Ram 1500 Recommendations

[Widowsson85]

Hello all, I am looking for a new travel trailer and want to make sure I can comfortably tow whatever I decide on. I would really like to hear from folks who tow with a Ram 1500 Hemi V8. What brand and trailer weight did you go with and how did it perform? Do you recommend a weight distro hitch, brake controller ect. New to this so helpful and not hateful would be great. Thanks all!

 

[Jireh Financial]

No matter what trailer you tow, use a good weight distribution hitch and sway bars. They really help keep things level and cuts way down on tail wagging. Trailers all have electric brakes. You need a controller to make it work. Highway, open roads, wind areas or up and down hill, the right tow set up is huge. Not sure where you are from but often times trailer specialty shops are great spots to go.
We do loans and service contracts if you need any help with that.
Thank you,
Ken

 

[Rosy]

Rule of thumb is to stay below ~75% of your stated towing capacity.

With a 1500, you'll run out of payload long before you hit your towing capacity anyway. Remember that payload includes you, all passengers, all gear in the cab and bed of the truck, your weight distribution hitch and the tongue weight of your trailer.

Remember that the dry tongue weight that a trailer manufacturer lists on their website is fiction and doesn't account for propane, battery, spare tire and all the gear in your trailer.

General rule of thumb with a 1500 is 24-27 ft is a good length. If you have low payload (as I believe many of the Rams do), consider being on the lower end of that range.

Get a 4 point WDH with trunnion bars (not chains) as these offer sway control as well - Equal-i-zer, Fastway E2 or Curt Tru-Track are a few options. Get a good hitch shop - not an RV dealer - to set it up for you.

 

[Widowsson85]

Thanks all. 6900 GVWR, max Payload 1,850, Base weight 5,054, 17,000 GCWR, Tow cap 11,500. Sounds like I don't want a trailer much heavier than 5,500-6,000 lbs. If I'm understanding, that would put me at about 550-600 lbs on the tongue weight + maybe 100lb on the WDH and sway? So 700lbs on tongue and need to say below 1000lbs on gear and a people in the truck? Is that too close to max payload?

 

[Rosy]

Thanks all. 6900 GVWR, max Payload 1,850, Base weight 5,054, 17,000 GCWR, Tow cap 11,500. Sounds like I don't want a trailer much heavier than 5,500-6,000 lbs. If I'm understanding, that would put me at about 550-600 lbs on the tongue weight + maybe 100lb on the WDH and sway? So 700lbs on tongue and need to say below 1000lbs on gear and a people in the truck? Is that too close to max payload?

What's the actual payload on your truck? Unless you have a base model 2wd regular cab short bed, you don't have the max payload. Any chance you have a sticker inside your driver's door that says? I suspect you're probably closer to the 1200 lbs that my truck has.

I would typically plan for 10-15% of the total weight on the tongue and you'll probably have about 1000 lbs of gear. But again, remember that some of that gear is right on the tongue.

 

[Widowsson85]

The sticker doesnt say, I had to look it up on a chart and find my exact year, make, model and axel. You are correct..It says 1830 payload.. not max payload. I may go to the dealer to verify.