Can I tow with my Ram

The exact details vary a little, but it seems pretty unanimous that you'll be pushing the limits and may not be happy with it.

I tend to agree with that sentiment. Two growing kids and two big dogs, if accurate, is going to suck up a lot of the truck's payload capacity.

You won't necessarily be unsafe, but if you don't like driving it, what's the point?

Remember, 5970lbs is ALMOST 6000lbs, and you're going to put a good 1000lbs+ into that trailer by the time all is said and done. Now you're over 7000lbs.

Cdaddy,

Welcome!!!!

Check this thread out that a fellow member just recently posted about his truck (a v6 at the time, with the trailers he was looking at and the possible truck upgrade...

Like it has already been posted, your limiting factor is the trucks payload. The next limit is usually the RAR, then possibly the trucks receiver hitch rating.

He is in a similar situation as you, and is picking up a Ram 2500 today vs a new 1500 Hemi due to the payload. Yes, his current truck has/had a v6, but a new Hemi would not have gained any major payload to justify the cost as he would probably still be over the trucks rating. Understand the that "brochure" dry tongue/hitch weight of a trailer does not include the weight of the propane tanks or a battery on the tongue!!! Those alone add ~120lbs for 2-20lb tanks and a battery, or ~160lbs for 2-30lb tanks and a battery.... If the "dry tw" is about 775lbs you are already at ~900lbs tw or ~940lbs tw, before even loading anything else in the trailer. And if that model has a front pass through storage, that weight is on the tongue, plus if you haul fresh water depending on the tank location, etc....

The weight adds up very quickly. And it seems it grows as we own our rigs, but seldom goes down. I read a great suggestion (on here I believe it was) that was to go through the trailer (rv) at the end of each season and remove anything that wasn't used at all, and possibly those items that were only used once or twice during the entire season. It helps keep the trailer weight in check.

Good luck!!!

Ignore that Max Trailer weight--it means very little when it comes to a TT. Your truck could easily pull a boat that size, but that trailer you're looking at, with it's heavier tongue, would be a load. IMHO, based on experience, you will not be a happy camper with that rig. Loaded with the family and dogs, with big trucks passing you on the freeway, and throw in a crosswind just for fun, and a curve or two and maybe wet pavement... I have towed overloaded, and it sucks.

Most half ton crew cab trucks are limited in what they can pull, because of their low cargo capacity.

I think it will pull the weight fine in most areas. I would want a lower axle ratio (4.10) for towing in mountains.

The issue, like everyone else has said, may be lack of truck payload and rear axle weight carrying capacity, because of the heavy hitch weight and other cargo/passengers in truck and the P-rated passenger tires that are typically found on most new 1/2-ton trucks.

GVWR 6800 is max weight, on the tow vehicle as it's going down the road.

Payload 1540 is weight the vehicle was rated to carry (empty, as the vehicle left the factory). Anything (aftermarket accessories, cargo, passengers, and pets) added to the vehicle, subtract from that weight capacity. Cargo includes weight distributing hitch (about 100 lbs) and trailer tongue weight.

GCWR 14000 is max loaded weight rating for truck and trailer combined.

8000 MAX tow capacity is what the vehicle is rated to tow, under the right circumstances. Those circumstances don't include accessories, passengers, or cargo.

As the vehicle gets loaded with accessories (undercoating, bed liner, bed cap or cover, tool box, floor mats, step bars, etc), people, pets, and cargo, it's available payload and tow capacity are dropping, pound for pound.

When you put the weight distributing hitch in the receiver, your payload and tow capacity drop by about 100 lbs. If you have a fiberglass bed cap, that could eat another 200 lbs. Throw in a generator, tool box, and a large family, your payload and tow capacity may not be enough to support that trailer. It's difficult for any of us to say you're good to go, we don't know who, or what, you'll be carrying.

Add up the weight of accessories, people, pets, and cargo you will be carrying. Subtract that total from your payload and tow capacity. See if you have room to carry the trailer weight. Here's a link to a calculator that may shed some light on what to look at.

That 5970 lb dry weight will easily reach 7000 lbs, when loaded for camping. It's tongue weight could be 900+ lbs.

Average camping load (dishes, pots and pans, bedding, camp chairs, camp gear, BBQ and supplies, groceries, water, etc) is 800 to 1000 lbs.

Tongue weight is not a constant number. It goes up and down during every trip. Average is 12 - 13 percent of loaded trailer weight.

Location of holding tanks, in relation to trailer axles, can have a major impact on tongue weight. If they are directly above the axles, they have little effect. In front or behind the axles, they can add or subtract a couple hundred pounds.

The GVWR on the 2016 KEYSTONE HIDEOUT 272LHS is 7,775 pounds. I see in another post you have a wife, 2 girls and 2 big dogs. The spec on hitch weight is 775, but loaded I bet you're at or above 1,000.

If it's only you and one other person and you don't go overboard on gear, you may be ok. But if you max out the weight, you'll notice it when traveling in mountains. If you start out with a trailer that's only 5,000 lbs. unloaded, you would end up towing around 6,000-6,500 lbs. and towing performance would be much better.

If upgrading your truck is an option, you could always try it and take the trailer to the scales and get an actual weight when loaded. Then you could see how the numbers crunch and either keep your truck or look for another. If you look at my rig details, you'll see that my Tundra is technically rated to tow 10K, but I really wouldn't want to do it. But with 6,500 lbs. in tow, it handles very well, even in the mountains.

I have basically the same truck but mine is a 2014 I tow my 23RLSW with no problems.

I kept my max weight at 6000 pounds loaded I wanted some cushion.

The truck does well pulling and stopping no problems.

The trailer you list would be to big for my taste may work alright but like I said I like to have some cushion.

As others have said, your payload will be the limiting factor. Loaded, you are probably going to somewhere between 800 and 900 lbs tongue weight. Will leave you about 650-750 lbs left over for passengers and anything else in the bed.

Assuming you, spouse, and I assume a kid or two, I think you will be pushing it, and probably over. You'll likely not have a good time dealing with that.

Mike

IMO, your truck should work, if you aren't hauling 5-6 people in the cab, and lots of heavy stuff in the truck bed.

Your loaded to camp trailer weight may be 7,500, with tongue wt of 900-1,000.
You will quickly run out of payload, with lots in truck.

Jerry