SRW v. DRW

[Ducky69]

So I do now own a Ram 3500 Longhorn Mega cab diesel. I'm currently using it to tow my travel trailer. Want to move to a Heartland Gateway 3650bh which grosses at 15500, dry at 13025 and pin weight at 2020. I know the truck can both handle towing weight and payload (hitch) weight.

My only concern is safety for my family in the truck. Can I tow this camper safely? Mostly being used for destinations, but do at least once want to travel the U.S. with it.

Thanks

[AH64ID]

C Schomer wrote:
"Yeah the new SRW's have a LOT of rating, in fact they can have the same GVWR as your 03 DRW. It's all about tires/wheels, as that has been the SRW's limiting factor for a long time".
So, do the newer SRW have LRGs, 36xx lbs? What size tires are the SRWs using now? I don't mean to hijack the thread but it's such a good time to ask! Craig

They have LRE 18" or 20" wheels and tires rated at 3500/3640 (wheel/tire), giving them 7K on the rear axle.

In terms of HD tires 17's are the weakest.

Also the big 3 are just rating them higher. Look at my 2005 Ram 3500 SRW. In stock form I had the frame/axles/suspension to have a GVWR of 11,500 but they kept it to 9,900 for several reasons. On current pickups they are just allowing the consumer to use more of the combined axle ratings. A 2015 3500 SRW Ram has all the proper components to have a 13K GVWR, but it's still listed lower at 12,300... Which I guess is 100lbs higher than your 03 DRW.

[C_Schomer]

"Yeah the new SRW's have a LOT of rating, in fact they can have the same GVWR as your 03 DRW. It's all about tires/wheels, as that has been the SRW's limiting factor for a long time".
So, do the newer SRW have LRGs, 36xx lbs? What size tires are the SRWs using now? I don't mean to hijack the thread but it's such a good time to ask! Craig

[AH64ID]

dfb wrote:
At he time I bought the 04 cummins,the Srw truck was around 2000 lbs that could be added. The 3500 dually was 4200 lbs. I bought an economy car to commute. If the op needed the extra weight capacity,the a dually would be necessary. Since he is under the gvwr, then he is cool. No need for a dually.

It should have been a little closer to 3000 for a 3500 SRW, but yes you get a lot more with a DRW. My 05 has a sticker payload of 2888, and the 04's had the same GVWR and curb weight.

GVWR doesn't mean a whole lot on the HD SRW trucks, but many like to follow it.

[dfb]

At he time I bought the 04 cummins,the Srw truck was around 2000 lbs that could be added. The 3500 dually was 4200 lbs. I bought an economy car to commute. If the op needed the extra weight capacity,the a dually would be necessary. Since he is under the gvwr, then he is cool. No need for a dually.

[Me_Again]

gtsum wrote:

Me Again wrote:
I rule out dually based on my garage size, not wanting or needing a dually for daily driving. The new SRW 3500's with a 7K rear axle rating will do find up to the 17K 5th wheel tow rating if you stay with the 18" tires, which provide a bit of extra capacity beyond the RGAWR. RAM did their home work on this one. The 20" tires have lower ratings and should be avoided by those that want the max out of their trucks.

To OP, as I noted earlier based on year you would be fine, which you are!!! Color me green with truck envy!

Chris

How so on the 20 tires? My 2014 Ram 3500 has 20's and the Firestone tires...3640 rating on each I believe (3640 or 3620, cant recall)..which of course is over the 7k rear axle

Guess you are right, both are rated to 3640. Someone on TDR stated stability issues with the 20's. Chris

[AH64ID]

C Schomer wrote:
For a long time, I've been wondering how the newer SRWs have nearly the same capacities as my 03 DRW. I'm glad the OP stated his tire ratings! Those beefier tires must be a lot more stable than the LRE 3042lb tires that were on my last SRW. I didn't even like towing 10k lbs with them. Craig

Yeah the new SRW's have a LOT of rating, in fact they can have the same GVWR as your 03 DRW. It's all about tires/wheels, as that has been the SRW's limiting factor for a long time.

