Trying to figure out what trailers I can tow
Hello friends! I'm looking for purchasing my first truck and then I'd like to shop for an RV. I have no preferences at the current moment, but I'm in love with Airstreams. So, I've found the Ram...
Forum Discussion
First no that is the GVWR of the truck, the maximum weight that the truck can weigh including fuel, people, cargo, and any transferred weight from the trailer. The most important stat for towing a trailer with a half ton is payload. On that chart it's listed as a maximum of 1,720 pounds. That's what a base model work truck in that configuration can hold as far as people, stuff in the bed, and transferred weight.
It's very unlikely that the actual vehicle you go to buy will actually have that maximum payload as every option added to the vehicle over the base takes away from it. You'll need to look at the yellow sticker in the driver's side door jamb to see what the actual capacity of the truck as it came from the factory is actually able to hold.
Now how that number is relevant, you need to add up the weight of your family and subtract 150 pounds from that, add a few hundred pounds for stuff in the bed (very few campers are going to have less than ~200 pounds of stuff in the bed, especially with the limited storage in an airstream), add 100 pounds for the weight distribution hitch, and finally 15% of the GVWR of the trailer as likely transferred weight.
IMHO do yourself a favor and if you're going to buy the truck first just go with a single rear wheel 1 ton as it will mean you can tow anything but the largest fifth wheels without worrying about it. I wish I had done that. If you're not willing to do that then I'd strongly recommend you buy or at least know exactly what trailer you plan to buy and then pick the truck based on that. I know that one of the families I follow on YouTube was completely maxed out with a family of 5, a 30' Airstream and a F250 Platinum because the diesel engine and Platinum package ate the payload down to about what the theoretical maximum cargo of the model you listed has (I believe it was a bit over 1,800 pounds).
It's very unlikely that the actual vehicle you go to buy will actually have that maximum payload as every option added to the vehicle over the base takes away from it. You'll need to look at the yellow sticker in the driver's side door jamb to see what the actual capacity of the truck as it came from the factory is actually able to hold.
Now how that number is relevant, you need to add up the weight of your family and subtract 150 pounds from that, add a few hundred pounds for stuff in the bed (very few campers are going to have less than ~200 pounds of stuff in the bed, especially with the limited storage in an airstream), add 100 pounds for the weight distribution hitch, and finally 15% of the GVWR of the trailer as likely transferred weight.
IMHO do yourself a favor and if you're going to buy the truck first just go with a single rear wheel 1 ton as it will mean you can tow anything but the largest fifth wheels without worrying about it. I wish I had done that. If you're not willing to do that then I'd strongly recommend you buy or at least know exactly what trailer you plan to buy and then pick the truck based on that. I know that one of the families I follow on YouTube was completely maxed out with a family of 5, a 30' Airstream and a F250 Platinum because the diesel engine and Platinum package ate the payload down to about what the theoretical maximum cargo of the model you listed has (I believe it was a bit over 1,800 pounds).
