Towing 33', 7500 GVWR trailer with 1/2 ton truck.

[rvhippo]

Conclusion: NOT FUN. Do-able, but NOT FUN. Two hands on the wheel at all times.

The Truck
2016 Dodge Ram 1500
5.7L V8 gas engine
8-speed auto transmission, 3.92 final drive
1,630 lbs. payload capacity
10,300 lbs. towing capacity

The Trailer
2016 Jayco 2867 BHSW
33'5" overall length
7500 lbs. GVWR
Equalizer 4-way hitch

*Engine more than capable.
*Transmission probably won't last long. Shift logic already locking into tow/haul mode even without the trailer attached.
*Payload capacity sorely lacking. I put Timbrens on the back and they help a lot. I couldn't imagine towing without some kind of spring/helper in the back. The 1/2 ton is sprung for comfort and any weight immediately maxes out the rear springs.
*I probably will have to adjust the WD hitch when I get more time (combined rig is VERY sensitive to WD hitch adjustments, I'm on my 4th adjustment setting).
*Brakes adequate. ABS kicks in during emergency braking so braking power isn't the limitation.

The rig is very, very sensitive to passing vehicles and crosswinds. Not a problem to keep it within the lane markers, but requires constant small steering corrections if there are passing vehicles or cross winds. Steers straight and true with no sway motion in a straight line.

Not difficult to keep in line, but it requires constant vigilance. Not a relaxing drive, but not scary either.

Have had to make one emergency brake/swerve maneuver when someone cut me off trying to get on the same off ramp at the same time. Truck and trailer tires all squealing. Was able to bring rig back in line at the adjacent lane with no sway.

I would rather have a 3/4 or 1 ton truck, but Chrysler was willing to lease me this truck for $11.50/day. It works, but I couldn't imagine towing anything heavier (or closer to the 10,300 lbs. max tow limit).

[Terryallan]

JAC1982 wrote:

Terryallan wrote:

JAC1982 wrote:



I just think it's irresponsible to tell someone who is new to hauling, and new to RVing in general, that they should have no issues pulling their 8,000lb trailer no problem with their 1/2 ton truck, and if they are, then CLEARLY something is wrong. That's great if you're OK doing it, but not everyone is.

8000 lb. This TT just keeps getting bigger. But yeah, as long as the truck is equipped to do it. shouldn't be a problem. With his truck, He will be 2500lb under the towing capacity with a 8k TT.

Having made my living driving, and seen RV of all kinds, some right and some wrong, some we had to wait until it was under control to pass, I can promise you. That IF I thought for a second that towing that TT with that truck would be overly dangerous. I would say so. I don't believe it is. It is well within capacities. You may not like the rating Ram put on it. But they are the ones that know what the truck is capable of.
Me I think it is irresponsible to tell a person he needs a 1 ton to tow a TT that is in his current truck capacities

I missed the GVWR part, thought we were talking 7500 dry weight.

And, my response was based on so many of these threads where there's always a few guys that basically act like anybody who isn't comfortable towing a larger trailer with a 1/2 ton is an idiot and is just doing it wrong. It's about the driver's comfort level. You even say yourself you've made a living driving. I know my husband has made a living in IT, so hauling an 8,500lb trailer (guessing this is our weight when loaded) is not something he's used to doing, and even with all the correct equipment in place, he wasn't comfortable with the ride/tow, and it made for some miserable trips. It became exponentially better once we upgraded to a 3/4 ton truck.

And, nowhere did I say a 1 ton truck is necessary to pull a trailer of that size. I did mention we now have a 1 ton because we are planning on upgrading to a 5th wheel in the near future and did not want to be limited by our truck size this time around.

Didn't say any one was an idiot. But is prolly unknowingly doing it wrong, and that is where knowledge, and prep comes in. A properly setup TT will not sway behind a TV that is towing inside it's capacities. These are things a person learns. No one knows it starting out. But should take the time to learn it before spending a lot more money.

However. A TT that is NOT setup correctly will sway behind any truck, no matter how large it is, and instead of fixing the problem. They have just spent money. so you see it is not really the size of the TV that fixes sway, it is the preparation.

Now as for your 8500lb TT. A 2500 is prolly a good match to tow it. That is more than I would want to tow with my 150. My 150 has a tow cap of 9300lb. But once the truck is loaded with me DW, GBs, firewood, and bikes. That 9300 has been lowered a bunch, and 8500lb TT would put me over.

Also. That Ton thing was not really a reference to you. (I didn't see that in your post. I miss things too) It is a common statement on here. that a person needs a ton truck to tow a pup. That is more what I was referencing.

