Tow Opinion

rowekmr wrote:
To the OP what is the payload of the truck? I was going to look it up but don't know the year. I can only guess it will be close to your limit (payload) but I would think it was doable.

2009 Dodge Ram 1500 Crew Cab with a payload of 1380 lbs.

To the OP what is the payload of the truck? I was going to look it up but don't know the year. I can only guess it will be close to your limit (payload) but I would think it was doable.

drsteve wrote:

mosseater wrote:
Ah, life on the edge of my numbers....done it for 10 years now, and while it's been fine, I'm ready to move up to not worrying about what's on board. I have more payload than most regular 1/2 tons, but still up against the numbers Is up against the numbers. Really, if I had more power and more gears, the truck would handle it fine other than a little porpoising now and then. Handles great, brakes fine, but entrance ramps can be challenging. And yes, staying in it on hills and dreading mountains? I won't miss that part. I've grown to like the idea of more truck than you need.

I have never heard anyone complain that they have too much truck.

Agreed! And I'm in the same boat as you. Mine has the 8200 lb GVWR package, HD brakes, axles, cooling, rims and tires, 4.10 rear, etc. Payload is 2200 lbs, and I use it all. They forgot the engine and trans in the equation, but that WAS after all 2007. Been a good truck overall (except that spark plug thing, GRRRRRR). 165K and runs like a top. Just needs more "oomph!" on the go pedal.

I also think your truck will tow it fine. As stated keep payload reasonably in check and use a quality WD anti-sway hitch. I would respect the length perhaps more than the weight.

trailer_newbe wrote:

Bottom line is I did my research and determined what I could tow safely, then made towing it more comfortable. If your right on the limit, or slightly over, posting on a TT forum for a blessing will be a very mixed bag.

Completely understand! I guess I turned to the TT forum for the opinions of others that may be towing with a 1500 and a similar TT. To be perfectly honest I feel my Truck would be more then capable of it, and that is why I keep researching and looking for someone that has real world experience (numbers aside) . When I towed my 30' Cherokee Grey Wolf aside from the rear squat I felt my truck pulled it great. I never had any white knuckle experiences, and the old Hemi handled it with ease. I have now installed Timber Grove Rear Air Bags and squat would no longer be an issue.

I truly feel I would be fine, but I also know that going with a smaller unit will be better in the long run. I won't be pushing the limits, and it will be more accommodating in various campsites. It sucks to pass up a smoking deal, or at least what I feel is a smoking deal -- 2014 Streamlite Ultra Lite 30KBS like new condition for $10,000. But it's less of a deal if I have to buy a 2500 to comfortably pull it around!

thanks for the response!

It sure seems like GVWR of vehicals and trailers always get contentious, espically when near the limit. If you come to a TT forum looking for a blessing when your close on weight, it will almost always cause debate, as it should. Bottom line is educate yourself, ask people you know who tow.

I’m close with my 2008 CrewMax /w tow package, but BELOW my limit, but with that being said, I wanted advice as to what others do, no matter what they pull with. With that advice I went with a TRD sway bar, Bilstein towing shocks, and Firestone air bags. I now feel much more comfortable towing my trailer, and don’t need to trade in my paid off truck which only has 55,000 miles on it. The key is I bought a TT I can tow safely ( maybe not comfortably) to begin with.

Bottom line is I did my research and determined what I could tow safely, then made towing it more comfortable. If your right on the limit, or slightly over, posting on a TT forum for a blessing will be a very mixed bag.

mosseater wrote:
Ah, life on the edge of my numbers....done it for 10 years now, and while it's been fine, I'm ready to move up to not worrying about what's on board. I have more payload than most regular 1/2 tons, but still up against the numbers Is up against the numbers. Really, if I had more power and more gears, the truck would handle it fine other than a little porpoising now and then. Handles great, brakes fine, but entrance ramps can be challenging. And yes, staying in it on hills and dreading mountains? I won't miss that part. I've grown to like the idea of more truck than you need.

I have never heard anyone complain that they have too much truck.

Ah, life on the edge of my numbers....done it for 10 years now, and while it's been fine, I'm ready to move up to not worrying about what's on board. I have more payload than most regular 1/2 tons, but still up against the numbers Is up against the numbers. Really, if I had more power and more gears, the truck would handle it fine other than a little porpoising now and then. Handles great, brakes fine, but entrance ramps can be challenging. And yes, staying in it on hills and dreading mountains? I won't miss that part. I've grown to like the idea of more truck than you need.

I tow with a 2011 ram 1500 and am very close if not slightly over my max payload. I've done a lot of research.

One of the reasons for the low payload on the ram 1500 is due to the factory p rated tires. The rear axle is made by AAM and is rated quite a bit higher by AAM then ram. I've also heard that the ford payload package is simply different tires...

Another reason for lower payload is the rear coil overs. I have replaced the factory springs with super springs.

While neither of these improvements technically raise your payload rating, they can't hurt.

Of course a bigger truck is a better solution, but my Ram has been fine with 1500lbs of payload for the last two years. No mechanical issues and no towing issues. It actually tows better with more in the bed.

I used to tow with an 08' 1500. It had 3.92 and 20" wheels. It didn't have airbags, but it did have Firestone Work Rites which are similar to Timbrens. The heaviest trailer we towed with it was 8,200 lbs on average. Like your plans, we never loaded the trailer up to the full 10,000 GVWR. The truck pulled, handled, and stopped the trailer just fine for me.

No it didn't handle like a bigger more capable truck. When the wind would kick up, we would get blown around a bit. We had a good hitch that was setup correctly so passing trucks didn't turn into white knuckle events, but you would still get moved a bit. It never was an ideal situation, but loading to the max will never be ideal with any vehicle. Within it's limits it did a good enough job which is all that I needed. These days my non RV loads have changed quite a bit so an upgrade was necessary.

Being over you payload limit won't cause your truck to immediately shatter into a million pieces, but it does greatly impact driveability and creates unsafe driving conditions. The higher you go, the worse conditions will become. Also, parts on the truck are designed to operate within the limits of the truck. Once you start exceeding that, you also start accelerating wear.