Greetings, Don here from Southeast AZ. We are looking to get a FW, but have no real rush because we want to research, and pick the best rig for us.We just purchased our new 2018 Ram 2500 Laramie. 6.7 Cummins and a 3:73 rear end. I pulled the vin up on Ram towing guide and it says 17,100 LBS Max towing.The GVWR is 10,000 lbs and rear axle Max is 6,000.I understand the dry weight and GVWR weight as well as pin weight. So here is my question.IF I get a trailer that has a GVWR of 16K lbs, and a pin weight under or at 2k lbs I should be okay right?In other words the 16K LBS GVWR is under the 17,100 Max towing, and the pin weight of 2k lbs is under the 6K Max axle capacity. Am I correct in my thinking?I want to make sure I am researching the right FW and weights BEFORE really looking.Thanks in advance.Don.

No, the axle rating and pin weight aren’t directly related. Axle weight comes from the pin weight, but it includes the truck weight and weight distribution affects it. Payload is what determines the pin weight you can handle. You take the payload number and subtract the weight of everything you add to the truck including passengers, fuels etc. and what you have left is available payload.Are you sure your 3500 only has 10,000lb GVWR? Your numbers look more like a 2500.

jkwilson wrote:No, the axle rating and pin weight aren’t directly related. Axle weight comes from the pin weight, but it includes the truck weight and weight distribution affects it. Payload is what determines the pin weight you can handle. You take the payload number and subtract the weight of everything you add to the truck including passengers, fuels etc. and what you have left is available payload.Are you sure your 3500 only has 10,000lb GVWR? Your numbers look more like a 2500.Okay so first I edited the post because I was on the phone and made a fat finger. It's a 2500 NOT 3500.Thanks!

jkwilson wrote:No, the axle rating and pin weight aren’t directly related. Axle weight comes from the pin weight, but it includes the truck weight and weight distribution affects it. Payload is what determines the pin weight you can handle. You take the payload number and subtract the weight of everything you add to the truck including passengers, fuels etc. and what you have left is available payload.Are you sure your 3500 only has 10,000lb GVWR? Your numbers look more like a 2500.Okay, so Max Payload Minus wife and I (354 lbs), minus Fuel, and anything else is what the pin weight can not exceed.So for instance if I have GVWR of 10k, and everything I put in the truck is 2klbs, that means I can have up to 8k LBS pin weight?

BigDinAZ wrote:jkwilson wrote:No, the axle rating and pin weight aren’t directly related. Axle weight comes from the pin weight, but it includes the truck weight and weight distribution affects it. Payload is what determines the pin weight you can handle. You take the payload number and subtract the weight of everything you add to the truck including passengers, fuels etc. and what you have left is available payload.Are you sure your 3500 only has 10,000lb GVWR? Your numbers look more like a 2500.Okay, so Max Payload Minus wife and I (354 lbs), minus Fuel, and anything else is what the pin weight can not exceed.So for instance if I have GVWR of 10k, and everything I put in the truck is 2klbs, that means I can have up to 8k LBS pin weight?Unless I'm missing something, and I may since I've always towed travel trailers, but you have to include the actual weight of the truck itself.For example:GVWR = 10,000 lbs.Actual weight of truck including EVERYTHING loaded inside, fuel, people, etc, = 7000 lbs. (just making up a number)10000 - 7000 = 3000 lbs. of cargo carrying capacity.So, as long as your pinweight is less than 3000 lbs, you would be fine in that regards.

Honest Don, if it was that easy that would be nice. You are going to have to weigh your truck with everything you put in it, kids, pets, tools, fully loaded with fuel, then see how much real axle weight you are at, and that will determine how much more you can put onto the real axle. There truly is good reasons why 3/4 ton trucks are great towing machines for trailers, but the pin weight of a big fifth wheel can eat up that axle capacity fast. First step, get it weighed on a good scale. Really see what you have left.Your real axle capacity is not the available left from your GVW, it's your tire carrying capacity. Look at the max weight on the rear tires. Fifth wheels carry 100 percent of their pin weight on the back tires. Campers do not. Trailers with equalizers do not either.Edit again... if your tires are stock, they are rated at 2337 pounds each for 245/70 r 17. Double that to find your real axle capacity.

