Another Ram 1500 Goes Down.

[Crazy Horse]

Yesterday 9:30 am, driving on I-85 into Spartanburg traffic is at a stop to crawl for almost an hour before we got to the scene of an accident. Traffic was backed up a good 8-10 miles. From a distance you could see that an RV was involved due to the heap of wreckage in the median. I knew when I saw what was left of the red truck, it had to be a 1/2 ton due to how often this is seen nowadays. Sure enough a new Ram 1500 pulling what might have been a 28'-30'+ travel trailer. It appeared the trailer came around on the truck and was doing the all steering while coming down a small hill. The camper shell that was on the truck got ripped off, laying upside down on the wreckage, and when it all came to rest the Ram was pointing in the wrong direction. It was ugly and I hope no-one was hurt. We went into Georgia for the day to pick up a Camper Shell for the 2500, when we came back the other way at approx 5:30pm the traffic was still backed up due to the wreck in both directions. It's a shame to think these people go out on the highway with no respect for other people's safety! If they have a death wish >>> I wish they would do it on your own property!

 

[AH64ID]

It just amazes me what people do with 1/2 tons, and the RV dealers and mfgr's aren't helping at all. There are 1/2 ton series trailers, but they are still too much for soft 1/2 suspensions.

 

[Simplysmn]

This is due to the fact that theses Stupid dealer's and People now days when they go looking at a travel trailer the salesman is wanting to make a sale so he will tell them Yeah you will be fine pulling that behind your truck no problem . If they would also stop some of the Crap you see on TV about the Toyota's being able to tow 10,000 lb's this world Might be ok I have done some stupid stuff in my life like we all have but Wake up people if the trailer is heaver then your little half ton truck Don't but it . I just saw a newer toyota tundra way over loaded trying to go down the freeway yesterday in Ca

he was way over loaded and the trailer must have been atleast 30 ft long But because they see it on TV they think it's ok so they go out and buy it maybe when they have the accident they should sue dealer for selling them the junk in the first place ?

 

[GHerrmann]

I was in a camp ground this summer and saw a older Dakota with a small 5er on it. The 5er was only about 18' - 20' but the bumper of the truck was almost on the ground. Some people have no clue.

 

[AHarris]

Tahoe truck pull

Last year the kids and I are cruising down I-10 just outside S. California with my old 3500 and old 25' Coleman Caravan loafing along on cruise at 67mph. Long, slight downgrades and long, slight upgrades on the this particular part of I-10. Temps 100+ outside so I'm not about to take a chance on blowing tires by going faster, despite the speed limit signs that read "80 mph. " Even with good tires, 80mph is too damn fast to pull any trailer with any truck. It's just asking for an accident to happen. Travel trailers are not engineered to be stable going down the roads at those speeds.

And, on one of the slight downgrades, then here comes this idiot with a late model Chevy Tahoe pulling what looked like a 30 or 32 foot Jayco blowing past me at 85 mph. Judging from my present trailer, this Jayco was probably a good 8-9K loaded. The pilot of this grocery getter, hat turned backwards on his head, gives me a sneer as he and I make eye contact. I was almost too busy rolling my eyes and shaking my head to notice the back end of his Jayco is swaying so much it damn near takes out my drivers side mirror.

Just then the slight downgrade becomes a long, slight upgrade. My cruise stays set at 67. As I come up on his right, it's obvious that he doesn't want to lose the pulling contest up the hill and he puts his foot into it. I continue to overtake him on the right and I can see traces of smoke coming from under the Tahoe and the engine sounds like it's turning about 6-7 grand.

By the time we got to the top of the hill he was about 1/2 mile behind me. On the next long downgrade he blows past me again and we repeat this sequence again about 6 more times over the next 50 miles until I finally exit for fuel.

I'd hate to see what the inside of that Tahoe's transmission looks like. What a dumn I TRIED TO BY-PASS THE CUSSING FILTER.

Some people just don't get it.

