2004 Ram 1500 Towing Questions..

[itsmike]

Wife and I are looking to upgrade out TT.. (See sig).. Fully loaded my ramski pulls it like a champ.. No issues.. The rig we are looking to get (I do have doubts about the size) is the Jayco 27BHS Jay Flight.. Dry Weight 6664# and GVWR is 8250#..

So, I figured I would see real world about 7200# off my bumper..

Anyone have any experience with this? or a combo similar in weight?

The truck is equipped with the 3.90 Axles, and 4X4 with the Hemi.

Please put my mind at ease so I don't go with the smaller TT..

[Camper_G]

One of the reasons i traded to up to a 2500hd truck recently is that my wife and I are looking at New campers in the 7500lb GVWR range..

Would my 15 Chevy Silverado 1500 have pulled it ok? I think it could have, but i know i Would have been right up against it's limits.

It towed the rig in my signature very well, but when loaded heavy for a week camping trip, with my family of 4 in the truck, it felt heavy and based on the way it felt, I'm sure i was close to my payload limit.

Just not enough margin for me personally. Now that i have this 2500hd, unless i can't afford it, i will always have a 2500hd truck. Trading up to this truck was the best thing i could have done
It's great.

[APT]

I think that TT is pushing the comfortable capability of your truck when it was new, let alone a 14 years of use.

[Sportsmen]

We own a 2016 Jayco 27BHS and pull it with a 2007 F150 in my sig. The trailer weighs 6800 loaded for a 3 day trip. The GVW on the trailer is 8200 lbs. The tongue weight is 760lbs., which I think is a bit light. We have an Eaz E Lift WD setup with a sway control bar. The tow rating on the truck is 7800 lbs., with a payload of 1648 lbs.

I weighed the entire rig and we are under on our max ratings on all measures. The rear axle is close to max (170 lbs.) under.

The old school 5.4L pulls it just fine. I have added a 2nd sway bar as I get a little more wiggle (not sway) out of the trailer on windy days.

Keep in mind we are towing this trailer on the Texas Gulf Coast. If we were towing in the mountains on a regular basis i would want more truck....

Hope this helps...

[rexlion]

Hmm, if you'd been running the 4.7L I'd say forget it. But the 5.7, well, at least you have the ponies if not the suspension. You probably could slap some overload springs or air bags on there and get away with it... but the handling might not feel pleasant. You'd want to use a WD-anti-sway hitch, and that would add to the hitch weight.

[MetalGator]

I have a 2005 Ram with the 3.92 rear and Hemi. I pull a '29 TT That weights between 6000-6500lbs. It pulls and handles great. Your year Ram has more payload than the new ones with the coil springs but payload could be a concern. My payload is a little over 1500lbs. I use a Blue Ox sway pro and have never had any issues with sway. Big rigs blowing by don't really bother this setup much. Sure, you feel the push but I have never had any white knuckle moments. I don't think I would tow much more than 7000lbs with my setup.

[Community Alumni]

I have a 2008 1500 5.7 with 3.92 gears. We currently tow a 35'7" trailer with a 9990 GVWR. We don't get anywhere near that GVWR of the trailer. Our normal loaded weight is around 8,000 lbs and we tow a good amount each year. On average we tow about 10-12k and try to get in at least one cross country trip.

The truck holds me, wife, 3 little ones, and the dog in the bed sometimes. We scale the combo before most trips and we are right at GVWR + or - 20 lbs. If you're going to tow heavy with a 1/2 ton then weight management is key. If you put it in the truck or bed then you're carrying 100 percent of the weight. Put it in the trailer and you're only carrying a faction of the weight. We're pretty light packers anyway, but all gear goes into the trailer to save on the trucks payload. I have no complaints and enjoy the way it tows. My wife, who had no previous towing experience before this combo, is comfortable towing it.

We have made some changes to make the truck better suited for towing. I added Firestone Work Rites to the truck which are similar to Timbrens. I replaced the OEM shocks with Bilsteins. I also upgraded the P-Metric tires from standard load to extra load. I could've went with LT, but had a hard time finding the specific size I wanted them in. My extra loads give me plenty of capacity just shy of 3,000 lbs a piece. I also follow the severe duty maintenance schedule in the manual. Fluids and lubricants get changed out more frequently, but that's the cost of towing with a vehicle that just barely adequate. Eventually we'll be forced to upgrade as kids continue to grow, but it works for now and it's paid for.

I can't stress enough the importance of having a good hitch and making sure it's setup correctly. If you want a pleasant experience while towing at your upper limits then you're going to have to make sure your hitch is dialed in correctly. I tow with a Blue Ox; it's simple and works well.

Depending on your GVWR, I would say that it's doable. There wasn't much mechanical differences between the 03'-05' and the 06'-08'. I remember the older trucks had a GVWR that was a couple hundred lbs less than the newer ones. Even with that you may be able to stay within your limits.

[Chuck_thehammer]

that generation of Ram's 1500 are basically a car.

I bought one New (2004) . not a strong tow vehicle.. my opinion

I had issues with my Ram and a 21 foot travel trailer
but I did not have 4x4.

[demiles]

I have ta Jayco 28RBS with very similar specs and my tongue weight is just under 950lbs. If you have a payload of 1800lbs and the RAWR/ tire rating is not exceeded it's doable. How well it will tow I can't say though.

[GordonThree]

itsmike wrote:
If its suspension, I do have brand new Leafs, and the monroe shocks with the coils to assist..

I kinda agree about it being a little too big tho.. Back to drawing board and looking for either the 26 or 28 foot one..

My 20ft trailer was too much for a 2013 half ton unless I traveled with an empty truck bed... And that wasn't happening.

Payload not tow weight, that's the issue.

[MVH1]

I had a two wheel drive 04 Ram with the Hemi pulling 7,000 lbs. I loved the truck but upgraded because I was right at my limits. I was getting pushed around on long trips and didn't like not being able to lock out overdrive. You will definitely be at or above your limits with the bigger trailer.

[itsmike]

If its suspension, I do have brand new Leafs, and the monroe shocks with the coils to assist..

I kinda agree about it being a little too big tho.. Back to drawing board and looking for either the 26 or 28 foot one..

[GordonThree]

Throw some airbags on the rear axle and get some E rated tires, then load it up!

[SouthpawHD]

At your estimated 7200 pounds, you'll have a tongue weight of around 900 pounds (assuming a standard 12%), but could be more.

So at 900 pound TW, 2 adults, and no gear, you'll easily be north of 1200 pounds. What's your payload on the Ram? I'm going to guess right around there... So you may be overloaded rather easily.

[Lwiddis]

I see GVWR of the Ram to be 1,800 pounds maximum. This isn't much; my Tahoe is 1,595. Most 2004 Rams are less. With a wet tongue TT weight of about 1,000 pounds plus your family and stuff that leaves you 800 pounds at the maximum. HMMM, too close for me.