First Post - 2012 Ram 1500 Laramie - What can I pull??

JimK-NY wrote:

th3_fix3r wrote:
Well... this has been fun. Loads of fun. I'm buying a diesel. 25-3500 Ram. Maybe i'll meet some good folks when i get out there so i don't have to ask my newbie questions here and sort through 7 pages of contradicting arguments. To those of you who have truly just tried and successfully provided information and not been jerks: thank you a ton for your input!

If you look at the Ram 2500, be aware that it has coil springs in the rear. That will give a cushy ride but limit any attempt to beef up the suspension if you ever need to use the truck at full load capacity. I am sure opinions will vary on this with contradicting arguments, but I would never buy one.

I’ve yet to see anyone complain about squatting with the coil spring trucks!

JimK-NY wrote:

th3_fix3r wrote:
Well... this has been fun. Loads of fun. I'm buying a diesel. 25-3500 Ram. Maybe i'll meet some good folks when i get out there so i don't have to ask my newbie questions here and sort through 7 pages of contradicting arguments. To those of you who have truly just tried and successfully provided information and not been jerks: thank you a ton for your input!

If you look at the Ram 2500, be aware that it has coil springs in the rear. That will give a cushy ride but limit any attempt to beef up the suspension if you ever need to use the truck at full load capacity. I am sure opinions will vary on this with contradicting arguments, but I would never buy one.

I agree with this if considering a larger truck camper. And have similar sentiments.
However after driving and towing with a bunch of 4th Gen 2500s and now being the owner of one, they perform the same as any other 2500. And aren’t that limited in suspension upgrades.
Options are, in order of ease of install:
Timbrens or sumos
Airbags
Aftermarket springs.
Realistically, if I was hauling heavy I’d just pop for a new set of springs. Coils are pretty easy to swap out and actually cheaper than airbags.
Been hauling a tongue heavy 7klb snomachine trailer with ours this winter. And an (estimated) 1000lb tongue weight would not quite level the truck out
Mine is lifted, leveled 6”F/4”R lift with OEM rear springs on spacers so the tongue weight puts the truck nose high. I just bought bags to compensate for that because will be towing a heavy tongue weight camper this summer. Well over 1000lb guessing.
But the truck with a cheapo 6” lift and 37s tows a 34’ long enclosed trailer like it figuratively “isn’t there.”
Point is the Ram coils don’t s uck. Given the option I’d get leafs only because I’m really a TC guy and they’re not suited well for that application.

th3_fix3r wrote:
Well... this has been fun. Loads of fun. I'm buying a diesel. 25-3500 Ram. Maybe i'll meet some good folks when i get out there so i don't have to ask my newbie questions here and sort through 7 pages of contradicting arguments. To those of you who have truly just tried and successfully provided information and not been jerks: thank you a ton for your input!

If you look at the Ram 2500, be aware that it has coil springs in the rear. That will give a cushy ride but limit any attempt to beef up the suspension if you ever need to use the truck at full load capacity. I am sure opinions will vary on this with contradicting arguments, but I would never buy one.

th3_fix3r wrote:
I'm screwed, huh? So although I can technically pull almost 10Klbs... the tongue weight alone screws me?

Not really... Three people? I have a 2015 Ram Outdoorsman with similar ratings although a couple hundred lbs more capacity, but do the math? We got an Aspen Trail 2340 at 5500 dry weight and 600 dry hitch weight add 200 lbs for batts and propane. So, we are at 800 there. Us and the dogs are let's say 250 lbs (All right 300). so you are now at 1050. Put a WDH (hitch) and you are there. I think you can feel safe putting a cooler in the back. So, you have to adjust around NOT really using your truck bed for much but that's not all that different than people with SUV's so... I can put a couple of things more as I have a couple more lbs but that will teach you to get a laramie. All those goodies that come on em add up weightwise. My understanding is that the "capacity" for the RAM linked site is calculated with a full tank of gas also. If you have the big gas tank (32 gal) that is 265 lbs... So, be cognizant of capacity, but don't count ounces... You will run through that gas real fast like 9 MPG... I also have 2K capacity for the trailer to stow stuff and a 7700 lb total. So, that is where your trailer towing capability on the RAM is good to go.