 

[Crazy Horse]

salesman is wanting to make a sale so he will tell them Yeah you will be fine pulling that behind your truck no problem

I suppose that is why I always freak out driving on the interstates down here. I sold RV's in Alaska for 5 years and at one time thought a single 1ton truck could handle anything. Before selling and getting involved with RV's in Alaska we had our own business. We could finally afford our 1st camper (1997) it was a Lance 9. 5' and I put it on a 1ton F-350 regular cab. Quite the step up from a tent. With all this excitement I failed to do my homework. Well the camper put the rear bumper on the ground and stability was poor to say the least. We tried air bags, heavier tires, etc. Nothing made it feel safe at highway speeds. Well we wound up over the next year and a half going through 2 trucks and many dollars before buying our 1st real camper truck, a Dodge 3500 dually CTD. This was a night and day difference and is what I should have done from the get go. The longer wheelbase along with the duallies on the rear made it all work with a little tweaking to the rear springs I had the perfect camper truck. When I went to selling RV's I made my mind up that I wasn't going to ever put someone in a camper, travel trailer, or 5th wheel without doing the proper truck matching. When I talked to a perspective buyer I used to tell the people who where looking at a future purchase, having too much truck is like having too much money, there's no such thing. And I think that is why I did pretty well selling against the "seasoned salesman" that I worked with . These people that I would spend time with would always come back to see me when they were ready to make their purchase. Sometimes that might be a year to a year and a half. But they always remembered me.

 

[AH64ID]

Salesmen like you are few and far between, and that's just a crime.

 

[AWeiman]

i keep telling myself to carrying a camera to snap shots of the stuff i see being towed around tow. i just wonder well people started thinking that rear bumper on the ground and front tires off the ground was an ok practice. guys i work for have all have tons. two cows in a 16ft trailer puts a good squat on an f150, and it doesnt handle well at all. i hate to think what its like trying to running down the highway with an rv that is much longer than 16ft.

but hey lifes tough. its even tougher when your stupid.

 

[AH64ID]

For the life of me I can't figure out why the truck makers decided to have a 1/2 max tow rating war, its a friggin 1/2 ton. How can a truck with P rated tired have a 10K+ tow rating?

My dad has a 2500 454 Burb, it has a lower max tow rating than an current 1/2 ton, and its a true 3/4 ton.

Stupid is as stupid does.

 

[NIsaacs]

I doubt the wreck was the 1/2 ton pickups fault. My guess is that same driver would have crashed a 3/4 or one ton. With todays modern 4 door 1/2 tons, I would not hesitate to tow 10,000 lbs.



Nick

 

[Jim W]

I feel most accidents occur not because the truck may or may not be overload, tho this can help cause an accident. The real reason is speed. Most people think that with their truck with a trailer attach is no more then a car. They tend to go over the speed limit and not realize the extra mass that they have behind them and what happens if they need to stop fast or maneuver this load.

As an example in WI, near Madison I was passed this summer by a 3/4 truck pulling a boat doing about 75 MPH in the middle lane, as I was pulling my 5er in the RH land doing 60 MPH. All of a sudden as he passed me he started to fish tail on the highway. He did recover and slowed done a little, did not lose the truck and boat he was pulling.

I did meet him in the rest area down the road again as he was walking to his truck and we were walking to the restrooms. I asked him if he had to clean his shorts?? No answer he just keep walking. My DW was embarrassed by me asking him this question.

Jim

 

[AH64ID]

I doubt the wreck was the 1/2 ton pickups fault. My guess is that same driver would have crashed a 3/4 or one ton. With todays modern 4 door 1/2 tons, I would not hesitate to tow 10,000 lbs.



Nick

What does 4 doors have to do with weight? You're still talking soft 1/2 suspension, P rated tires, 1/2 steering components, and softer frames. Sure length is important, but its just one factor.

