1500 vs 2500

[mr61impala]

The trailer we are looking at weighs #5595 according to Grand Design, with a hitch weight of #505.

We will get a new tow vehicle to handle this weight, I am considering 1500 Eco Diesel, 1500 Hemi and 2500 Hemi. I absolutely love the smooth and quiet personality of my 2010 1500 with 4.7L engine, so my initial thought is to go with the 1500 as it will be my daily driver.

I will look for 3.92 gearing as it made a huge difference in my 1996 1500 with 318 when I re-geared it from 3.55 to 3.92. (actually 39 ring gear teeth and 10 pinion teeth equals 3.90.)

I've heard the 6.4L is a beast in the 2500, but the 5.7L in that application will tow almost twice what this trailer weighs. Any thoughts in that vein?

How about rear coil vs leaf springs in the 2500 application?

We travel relatively lightly so hitch weight will be OK either way.

[stein4]

Grit dog wrote:
^ What Shiner said.
On another note, anyone who “won’t see the differences” in how a 1/2 ton vs 3/4 ton rides and handles (any brand) probably isn’t observant enough to be towing a traielr!

My F250 is great for towing but it is not my daily driver - fun to drive but the ride is terrible

[ShinerBock]

mr61impala wrote:

Durb wrote:
My son just bought an Ecodiesel crew cab Laramie. Payload is less than 1,100 pounds. Not enough.

I have heard it's those shiny 20" rims that kill the payload, that payload increases significantly with the normal looking rims. Anyone else heard that?

For the Ram 1500's, there is a little more to it than that. The Ram 1500's are the only ones with 5 lug axles and soft linear rate coils(not to be confused with the progressive rate coils on the 2500). These are some of the main reasons why the Ram 1500's have much lower GVWR's(and therefore lower payloads) than the other big three. Add in the added weight of the Ecodiesel and you get even less payload.

A Ram 1500 5.7L or even a 3.7L will tow what you need to tow with enough payload for what you are towing. I would still recommend beefier coils or air bags though. The coils are so easy to swap out that my friend just swaps them on his 1500 for when he takes his 7k trailer down to the coast in the spring and then again when he brings it back in the fall. Also remember that a weight distribution hitch will distribute some of that hatch weight.

[mtofell1]

If you're not stuck on Ram you might try looking at 1/2 tons from Ford and Chevy/GMC. For some reason Ram 1/2 tons have really low payload ratings. A buddy has a newer F150 loaded (4X4, etc.) and still has roughly 1900# payload. Another buddy has a similar Ram with 1070# payload. The trailer you describe would probably be okay with either but there's is a HUGE difference between 1100# and 1900# of payload.

Also, while I generally agree not to go with dry weights I disagree with the "go by GVWR" crowd. I don't know why this information is thrown all over as it is really bad advice. Just because a trailer CAN hold a given amount of weight doesn't mean a person WILL load it to that. CCC (difference between dry and GVWR) vary widely. I've seen them as low a 900# and as high as 4700# for different trailers. Why on earth should I go buy a truck capable of carrying and extra 4000# if I don't need it?

[TurnThePage]

That used to be the case with the bigger rims. Not anymore. The Ram 1500 has lots of slop built into those figures. Typically an additional 900 lbs before maxing the GAWR. If you're looking at new Ram 1500s (2019 model year), the payload is significantly improved too.

[mr61impala]

Durb wrote:
My son just bought an Ecodiesel crew cab Laramie. Payload is less than 1,100 pounds. Not enough.

I have heard it's those shiny 20" rims that kill the payload, that payload increases significantly with the normal looking rims. Anyone else heard that?

[Durb]

My son just bought an Ecodiesel crew cab Laramie. Payload is less than 1,100 pounds. Not enough.

[Second_Chance]

You are probably looking at the empty weights published by Grand Design. THEY ARE MEANINGLESS! Use the GVWR of the trailer (gross vehicle weight rating) and calculate 13% of that for loaded tongue weight. If you are looking at the Imagine 2400BH (unloaded weight 5,595), the GVWR is 7,495 and the loaded tongue weight will likely be around 970 lbs. "Max tow" capacities on tow vehicles are only secondary to their payload capacities. If you take the curb weight of the tow vehicle (preferably from the nearest CAT scales) and subtract the weight of passengers, gear, and 100 lbs. for a good weight-distributing hitch, you'll be surprised at how little you have left over for that loaded tongue weight. I have pulled a similar trailer with a 1/2-ton vehicle and would not do it again. The motor and transmission are important, too (as are the brakes), but I would pay more attention to payload first, and then the rest.

Rob

[Grit_dog]

^ What Shiner said.
On another note, anyone who “won’t see the differences” in how a 1/2 ton vs 3/4 ton rides and handles (any brand) probably isn’t observant enough to be towing a traielr!

[ShinerBock]

If you like the smoothness and quietness of your 1500, then it might be best to stay with a 1500 for that amount of weight if you are also going to use it as a daily driver.

The 2500 will tow the weight with much greater stability and less sag, but it will not be smooth and quiet like a 1500. You will also loose about 2-3 mpg in the 2500 Hemi versus a 1500 Hemi due to the added weight of the truck. Stick the the 1500 and just get the air bag option or beefier aftermarket coils for the rear like Tuftruck coils.

[donn0128]

I assume that 5595 number your quoting is dry or shipping weight. No one will ever tow a trailer thst actually scales even close to that number. Look for the trailers GVWR and base your tow vehicle off that. You can find the trailers GVWR by looking at the tag near the left front corner of the trailer. It offers a world of useful information.
As to towing ability.
The 1500 ecodiesel gets great fuel economy, but has really low towing ratings. It is not the best pick for towing.
Ford F150 ecoboost can be configured to tow heavy, but costs to do so it winds up almost cheaper to go to a 2500
As far as differences. That has been espounded many times. Basically larger brakes, stronger frames, tires, wheels, not to mention load ratings. The new Rams with rear coil springs? Not heard any negative comments. Spring rates are going to be same or similar between leaf and coils. So I see no reason to worry about that.
Ride? Yea a 1500 should in theory ride a bit better than a comparable 2500. But most people wont see the difference.