2018 Chevy 3500HD
Considering picking up a used 2018 Duramax/Alison, DRW, Long bed. I have never driven one, looking for comments on those who have/had one of comparable year. Supposedly they came out with a new/better...
Forum Discussion
krsmitty wrote:LIKE2BUILD wrote:
I like to play within the rules, but if you look closely at your Ram, the 10,000 GVWR is just a number so they can call it a 2500. On your door sticker you'll see FAWR is 5,750 and RAWR is 6,000. Combined you have "real" GVWR of 11,750. I know the weight police are preparing charges against me for say this, but your RAM only says 10K GVWR for the badge, not the real limit of the truck. What's interesting is my 2014 is even higher, I have a 6,000FAWR and 6,500RAWR :E
Your base rear axle weight is 2,900 and with a RAWR of 6,000 you actually have 3,100lbs of capacity and max trailer weight of 17,000lbs. If the 5er's you're considering exceed these values than that I'd say look into a dually. However, don't underestimate the capacity of your truck. If you like the current truck and find a 5er that matches the specs then I'd say keep the Ram. But, if you want to go bigger and need the dually capacity then by all means get the 3500HD to give you that safety factor.
Our previous 5er was 37' and about 12,500lbs fully loaded. The truck pulled that trailer just fine all through the Rockies, was very stable, I had plenty of power up the inclines, and the exhaust brake was AMAZING on the declines. I never measured the actual pin weight but calculating 25% I was about 3,100 lbs on the hitch. I never felt unsafe or over matched by the trailer. But again, if the specs of your (potential) trailers exceed the RAM then it's worth looking a higher capacity trucks.
KJ
I found this online: 2017 Ram towing guide
Page 3 is the specs for my truck.
According to the document PAYLOAD = GVWR - Base Weight. If I understand you correctly...F GAWR = 5,750 + R GAWR 6,000 = 11,750 is the actual GVWR? 11,750 - 7,617 = 4,133.
4,133 lbs would be my actual Payload?
No, No, No!
Your maximum payload is on the doors sticker you don’t seem to have. Based on the WEB like I provided earlier it is 2,170# or so. Even if you follow the bad advice of Like2Build and go by rear axle still a MAXIMUM of 3,100# assuming your current rear axle only really weighs 2,900# which I doubt.
If you want to full time in either a large 5er or large TT minimum requirement is a 350/3500 SRW, but will far more relaxing with a 350/3500 DRW diesel.
Take it from me with the old 2001 Ram 2500 diesel was under rear axle rating, but 1,700# over GVWR. To me it towed fine, no “White Knuckle” events, arrived mostly relaxed. Well got tired of being 1,700# overweight, bought a 2016 Ram 3500 Laramie Cummins HO, Aisin, and 3.73’s, it is a world of difference.