[Grit_dog]

DallasSteve wrote:

Grit dog wrote:

The throwing experience at it rather than money totally applies.
Don't take this the wrong way, but based on your questions you've never really towed anything, so having a truck that is at or near practical limits towing a larger high profile trailer is something you're seeing as a not so awesome choice, rightfully so.
In your case, throw some money at it for a truck that has more capacity than you need.
On the upside, gasser HD pickups aren't really much more expensive than 1/2 tons and based on your preferences, you can easily get a HD diesel without the bells and whistles for the same $ as a hard loaded half ton.

Don't take this the wrong way, but when people tell me what I've done without knowing what I've done I take it the wrong way. 🙂

Fair enough, poor choice of words.... My apologies.

[nickthehunter]

Terryallan wrote:
...Also yes it will turn more RPM towing than it will not towing. But that is what it is designed to do, and there is NO TV that will turn the very same RPM towing, OR the same MPG, as it does not towing...

My truck turns the same RPM towing as Not Towing. Once the torque converter locks it's all the same. Uses more gas but is the exact same RPM per same MPH.

[beemerphile1]

I'm confused, who's thread is this? rvhippo or DallasSteve? It is difficult following a hijacked thread.

[JAC1982]

Terryallan wrote:

JAC1982 wrote:



I just think it's irresponsible to tell someone who is new to hauling, and new to RVing in general, that they should have no issues pulling their 8,000lb trailer no problem with their 1/2 ton truck, and if they are, then CLEARLY something is wrong. That's great if you're OK doing it, but not everyone is.

8000 lb. This TT just keeps getting bigger. But yeah, as long as the truck is equipped to do it. shouldn't be a problem. With his truck, He will be 2500lb under the towing capacity with a 8k TT.

Having made my living driving, and seen RV of all kinds, some right and some wrong, some we had to wait until it was under control to pass, I can promise you. That IF I thought for a second that towing that TT with that truck would be overly dangerous. I would say so. I don't believe it is. It is well within capacities. You may not like the rating Ram put on it. But they are the ones that know what the truck is capable of.
Me I think it is irresponsible to tell a person he needs a 1 ton to tow a TT that is in his current truck capacities

I missed the GVWR part, thought we were talking 7500 dry weight.

And, my response was based on so many of these threads where there's always a few guys that basically act like anybody who isn't comfortable towing a larger trailer with a 1/2 ton is an idiot and is just doing it wrong. It's about the driver's comfort level. You even say yourself you've made a living driving. I know my husband has made a living in IT, so hauling an 8,500lb trailer (guessing this is our weight when loaded) is not something he's used to doing, and even with all the correct equipment in place, he wasn't comfortable with the ride/tow, and it made for some miserable trips. It became exponentially better once we upgraded to a 3/4 ton truck.

And, nowhere did I say a 1 ton truck is necessary to pull a trailer of that size. I did mention we now have a 1 ton because we are planning on upgrading to a 5th wheel in the near future and did not want to be limited by our truck size this time around.

[DallasSteve]

Terryallan wrote:

Read the original post. His TT is NOT 7500 lb empty. It has a GVWR of 7500 lb. Meaning that is the max weight allowed. He does not say what the UVW is. So it is well within the trucks max tongue weight limit. My TT has a 7250 lb GVWR. However it has a UVW of 4811 LB. I can't imagine it would EVER have 2800 lb loaded into it. So for me the 7250 GVWR is a non issue, and never a concern. It is in the -6000lb range (scaled) give or take a couple 100, depending on where it is going.

Now IF it were another TT with a dry weight / UVW of 7500. Then a more heavy duty truck would be needed. But for the TT the OP has asked about. A heavier truck is not needed.

As for length. You, me or anyone else will run out of weight long before we run out of length.

I stand corrected. I re-read the original post. It says 7500 GVWR. Even the title says that. I didn't read it carefully.

[Terryallan]

JAC1982 wrote:



I just think it's irresponsible to tell someone who is new to hauling, and new to RVing in general, that they should have no issues pulling their 8,000lb trailer no problem with their 1/2 ton truck, and if they are, then CLEARLY something is wrong. That's great if you're OK doing it, but not everyone is.

8000 lb. This TT just keeps getting bigger. But yeah, as long as the truck is equipped to do it. shouldn't be a problem. With his truck, He will be 2500lb under the towing capacity with a 8k TT.

Having made my living driving, and seen RV of all kinds, some right and some wrong, some we had to wait until it was under control to pass, I can promise you. That IF I thought for a second that towing that TT with that truck would be overly dangerous. I would say so. I don't believe it is. It is well within capacities. You may not like the rating Ram put on it. But they are the ones that know what the truck is capable of.
Me I think it is irresponsible to tell a person he needs a 1 ton to tow a TT that is in his current truck capacities

[soren]

JAC1982 wrote:


I just think it's irresponsible to tell someone who is new to hauling, and new to RVing in general, that they should have no issues pulling their 8,000lb trailer no problem with their 1/2 ton truck, and if they are, then CLEARLY something is wrong. That's great if you're OK doing it, but not everyone is.

