Will this void warrenty?

[bkick]

MY Dodge ram 1500 diesel rear settles quite a bit when I tow my fifth wheel. If I install the Air Ride air bags will this void the warranty? The trailer is below the limits allowed according to the manual. I only want the truck and trailer to be level as this makes for a safer drive.

[BarneyS]

Too much time editing required so this thread is closed.
Barney

[BenK]

To the OP...there is no policing on these types of forums...maybe for breaking
the rules noted in the signup process

Most folks who refer to "The Weight Police" have issues and use derogatory
verbiage attempting to lessen whatever comment/opinion/advice/etc was given

[e-light]

Executive wrote:

bkick wrote:
Wow, this turned into a real mess. I do not tow the Heartland it is set up and not to be towed. I used to tow it with a 3500 Dodge. I also have a 05 Savoy that I tow with the 2015 Dodge 1500 with the 3.0 diesel.
2015 Ram 1500 GVW is 6,950 per Dodge, 1,650 payload allowed.
Total trailer and vehicle weight allowed is 14,750 for my vehicle per Dodge. My Savoy weights in at 7,088 pounds empty. My hitch weight is just 1,028 per truck stop scales. I have done some work to the trailer to reduce the weight. With what we load in amounts to less than 800 pounds as we now use it for sleeping, a little cooking and showers. Most of the use is for short two or three day trips now. Yes, I am right at the limits but still under it. A half ton can tow a fifth wheel if you bother to do your homework first.

If you really bothered to read the manual you would see that the use of a truck camper is not recommended, nothing about a fifth wheel.

See you on the road

bkick

MAYBE if YOU had provided all the necessary information with your FIRST post, many of the following posts wouldn't have been necessary. Many of these posters gave you some of their very valuable time and put some effort into giving you some excellent advice and information. The old adage garbage in garbage out applies. Good luck...Dennis

Actually he didn't ask people to comment on his weights. He asked if installing airbags would void his warranty.

To the OP in the future call Ram for answers...the weight police crew are always in force here.

[Executive45]

bkick wrote:
Wow, this turned into a real mess. I do not tow the Heartland it is set up and not to be towed. I used to tow it with a 3500 Dodge. I also have a 05 Savoy that I tow with the 2015 Dodge 1500 with the 3.0 diesel.
2015 Ram 1500 GVW is 6,950 per Dodge, 1,650 payload allowed.
Total trailer and vehicle weight allowed is 14,750 for my vehicle per Dodge. My Savoy weights in at 7,088 pounds empty. My hitch weight is just 1,028 per truck stop scales. I have done some work to the trailer to reduce the weight. With what we load in amounts to less than 800 pounds as we now use it for sleeping, a little cooking and showers. Most of the use is for short two or three day trips now. Yes, I am right at the limits but still under it. A half ton can tow a fifth wheel if you bother to do your homework first. s

If you really bothered to read the manual you would see that the use of a truck camper is not recommended, nothing about a fifth wheel.

See you on the road

bkick

MAYBE if YOU had provided all the necessary information with your FIRST post, many of the following posts wouldn't have been necessary. Many of these posters gave you some of their very valuable time and put some effort into giving you some excellent advice and information. The old adage garbage in garbage out applies. Good luck...Dennis

[dodge_guy]

Yep, homework. Many don't do it and just go out and buy the biggest truck they think they need without actually knowing any real numbers. Good for you. I seen that you had 2 different trailers. I even knew that you wouldn't think of towing the "big boy" with the 1500!

From your numbers I say enjoy.

[bkick]

Wow, this turned into a real mess. I do not tow the Heartland it is set up and not to be towed. I used to tow it with a 3500 Dodge. I also have a 05 Savoy that I tow with the 2015 Dodge 1500 with the 3.0 diesel.
2015 Ram 1500 GVW is 6,950 per Dodge, 1,650 payload allowed.
Total trailer and vehicle weight allowed is 14,750 for my vehicle per Dodge. My Savoy weights in at 7,088 pounds empty. My hitch weight is just 1,028 per truck stop scales. I have done some work to the trailer to reduce the weight. With what we load in amounts to less than 800 pounds as we now use it for sleeping, a little cooking and showers. Most of the use is for short two or three day trips now. Yes, I am right at the limits but still under it. A half ton can tow a fifth wheel if you bother to do your homework first.

If you really bothered to read the manual you would see that the use of a truck camper is not recommended, nothing about a fifth wheel.

