Fifth Wheel Purchase
My wife and I are looking for a fifth wheel we can pull with our 2020 Ram 1500 crew cab... 5.8 eTorque, 4x4 with 3.90 gear... supposedly can pull close to 12K. We have been looking at the Keyston...
Forum Discussion
Welcome to the forum Sonnie!
Like mentioned above, towing a FW with your Ram 1500 may not be as simple as 12K towing capability. While both FWs are suggested to be 1/2 ton towable, they have a 1,500 DRY HITCH WT, that can easily become 2K loaded to camp hitch wt. Many 1/2 ton CC trucks will not have enough RAWR to carry a 2K hitch wt, plus heavy hitch in bed.
You need to weigh your truck axles separately, with all gear, people, pets, and full fuel, and add weight of hitch choice. If your rear axle weighs 2,600, and your RAWR is 3,900, you only have 1,300 lbs to add to rear axle.
What are your tires rated to carry? The RAWR is figured from the weakest link, in your case, likely springs.
Things that can help...air bags, tires with higher rating, a light wt hitch, such as the Andersen for rail use.
With a CC truck and 6' bed, you may have trouble with FW front hitting cab. You cannot use most sliding hitches, that will weigh 300 lbs. Some 1/2 ton towables come with a rotating pin box, such as a sidewinder.
Can you make your truck work, with some FWs? Maybe, but agree, watch the numbers closely, and continue to ask questions on this forum.
I like the large fresh water tank on the Jayco, but does add lots of wt!
Jerry
Like mentioned above, towing a FW with your Ram 1500 may not be as simple as 12K towing capability. While both FWs are suggested to be 1/2 ton towable, they have a 1,500 DRY HITCH WT, that can easily become 2K loaded to camp hitch wt. Many 1/2 ton CC trucks will not have enough RAWR to carry a 2K hitch wt, plus heavy hitch in bed.
You need to weigh your truck axles separately, with all gear, people, pets, and full fuel, and add weight of hitch choice. If your rear axle weighs 2,600, and your RAWR is 3,900, you only have 1,300 lbs to add to rear axle.
What are your tires rated to carry? The RAWR is figured from the weakest link, in your case, likely springs.
Things that can help...air bags, tires with higher rating, a light wt hitch, such as the Andersen for rail use.
With a CC truck and 6' bed, you may have trouble with FW front hitting cab. You cannot use most sliding hitches, that will weigh 300 lbs. Some 1/2 ton towables come with a rotating pin box, such as a sidewinder.
Can you make your truck work, with some FWs? Maybe, but agree, watch the numbers closely, and continue to ask questions on this forum.
I like the large fresh water tank on the Jayco, but does add lots of wt!
Jerry