So the majority of this thread is about the need to properly set a tow vehicle up, so that you have all the correct equipment, properly installed and adjusted, to allow for a safe, comfortable towing experience, and all you got out of it was this? Hum, interesting.

BTW, after fifteen years of TT towing, and a huge amount of learning here, I bought a properly equipped "half-ton" pick-up, hitched it to a new 30' 8000lb trailer, using a new dual-cam WDH that I installed and adjusted. Over the next year of use, I never had a single moment of thinking anything but, "this is one sweet combination" while towing for 13,000 miles. it's all about the right knowledge, equipment and experience, in that order.

[JAC1982]

Just had to add that the OP's description of towing a trailer that size with a 1/2 ton is exactly why we upgraded to a bigger truck. Doable? Sure. But comfortable? No, even after upgrading tires and adding airbags, and having all the other proper equipment.

Other factors for us that led to a larger truck was our height, 12'3", and the amount of wind we get here in CO and WY (the two states we're in most often), and that we are often going up and down steeper grades (I-70 through the mountains for example). It was OK towing on a flat road with no wind. The last issue is experience. The hubs is not an experienced trailer hauler, so we just felt more comfortable moving up to a bigger truck (first to an 250, which was good for our current trailer, and now to a 350 DRW, in preparation for a future 5th wheel of almost any size). His dad pulled our trailer home once, just slapped it on the ball on one of his hauling trucks (I believe it was his Dodge MegaCab 3500) and pulled it back for us with no issues. But he hauls for a living.

I just think it's irresponsible to tell someone who is new to hauling, and new to RVing in general, that they should have no issues pulling their 8,000lb trailer no problem with their 1/2 ton truck, and if they are, then CLEARLY something is wrong. That's great if you're OK doing it, but not everyone is.

[Terryallan]

DallasSteve wrote:

Terryallan wrote:

In truth on Fords with the normal towing package the max tongue weight is 1050lbs for a 2013. so should you ever load your 7500lb GVWR TT up to it's max. You would have to have a tongue weight that is OVER 14 percent of the GVWR. As 12 percent is the recommendation . You should have no problem staying under the 1050 max. Again knowledge instead of money. And you will find that Ford puts the same hitch on all but it's max tow packages.

Also yes it will turn more RPM towing than it will not towing. But that is what it is designed to do, and there is NO TV that will turn the very same RPM towing, OR the same MPG, as it does not towing. You will be able to feel the TT behind any TV you buy. Any one who tells you different is not exactly truthing. Even the big trucks (18wheelers) work harder when the trailer is hooked up. And they turn more RPM and use lower gears when going up hills. You really think a pickup is designed to tow better than a Freightliner?

So hook up adjust the hitch, and let it run. Todays gas engines LOVE to run, and love to rev. They happy making power, runnin free, and using all the fuel being fed to them. And they SOUND GREAT doing it.

Now will a F250 with a diesel tow it better? IF it has enough payload yes it will. Not ALL F250, or 350 diesels have more payload than a F150. Diesels are heavy and sometimes take most of the payload.

It sounds like you're pushing back on the idea that it needs more truck, but I'm reacting to the tongue weight limits. If a trailer is 7,500 pounds empty (in this example), or 8 or 9,000 in the trailers I'm looking at, that pushes the tongue weight over 1,050 pounds (loaded) which I think is the F-150 limit. Do you disagree that a trailer that size needs more truck (that is, an F-250 or F-350)?

Read the original post. His TT is NOT 7500 lb empty. It has a GVWR of 7500 lb. Meaning that is the max weight allowed. He does not say what the UVW is. So it is well within the trucks max tongue weight limit. My TT has a 7250 lb GVWR. However it has a UVW of 4811 LB. I can't imagine it would EVER have 2800 lb loaded into it. So for me the 7250 GVWR is a non issue, and never a concern. It is in the -6000lb range (scaled) give or take a couple 100, depending on where it is going.

Now IF it were another TT with a dry weight / UVW of 7500. Then a more heavy duty truck would be needed. But for the TT the OP has asked about. A heavier truck is not needed.

As for length. You, me or anyone else will run out of weight long before we run out of length.

[DallasSteve]

Terryallan wrote:

In truth on Fords with the normal towing package the max tongue weight is 1050lbs for a 2013. so should you ever load your 7500lb GVWR TT up to it's max. You would have to have a tongue weight that is OVER 14 percent of the GVWR. As 12 percent is the recommendation . You should have no problem staying under the 1050 max. Again knowledge instead of money. And you will find that Ford puts the same hitch on all but it's max tow packages.

