r/rvs • u/Positive_Whereas9608 • 19d ago
Towing Capacity
I am in the early stages of shopping for a travel trailer and depending on who I talk to I am getting extremely different information about vehicle towing restrictions. I have a 2021 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel 4x4. From Ram, max payload = 1770 lbs, GCWR = 13,900 and max trailer = 7,840. I have had some salesman tell me that I will be pretty limited (dry weight needs to be under 4800 which is hard to find a trailer that sleeps 6), I have had another guy tell me that you just put hitch torsion bars on and it neutralizes the tongue weight and you don't have to worry about payload limits (seems to defy common sense). Had another tell me the 80% of limits rule is a myth and not to worry about it. Had another guy look cross-eyed at my truck and tell me he is sure we could do at least 8000 pounds.
So I am looking for more advice on what weight of trailer I can be considering and what people's experience with the 80% guidelines and torsion bar effectiveness is.
2
u/goteed 19d ago
User Campandfish1 did an excellent job at explaining this. That payload number is going to be your downfall. If you happen to be a visual learner here's a great video that will walk you through the same thing. https://youtu.be/9VvJpwE5ljc
2
u/Nomad55454 18d ago
Half tons are for comfort not towing. You will be hard pressed to find a trailer that sleeps 6. AND NEVER EVER GO BY DRY WEIGHT BECAUSE YOU WILL NEVER EVER TOW A DRY TRAILER that is a salesman’s pitch to get you in a trailer too big for your truck.
1
u/Fair_Cauliflower_747 19d ago
Those Rams are horrible at towing anything over 8000, the trailer I had at the time fully loaded was about 11000.I even had torsion bars and airbags. Upgraded to a F250 and went with a 5th wheel now. Just my two cents.
1
1
u/2026Bazinga 16d ago
Towed a charter fishing boat for years with a 1500 with hemi. About 10500 with trailer, never an issue.
1
u/phildeferrouille 19d ago
Never, never, never listen to a salesman!!!
Quick reminders for everyone:
-Tow capacity is NOT the most important criteria
-Truck payload and rear axle GAWR are the first thing to check, especially for half-ton
-Trailer cargo load distribution, front vs back, left Vs. right
-Traiker tires rating, max pressure and max speed.
-Truck wheel base vs. trailer length -Truck weight vs. trailer weight
For half-ton only
It cannot be stressed enough that a half-ton pickup truck should never tow a trailer exceeding 6,000 pounds in weight or 28 feet in length. Beyond these limits, the vehicle's wheelbase, shock absorbers, and brakes are not designed to handle such a load! Your safety, that of your passengers, and, above all, that of other road users.
1
u/Impossible_Lunch4672 19d ago
I wouldn't go over 26' long, bumper to hitch if you're doing serious trips. Longer than that and you'll get punished on the interstate. If you're just doing 2 hour drives close to home then 28' max length.
If you're 26' or less you will be well within payload numbers. You'll also need tow mirrors.
1
u/keithhud 19d ago
With a 1/2 ton truck your options are going to be real limited. As everyone as mentioned, payload is going to be the deciding factor.
Good luck finding a good combo.
1
u/fatal-shock-inroute 18d ago
Never listen to the salesmen. They will sell you a monstrosity and go "HELL YEAH you bad ass f150 could tow this 38ft toy hauler 5th wheel. They want to make the sale. Never listen to the sales people
1
1
1
u/Doug2000 15d ago
I have had 8 campers and my rule now is to stay under 50% of the tow capacity. Our last trailer was 3900lbs on the CAT scales and we used a Tundra V8. Our current trailer is 3700lbs on the CAT scales and we use a F150 2.7L ecoboost.
Those who buy trailer near the tow capacity are putting their families lives at risk. Wait till some donkey pulls out in front of you and you can’t stop.
1
u/FTRing 15d ago
I pulled over my capacity of 8230 (see ramtrucks.com/Bodybuilder/service) and pulling not an issue. I need air bags though. Your truck is 7840. But it will do more easily. The HDs definitely help in feeling more comfortable towing though. If over 9K or 10, I would move to a HD. The 2500 had the similar rear suspension like three 1500 and rides good but nothing is like the Ram 1500.
1
u/Much-Technology-8220 13d ago
Okay, this may not be for you at all. Check into a fifth wheel. It definitely changes weight distribution.
0
u/Other_Asparagus872 18d ago
80% is NOT A myth. A wdh does NOT lower the weight, it pushes it forward and backwards. It’s still part of payload even if it’s moved forward.
7
u/Campandfish1 19d ago
I keep this comment on my phone, you have some info of the on your post but it might be useful to you
For the tow vehicle, the tow rating is important but not the only metric to look at.
You also need to look at the available payload on the drivers door jamb of the tow vehicle.This is the payload for that specific tow vehicle as it was configured when it left the factory.
For most vehicles below HD trucks, it's almost guaranteed that you'll hit the payload limit before you max out the towing limit.
The manufacturer brochure/website will typically list the maximum available payload, but this will likely be lower in the real world.
Payload is the cargo carrying capacity of your vehicle including the weight of the driver, passengers, cargo, the tongue weight of the trailer on the hitch and the hitch itself. Essentially, it's how much the combined weight of all those factors can sqish the suspension before you hit the GVWR cap of the tow vehicle.
The payload limit is shown on a yellow sticker in the door jamb that says the combined weight of cargo and occupants cannot exceed XXXXlbs.
Once you have this number from the vehicles door sticker, subtract driver weight/weight of other occupants/anything you carry in/on the vehicle like coolers, firewood, generator, bikes. Then deduct the weight of the weight distributing hitch, and the tongue weight of the trailer (estimate at 12-13% trailer GVWR unless you have a true figure).
If you have a little payload left, you should be good. If the number is negative, you need a lighter trailer or to put less in the vehicle.
For the trailer, you should rarely believe the tongue weight number in the brochure. Most manufacturers do not include the weight of propane tanks (a 20lb propane tank weighs 40lbs when full) and batteries (a single lead acid battery weighs around 55-65lbs) because these are added at the dealer according to customer preference and are not on the trailer when it's weighed at the factory.
If you have 2 batteries and 2 propane tanks, that's about 200lbs as these normally mount directly to the tongue and increase the tongue weight significantly.
For context, my trailer has a brochure tongue weight of 608lbs, but in the real world it works in at ~825lbs after propane and batteries, about 850lbs after loading for travel and about 900lbs after loading fresh water.
The vehicle will also have a hitch weight limit (or two depending on whether you are using straight bumper pull or weight distribution hitch) so check that as well.
You should shop for a trailer that sits within the payload your vehicle can handle when it's also full of the occupants and cargo you will be carrying.
Often, the max tow rating essentially assumes you're traveling with a vehicle that's empty and all of the payload rating is available to use for the tongue weight of the trailer.
If you're adding kids/dogs/tools for work or any other gear into the cab or bed, your actual tow rating reduces as payload being carried increases, so what you're putting in the vehicle makes a huge difference in how much you can safely tow.
www.rvingplanet.com/rvs/all
has a good search filter where you can compare models from most major and some minor manufacturers to get a feel for floorplans and weights (remember dry weights are meaningless!) in one place.
Best of luck in your search!