5th Wheel Towing with 2013 Ram 1500 5.7lt Hemi

[ppgear]

I have a 2013 Ram 1500 w/ 5.7 lt hemi with the new 8 sp transmission, 3.21 gears and crew cab with the 5.7' box. I wanted to install a 5th wheel hitch to pull a 27' Prowler Regal, can I do that and what recommendations do you have for me ? This is my first 5th wheel and any suggestions will help. I know I will have to put air bags on my truck and I need a sliding hitch. Any models recommended ? Thanks for the help.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

ChooChooMan74 wrote:
The 3.21 gears will be a major setback. Also, the rams lower payload than the other half ton trucks who want to be 3/4 tons.

Heed all the (unfortunately) negative advice for your 5th wheel plan.

Sure, it can be done - but you won't be happy.

Go with a Travel Trailer instead. Plenty of good choices..;)

~

[Allworth]

Before we got the Titanium (13,804# gross) we towed a 28' Outback for three years including two Rocky Mountain trips quite successfully with an 04 Ram 2500 HD (BUT it was diesel powered).

The thread is about towing with a 1500 powered by a Hemi!

[NC_Hauler]

bbq-breath wrote:
I wouldn't even tow that small fifth wheel with a Ram 2500. No payload on any of them. They are tough looking though...

You wouldn't tow a 5er with a GVW of 11,000# with a Ram 2500? Really?? You need to look at the specs on the new Ram 2500, they do more than just "look tough"...Check out the specs on a 14' Ram and let us know if you can still "assume" you know what you're talking about. ANY of the Big 3's 2500's could tow that 5er .Sounds like you're no fan of Ram trucks..again, you may want to really check out the specs before you make a blanket statement that "No payload on any of them"...Brand loyality can become ugly at times.

[TXiceman]

My initial resposne is a bigger truck or a smaller trailer. A Hemi will have lots of power, but a 3.21 axle will have you spending lot of time in the lower gears.

A 1/2 ton is much better suited to tow a travel trailer since the tongue weight will be much less than the pin weight of a 5er.

A 1/2 ton truck has a very limited GVWR and a resulting low cargo capacity. Your cargo capacity will include all of your passengers, cargo, hitch and the pin or tongue weight.

You can get a TT that will tow well if you get a good WD and sway control hitch and set it up properly.

Ken

[bbq-breath]

I wouldn't even tow that small fifth wheel with a Ram 2500. No payload on any of them. They are tough looking though...

[Allworth]

Not only lack of payload in a 1500, but....

((Here is where the firestorm starts))

The Hemi engine's power curve is really not well suited to towing. Sure, you can tow with it and if you have never used anything else you will probably be happy. In reality the Hemi's power comes on at RPM levels above what would be best for towing.

It was designed by Dodge as a "Muscle" engine, not a "work" engine.

If you use one and like it; good for you! There are a lot better things out there for serious RVing.

JMHO (based on Chrysler's Engineering newsletters of the past.)

[ChooChooMan74]

ppgear wrote:
The GVWR and GAWR for the 5th wheel is 4218kg and 1950kg respectively.

As for the truck, the GVWR is 3085 kg and the rear GAWR 1770kg.

Some explanation of the numbers would be great. Is there any other numbers that I can provide that make the explanation more clear ?

Thanks for the help,

There are more numbers than that, and I have to try and figure out which is which here since you are metric.

First, let me send you to www.learntorv.com where you may find some useful information.

The big thing is the pin weight on your trailer, in addition to the weight of the hitch, and anything loaded inside the truck could (and probably would) severely overload the truck. You could have upwards to 800kg+ of pin weight when the trailer is fully loaded.

Another thing that hurts is the gearing. Using the 2014 guide with an express model, you lose over 2000lbs (800kg) of "towing capacity" (mind, they don't rate it using a big box RV, but something with better aerodynamics). The tow rating for the 2014 is 3600KG and your trailer could weigh as much as 4200KG!

Last problem is your bed size. I believe Etrailer.com suggests using a Reese Sidewinder/Revolution pinbox with this bed. Your other option is Pull Rite 3100 series hitch for short beds less than 6 feet. That hitch itself can weigh 180 kg with all the brackets needed.

So, with a payload of no more that 635KG (using a stripped down express model as an example) before you exceed your GVW, when you add your passengers, cargo, hitch, and pin weight to the equasion, you can easily be well over that. If you have a high end model, like a laramie limited, you only have about 490KG of payload.

[ppgear]

The GVWR and GAWR for the 5th wheel is 4218kg and 1950kg respectively.

As for the truck, the GVWR is 3085 kg and the rear GAWR 1770kg.

Some explanation of the numbers would be great. Is there any other numbers that I can provide that make the explanation more clear ?

Thanks for the help,

[ppgear]

WOW.... thanks for all the input from everyone and the information has been a learning opportunity. As much as I would love to take the 5th wheel, I will have to step back and reconsider my decisions.

[2PM_s]

Forget the 5th and look into travel trailers. Or a get a 2500, you will feel much better when you get to your campsite. Not enough of payload with what you got, I would assume plenty of power.

[roaming_elevati]

My opinion get a bigger truck. You do not have enough towing capacity for a fifth wheel. This is coming from a mopar person.

[gtsum]

No way the Ram 1500 is not overloaded with a fifth on it. I had a 2013 Ram Laramie and my payload capacity per the door sticker was 1061lbs...that is before anything is in the truck. Ram 1500's have very limited payload capacity

[JIMNLIN]

I'm not sure anyone makes a sliding hitch for the 5' 7" Ram box. Most I've seen were for the 6' 4" box. I would first check with them.

I see in Rams body builder guide your truck is rated to tow 6100 lbs up to 6750 lb trailer depending on your truck configuration.

With anemic 6xxx GVWR and small 3800-3900 RAWR numbers the 5er will need to be in the 5k dry gross weight range.
Payloads run from 940 lbs to 1600 lbs depending on the trucks configuration. You didn't give us much tech info from your truck to go on so answers will be general numbers.

You didn't tell us which Prowler 5th wheel trailer but they start in the 9k GVWR range and go up from there. Even the smallest looks like too much pin weight and too much gross weight for your truck. Gear ratio changes will help the truck pull more weight but won't help your truck carry more weight.

[oweninthekeys]

Being a former owner of a 2013 Ram with the 3:93 rear-end (More pulling power) I can assure you that you do not have the capacity to accomodate a fifth wheel. I loved my 2013 but was very displeased when I got down to brass tacks about the actual payload capacities that they have. If you run teh numbers in the following link it should give you an idea of where you will be at.

Fifth Wheel Weight Calculator