 

[Crazy Horse]

My guess is that same driver would have crashed a 3/4 or one ton

I doubt it... Though I didn't see the wreck occur, I've seen the trailer wag the truck scenario happen allot. I believe the trailer started waging the truck about 1/2 way down the small hill towards the Pacolet River and caused the lose of control. At the top of the hill just when you start to head down there is a small curve to the right as you start to descend. I believe that is what caused the driver to loose it. The 3/4 and 1 ton trucks have a more stabilized suspension in them to help counteract such occurrences. Bottom line is, by the time you subtract the canopy, occupants, fuel, and gear on board the truck there wasn't any room for a trailer near that size to be put into the equation.

 

[Crazy Horse]

I would not hesitate to tow 10,000 lbs.

A half ton is still a half ton. Toyota,Nissan,Ram 1500, Chev, and F-150, do the math deduction from the GVW for everything that's on/in that truck. In addition to nothing being left by the numbers they all have softly sprung vehicles to accommodate what these buyers want, a car ride. And that give in the suspension is what allows a trailer to overpower the truck.

 

[NIsaacs]

What does 4 doors have to do with weight? You're still talking soft 1/2 suspension, P rated tires, 1/2 steering components, and softer frames. Sure length is important, but its just one factor.

What I am saying is, the 1/2 ton 4-door pickups are nearly as large and heavy as their 3/4 ton counterpart gas pickups. You can get tow packages, options on tires and wheels and special hitches. I have seen some crazy loads on the roads too but I would not limit them to just 1/2 ton pickups.



As you can see in my sig. I don't have any 1/2 ton pickups, however if I did and I have, I would not hesitate to tow with them.



Nick

 

[AH64ID]

What I am saying is, the 1/2 ton 4-door pickups are nearly as large and heavy as their 3/4 ton counterpart gas pickups. You can get tow packages, options on tires and wheels and special hitches. I have seen some crazy loads on the roads too but I would not limit them to just 1/2 ton pickups.



As you can see in my sig. I don't have any 1/2 ton pickups, however if I did and I have, I would not hesitate to tow with them.



Nick

As large, yes; as heavy no. I haven't seen a 1/2 ton with anything but car tires in over a decade, could be out there but I have looked and haven't seen it.



In this case size isn't everything, its how it's built.

 

[NIsaacs]

Just as a sort of informal reference that all 3/4 ton's are not created equal.



1975 F250 4x4, front gawr 3550, rear gawr 3680, gvw 6500



1991 D250 diesel, front 3830, rear 5450, gvw 8510



2001 2500 4x4 diesel, front 5200, rear 6084, gvw 8800



So called 1/2 tons are also not created equal, with some fairly large gvw's in todays market, some even approaching the gvw of my '91. Not trying to start anything with anyone, just pointing out that 1/2 tons are not really 1/2 tons anymore.



Nick

 

[S.Morris]

Let's not forget the point that many of these heavy pulling half tons do not have properly setup torsion bars or sway bars. Add to the fact that many of these drivers don't know what to do in a sway situation and don't know how or when to apply the trailer brakes alone. Inexperience and too much speed are also big factors.

Towing hugely overweight loads with a one ton are pushing the limits of safety also. The fact that most who do this are very experienced drivers tips the scale in there favor.

Fact is you can drive very defensively and as safe as possible in overloaded conditions... but some of he clueless people on the road are unpredictable and emergency avoidance is the straw that breaks the camels back. Jmho

 

[AH64ID]

You couldn't even swap a Cummins into that 75 F250 and be under FAWR with nothing loaded in the truck.

GVWR, GAWR, and GCWR have come a long ways, but the rigs are also much heavier. My truck empty (with a few spare parts and tools) is 8K, 4700 front and 3300 rear, pretty heavy for an empty truck.

Modern 1/2 tons are still too small for many of the applications they are used for.

 

[DennyDay]

We are currently in a park in Victoria, Texas, and its unbeliveable the number of newer 3/4 tom ford Chevy and Dodge's towing large 5ers. There is even a Tundra her with a 5th wheel.