3/4 Ton

Payload...........

What is your REAL payload after weighing truck camp ready?

See response to your 'other' post at 'other' place

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Payload...........

What is your REAL payload after weighing truck camp ready?

See response to your 'other' post at 'other' place

x2! It's not what you can TOW, it's what you can CARRY.

Check the yellow sticker on your door to find the payload for =that= truck. Deduct other passengers' weight (includes pets, too), "stuff" you might carry in the truck and the FW hitch and what you have left over is what you can carry on the pin. For rough figuring, take 20% of the GVW of whatever FW you're looking at and see if that will fit within your truck's numbers. Also, make sure your total payload will not exceed the rear axle spec or your tire specs. Often tires are the weak link, having a bit less capacity than the RAWR. In my case, going from a 245 to a 265 tire got me about 800 lbs more and put me above my RAWR.

Understand that very few people actually =hit= the GVW of their FW, but some do, and some exceed it, and by quite a bit. Unfortunately, not many people have the ability to load up a FW as if they were camping and hit the scales to see what it really weighs, before they buy it.

Lyle

As others have said, check your yellow Tire and Load Information label on the driver's door post. I'm going to guess it's somewhere around +/-3000lbs.

You are not going to be able to tow a 15k fifth wheel without exceeding the trucks GVWR. You won't exceed the axle ratings.

I would stick to something up to 12k loaded. Wouldn't see going over that to stay within payload and power/performance.

Love the info, thanks. Truck payload is 3280. Not looking to go anywhere near my Max weight . Was thinking of a more lightweight 5er.less than 1200lb.

What size trailer are you looking to tow? The gas 3/4 ton CC Rams typically have more than 3k of payload rating, and assuming you have 18" or 20" wheels you've got a 6500 lb RAWR so you can carry quite a bit with that truck within your ratings.

I may take a little flack for saying it, but the other thing I'd point out is your truck is identical to a same year SRW 3500 aside from the rear suspension setup, which is probably a little softer. Throw some Timbrens or airbags on it to address that and you've got a SRW 3500 in all but name only. Whether you're comfortable doing that is up to you, of course.

Edit - you should be fine with that size trailer.

OP stated he has a Hemi 6.4, so not the payload robbing weight of a CTD.

Yes, needs to check the Yellow sticker as a guide, but also has a strong rear axle, most likely can carry a 12,000# GVWR 5er and still be within all ratings.

12k is about the limit of what I would pull in any sort of grade. Mine has 4.10 gears and did OK from OH to FL, but did spend time in 2nd gear and averaged about 7mpg with my 5th wheel.

I will add that I now have a Cummins on order. The Hemi is nice, but it's no diesel. I had a 03 standard output (250hp/460 tq) Cummins that pulled similarly to the Hemi around central OH, maybe a small edge to the Hemi. I never took it on a long trip with the camper.

Oh yeah, not expecting any mpg that's for sure. Mostly interested in how it pulls in the Hills to larger Hills and just as important how it stops going down those Hills to larger Hills. Not so sure I'll be traveling in the upper mountainous areas until I get a Cummins.

I pull at 9k dry 10.5K loaded 5th wheel with my 2014 Hemi 6.4 with the 3.73 gears. That dry weight + a heavy slider hitch + myself, wife and 3 small kids puts me right at my 3000# payload.

The truck does very well with that weight. My only complaint is the dreaded country mile gap between 1st and 2nd gear. When on a low speed steep grade it's a PITA as I can either rev it out in 1st gear up to about 40MPH (probably 35 with your 4.10 gears) or lug in 2nd.

If I were truck shopping today I'd go with a diesel for sure. But, this truck works just fine and I can't justify the $$ to change trucks only 2 years in. Again, aside from that one specific annoyance it's a great truck. I can easily pull steep mountain pass grades at the speed limit.

Good to know mtofell1.
Real time experience with basically the same truck. Thanks, I appreciate it and appreciate all the replies.