LRE's start to show their limits about 90% of their ratings, but below that they are very stable. A LRE at 100% of it's rating is a soft tire, at least IME.

I have had my SRW at 12K GVW and 20K GCW with both LRE and LRG and the LRG are so much more stable it's silly. The LRE do fine, but you do notice the weight.

[C_Schomer]

For a long time, I've been wondering how the newer SRWs have nearly the same capacities as my 03 DRW. I'm glad the OP stated his tire ratings! Those beefier tires must be a lot more stable than the LRE 3042lb tires that were on my last SRW. I didn't even like towing 10k lbs with them. Craig

[AH64ID]

DRW isn't an option for me based on some of the places I take my truck. It's already wider than the roads in a few places and I don't want fenders/tires hanging out. Most of where my TT goes I could get a DRW, but that's not all I use my truck for.

I did exceed what my OEM tires/wheels were capable of, but 19.5's are a great addition to any SRW user who is heavy.

All the wheels used on the 7K RAWR trucks are rated at 3,500lbs which is just under the tire ratings.

[gtsum]

Me Again wrote:
I rule out dually based on my garage size, not wanting or needing a dually for daily driving. The new SRW 3500's with a 7K rear axle rating will do find up to the 17K 5th wheel tow rating if you stay with the 18" tires, which provide a bit of extra capacity beyond the RGAWR. RAM did their home work on this one. The 20" tires have lower ratings and should be avoided by those that want the max out of their trucks.

To OP, as I noted earlier based on year you would be fine, which you are!!! Color me green with truck envy!

Chris

How so on the 20 tires? My 2014 Ram 3500 has 20's and the Firestone tires...3640 rating on each I believe (3640 or 3620, cant recall)..which of course is over the 7k rear axle

[Me_Again]

I rule out dually based on my garage size, not wanting or needing a dually for daily driving. The new SRW 3500's with a 7K rear axle rating will do find up to the 17K 5th wheel tow rating if you stay with the 18" tires, which provide a bit of extra capacity beyond the RGAWR. RAM did their home work on this one. The 20" tires have lower ratings and should be avoided by those that want the max out of their trucks.

To OP, as I noted earlier based on year you would be fine, which you are!!! Color me green with truck envy!

Chris

[The_Mad_Norsky]

ramgunner, that is a very valid point.

Glad you said it.

[ramgunner]

Old-Biscuit wrote:

ramgunner wrote:

Ducky69 wrote:
Thank you all. My tire load ratings at 3640#. The payload at just under 4k. This is my commuter so dually has to be ruled out.

This is a 2015 ram 3500 longhorn mega cab. Cummins turbo SRW.

I commute every day in my signature truck (DRW) into a parking lot with pretty narrow badge-controlled gate access. Having the carrying capacity and extra stability of the DRW more than offsets the times when it's less convenient parking it.

BUT OP already has a SRW that is more than adequate to safely/properly tow his trailer.

Not everyone wants/needs a dually.

YES.....SRWs are quite capable of towing w/o drama

I realize that. I also know that threads like this are often looked at by other folks coming down the road later. I wanted to point that out for their benefit. A DRW can work fine for a commuter, and doesn't have to be ruled out.

[The_Mad_Norsky]

The OP's vehicle should be just dandy for what he has in mind for a fifth wheel.

Frankly, I've looked closely at the specs for that model (2014/15 Ram 3500 SRW Mega Cab) as down the road I may actually go away from the dually's I have been operating. As the OP posted, 4,000 some odd pounds of carry/cargo capacity.

[empty_nest]

Just dropped $900 on 4 new tires for my 1-ton SRW. As I drove away, I remember thinking how nice it was I didn't have to buy 6 of those bad boys. 🙂