I also put air bags on it and have a Fastway E2 Hitch (10K version). The airbags do NOT necessarily ADD capacity but they don't hurt and improve the ride while the WDH will shift weight to the front keeping you level AND helping the overall situation.

Oh wait, if you are looking for an excuse to get a 2500, then never mind

th3_fix3r wrote:
Well... this has been fun. Loads of fun. I'm buying a diesel. 25-3500 Ram. Maybe i'll meet some good folks when i get out there so i don't have to ask my newbie questions here and sort through 7 pages of contradicting arguments. To those of you who have truly just tried and successfully provided information and not been jerks: thank you a ton for your input!

Your welcome!.........I think LOL

Congrats on the new truck purchase. It truly will make you a happy camper. And now you can buy the trailer you really want, instead of one that’s just OK because that’s all your truck can tow!

Looking forward to pics of both.

But whatever you do, don’t ask which brand is better!!!!!!! :E

Well... this has been fun. Loads of fun. I'm buying a diesel. 25-3500 Ram. Maybe i'll meet some good folks when i get out there so i don't have to ask my newbie questions here and sort through 7 pages of contradicting arguments. To those of you who have truly just tried and successfully provided information and not been jerks: thank you a ton for your input!

^No, I totally see your point.
However I believe in giving someone as much information as possible and letting them do with it what they wish, rather than trying to save them from themselves.

If this was a case of 100 or 200 or 500lbs over the payload capacity would yield an inherently unsafe condition, my recommendations, at least, would be different.

I can’t help if someone sees 4000lb rawr and thinks they can slap. 4000lb pin weight trailer on it and be ok.
Generally I believe If someone is asking a question, they intend to learn form the answers. I don’t believe many are just looking for an excuse to do something totally ignorant.

I understand your point. And for someone who has the background and knowledge of truck manufacturing, etc., your logic stands.

But to suggest that people new to towing disregard the numbers is creating a problem. A respondent might state that going 100lbs over payload isn't an issue. The poster then decides that they'd rather have a trailer that is 200lbs over payload. A few years later, they decide that 200lbs is no big deal, so they upgrade to a trailer that is 500lbs over payload. Meanwhile they respond to other new folks that going over payload by 500lbs is no biggie.

And they don't learn that they were wrong until they have an accident or blow an engine or transmission.

Yes, the numbers are not totally accurate. But you are unlikely to have issues by staying within those numbers. For folks new to towing, it is better safe than sorry.

For folks like you, who have a much deeper understanding of what those numbers mean, disregarding them isn't the same risk.

Seriously, do you want all these new RVers out on the road with you - overloaded and no clue what that might mean?

toedtoes wrote:
Grit Dog,

my apologies. I got confused on the thread about the 1/2 ton towing the 36ft trailer and this one. Both my comments were regarding THAT thread not THIS thread.

No worries and I’m not trying to be argumentative.
But what I’m trying to get across is the “numbers” when it comes to payload are so far skewed from actual capacities, based on lumping all class 1 vehicles into a sub 7klb gvw and most class 2 into a sub 10klb gvw, that the payload numbers for a lot of trucks actually have very little to do with the actual safe payload they can haul capably.

Case in point, your example about a stripped down half ton having more payload on paper than a loaded 3/4 ton. Yes you can actually find examples to support that. But the basis is on the general vehicle class gvws and has virtually nothing to do with the construction or engineering of the vehicles themselves, other than generally the vehicles get bigger heavier and can haul more as the class number goes up.

It’s ok to not understand all of it. What is not ok is to profoundly express your opinion as fact when you absolutely don’t understand any more than you read, at face value, in the product brochure.

Perfect example: Familiar with the recent change to gvw ratings from a couple mfgs on their 3/4 tons? If you are, what do you think was done to increase that rating? If you don’t know, then you don’t know, but it was nothing physical. Components ar the same, the mfgs are just using more of the available capability to market higher payload numbers. Vehicle class gvw guidelines are for administrative purposes.

JimK-NY wrote:
Yup, 150/1500 level trucks are not suitable for any but the smallest, lightest, popup truck campers. Now that you are going to get a new truck, also skip the 250/2500 level trucks and go straight to the 350/3500 trucks.

Well that didn’t take long.

Hopefully the OP is still around and hasn’t rolled his truck from the extra bag of oranges he got at the store?