Is ram air suspension needed?

Hitch weight on coulmbus 385 bh is1,940. Gvwr 15940.prime time crusader 16,110 gvwr hitch weight 2110.what do you folks think?

A general rule is the pin will be 20% of the total weight. 20% of 16k would be 3200 lbs on the pin. Although a SRW would most likely handle it nowadays I'd go with the DRW just for the stability in the mountain roads. YMMV

Hitch weight on coulmbus 385 bh is1,940. Gvwr 15940.prime time crusader 16,110 gvwr hitch weight 2110.what do you folks think?

For about 2k dry pin weight, you'll want a truck with at least 3500 pounds of payload. You'll add a 200 pound receiver, another couple hundred pounds of things stuffed around the hitch, people and stuff in the cab, and that dry pin weight will go up by 500 pounds when you stuff the basement.

3/4 Ram diesels have 1500-2500 pounds of payload - not enough. SRW 1-tons have 2500-3500 pounds - borderline. Dually has over 4000 pounds - winner!

I agree with jeep1 above. Besides the payload, I think you will be a lot more comfortable towing a 40' 5er with dual rear wheels. It adds a lot more stability.

Find a comparable bed/cab/drivetrain truck on the dealer lot and look at the tire and loading sticker for available payload.

I think those trailers put you in DRW territory. If you want a SRW truck I'd scale the trailer back a bit. As far as 2500 vs 3500, if you're going to be pulling a larger fifth wheel it would make sense to get the 3500, but in all reality the capability differences between the two is minor - you're only getting a 500 lb RAWR bump with the 3500. To me that's a six of one, half dozen of the other situation. But with the dually you get a sizable bump up in your RAWR and have the load spread over four tires versus two, and I think with a 16k lb trailer you'd want the extra capability.

Golden_HVAC wrote:
I would not recommend the 2500 with any fifth wheel, except the very lightest ones. You would only have the cargo capacity for a travel trailer with a 2500 truck.

Get the 3500 truck, if you think the pin weight will be less than 2,600 pounds dry, or 3,200 ready to roll down the road. Yes the pin weight goes way up when you fill it with camping gear and 60 - 80 gallons of water.

If you want a really nice fifth wheel, such as Grand Teton, then a dually is almost a requirement, and sure makes it more stable.

Air ride makes it nice when not towing, to soften the suspension. With all that extra weight back there, traditional springs will soften out a bit while towing, but sightseeing without the trailer can be a bit rough, until you let out some air!

Have fun with the new truck!

Fred.

So can the 2500 carry/pull a 41' 5er, well depends a bit on the weight and the Pin, but if you are buying NEW, WHY???

To get a 3500 SRW, is about $1,000 more than a 2500, you will drop that much doctoring up a 2500 to make it tow maybe OK.

If I was thinking that big, I would be looking at a 3500 DRW, just for the added capacity.

IdaD wrote:
I'd think about a DRW or downsizing the trailer a bit if you really don't want to go with a DRW. That's a lot of trailer for a SRW.

I have to disagree, I pull a 41 foot Montana, 15K pounds, 3K pin weight with a 3500 SRW without issue. I just have to be aware that I have a lot of weight back there so I don't try and take sharp turns fast. I've been in strong cross-winds and the lateral push isn't any different than in a vehicle.

Would a dually have been nice, yes, but given the size of it and difficulties parking it in close sight-seeing areas, I opted not to go that route.

To the OP, there is a dealer over on the Cummins forum who says 2016 orders closed on the 17th. Here is the link.
http://www.cumminsforum.com/forum/2013-general-discussion/2037274-air-suspension-restricted-ordering-3500s.html#post23554314

batavia02 wrote:
Hitch weight on coulmbus 385 bh is1,940. Gvwr 15940.prime time crusader 16,110 gvwr hitch weight 2110.what do you folks think?

Both of those will overload a 2500 when ready to camp. We just bought a 39'3" Bighorn with a 16k GVWR. Our 3500 SRW is going to handle it fine. Chris

APT wrote:
For about 2k dry pin weight, you'll want a truck with at least 3500 pounds of payload. You'll add a 200 pound receiver, another couple hundred pounds of things stuffed around the hitch, people and stuff in the cab, and that dry pin weight will go up by 500 pounds when you stuff the basement.

3/4 Ram diesels have 1500-2500 pounds of payload - not enough. SRW 1-tons have 2500-3500 pounds - borderline. Dually has over 4000 pounds - winner!

I agree with jeep1 above. Besides the payload, I think you will be a lot more comfortable towing a 40' 5er with dual rear wheels. It adds a lot more stability.

Find a comparable bed/cab/drivetrain truck on the dealer lot and look at the tire and loading sticker for available payload.

My fairly loaded 3500 srw has 3700# payload. There are tradesmans with 4000#.

larry barnhart wrote:
Any good reason for not wanting a 3500? It would be a great change of plans but you have your reason for buying how you see fit of course. I also feel a 6 wheel truck would be safer for you.

chevman

I'm casually shopping and the coils in the 2500 sure seem to ride nicer than the leaf springs in the 3500. I can only comment on one side of the comparison as a current owner of a 2500 Ram gasser. The lightened payload of the 2500 diesel sure is a bummer. It seems you can't have the best of both worlds :)

And, for the OP, yes a 41' 5th wheel is waaaaaay to much for a 2500. It's only waaay too much for a SRW 3500 :) Really, you are in DRW territory with that 5th.