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garyp4951
Explorer III
Aug 24, 2019
Way to go BigDinAZ, you nailed it, and no white knuckles driving for you.
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Aug 24, 2019
"Nice to know I have plenty of truck for when we upgrade."

Smart Man!!!
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Aug 24, 2019
alboy wrote:
PUT ABOUT 50 LBS OF AIR in those rear duals and you will really love the ride.

If that!
BigDinAZ
Explorer
Aug 24, 2019
Jim&Sharon wrote:
Thanks for the update Big D. I was following your post, and hoping you would make the right decision without me adding to the clutter, and YOU DID.
Don't be surprised if you find yourself traveling farther, and staying away from home longer.....Jim

Jim,
The thing is I actually knew better, but just not with this kind of set up, I mean deep inside I knew I made the wrong decision pretty much right off the bat, and let me tell you, the feeling I got when my heart dropped and it came to lite what I had done.

Well now, I totally understand this, and I know the numbers game. When we hooked up and hit the interstate and came home with our 5er and the truck never even hit passing gear with cruise set and we didn't even feel that trailer back there.
Down the road we can get a bigger rig, no problem, but for now we got what fits us.
Nice to know I have plenty of truck for when we upgrade.

Don.
Jim_Sharon
Explorer
Aug 24, 2019
Thanks for the update Big D. I was following your post, and hoping you would make the right decision without me adding to the clutter, and YOU DID.
Don't be surprised if you find yourself traveling farther, and staying away from home longer.....Jim
alboy
Explorer
Aug 24, 2019
PUT ABOUT 50 LBS OF AIR in those rear duals and you will really love the ride.
ACZL
Explorer
Aug 24, 2019
Congrats and enjoy the smiles er ride !!!!
BigDinAZ
Explorer
Aug 24, 2019
So it's been a couple of months and here is what has happened.
First of all we went back to the dealer within a couple days and they actually agreed to cancel the contract, so we took the truck back and started over.
We ended up getting a Ram3500 Crew Cab DRW, long bed Laramie with 4:10 rear and a 5,704# payload. We also purchased our 1st 5er which is a 2019 Coachmen Chaparral 11,000 GVWR.
We don't even know it's back there, and it's comforting to know when we trade up, we have more than enough truck to pull a bigger heavier RV.
I learned a big lesson.
Just wanted to update.
Braces
Explorer
Jun 17, 2019
You can get the weight your Ram can carry by calling a Ram customer # and using your vin. They give you a specific "carry weight" for your truck equipped as it was when it left the factory. I forget the term they use but I would think it would be the same as pin weight. For my 2013 2500 the towing weight was 17,500 and the carry weight was right at 2,970. I don't remember where I saw the # but it was on one of the popular RV forums or maybe the Cummins forum.
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Jun 16, 2019
BigDinAZ wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
BigDinAZ wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
Not to pop your bubble but your truck has 3.42’s NOT 3.73’s unless someone changed them.

You should have researched the truck before buying anything. A 12k 5er LOADED is a good rig for your truck.

Sure your truck will TOW IT but it won’t CARRY IT !!!

According to Chrystler.com here is the window sticker showing 3.73.
***Link Removed***https://www.chrysler.com/hostd/windowsticker/getWindowStickerPdf.do?vin=3C6UR5KL7JG303387

Aslo on the Ram towing guide page it says 17,100lbs Max towing and 2,270 Max Payload. Maybe I am missing something?

It's 3.42 plain and simple on "ANY SRW" newer Diesel RAM thru 2018.

Okay I got it.
Now this confuses me even more, because the screen shot you posted says 3,160# payload, and 17,980# Tow.
When I go to the Ram Towing guide web page and put in the Vin# I get 2,270 Payload and 17,100# towing.
Meh, what the hell to believe!!!!

Chart shows ALL trucks to be regular cab. Look up 2018 RAM towing SAE guides and you can find the chart that looks like this but with proper configuration.

Bottom line weigh your rear axle loaded subtract from your RAWR and that is how much pin you can add.