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sluggo68's avatar
sluggo68
Explorer
Jan 19, 2015

max tow capacity

I own a 2014 dodge Ram 2500, 6.4 hemi. curb weight of the truck is 7300 full gas, oil. TT weighs dry 6400, I estimate aprox 200 lbs of food/gear, hitch weight is 1000 lbs with batts. and full propane tanks. I only ever carry about 6 gallons of fresh H20 while traveling. The dealer says max tow weight is 12,600. I would like to know what is the max on the hitch and total towing weight I can safely tow. Thank you for any help on this.

14 Replies

  • What is your GVWR, and GCWR? Only then can your max towing weight be calculated.
  • You can check the drivers side door for a GVWR. It might be 10,000 pounds, and if it is, subtract your curb weight from the GVWR (10,000 - 7,300 = 2,700 more weight you can put in the truck before reaching it's max weight rating)

    The GCVWR is found in the towing guide. It will depend on the rear axle ratio, engine, transmission, and model of course.

    Your GCVWR should be well over 14,000 pounds, so your light trailer is no problem for the pickup!

    Good luck,

    Fred.
  • You have a class V receiver. I think the max hitch weight is around 17,000 lbs. You have 2700 lbs payload according to your weigh-in. I don't think you have anything to worry about with regard to your trailer. That max tow weight is close to what the dealer indicated. You have a GCVWR of 19500 with the 3.73 rear axle, close to 23000 with the 4.10.
  • I'm still learning about this too, and I'm finding that there are a lot of factors to consider. You mentioned curb weight but every pound that has been added after the factory can take away (in my case) ten pounds on the towing limit. Even 15lbs of floor mats in my instance mean 150lbs less I can tow.

    You also didn't mention tongue weight or percentage of tongue weight to trailer weight. And there are some recommended safety buffers. And the type of hitch you use matters.

    So there's lots to consider. I found this calculator helpful. Be prepared to be shocked how much less you can actually safely tow. For example, my SUV can pull 8,900lb but I'm looking at 4,000-5,000lb trailers.
    http://changingears.com/rv-sec-calc-trailer-weight-tt.shtml

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