Maximum Towing Capacities for Conventional Trailers

[Wineaux]

Howdy, all.

I am curious about maximum bumper-pull towing capacities. I am in the market for a Ram 3500 4x4 2dr.

I can find the GCWR and Maximum Towing weights, but do those apply to bumper-pull towing applications?

Ford specifies the different weight ratings between 5th-Wheel and Conventional.

I have contacted dealers asking about this, but none of them can answer. I decided to come here.

I searched through the forum and couldn't find anything.

Thanks for any help.

 

[jsalbre]

Ram has a 23k pound max for conventional trailers. See note 15 on the last page of this document:

https://www.ramtrucks.com/BodyBuilder/service/Image?imageId=MtQrP%2FFqLY5r%2Fest8MtGjGgHzAHGUTU0WB3rWuqSY7YmQ2vEhuBWBFy6Od5Hdu%2FD%0A

 

[areuriding]

I would imagine there's a huge difference between bumper pull, hitch pull, and 5th wheel. Why worry about bumper pull if your getting a truck with a trailer hitch. A bumper mounted ball is fixed height so anything you tow won't be level.

 

[MEGA HO]

I would imagine there's a huge difference between bumper pull, hitch pull, and 5th wheel. Why worry about bumper pull if your getting a truck with a trailer hitch. A bumper mounted ball is fixed height so anything you tow won't be level.

A "hitch pull" is generally referred to as "bumper pull".
Nobody's pulling on their bumpers anymore, it's a thing of a past. There isn't even a hole in a bumper to screw the hitch bull into.

 

[MEGA HO]

Howdy, all.

I am curious about maximum bumper-pull towing capacities. I am in the market for a Ram 3500 4x4 2dr.

I can find the GCWR and Maximum Towing weights, but do those apply to bumper-pull towing applications?

Ford specifies the different weight ratings between 5th-Wheel and Conventional.

I have contacted dealers asking about this, but none of them can answer. I decided to come here.

I searched through the forum and couldn't find anything.

Thanks for any help.

Truck would still pull the max it's rated for regardless if it's 5er or conventional, in the case of conventional the hitch itself would be a limiting factor.

 

[areuriding]

A "hitch pull" is generally referred to as "bumper pull".
Nobody's pulling on their bumpers anymore, it's a thing of a past. There isn't even a hole in a bumper to screw the hitch bull into.

I'm just a dummy I guess, sorry about that. Didn't know it was a thing of the past as I still see people doing it and always wondered why.

 

[MEGA HO]

I'm just a dummy I guess, sorry about that. Didn't know it was a thing of the past as I still see people doing it and always wondered why.

Well maybe it's not a thing of the past then, maybe not in the US but I haven't seen any new(ish) vehicle towing with a bumper mounted hitch ball recently. My 1991 Ford Explorer had that and I remember them bumper pull receivers being limited to something like 500lbs tongue weight.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

Well maybe it's not a thing of the past then, maybe not in the US but I haven't seen any new(ish) vehicle towing with a bumper mounted hitch ball recently. My 1991 Ford Explorer had that and I remember them bumper pull receivers being limited to something like 500lbs tongue weight.

They still have the ball hole under the plastic at least the 1/2 tons do i have not looked on my 19 but im sure its there and yea a 5k tow 500lbs tongue max cap on every one i have ever seen

 

[AH64ID]

Owners manual has the max ratings for conventional and 5th wheel trailers.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

Owners manual has the max ratings for conventional and 5th wheel trailers.

hard to have an owners manual when you dont have the vehicle… also they are not vehicle specific just a base line for a barebones 2wd reg cab long box

 

[AH64ID]

hard to have an owners manual when you dont have the vehicle… also they are not vehicle specific just a base line for a barebones 2wd reg cab long box

Really easy to have the owners manual, they are all online these days. '23's hasn't been posted yet but the rating will be same as the '22.

The owners manual is maximum weight for each of the 3 methods of towing, and is vehicle specific as all 2500 or 3500's use the same hitch/mount regardless of cab/bed/drive configuration.

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The conventional rating is often less than the max tow rating so it's a hitch limitation on some trucks and not on others. The link posted above will need to be used in conjunction with the owners manual ratings (which are also in the link above, but not as clear as the owners manual).