Towing guides

[svanarts]

New guy here to the HDRam forum. I currently have a 1500 flex fuel Tradesman that's just barely managing to pull my light Lance travel trailer (about 6200 lbs gross). I'm looking at moving up to a 3500 with the idea that I'll be moving into a 5th wheel in the future. Thing is, I can't seem to find any towing charts like Ram used to publish. The only towing specs I can find on the Ram website is for gasoline engines. I just want to make sure that a plain vanilla Cummins, 4x4, crew cab, short bed will have enough payload capacity to haul the 5th wheel of my dreams. Which will be 15000lbs or less.

 

[tchur1]

If you go 3500 you’ll be fine. Lowest payload I’ve seen on a 3500 crew is about 3600-3700 pounds And those are generally limited trims. If you’re talking about a tradesman you’re likely closer to 4k payload.

I’m assuming 15k lbs 5th wheel is your loaded weight driving down the road, not manufacture listed weight right?

 

[AH64ID]

https://www.ramtrucks.com/BodyBuilder/service/Image?imageId=MtQrP%2FFqLY5r%2Fest8MtGjGgHzAHGUTU0WB3rWuqSY7YmQ2vEhuBWBOluWOlfKj9Q%0A

My brochure payload is 4330 and my sticker says 3850. 435lbs of options from a Tradesman to how my Laramie is equipped.

Bigger weight options are 5th wheel prep, auto-level suspension, bed liner, dual alternator, 50 gallon tank, and the protection group.

For future 5th wheel towing I highly recommend the 5th wheel prep, auto-level suspension, long bed, and 50 gallon fuel tank. The 31 gallon tank on a SWB is very small when towing.

15K fully loaded? That’s 3,000-3,750 pin weight, and right around as much pin weight as you’d want on a SRW truck. I’m around 3,600 on the rear axle with my 5th wheel hitch installed and nothing else on the bed. RAWR is 7K.

 

[WEB]

You can enter a trucks VIN here and it will give you the specific towing and payload for that particular vehicle.

https://www.ramtrucks.com/towing/towing-guide.html/vin-lookup#/landing/bytowing

 

[svanarts]

This is awesome information. I am leaning toward short bed because for the next 3 years this will be my daily driver. When we start travelling I want my wife to be able to drive it too, hence the short bed.

Maybe you guys can be my sanity check. What I'm envisioning (may be a pipe dream):

• Short bed for easy driving parking by the wife (and if I'm honest, me too)
• Toolbox / tank combo (so I don't have to fill the tank if I don't need to)
• Cover that either extends over the toolbox or from the toolbox to lock up the bed and protect from weather.
• Will be pulling an Arctic Fox 27-5L in the future (I'm estimating right around 3500 lbs pin weight fully loaded)

Are there any truck options I should be looking at? Including long bed. Excluding DRW. Just not going to be able to swing that as a daily driver.

Opinions are welcome!

 

[AH64ID]

I honestly doubt you notice much of a difference daily driving a SWB over a LWB, but that's my 0.02. The LWB will be more comfortable with the added wheelbase.

A 27-5L shouldn't be an issue for a 3500 SRW.

As mentioned
-LWB
-50 gallon tank
-Auto Level Suspension
-5th wheel prep
-dual alternators never hurt, especially if you want to do a larger DC-DC charger for the camper

 

[unclelala]

Bigger weight options are 5th wheel prep

I purchased the Mopar 5th wheel hitch, is its weight considered part of the prep or counted separately I wonder ? I think my payload which is in my sig is the lowest Ive Ive seen on this site for any 3500.

 

[AH64ID]

I purchased the Mopar 5th wheel hitch, is its weight considered part of the prep or counted separately I wonder ? I think my payload which is in my sig is the lowest Ive Ive seen on this site for any 3500.

When you buy the hitch, and it's listed on the window sticker/equipment list, it is considered part of your payload, which IMO is a good reason to just get the prep kit and not the Mopar hitch.