Towing Capacity

Newbie to Fifth wheel towing. We just purchased a 2015 2500 Tradesman, 5.7 Liter V-8 Hemi, Crew cab, 6.4 bed, with an axle ratio of 3.73. The manufacturer of the truck indidates the tow rating for this vehicle is 11,200 lbs. However, in taking into consideration passengers, payload, and weight of fifth wheel hitch, this is reduced to 9,542 LBS. The Fifth wheel we are looking at is a Cougar 27RKS, Shipping weight of 7136, Carrying capacity of 2864, Hitch weight of 1230. It will generally just be the wife and I that will be traveling, so fully loaded trailer probably won't be much over 8,000 lbs.

Does this sound as if the truck will be able to tow this trailer safely with a 15-20% differential added in as a safety margin?

Also, the salesperson at the trailer location said you could add 15% to the towing capacity with a fifth wheel set up compared to a trailer. Not sure if the salesman is just blowing smoke here.

Thoughts?

Rob.

With water you will likely be carrying around 1000-1500 pounds of stuff and water in your fifth wheel. That puts you at least 8200 pounds if not more. Many dry weights are without options so add those weights as well. Water is 8.3 pounds per gallon.

The pin weight will be 20 percent or more of the weight of the fifth. That would be around 1650 or more pounds plus the weight of the hitch that can be easily another 150-200 pounds.

The salesman is not Dodge Ram and does not provide the tow ratings and payload carrying capacities of the trucks. But, apparently knows how to blow some nice smoke.

You will need to check to see what your available payload is and that should be on the placard on the door of the truck and take it from there.

Thank you for quick response. The Ram website divides the capacity as follows:


Passengers: 600 LBS
Payload: 1,658 LBS
Balance for towing: 9,542 LBS
Total towing Capacity: 11,200 LBS


Does the payload include the pin weight? We would not be carrying much within the cab itself and nothing in the bed except the fifth wheel hitch.

Rob

The hitch, pin weight, and everything that provides a downward force is part of the payload. You may want to look at a smaller 5er as you'll likely be oveiaddd.

Payload: 1,658 LBS
Balance for towing: 9,542 LBS
Total towing Capacity: 11,200 LBS


Does the payload include the pin weight? We would not be carrying much within the cab itself and nothing in the bed except the fifth wheel hitch.

Yes, it includes the pin weight, hitch weight, people, dogs, tools, bbq, bicycles, kayaks, firewood, etc. To be on the safe side use full gross vehicle weight of the fifth (10,000 pounds) for your calculations. Pin would be 2000+/- pounds and the hitch around 200 more. We always carry more stuff than we think we are carrying and I would be surprised if you carried less than 1500 pounds including water and options.

I am surprised that the payload is only 1658 pounds unless another 600 has automatically been deducted for the passenger seats. Most 2500's have a payload in the mid 2500 pounds or more range. Even at that 2268 pounds payload seems a little low for a 2500. What does the placard on the door state the payload is?

There are people that tow more fifth wheel weight with a 2500 than you are considering so it is up to you what you feel comfortable with. Others justify being a little over payload and gvwr for the truck by staying under the axle ratings especially the rear axle, wheel and tire ratings.

Take a look at the yellow tire load sticker by the drivers door. It will read total wt, including passengers, should not exceed xxxx. This is for your exact truck.

I would think that trailer would be a good match for your truck, with only 2 people, and an empty bed.

You can't trust sales person, but I think he means that a FW hitched trailer can handle more weight, than a receiver hitch is rated for.

You do need to count hitch and pin wt, as part of payload.

Let us know the door sticker payload,
Jerry

The Placard on the doors for this 2500 states 2,257 lbs for cargo and owners. The "hitch weight" on the trailer is noted as 1,230 lbs. Is the hitch weight and pin weight the same? If not, what does the hitch weight reflect? Maximum passenger weight would not exceeed 500 lbs. Weight of hitch itself would not exceeed 250 lbs. If hitch weight and pin weight are the same, and adding a couple hundred lbs for misc. cargo in cab, this would bring the total payload to 2180. If the hitch weight and the pin weight are not the same,

I have, basically, the same truck except for the 4.10 rear. My payload is 2,595

Rperksp wrote:
The Placard on the doors for this 2500 states 2,257 lbs for cargo and owners. The "hitch weight" on the trailer is noted as 1,230 lbs. Is the hitch weight and pin weight the same? If not, what does the hitch weight reflect? Maximum passenger weight would not exceeed 500 lbs. Weight of hitch itself would not exceeed 250 lbs. If hitch weight and pin weight are the same, and adding a couple hundred lbs for misc. cargo in cab, this would bring the total payload to 2180. If the hitch weight and the pin weight are not the same,

With a total people, gear, and FW hitch, in the truck, being 1,000 lbs., you would have 1,257 left for loaded pin/hitch wt.(same thing}.

You will go over your payload rating by several hundred lbs., once you have the trailer loaded. To most this is not a big deal on a 2500, due to having plenty of room for RAWR.

You need to decide if you are okay with this setup. Me, I would be okay with this truck and trailer.

Jerry

The Placard on the doors for this 2500 states 2,257 lbs for cargo and owners. The "hitch weight" on the trailer is noted as 1,230 lbs. Is the hitch weight and pin weight the same? If not, what does the hitch weight reflect? Maximum passenger weight would not exceeed 500 lbs. Weight of hitch itself would not exceeed 250 lbs. If hitch weight and pin weight are the same, and adding a couple hundred lbs for misc. cargo in cab, this would bring the total payload to 2180. If the hitch weight and the pin weight are not the same,

The payload and RAWR is what you need to be concerned with.

Your listed payload is 2257lbs which is all the weight that you can add to the truck before reaching your GVWR. The hitch weight and pin weight are different. Hitch weight is the amount that the 5th wheel hitch in the bed of the truck weighs (~200lbs). The pin weight is the percentage of trailer weight that is supported by the pin and carried by the truck, usually around 20-25% of the loaded fiver weight.

If your fiver weighs 8500lbs loaded, you're probably around 2k of pin weight. Add in the hitch and you're at 2200lbs(ish) which only leaves 57 lbs for you, any passengers, and stuff in the bed. Some have no problem with going over this as long as they stay under the RAWR which is 6000lbs for that truck. You should be well under that, but only a trip to the scales will tell you for sure.

Your call.

Best advice I can provide is to put aside the various 'capacity' numbers for now

Load up your TV as if going to tow whatever

Go out and weigh it, axle by axle. That may cost you a few bucks, but well worth it

Now you will *KNOW* where you are in reference to all of your ratings

Then gather information.

From your TV: GVWR, F/R GAWR. You will have the actual weights for the F/R to
know where you are in reference to their GAWR's

From the trailer you wish to purchase: GVWR, GAWR (multi will have it for each0
PIN ratio from the 'dry weight'.

Now decide how you will load that trailer and then do the simple math on what
it 'might' weigh...to then the percentage of that for the PIN...that is the
loading on your TV's RGAWR.

Since you will now know what your TV's RGAWR's left over is...that should be
more than the above.

Better yet is to weigh the trailer hooked up to your TV, but shopping so you
don't have it yet...why the above simple math working up from the brochures 'dry weight'