2016 Ram 3500 1 month ownership thoughts

[2BLAZERS]

So here are the loaded up pics....
Just an overall shot, 2016 Ram 3500 with Arctic Fox 1150 Drybath loaded up plus our Enclosed Trailer. Trailer has a RZR and a Quad in it plus other camping stuff...


With no trailer, 1st loading


View from the back


Straight on shot showing the squat..


Only mods to the truck so far, SuperHitch and Frame mounts for carrying the camper and hooking up the trailer.

Only suspension mod so far is Upper Stable Loads.

The truck handles great, definitely feel the better truck brakes compared to our 2011. For sure feel the added 250# of torque too. Very much in love with the truck. 2100 miles so far on it in a month. 🙂

Not sure what the next mods will be...Ultimate goal is to have the truck sitting level as pictured. Not sure if lower stable loads will help that much.

As it sits I would not hesitate to use the truck/camper/trailer combo now, it handles great. Just want the camper more level.

Options are many: SuperSprings, Lower Stable Loads and/or Airbags...time to start investigating and pricing out. I did love having Supersprings and Airbags on our 2011 truck.

I think the squat is too much for just airbags to handle without getting tippy at this point.

Will also need to do a front hitch on the truck.
Plan on a the Big Wig rear stabilizer bar too before next summer travels.

One thing I did on my old 2011 truck I will not do on this was the front leveling kit.

Also on my old truck I had the 9 way adjustable Ranchos, great for fine tuning but Ill use up the stock shocks first.

I welcome your comments and advice.

[bigfootford]

2BLAZERS wrote:
I ran over the scale with it all this weekend, started a new thread with the numbers.....

Well where's the link?

Oh, here it is:

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/28606302.cfm

Jim

[2BLAZERS]

I ran over the scale with it all this weekend, started a new thread with the numbers.....

[2BLAZERS]

Nautique200 wrote:
Lower stable loads, air bags with wireless controller, big wig, done. Drive it like its empty after that.

You are probably right....

[Nautique200]

Lower stable loads, air bags with wireless controller, big wig, done. Drive it like its empty after that.

[PatrickA51]

PatrickA51 wrote:
That is a great looking rig you got there. Congratulations on the new truck.

Posted By wrote:


Now I want a new truck.

Me too !

[bigfootford]

2BLAZERS wrote:
Yes the trailer tongue on mine is pretty long. It was ordered to be extra long for pulling behind a Class A or truck camper. I can backup tight without worry. The tongue is about 60'' long (going by memory)

Tows better and backs much better too. We extended the tongue on our enclosed 10x5 trailer instead of needing any hitch mod's. Added 1 ft. and beef the whole tongue back to the frame of the trailer.... I can jack knife the trailer for camping without disconnecting the trailer.. Use my stairs like the trailer is not there. Took it all the way to Prudhoe bay...9K mile trip!



Jim

[2BLAZERS]

Yes the trailer tongue on mine is pretty long. It was ordered to be extra long for pulling behind a Class A or truck camper. I can backup tight without worry. The tongue is about 60'' long (going by memory)

[bigfootford]

Sag, If that was true the hitch extension would be tilted down eh?

One thing that is way different between the 2 trailers is the tongue length... At least 1.5 ft difference, looks to me.

Longer tongue = less tongue weight at the ball.

Jim

[2BLAZERS]

I'm curious on the weights too. We are taking it all to the Oregon Dunes (Sand Lake) this weekend. If I go by a closed scale I will certainly be weighing it all. And this weekend is dry camping so will be almost full water too.

Based on my old truck (2011 everything else the same)
I'm betting front is 5-5,200, rear is around 9,700 and the trailer axles are around 6.5-7K combined.

I'll add the frame is not flexing a bit. That red line is slightly off.It is certainly not lined up with the bottom of the slideout.

As set up now with trailer the rear is squatted a little bit so we are not level. Is it totally drivable? Yes. Does it handle great? Yes. Does the truck have plenty of power and brakes? Yes.

Do I need the truck to be perfectly level all loaded up? No. We are camping and riding 3 weekends in the next 5 weeks so we can get a feel for the next mods. Most likely will be Lower Stabile Loads, than a Big Wig Sway bar..and likely not until next spring.

The ultimate goal IS a LEVEL truck and camper when fully loaded. Makes sleeping much better and I hate doing blocks 🙂

[Bedlam]

Extrapolating weights from my setup, I would guess 9500 lbs on the rear axle when loaded with 250 lbs of that shifted from the front axle. We'll have to see how close my guestimate really is.

2Blazers' previous setup looked fine off camera - I have little doubt that his new truck is more capable and lens distortion is causing all this discussion about flex and sag.

[woodhog]

Nice looking truck..

It would be nice to know the front axle gross weight on a scale both
empty and loaded.

[turboo]

optical illusion or some kind of sag goin on ?

[finsruskw]

I think that is an optical illlusion!! Because of the way the fenders flare outward to cover the dual wheels.

Curious as to your gross weight W/O the trailer
as well as W/the trailer

Great looking rig!

[mkirsch]

2BLAZERS wrote:
Straight on shot showing the squat..

To me it looks like your frame is flexing. From the back of the cab forward the truck appears to be sitting level, but from the front of the box back it appears to be running uphill. Camper included.