new to forum with a few questions -Ram 1500

[texas8324]

I have a 2014 Ram 1500 Laramie Hemi with 3.92 gears. Will be getting a Center Line WDH. By my calculations, before adding hitch, i would have around 515lbs for hitch weight (if driver counts toward payload) and 665 (if driver doesn't). Do you think I should be fine with either of these travel trailers:


Outback Terrain 210TRS
Shipping Weight 4710
Carrying Capacity 2290
Hitch 510

Passport Grand Touring 2400BH
Shipping Weight 4685
Carrying Capacity 1815
Hitch 555

Thanks so much for your time.
kevin

[mkirsch]

texas8324 wrote:
Well, we went and bought a Tracer Air 250. Tongue to rear is 28'11'. Went to the scales after everything was hitched up and these were the numbers with all passengers and nothing in the bed of the truck, all cargo was in the trailer:

Steer Axle:3660#
Drive Axle: 3240#
Trailer Axle: 4980#
Gross weight: 11880#

So this puts me right at the 6900# for the truck. It handled nicely. Will I be ok in the future, if the combined weight is closer to 7100# or so? Or is there a 2500 upgrade in my future?

2014 Ram 1500 Laramie CC, 3.92, Hemi, e2 wdh

Thanks for all of the help
Kevin

You can answer the question yourself:

Check the door sticker of your truck.

Are you exceeding the FAWR, RAWR, or GVWR of the truck at those weights?

[SouthpawHD]

kodiakcanuck wrote:

SouthpawHD wrote:
Not to hijack the thread too much, but you said you like your Centerline hitch. I have one (Centerline TS), and I really struggle to put on and take off the bars!!! It can take me anywhere from 3 minutes to 15 minutes, especially to take them off. Any tricks to doing it better?

Have you tried cranking up the trailer and truck with the hitch still attached to the ball? I find this is pretty much the only way to get them on and off easily as it relieves most of the pressure. Depending on the level-ness of the site I sometimes have to jack it up quite high. Also make sure the truck and trailer are in a straight line to each other.

And when putting the bars on, remember to put your bar lifting tool in the square hole to put them on and the use the point sticking out on the end to take them off...I often forget when putting them on to use that square hole with my tool...sorry hope that makes sense :h

Yes, that makes sense to me. I've wondering about raising the trailer more while attached to the TV. I've raised it some, but based on what you said sounds like a little more in my case just might be the ticket. Thanks!

[kodiakcanuck]

SouthpawHD wrote:
Not to hijack the thread too much, but you said you like your Centerline hitch. I have one (Centerline TS), and I really struggle to put on and take off the bars!!! It can take me anywhere from 3 minutes to 15 minutes, especially to take them off. Any tricks to doing it better?

Have you tried cranking up the trailer and truck with the hitch still attached to the ball? I find this is pretty much the only way to get them on and off easily as it relieves most of the pressure. Depending on the level-ness of the site I sometimes have to jack it up quite high. Also make sure the truck and trailer are in a straight line to each other.

And when putting the bars on, remember to put your bar lifting tool in the square hole to put them on and the use the point sticking out on the end to take them off...I often forget when putting them on to use that square hole with my tool...sorry hope that makes sense :h

[SouthpawHD]

kodiakcanuck wrote:
I have had 2 Rams (2010 and now a 2014 this year) with my current trailer with a hitch weight from the factory of 736 lbs. Family of 4 in the truck, bikes and stability blocks in the bed, the Center Line WHD (which is amazing) and factory brake controller, 1,200 lbs payload with my 2010 Ram, 1,510 lbs payload with my 2014...

I'm I over weight...yep likely...any problems over the past 5 years, nope....Get out there and enjoy camping...

Not to hijack the thread too much, but you said you like your Centerline hitch. I have one (Centerline TS), and I really struggle to put on and take off the bars!!! It can take me anywhere from 3 minutes to 15 minutes, especially to take them off. Any tricks to doing it better?

[kodiakcanuck]

I have had 2 Rams (2010 and now a 2014 this year) with my current trailer with a hitch weight from the factory of 736 lbs. Family of 4 in the truck, bikes and stability blocks in the bed, the Center Line WHD (which is amazing) and factory brake controller, 1,200 lbs payload with my 2010 Ram, 1,510 lbs payload with my 2014...

I'm I over weight...yep likely...any problems over the past 5 years, nope....Get out there and enjoy camping...

