I've recently purchased a 2020 4wd Ram 2500 with the gas Motor / 3.73 rear end, beautiful Hydro Blue. It looks like I can tow up to 14,000 lbs. Talk to me about tongue weight of a travel trailer. They all have a dry weight of 8,500 lbs or more. That should be no problem. What I need to know is tongue weight limits. One has a tongue/hitch weight just over 1,000 lbs. Yes, I know this is heavy... even for a 2500... right?
Ram Heavy Duty Forum
Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
I need to know about travel trailer weights
- Thread starter RevRon
- Start date
- Status
I towed an Airstream all over the country with a 1300# tongue weight. As long as you’re under payload and RAWR all loaded up then you should be fine. I suggest a weight distribution hitch to level things back out, get weight back on the front axle so your steering is good, and add sway control.
Also, don’t believe any numbers about tongue weight and dry weight on trailer listings. They’re always, and I mean always, higher than what the manufacturer says.
Also, don’t believe any numbers about tongue weight and dry weight on trailer listings. They’re always, and I mean always, higher than what the manufacturer says.
Gondul
Prince of Pintops
- Messages
- 1,738
- Reaction score
- 1,614
- Points
- 113
Payload is listed on your Driver Door jamb... (white/yellow sticker).
That weight includes your tongue weight *and* your passengers and whatever else you throw in the truck
Here is a link to a downloadable excel sheet for weight calculations
https://www.keepyourdaydream.com/payload/
Yes, 1000lbs on the tail end of a 2500 will be substantial. Towing 14k from the bumper of a SRW truck is borderline nuts, imo.
And you have to realize that comment is coming from a guy that does not mind pushing the limits. I routinely tow past weight ratings with a gooseneck trailer. I just don't understand the mfr's tow ratings anymore.
And you have to realize that comment is coming from a guy that does not mind pushing the limits. I routinely tow past weight ratings with a gooseneck trailer. I just don't understand the mfr's tow ratings anymore.
- Messages
- 5,209
- Reaction score
- 5,414
- Points
- 113
Tow ratings are very difficult to obtain in the real world. In order to achieve the maximum rating you need to only have 300lbs of people in the cab, 75lb hitch, 100lbs max of options, and only 10% tongue weight. No cargo, etc. that’s not realistic for most everyone.
You will most likely run out of RAWR, or GVWR if that matters to you, long before you ever hit the max tow rating.
As far as tongue weight 10-15% is normal for a conventional trailer, but 13-15% tows more stable. Depending on the trailer brand and loading you can easily be at 15-17% tongue weight, which gets heavy in a hurry.
Your truck is rated for 2K lbs of tongue weight.
Rockcrawlindude
a rock crawlin’ dude
Sounds about right on the specs. My ‘19 gas 2500 with 3.73s showed 14,410 towing
Depending on options you may have less payload than other 2500s but my truck had ~3200lb payload from the factory which means my truck weighed ~6800lb.
I’ve added a bunch of stuff to my truck, and like other members above have said, it adds up quick. Topper, toolboxes, bumper, winch, etc. With the three of us in the truck and the hitch my truck now weighs 8220lb so I now have 1780lb payload left.
My trailer isn’t a travel trailer but it’s enclosed so it catches air like a TT. My trailer weighs an estimated 7200-7400lb and my truck pulls it no problem. I have it loaded to 900lb of tongue weight and it handled the load fine but it handles it even better with sumo springs installed. I’m a little shy of 15% tongue weight but once you get around the 1000lb tongue weight mark you’re not exactly light on the tongue so as long as it handles fine you’re good.
I like this tongue weight scale it’s very simple to use and easy to store.
Depending on options you may have less payload than other 2500s but my truck had ~3200lb payload from the factory which means my truck weighed ~6800lb.
I’ve added a bunch of stuff to my truck, and like other members above have said, it adds up quick. Topper, toolboxes, bumper, winch, etc. With the three of us in the truck and the hitch my truck now weighs 8220lb so I now have 1780lb payload left.
My trailer isn’t a travel trailer but it’s enclosed so it catches air like a TT. My trailer weighs an estimated 7200-7400lb and my truck pulls it no problem. I have it loaded to 900lb of tongue weight and it handled the load fine but it handles it even better with sumo springs installed. I’m a little shy of 15% tongue weight but once you get around the 1000lb tongue weight mark you’re not exactly light on the tongue so as long as it handles fine you’re good.
I like this tongue weight scale it’s very simple to use and easy to store.
Last edited:
Where's that come from? The hitch rating?
