2018 Ram 2500
Trying to figure out the towing capacity for 2018 Ram 2500 6.4 hemi with 3.73 axle short bed crew cab. We are looking into buying a 14000 lb fifth wheel. Has anyone pull this heavy of a fifth wheel w...
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You have not said where/what type of towing you’ll be doing. That matters. It’s a completely different ballgame if you’re towing it to the lake in Iowa….from Iowa vs loading up on the east coast and pulling thru the hills back east and the Rockies out west. Chassis is stout enough for either or both. The drivetrain is lacking for more than the hypothetical flatland short distance occasional trips.
The engine will handle it, barely, in “Iowa”. In Colorado, you’ll want to turn around by a he time you get to Floyd Hill and trade it in on a diesel.
The weak link is the crappy 66rfe trans. You got the last year of the HD gasser with a sub par transmission on all accounts.
I have a 2016 diesel with the 68rfe that I kinda fell into, would never have bought one otherwise or for full price. 14k would make me cringe and I’d baby it up every grade and it’s rated higher than the 66.
In this case ignorance isn’t bliss. You just don’t have the right drivetrain to tow that big and heavy
Some will tell you the 2500 is overloaded. It isn’t. But the drivetrain is under powered and undersized for the job. Considerably.
This coming from a Ram/Dodge/Mopar guy.
You sir are worse than dangerous.
In at least 48 states it is illegal to surpass any rating on your vehicle. Some states it is a civil fine, while others it is a misdemeanor.
The tow rating is usually the least important rating. The most important ratings are:
1. Cargo capacity2. Gross Combined Vehicle Rating (GCVR), which includes the towed vehicle.
3. Axel ratings
4. Hitch rating
The GCVR and axel ratings are printed on tags. For the tow vehicle they are in the drivers side door jam. Sometimes they include the Cargo capacity, other times you must calculate it using the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating minus the vehicle curb weight. You can not go online to find these vehicles (except maybe a VIN search at the manufacturers website). Most RV trailers have their tags either near the pin box, the hitch receiver, or sometimes on the drivers side front of the trailer.
There is only one way to get the ratings changed, you must pay to get a new certification, which is not cheap.Adding air bags, better shocks, better springs and other improvements may make the vehicle handle better, but they do not officially change the vehicle's official rating.
The fines for exceeding the weight can be relatively low (about $200) to several thousand dollars. If it is a misdemeanor you can face jail time (up to a year), community service, etc.
Things really change if you are involved in an accident. You could be found automatically "at fault". Some states may even charge you with manslaughter if someone dies. You may be responsible for injuries and property damages. Some insurance companies will deny claims if you are found "at fault" for an accident due to an overloaded vehicle.OMG, each of your posts gets funnier. Tell me what’s different about 3 and 4 above, in reality, on any srw HD truck. Here’s a clue. It’s not much, actually quite insignificant when the SAME CHASSIS is used.
Slackware - it would be really easy for you to settle this issue definitively. All you have to do is provide a link to any one of those 48 states motor vehicle regulations (not commercial vehicle regs) that states you can’t exceed a rating on your vehicle such as GVWR, GCVWR, payload rating, etc. (bridge law not withstanding). I’ve been on this forum for about 20 years and in that time nobody has ever been able to furnish such a link. That leads people like me to believe you’re mistaken, misinterpreting, or misinformed; and in turn, misleading.
Hasn’t been a good weight cop on here in a while.