[SilverEscape]

kaydeejay wrote:

Where I struggle sometimes is where the weight of a full fuel tank comes in. I have always believed that the "Payload rating" is GVWR minus "Dry Weight", ie no fuel, but this does not get spelled out and is a bit of a trap for the unwary.
My truck has a GVWR of 9200# and a DRY (no fuel) weight of 6385#. That indicates a Payload rating of 2815# which is EXACTLY what is on my Tire Loading sticker on the door. So 150# of fuel becomes part of that payload.
The "Shipping weight" of my truck (that the shipper gets paid by) was 6405#, which includes the 3-4 gals of fuel added at the factory.
It all adds up.

My Ford towing guide says payload is the GVWR minus the curb weight of the vehicle. And the curb weight is defined as including a full tank of fuel. I thought that using curb weight was fairly standard for calculating payload?

The number that gets out on the door sticker also includes options so will be less than GVWR - curb weight of the base model. You know, that payload number the manufacturers plaster all over their literature that almost no one has. LOL

[texas8324]

Well, we went and bought a Tracer Air 250. Tongue to rear is 28'11'. Went to the scales after everything was hitched up and these were the numbers with all passengers and nothing in the bed of the truck, all cargo was in the trailer:

Steer Axle:3660#
Drive Axle: 3240#
Trailer Axle: 4980#
Gross weight: 11880#

So this puts me right at the 6900# for the truck. It handled nicely. Will I be ok in the future, if the combined weight is closer to 7100# or so? Or is there a 2500 upgrade in my future?

2014 Ram 1500 Laramie CC, 3.92, Hemi, e2 wdh

Thanks for all of the help
Kevin

[Dog_Trainer]

The payload for !/2 tons is most of the time the limiting factor. My F150 had a payload of 1772 lbs so it was in the heavy 1/2 ton range. It was a nice truck but pretty much a plain Jane from an options standpoint. So if you start putting a bunch of options into the mix that takes away from the payload.
The payload can be all over the place. On my ford I started out with 7700 lbs GVW everything you add to the truck reduces that number lb for lb.

[gtsum]

I had a 2013 ram laramie and my payload was 1061 per door sticker. I weighed it full of fuel and the family and I had like 420 left for tongue weight. Not good. Ram 1500's loaded up have horrible payload capacity. I think u will be close. I ended up going a different route.

[gschindel]

I have a ram 1500 with a similar size trailer. Put some air bags in the springs, buy a good weight distribution hitch and don't stress about it.

[skinnyme]

1st, Take your truck to a scale and get weighed. I don't think your truck weighs any where near #6405.
I have a 13' Ram 1500 std. cab 8'bed 5.7L with a full tank of fuel (32gal.) and me (200lbs) it weighs 5310..
It tows a 6300lb. trailer with 650lbs.tongue weight just fine.

[texas8324]

Thanks for all of the comments.

Pretty much comes down to this. If it is me or me/wife driving, the payload would be fine. Add in my 2 kids and we would be about 150-200lbs over the payload max.

[kaydeejay]

BC_Explorer wrote:

kaydeejay wrote:
first of all I see you are a new member - Welcome!

Now, to your questions:-
Max Payload rating does NOT include the driver.
Max Tow rating does.
Are you confused yet??

My 2012 RAM 1500 owners manual states:

Payload
The payload of a vehicle is defined as the allowable load weight a truck can carry, including the weight of the driver, all passengers, options and cargo.

Unless something has changed in the last 3 model years, the OP should check his owner manual on how payload is calculated for his RAM.

Sorry, my wording was ambiguous.
Payload rating is for an empty truck, the driver becomes part of that payload.
Max tow rating OTOH is the maximum towable WITH a 150# driver in the truck.
No disagreement with what your owners manual says.
Where I struggle sometimes is where the weight of a full fuel tank comes in. I have always believed that the "Payload rating" is GVWR minus "Dry Weight", ie no fuel, but this does not get spelled out and is a bit of a trap for the unwary.
My truck has a GVWR of 9200# and a DRY (no fuel) weight of 6385#. That indicates a Payload rating of 2815# which is EXACTLY what is on my Tire Loading sticker on the door. So 150# of fuel becomes part of that payload.
The "Shipping weight" of my truck (that the shipper gets paid by) was 6405#, which includes the 3-4 gals of fuel added at the factory.
It all adds up.

[cbshoestring]

icanon wrote:

cbshoestring wrote:
Glad my 1500 RAM is a CONTRACTOR model....1700 lbs payload....ok, ok, 1682# (I think).


EDIT: 1668....I found the door sticker picture on my phone

Ok I'll forgive you from 1700 to 1682 to 1668, lol's
Still that's pretty good for Ram.

Pay load stories are like fish tales. They are all huge until you ask for the picture proof.