Forum Discussion

Bassmon's avatar
Bassmon
Explorer
Feb 19, 2018

Truck weights and towing

I posted a few days ago and received really helpful info. If my GVWR is 8800, tow rating of 11850,and a load rating of 2020 lbs.Will a fifth wheel that has a dry weight of 8850 and cargo weight of 2350,and a pin weight of 1615 lbs. My TV is a 2004 Dodge SLT quad cab 2500 long bed,CTD.
  • That RV will be a breeze for that truck! I towed a combined 20,500# with my 98 12Valve RAM/Cummins 4x4. The truck sat level and handles the load very well! Your truck should be even better.
  • Bassmon I see you are from my home town. Great place to grow up. Please disregard any dry weight figures. A trailer is never empty after you bring it home. Your pin weight will be close or over.
  • A '04 2wd 2500 Dodge/Cummins has a 9000 GVWR and a 6000 rawr. The 8800 gvwr shows to be the 5.7 Hemi.
    I have the same truck in a '03 2500 9000 gvwr 6000 rawr Quad cab Cummins 3.73 gears NV5600 tranny with a 13350 lb tow rating.
    My trucks rear axle weighs on average scales 2840 lbs with the hitch rails in the bed. This leaves my truck with 3160 lbs max for a in the bed payload.
    I pull a 11200 lb 5th wheel rv trailer. Most of the time it leaves my trucks 6000 lb rated rear axle in the 5200-5400 lb range which is well under 6000 lb ratings.

    The truck will have no problems pulling that size trailer. Now having said that for some unknown reason Dodge decided to drop the uppper aux overload spring pack on the 2wd 2500 '03 and up trucks. My trucks sags with 1500 lbs in the bed over the axle. So... you may have to go with SuperSprings.....air bags....have a leaf added to the spring pack or other aftermarket product if your truck sags like mine.
  • If your truck is in good mechanical condition, you should have no problem with that trailer. If you loaded the FW to near GVWR you could have a pin wt of 2,200+, and a hitch wt of another 200 lbs. As long as you don't load the truck bed with an extra fuel tank, tool box, and fire wood, you should have no problem staying within your 6,000 RAWR. You can weigh your rear axle, full of fuel, gear, people, and stuff, and subtract that from 6K RAWR.

    Jerry
  • rhagfo's avatar
    rhagfo
    Explorer III
    If you are trying to stay within the 8,800# likely not going to happen. It is your choice if you want to tow over GVWR, but look at my signature.
    we do well, but also over GVWR, but under rear axle rating, and well under tire rating of 3,415# ea.

    Once again it is your decision to make.