Pulling with a Ram 2500

38' , 8200 lbs ... Have you taken it fully loaded and ready to camp across a CAT scale? I'll bet it probably weighs a lot more than 8200.

2500 Ram, 2013, CC, LB.. towing about 7,500 # travel trailer. 5.7 Hemi.
10 mpg... uphill, downhill, tailwind, headwind. I am on a 10 month trip (so far) from FL to WA/OR/MT and now back to NC.... can count on 10 average.

Use the weight distributing hitch. I would not be a bit surprised if your tongue weight exceeds 1400lbs and that is a long trailer.
Barney

I just finished a 3200 mile trip around the west. Most at or near 5000'. Towed 9500 lbs. 2018 Ram 2500 6.4, 4.10.
I never hand calc'd but the trip meter said 9.6 mpg. That include probably 250 miles of non towing.
Lots of 2nd, 3rd, 4th gear stuff in the mountains and two long days running 60-65 mph in 5th. Some tailwinds and headwinds. Flat and mountains. Pretty much covered all conditons. Even one run up and over Teton Pass in WY. 1st gear wound out tight at 4800 rpms for part of it.

I just figure 9 mpg as my base for distance per tank purposes. The EVIC is probably off as that seems to be the norm. I know one thing for sure, my truck loves gas stations.

I got the 6.4 Hemi and 3.73's in my 2017 3500. I get 9.5-10.5 depending on terrain and I stay at 65mph most of the time pulling my 10,000 pound (Loaded) 5th wheel. I'm taking the Western NY to Florida trip in November for the first time this fall. I hope to get 9mpg overall but like Grit Dog said...gas mileage/prices won't dictate whether I go or not.

Use the WDH The extra 2 minutes it takes to hook it up and unhook it is well worth the peace of mind.

I will give it a shot, most likely I may just keep using the WDH, my other camping friends swear by them and state the ride is much better especially switching lanes. Thank you all for your input. Its my first Dodge Ram and non-diesel for I only tow 10-12 times a year now, and I could not justify the upgrade cost of $8k to go Cummins otherwise I would have.

I have the same truck with the 3.73. I get about 8 to 10 mpg towing about 8000lbs. I would assume you will get a little less being that it is a 4.10? Weight-wise, you technically (I said this because you will be ok on payload) would not need weight distribution. I tow mine to storage without the bars, but it is slow-speed streets and not highway. You should, however, use sway control which is usually built in to the WDH.

As Grit Dog suggests take it for a short shake down run without the wdh to see how it feels. Personally, I would use it but it's your call. Miledge should be decent if you keep a light right foot.

I have taken it on a couple of trips, the furthest was over 300 miles and avg. 8-10, but that was when I had 1000 miles on it. I was informed that the Ram Hemi get better mileage on longer trips and or the truck is broke in around 8000 miles.. Just getting an idea from owners with a similar set up is all. I have not pulled it with-out the WDH yet, and since I store it several miles from the house I hate to hook up drive 50 miles and drive back to find out but it does make sense to do that first. Now I am not going to cancel my trip just trying to map out all the details. My silverado with the same set up with the 5.3L V-8 only got 4-7 mpgs with a 25 gallon tank so its safe to say I was stopping an awful lot, especially when I went down to Houston. The Ram has a 31 gallon tank, so I am hoping not to stop as many times. Again I hope.

Re-reading your post, you've taken a "trip" already with the new truck, or just bobtail, haven't hooked it to the camper yet?