See you on the road

bkick

[mkirsch]

GordonThree wrote:
as terrible as this forum makes it sound, it seems to happen A LOT. almost every hook-up campground i've been to has a fifth wheel hitched to a 1/2T truck. either that or it's a slide in camper, and the truck is driving with the bed resting on the bump-stops.

but i don't see mention in the paper every day of one light truck after another wrecking from towing a fiver ... so what gives? are these folks super lucky, are the newspapers covering it up to aid RV dealers, or what?

What's your point? People drive cars with bad tires, bad brakes, broken suspensions, and the like EVERY DAY. They get from point A to point B without incident too. Does that mean we shouldn't strive to drive safe, well-maintained cars?

RV traffic is statistically insignificant in the grand scheme. There aren't enough of them on the road to have newsworthy disasters "every day" even if an exceedingly high percentage of them got into accidents.

Fact of the matter is, most failures are non-catastrophic, where you can pull safely to the side of the road or limp home. You never hear about these.

[2oldman]

BenK wrote:
Here is the model form his profile

Did you read the entire profile, of any of the other posts?

[BenK]

Here is the model form his profile

2015 Heartland 3700 and with a 'dry weight' of 13,420 lbs...that
alone will be over their TV's ratings...add in the stated hitch
weight of 2,480 lbs (assuming the dry weight)...might also put
it over their TV's RGAWR

PS...does anyone know the RGAWR & GVWR of their 1500 ?

2oldman wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
I think many of the people here have been brainwashed into thinking a 1/2 ton isn't capable of anything more than a PuP.

If the OP ever returns, we'll find out what he IS towing.

and here is the spec's from this web page:

http://www.exploreusa.com/product/new-2015-heartland-gateway-3700-ptb-365945-5

2015 3700 PTB Specifications
Sleeps 6
Slides 4
Length 41 ft 11 in
Ext Width 8 ft
Ext Height 12 ft 11 in
Hitch Weight 2480 lbs
Gross Weight 15500 lbs
Dry Weight 13420 lbs
Cargo Weight 1642 lbs
Fresh Water Capacity 47 gals
Grey Water Capacity 40 gals
Black Water Capacity 80 gals
Tire Size ST235/85R16E
Furnace BTU 35000 btu

[JIMNLIN]

MY Dodge ram 1500 diesel rear settles quite a bit when I tow my fifth wheel. If I install the Air Ride air bags will this void the warranty? wrote:

I've added air bags to various size new pickups from a 1/2 tons on up to a one ton DRW Ford and Gm. The DRW were in commercial service and no questions or comments from dealers when they went in for service.

The trailer is below the limits allowed according to the manual. I only want the truck and trailer to be level as this makes for a safer drive.

I see you have two trailers. One to tow and one to live in.
We have some members who get hysterical when someone post their towing any size 5th wheel with a 1/2 ton truck.....so keep that in mind and don't give up on receiving answers to your questions.

I see Air Lift--Hellwig--Firestone--Ride Rite have bags with different load ratings. I would 1-800 each one tech folks and get their input on your particular trucks needs. You might want to weigh the trucks rear axle when hooked up. I'm sure they may need to know which weight bags you need for the best ride.

Good luck.

[2oldman]

dodge guy wrote:
I think many of the people here have been brainwashed into thinking a 1/2 ton isn't capable of anything more than a PuP.

If the OP ever returns, we'll find out what he IS towing.

[BenK]

Maybe this diagram will help the OP see how the various ratings make up the
whole ratings SYSTEM


howmuchcanitow howmuchshoulditow

[msgtord]

Air bags will help to level the truck. It will not increase the gvwr of the vehicle. The tires, springs, shocks, rear differential, ujoints, transmission and engine all combine to make the system that allows a certain weight to be carried and towed by a vehicle.

Each piece of that puzzle set the payload rates for that vehicle. The tires have a payload rate. The springs have a rating. Each component has an individual rating. The vehicles GVWR is set based on the weakest component.

The best advise has already been suggested. Weigh the tow vehicle. Weigh the trailer. Weigh the combination. Then and only then can you make an educated decision as to your options. Good luck. Happy camping.

[kaydeejay]

dodge guy wrote:
Anything can happen to anyone at anytime regardless of how much we do to try and make it not happen.

While I agree that things can happen anytime I suggest a properly matched rig stands a better chance of a mishap not becoming a disaster.