Live simply when possible and light. Makes life so much easier!
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