n0arp wrote:
valhalla360 wrote:
n0arp wrote:
Also that payload capacity indicates, in this case, that the Ford is 1000lbs lighter -- a heavier truck (to be fair, this is a 100% anecdotal claim I've read online, which my personal experience seems to agree with) tends to handle a heavy trailer better in adverse conditions. Much less so with a fifth wheel than a travel trailer, but still...
Wow, the Dodge curb weight runs 8500lb? That's insane. I'm sure it will pull a 5000lb 5th wheel great because it's so much heavier than the trailer.
3/4T trucks are sold as class 2b, which is limited to 10K GVWR (for tax/registration purposes). The Ram is most likely heavier due to the optioning, not just the engine. The Ford could easily be just as heavy with the right trim. GVWR - weight = payload. Edit: found your Ford is a 2008, which easily explains the rest of the difference as all three competitors have gained weight in newer generations.
Fortunately for most owners, they also provide axle weight ratings, which are not artificially capped. You will find the majority of newer 3/4Ts pulling fifth wheels are over GVWR, but a lot of them still under axle ratings. A 6500 RAWR on the Ram leaves around 3K to spare, where all the pin weight sits, without going over either of the axle ratings. So do what you want with that information.
You have a 2008. Newer trucks have grown in almost all metrics, but still have the same 10K cap for class 2b (your truck might even be lower due to the year). The 2016 Ram would most certainly handle any trailer better than your 2008 Ford.
https://roadsumo.com/dodge-ram-1500-2500-3500-weight/
According to this, the heaviest Dodge is about 7400lb curb weight...so with a 10,000lb GVWR, that would still give a 2600lb payload if it was just the GVWR...yet the OP indicates his door jamb says 1600lb...that doesn't sound like it's grown and also doesn't seem the GVWR is the limitation.
Most of the 3/4 ton Dodges are in the 6000-7000lb range which if GVWR is the limit would provide 3000-4000lb of payload if your theory was correct. Again, wildly different from the OP's 1600lb limit.
If you were suggesting the OP exceed payload by a couple hundred pounds, I would probably shrug it off as not too critical but recommending he exceed it by 1100lb is moving into gross negligence.
