Dodge Pickup As Tow Vehicle

As a toad, pick ups are heavy...unless you need it.

I have been towing my 2012 Dodge 1500 4X4 for 2 years and it tows very well. I do need it for work, but also used to take it south. Set it up with Blue Ox equipment, but I don't like the Patriot box. It is awkward and never did work well. I would try something different for braking if you think you need it. Macktee

Blaster Man, We understand that towing a pickup is heavy, but we need a pickup as our second vehicle. Our first vehicle is a Dodge Charger (which I love) and it's not towable, nor would I want to tow it or get rid of it :B

Macktee, thanks for your input. Can you tell me how you set the pickup up to tow? Did you have to change out the bumper??

Cruzette, I have the one without the Hemi. It has the chrome bumper and therefore it had a black plastic piece that went across in the lower part of the bumper and the base plate hookups are in there. Sorry that probably doesn't make any sense but you will have to look at the different trucks to see it. I use this truck just for work in the oilfield, so not the real fancy one. Macktee

Macktee wrote:
Cruzette, I have the one without the Hemi. It has the chrome bumper and therefore it had a black plastic piece that went across in the lower part of the bumper and the base plate hookups are in there. Sorry that probably doesn't make any sense but you will have to look at the different trucks to see it. I use this truck just for work in the oilfield, so not the real fancy one. Macktee

Thanks Marktee, I will let my DH know. We too are looking for one without the Hemi....... One hemi in the family is enough ;)

I just set up my 1500 Silverado 4x4 as a toad. Ready Brake Elite. Blue OX baseplate. Self installed. No mileage but testing it the MH doesn't know it's back there. Hook up, put the transfer case in neutral and go down the road. I will put my R1200GS in the bed.

Cruzette,
Well, I don't tow the Dodge but, I just setup our newly acquired GMC 1500 4x4 Extended Cab for towing. We had been carrying a 900 lb. Honda Goldwing GL 1800 on the back of our coach but, after 8,000 trouble free miles, we decided to make a major change. So, we removed the lift from the back of the coach, sold the 2011 Honda CRV that I setup as a toad and acquired the 2011 GMC.

Setting up the base plate(s) was outstandingly easy. A tad bit of drilling and that was about it. We had chrome tow hooks on the truck and all I did was remove them, installed the base plates in their places and, bolted things down good and snug.

Now, as for towing that kind of weight. I was a bit apprehensive of towing more weight than we had been too. But, the CRV was exactly 3,700 lbs. The GMC is 5,300 lbs. on the dot. Yes, that's a bit more but, in all practical reality, it was dream. We didn't slow down anymore on any of the grades we'd previously towed the CRV on. We now carry the 900 lb. Honda GL 1800 in the back of the truck.

Setting up the base plates, was easy and, so was the wiring.

Now, just how much different would the Dodge 1500 4x4 be, without seeing the base plates and the front end of the pickup, I can't comment on the difficulty factor. I did not have to remove any bumpers, grills, or anything on the front end of our truck. I did have to remove a rubber/plastic gravel shield between the bottom of the bumper and the base of the radiator. A very simple maneuver. While at it, I installed the Ready Brake cable system for auxiliary braking, also a snap to install. I hit the brake cable and the electrical plug so, unless you get down on your knees, you almost can't tell that truck is towed.

I don't know how the grill/bumper is on the Truck you're speaking of but, I'll take a look.
Scott

P.S. What year truck are you thinking about?

Cruzette...We originally towed a Dodge Dakota 4x4 and then a Nissan Frontier 4x4 and now a Chevrolet Silverado 4 door, 4x4. On all three, I used the Air Force One brake system. This system connects to your air brake system and provides proportional braking to your truck. I reused the same Air Force One system on all three trucks. By the time I got the Chevrolet, I had the install time down to a couple of hours. The Air Force One has a break away system that applies the brakes on the truck if it breaks away from the coach. It uses a small piston under the dash to pull the brake pedal on.

There is also a brake system called the M&G that is proportional and has a small unit that mounts between your master cylinder and power booster. It's a good system, but some vehicles don't have the space for the unit. There are several other brake systems. Of all the things I've bought for my RV, there is no perfect brake system, even if you have unlimited funds.

I went with a Roadmaster Falcon 2 tow bar rated at 10000 pounds. I originally had a Roadmaster, Sterling All Terrain rated at 6000 pounds, but I carry my RZR in the bed of the truck which adds another 1500+ pounds. Your Dodge is probably going to weigh in about 5300 - 5500 pounds. I wanted more than a 500-700 pound cushion. You can use a 6000 pound tow bar and buy the 8000 pound safety cables if you aren't going to add any additional weight to the truck.

I used the Roadmaster base plates because I like their products and try to use the same baseplates as tow bar.

I use to wire my trucks with diodes so that I could use the OEM taillights, but this causes some issues on some brand of trucks. If your truck makes the brake lights come on when the ignition is off, it can create a problem. If you're making a right or left turn and using the diode system, the brake lights from the truck will override the turn signals when you apply the brakes. I now wire in the extra bulb and wire direct to the MH.

My coach has a 400 ISL and towing the truck is noticeable, especially the Chevrolet over the Dodge or Nissan. It still pulls well, but you won't be breaking any acceleration records.

I lose about 3/4 to 1 mpg when towing my truck. Hope this answers your questions.

I just finished installing the b plate on our new 13' 1500 4x4 Longhorn...I used the Roadmaster and so far I am very pleased...it did require some huffing and puffing but it was done in an afternoon...
I did take out the bumper no big problem and it makes the job easier...putting it back was not too bad, with the wife help we got it...
as far as the bar, we got the Roadmaster II rated at 10,000 pounds
btw we intend to pull with an 08 diplomat 400hp
feel free to contact us anytime
Tony

We towed a 09 Dodge Ram 1500 4X4 for over 20,000 miles with no issues. Towed with a Tiffin Phaeton 400 hp. Couldnt tell if I was there or not, no noticeable reduction in fuel ecomomy.