Also yes it will turn more RPM towing than it will not towing. But that is what it is designed to do, and there is NO TV that will turn the very same RPM towing, OR the same MPG, as it does not towing. You will be able to feel the TT behind any TV you buy. Any one who tells you different is not exactly truthing. Even the big trucks (18wheelers) work harder when the trailer is hooked up. And they turn more RPM and use lower gears when going up hills. You really think a pickup is designed to tow better than a Freightliner?

So hook up adjust the hitch, and let it run. Todays gas engines LOVE to run, and love to rev. They happy making power, runnin free, and using all the fuel being fed to them. And they SOUND GREAT doing it.

Now will a F250 with a diesel tow it better? IF it has enough payload yes it will. Not ALL F250, or 350 diesels have more payload than a F150. Diesels are heavy and sometimes take most of the payload.

It sounds like you're pushing back on the idea that it needs more truck, but I'm reacting to the tongue weight limits. If a trailer is 7,500 pounds empty (in this example), or 8 or 9,000 in the trailers I'm looking at, that pushes the tongue weight over 1,050 pounds (loaded) which I think is the F-150 limit. Do you disagree that a trailer that size needs more truck (that is, an F-250 or F-350)?

[DallasSteve]

Grit dog wrote:

The throwing experience at it rather than money totally applies.
Don't take this the wrong way, but based on your questions you've never really towed anything, so having a truck that is at or near practical limits towing a larger high profile trailer is something you're seeing as a not so awesome choice, rightfully so.
In your case, throw some money at it for a truck that has more capacity than you need.
On the upside, gasser HD pickups aren't really much more expensive than 1/2 tons and based on your preferences, you can easily get a HD diesel without the bells and whistles for the same $ as a hard loaded half ton.

Don't take this the wrong way, but when people tell me what I've done without knowing what I've done I take it the wrong way. 🙂

[Terryallan]

DallasSteve wrote:

westend wrote:

I think what you'll find is that a Ford F150 with standard hitch receiver is limited to a tongue weight of 1000 lbs with a WDH. Without one, it is limited to 600 lbs. You will run out of payload capacity and hitch rating long before you reach the 10K + lbs towing capacity.

OK. I see your point. If I get a larger trailer (mid 30s) I will probably have to throw more truck at the problem.

In truth on Fords with the normal towing package the max tongue weight is 1050lbs for a 2013. so should you ever load your 7500lb GVWR TT up to it's max. You would have to have a tongue weight that is OVER 14% of the GVWR. As 12% is the recommendation . You should have no problem staying under the 1050 max. Again knowledge instead of money. And you will find that Ford puts the same hitch on all but it's max tow packages.

Also yes it will turn more RPM towing than it will not towing. But that is what it is designed to do, and there is NO TV that will turn the very same RPM towing, OR the same MPG, as it does not towing. You will be able to feel the TT behind any TV you buy. Any one who tells you different is not exactly truthing. Even the big trucks (18wheelers) work harder when the trailer is hooked up. And they turn more RPM and use lower gears when going up hills. You really think a pickup is designed to tow better than a Freightliner?

So hook up adjust the hitch, and let it run. Todays gas engines LOVE to run, and love to rev. They happy making power, runnin free, and using all the fuel being fed to them. And they SOUND GREAT doing it.

Now will a F250 with a diesel tow it better? IF it has enough payload yes it will. Not ALL F250, or 350 diesels have more payload than a F150. Diesels are heavy and sometimes take most of the payload.

[four22]

DallasSteve wrote:

Thunder Mountain wrote:

On Amazon a good WDH with anti sway bar runs around $275.
Hitching and unhitching takes very little extra time.
Yes, if you distribute too little weight to your tow vehicle it will be much worse.

Setting up the WDH is pretty simple. You get a tape measure and follow the instructions of how much rise or sag you have at the bumpers. When you think you are close. Take the fully loaded trailer for a spin. You can fine tune the weight distribution by taking up a link or dropping a link on the bar chains. Then, write down somewhere in the truck the setting. Mine says, "Drop three, catch the fourth." This is referring to which link in the chain that I catch.

But, again, I suggest you take a look at your OEM tires. No matter if you inflate to max pressure for towing, those soft sidewalls are a real problem.

Thanks, that was helpful information. I realize there was another question that entered my mind when I was looking at photos of the hitch. It seems like the WDH requires a different connection on the truck - a square metal female connection below the bumper. I'm accustomed to seeing the typical metal ball on the bumper of the truck. Is the square connection something extra that must be added to trucks like say a Ford F-150 or F-250? If so, how much does that add to the cost beyond the approx. $275 you mentioned?

Are you towing that amount of weight on a ball mounted to the bumper??