Ram 1500 5.7 towing recommendation

You will probably be over on your payload capacity. Check your door sticker for the number. It will say max weight of people and cargo should not exceed X. If not, subtract your GVW from the weight of the vehicle and that's your number. Most people figure 20% pin weight for a 5th wheel and your trailer should have a dry tongue weight number. When you hitch these two trailers (tongue weight or 5th wheel pin weight) to your truck all that weight goes on the truck and is included in the truck payload capacity. Hope this helps

Look at smaller trailers or 3/4 and 1-ton pickups.

So, the max "towing" weight of 10500lbs, per Dodge really doesn't mean anything....

My max payload for the truck is 1400lbs. Estimate that weight of driver, passenger, gas, dog, etc would be 500 lbs.
Therefore I have to keep the "dry tongue weight", ( is this also referred to as "hitch weight'?) below 900lbs...right?

Also have to wonder why Cougar calls these "1/2 ton Trailers".....since the hitch weight of 1400 lbs is right about the same as the max payload weight! (If my math is correct!)

Yeah, "tow ratings" do not necessarily equate to travel trailers... Boats can weigh a lot, but have pretty low tongue weights. So, there you go right there..

Travel trailers/5th wheels have a lot more tongue weight than boats, so that's where the "rub" is here...

At the end of the day, you'll get down the road no matter how much weight you put on your truck... You just gotta decide what ratings and what other factors you choose to abide by..

I tow what I tow with a truck that far exceeds any of the weight limits of my RV.. Why? Because that's what I prefer to do after towing all sorts of things over the last 35+ years I've been driving and towing stuff for work and for pleasure..

The max GVWR TT I'd go for with my current truck would be #7500... Is that leaving a lot on the table? Sure... But I don't need that much in terms of TT and I want to enjoy the driving time as much as I want to enjoy the camping time... :)

No one but YOU is going to be behind the wheel of your rig, so in the end, it all boils down to what you are comfortable with.. Not what us "interweb goofs" are comfortable with.. :)

Good luck!

Mitch

Forget the fifth wheel and go with the trailer. You'll be fine
I towed heavier that with my tundra

rvator97 wrote:
Also have to wonder why Cougar calls these "1/2 ton Trailers".....since the hitch weight of 1400 lbs is right about the same as the max payload weight! (If my math is correct!)

Many FW manufacturers advertise 1/2 ton towables, but they don't say all 1/2 Ts. Some of the newer 1/2s have a 2000+ lb payload, and will be just adequate for these trailers.

Jerry

MFL wrote:

rvator97 wrote:
Also have to wonder why Cougar calls these "1/2 ton Trailers".....since the hitch weight of 1400 lbs is right about the same as the max payload weight! (If my math is correct!)

Many FW manufacturers advertise 1/2 ton towables, but they don't say all 1/2 Ts. Some of the newer 1/2s have a 2000+ lb payload, and will be just adequate for these trailers.

Jerry

That's true, and you end up with a little 5th wheel, less bang for the buck. Much more value in a travel trailer for 1/2 tons.

rvator97 wrote:
So, the max "towing" weight of 10500lbs, per Dodge really doesn't mean anything....

My max payload for the truck is 1400lbs. Estimate that weight of driver, passenger, gas, dog, etc would be 500 lbs.
Therefore I have to keep the "dry tongue weight", ( is this also referred to as "hitch weight'?) below 900lbs...right?

No, you have to keep your LOADED tongue weight below 900lbs. Dry weight is the empty trailer, no options, gear etc in it yet.

Walt either trailer should work fine. Both trailers wet will be at the upper limits of what the suspension will comfortably handle. You would benefit from air bags such as https://timbergroveenterprises.com/old-home/

If you get the Bumper pull you will also need a good WDH such as https://www.etrailer.com/s.aspx?qry=Husky+Weight+Distribution+Hitch

In either case The key to assure a safe comfortable tow that would survive an emergency accident avoidance swerve around will be to take the load to a Truck stop CAT scale that weights your steer drive & trailer axles separately at the same time. CAT has a free smart phone app with info locations & gps directions. It's usually like $12 first weigh $2 per additional.

My 14 Ram ED unloaded steer is 3,340. Weight your truck for your unloaded steer weight. My first goal in setting up a wet trailer on the scale is to try to at least replace the unloaded steer weight. My Second goal is get the drive axle down to as close to 3,900 as reasonably possible. IE max axle rating. Personally I'm not comfortable for long drives with a drive axle weight that's more than 10 percent over ie 4,300 here. Third goal is to get drive & steer as close to 50/50 bias as is reasonably possible. Take a tape measure to make sure your TT measures as close as reasonably possible to being level ie same distance to the ground front & rear.

You will need a trailer brake controller & can add the factory unit if your truck doesn't have it. 3.92s would be preferable but if trucks a 4WD it is what it is. IMO At tire replacement time an ideal tire would be an E load such as Michelin Defender or General Grabber offered in a 265/60/20 if you have 20" wheels.