How long a camper can I (should I) tow?

95jersey wrote:

lanerd wrote:

95jersey wrote:
No teenagers, just my wife and 10 year old son. Dirt bike is for me only. Payload on the Ram is a bit low because of the coil springs (1280lbs). Dirt bike only weights 215lbs, so that gives me 1000lbs of remaining payload and a class IV hitch. I am sure I am within my limits, and I can put the luggage in the trailer. No steep mountain grades like out west, just rolling hills of the NE & SE.

So I think I am fine on the weight, but I have heard stories of pulling 30'+ trailers that it can be a handful with wind and lighter trucks. Just don't want to spend $10-20k and find it to be a very un-pleasurable experience.

No, you are not fine with weights. Remember a 6000 lb trailer will have anywhere from 600 to 900 lbs of tongue weight. There goes your 1000 lbs without you, wife, and son ever get into the truck.

You are not taking into consideration the actual weights that a trailer can have. Dry weight advertisements can be notoriously under what the actual weight will be once the trailer is loaded.

You need to rethink this and think about "actual" weights before actual purchase.

As far as lengths go, yes longer trailers can be more to handle especially during windy conditions as they become a huge sail. I, for one, would not consider pulling anything longer than 25' with a half ton....but that's just me. I pulled our 25' trailer for six years and even that was taxing on me and my truck....of which I had to replace the rear gears (differential) when I sold the trailer.

good luck

Ron

According to the Dodge website I am within my weights and I am considering the total weight of the trailer loaded. They have a calculator...with 3 passengers already accounted for, my towing and payload ability is the following.

Payload
1,117 lbs

Towing
8,933 lbs

Let's say the loaded weight is another 1500lbs above the dry weight. I would not tow with any liquids. For example I am looking at a 32' that weights 5650 dry + 1500 loaded = 7150lbs. This gives me a tongue weight between 715-1144 and a 20% cushion from my max tow capacity. Also GCVW is 15650, so with a curb weight of 5400lbs, I am within my limits there as well.

The dirt bike will have to be thought through, but adjusting the tongue weight using a weight distribution hitch, I am sure I can push some of the tongue weight back on the trailer to compensate the 215lb dirt bike in the bed. Throw in some air bags if needed and I should be good to go.

Again, just worried about the 32' length being too much for the 140.7" wheelbase.

That's not how it works. Even though weight is transferred with the WDH. 100% of the tongue weight still counts toward the payload of the truck. So if you start with 1000lb of tongue weight on the ball. No matter how you adjust the hitch. You will still have 1000lb on the ball. That dirt bike is still being carried by the truck

As to the length. No manufacturer gives a max length. You will run out of weight long before you run out of length.

there was once a mythical formula pushed by some on this forum. But it was totally wrong, and only used a small part of the criteria needed to determine length. Get your tongue weight right, and the hitch right, and a 33' TT will be no problem. Some scream you have to have a 3/4 ton truck for that. But those are the same guys that don't realize that some 1500s, and 150s have a longer wheelbase than some 2500s