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

[Cummins12V98]

RustyJC wrote:

Coach-man wrote:
I was a little over on payload, I had extra leafs put in and the shop certified the new pay load rating,( I have a new sticker in the door with their name on it)!

Hmmmm.....interesting. You might want to read the Issues Pertaining to Load Carrying Capacity in this document.

Rusty

How about a picture of that sticker please!

[RustyJC]

Coach-man wrote:
I was a little over on payload, I had extra leafs put in and the shop certified the new pay load rating,( I have a new sticker in the door with their name on it)!

Hmmmm.....interesting. You might want to read the Issues Pertaining to Load Carrying Capacity in this document.

Rusty

[Coach-man]

I have a RAM 2500, I pull my rig with no problem, no sway, no white knuckels when big rig pass! I was a little over on payload, I had extra leafs put in and the shop certified the new pay load rating,( I have a new sticker in the door with their name on it)! I used to own a dually, and finding a suitable parking space for it was a chore. I can park almost anywhere and a SRW should give you a similar experiance,

[MTPockets1]

Find out what your truck payload limit is by looking at the driver door post sticker. The payload max for your truck should be there. You will need to weigh your rig loaded for travel to know your actual trailer pin weight. Guessing or using percentages might be right, but it's still a guess. Go to the scales. Your payload is the pin weight, plus passengers, plus all other cargo in truck (tools, hitch weight, cargo boxes, fuel) if this total payload is less than your truck payload sticker, you're good to go.

[Me_Again]

Ducky69 wrote:
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

If your truck is an older SRW Mega cab, then your will have to really watch pin weight. At GVWR of 15500 you could be looking at 3100 or more for pin weight. The new trucks with 7K RGAWR would be fine, but older ones not. Chris

[C_Schomer]

^^^ what he said. It should be good for long trips as well as short trip if it's within all the ratings. Craig

[ScottG]

The answer to your question is yes, you can tow it safely because it is within your trucks specifications.

[BB_TX]

If the truck has a payload rating in excess of the pin weight of the trailer and your expected load in the truck, you will be fine. Stability will not be a problem. There are those dually enthusiast on here who claim you will risking your life and the lives of all those around you if you do not have a dually no matter what you are towing.

[RustyJC]

Ducky69 wrote:
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

If you want all of the manufacturer's ratings, they are available at the Ram Body Builder website. Please be sure to pay particular attention to the footnotes that further amplify how the ratings were derived and what additional restrictions might apply.

Rusty

[ramgunner]

Since you have a Ram truck, I'd recommend you look at http://www.momentumgunner.com/towing_notes.html and go from there.

[Cummins12V98]

Nothing new here, questions without enough info to answer the question!

OP fill in the blanks! As in fill in your visible profile.

[JIMNLIN]

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.

As others say it depends on which year model and do you have a SRW or a DRW 3500 truck.
Look on your trucks door post and tell us what your trucks GVWR and RAWR is.
If you have a 3012 and older SRW has a 6200-6500 RAWR you will have to mod the trucks rear suspension to carry more weight.
If your truck is a 2013 and newer truck it has a 7000 RAWR and may have enough suspension for a 3000-3500 lb pin weight.

if I go with 20% of Gross, I'm still under for payload capacity of 5500 on the SRW.

You say in another post you have a SRW and it has a 5500 lb payload. There isn't a SRW out here that has a 5500 lb payload. If your truck has a 5500 lb payload its is a DRW.

[valhalla360]

If the loaded pin weight is within the weight ratings of the current truck you should be fine.

There are people who will tell you, you need a dually to tow a pop up.

[Old-Biscuit]

IF you have DRW.......shouldn't be an issue. Pin weight can be 3000# + when loaded for travel

IF SRW what year and trim?

I have an 07 3500 SRW....towed 14K 5vr for 7 yrs. My combo was right at ratings (scaled) and never had an issue/concern or white knuckle feeling while towing ALL over the USA