- Messages
- 5,209
- Reaction score
- 5,414
- Points
- 113
Correct. It’s in the owners manual. The hitch is rated for 2,000/20,000 on a 2500.
kevin588127
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 525
- Reaction score
- 509
- Points
- 93
Here is what I know:
The RV manufacturers weights are dry and usually very conservative. That is nothing loaded in the camper. No batteries no propane. GVWR of the trailer is most important. Your loaded weight is going to be closer to that in most cases. Tongue or hitch weights is the next consideration. Usually you will be several hundred pounds heavier due to batteries, propane, camping gear, ect. The good news is, you have a truck with decent payload. You should have 2800-3200 lbs to play with. This should be on the door plate but that won't take into account for passengers, gear or aftermarket accessories. The best thing to do is weigh your truck with a full tank, all passengers and any gear that will be in the truck. Once you have this number, subtract it from 10000. That will tell you the amount of payload you have left. This is important because your tongue or hitch weights should stay under that number. After you get your rig, it is a good idea to hitch it all up and run it through the truck scale again. A cat scale will tell you the weight placed on the truck front, rear and trailer axles. This will allow you to determine how you may want to load your RV or maybe if you want to move some items from the truck to the trailer or vice versa. Hope this helps.
The RV manufacturers weights are dry and usually very conservative. That is nothing loaded in the camper. No batteries no propane. GVWR of the trailer is most important. Your loaded weight is going to be closer to that in most cases. Tongue or hitch weights is the next consideration. Usually you will be several hundred pounds heavier due to batteries, propane, camping gear, ect. The good news is, you have a truck with decent payload. You should have 2800-3200 lbs to play with. This should be on the door plate but that won't take into account for passengers, gear or aftermarket accessories. The best thing to do is weigh your truck with a full tank, all passengers and any gear that will be in the truck. Once you have this number, subtract it from 10000. That will tell you the amount of payload you have left. This is important because your tongue or hitch weights should stay under that number. After you get your rig, it is a good idea to hitch it all up and run it through the truck scale again. A cat scale will tell you the weight placed on the truck front, rear and trailer axles. This will allow you to determine how you may want to load your RV or maybe if you want to move some items from the truck to the trailer or vice versa. Hope this helps.
Grateful Dad
Well-Known Member
Had to tow my buddies TT for him on a week long trip our families took, his TT’s tongue weight was 1500 lbs., my 6.4/3.73 pulled it like a champ. He was actually quite impressed how it pulled (at the time he had a mega-dually CTD). Your truck should handle the trailer just fine and as others have said, verify your weighs, makes a world of difference actually knowing.
Gondul
Prince of Pintops
- Messages
- 1,738
- Reaction score
- 1,614
- Points
- 113
Yep, but that doesn't mean he has the payload for that much weight on the hitch.
- Messages
- 5,209
- Reaction score
- 5,414
- Points
- 113
The OP is taking about a gas 2500. He has plenty of payload to max out a 2K tongue weight, with room to spare for gear and passengers.
Rockcrawlindude
a rock crawlin’ dude
Depends on what your gear and passenger situation looks like. Gas 2500 with my “gear” and passengers
- Messages
- 5,209
- Reaction score
- 5,414
- Points
- 113
Absolutely, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have the payload for a 2K tongue weight, it just means you’re using the payload for something else.
@Gondul said he doesn’t have the payload for it, which is false.
Rockcrawlindude
a rock crawlin’ dude
True, true. We’re all just helping the OP remember to think of the whole puzzle with all the pieces in place. The only way to know is to weigh it
Rockcrawlindude
a rock crawlin’ dude
Thanks to you all. This weight thing is harder than trying to figure out a woman... or is it? Ok, here are my figures on the trailer I want. It has a dry weight sticker from the factory saying it weighs 9,011 lbs. The hitch weight is 948 lbs. I am speculating I will have 1,000 lbs of gear in the trailer and 800 lbs in the cab and bed. Looking at the stickers on the truck door and pillar, the truck weights 6,924 lbs and has a payload weight of 3,076. When I do all the math with GVWR, GCVWR, payloads, hitch weight, etc... I conclude that I am well within my limits to pull this trailer with this truck. Or am I?
Jmonty
Active Member
- Messages
- 202
- Reaction score
- 181
- Points
- 43
IF the trailer sticker is accurate, and IF you actually only load 1k lbs into the trailer then yes the math adds up to be within limits. Like others have said, the only way to really know is to weigh it once you have it ready to camp. Remember to put some water into the fresh tank if you ever cary water while traveling (who doesn't like using their own toilet!). Only then will you really know real world numbers to compare to your setups limits.
- Messages
- 5,209
- Reaction score
- 5,414
- Points
- 113
What is the trailer GVWR?
948lbs seems low, that’s only 10.5% tongue weight, which is lower than most TT’s and likely won’t tow very well. I suspect the tongue weight is closer to 1,100 as it sits, assuming the 9,011 is accurate and includes propane/batteries.
Brochure weights are often low, especially on the tongue side. My last TT had a brochure tongue weight that was 60% of what it was as delivered with propane and batteries.
It’s nothing to add 2K lbs to a trailer ready for camping, it adds up really really fast.
- Status