Can I do this?

[bob257]

I tried to find some information from Dodge about the GCWR of my 2010 Ram 2500 with the Cummins. No response. I lost the 800 number too! Here's my question. I have a Sandpiper 5th wheel that is 11,900 dry. Will I have an issue pulling with my truck? Secondly, they list the tow rating of the 2010 at 13,450 but the 2011 at 15,450! What changed? My truck has 4:10 rears. Any information you can give me would be appreciated. I'm a newbie to the diesels but bought one intending to pull a fifth wheel

 

[CKelley1]

you will not have any trouble at all. i have never paid any attention to the tow ratings. we run a fleet of dodges, some with over 1,000,000 miles on them towing way heavier than the gcwr of the trucks. i see it as a guide to keep inexperienced people out of trouble. the rating will change depending more on truck base weight more than anything. example a four wheel drive's component's weight reduces the rating by that amount. no one in there right mind would get an auto but if they did the extra weight would also reduce it. when i tow my 710 backhoe my gcw is 44,000 lbs

 

[Simplysmn]

You will be fine that's nothing to tow with your truck

 

[HBarlow]

The weight that matters is the weight on your truck's rear axle when loaded with the fifth wheel. A dry weight of your trailer is useless information. You aren't going to tow it empty or dry. In fact, it didn't weigh "dry weight" when it left the factory because that weight didn't include options, battery(s), etc.

What matters is what the trailer actually weighs when it is loaded for travel with LPG, water, clothing, food, personal items, etc. More specifically, what truly matters is the amount of weight it puts on the rear axle of your truck and whether your truck is within it's rear axle weight rating with the loaded trailer attached.

 

[Bob Cochran]

The only real issue in my mind for the total weight is "can I stop this sucker when the idiot pulls in front of me" or "kid steps of curb in front of me", etc. I agree with everyone dry weight is work of fiction.

 

[NIsaacs]

Trucks don't stop trailers, trailers stop trailers. If you rely on your truck for stopping you have trailer brake or controller issues.



Nick

 

[RVTRKN]

I tried to find some information from Dodge about the GCWR of my 2010 Ram 2500 with the Cummins. No response. I lost the 800 number too! Here's my question. I have a Sandpiper 5th wheel that is 11,900 dry. Will I have an issue pulling with my truck? Secondly, they list the tow rating of the 2010 at 13,450 but the 2011 at 15,450! What changed? My truck has 4:10 rears. Any information you can give me would be appreciated. I'm a newbie to the diesels but bought one intending to pull a fifth wheel

GCVWR from Dodge is their ratings, the actual weight you have to worry about as noted earlier, is the weight transferred to your axles per DOT and the tag on your drivers door gives that info. BUT DODGE CAN VOID YOUR WARRANTY IF THEY WANT TO, if they know your GCVWR is over their recommended ratings. Contact Dodge for the info, it might take some time but its out there. Do a search on tow ratings you will find it.



With your own numbers, you will be around 20K, and is at the max GCVWR for a 2500. My only recommendation for you is to outfit your rig & truck as you would use it and weigh it at a certified scale, you will look at each axle weight and it must be within your axle rating on the door. DOT can and will fine you if they catch you going over that.



Here is an example.

 

[RVTRKN]

I tried to find some information from Dodge about the GCWR of my 2010 Ram 2500 with the Cummins. No response. I lost the 800 number too! Here's my question. I have a Sandpiper 5th wheel that is 11,900 dry. Will I have an issue pulling with my truck? Secondly, they list the tow rating of the 2010 at 13,450 but the 2011 at 15,450! What changed? My truck has 4:10 rears. Any information you can give me would be appreciated. I'm a newbie to the diesels but bought one intending to pull a fifth wheel

Fill out your signature so we can see your truck and rig.

 

[Newf Limo]

I drive 18 wheelers in Maine, NH and Ma. NIsaacs is absolutely correct. I have had a trailer that had brakes out of adjustment. That big Volvo was pushed like a toy. Fortunately, I only had to go around the block to figure it out. The other issue is brakes that apply in excess. Especially when the ground is slippery e. g. , wet or snow. The tires that lock... want to lead.



If you would like to eliminate the axle weight, have an extra set of brakes (and bigger), take a look at the "Safety Hitch". I have been meaning to post inquiries about this but haven't gotten around to it.



Here it is: The Best Way To Tow Your Trailer | Trailer Hitch| Gooseneck Hitch | 5th Wheel RV Hitch | Safety Hitch | Automated Safety Hitch | Smart Hitch | Towing



I spoke to Joe Jamieson (the inventor) about it a little over a year ago. As my plans are to get a 4 horse trailer with a Living Quarters, I really, really REALLY, am interested in this. As you can see from my Avatar, my truck has a topper, and I want to keep it, and tow a Goose. This rig looks great. It also leads your trailer outside on turns, decreasing your turn radius, by increasing tracking. If I were to ever become a sales person, I would want to sell these. Watch the videos and check it out.



Legal in all 50? Due to the way it attaches to your vehicle, this is not a trailer dolly. It does not fall under the same regulations as a does the dollys we use when pulling douples and triples (I don't pull triples, mind you). This device is considered a "Tag" axle, or auxillary axle, and so is considered a part of the towing vehicle, i. e. , your Ram.



Hope that gives you something to think about.

 

[champspa]

just make sure your tires on the rear and front are within there specs loaded. Single rears can't take a lot of pin weight

 

[RVTRKN]

Yes, that is correct, but if he has a new truck, more than likely the tires are OK. Your axle's can not weigh more than your door tag rating, but if your tires are rated lower than the axle rating, then it limits you to that number. You can get tires rated higher than your axles, but you are still limited to Dodges axle rating. Go over the axle ratings with higher tire ratings, you will get fined, if caught over the axle rating.

 

[RVTRKN]

I drive 18 wheelers in Maine, NH and Ma. NIsaacs is absolutely correct. I have had a trailer that had brakes out of adjustment. That big Volvo was pushed like a toy. Fortunately, I only had to go around the block to figure it out. The other issue is brakes that apply in excess. Especially when the ground is slippery e. g. , wet or snow. The tires that lock... want to lead.



If you would like to eliminate the axle weight, have an extra set of brakes (and bigger), take a look at the "Safety Hitch". I have been meaning to post inquiries about this but haven't gotten around to it.



Here it is: The Best Way To Tow Your Trailer | Trailer Hitch| Gooseneck Hitch | 5th Wheel RV Hitch | Safety Hitch | Automated Safety Hitch | Smart Hitch | Towing



I spoke to Joe Jamieson (the inventor) about it a little over a year ago. As my plans are to get a 4 horse trailer with a Living Quarters, I really, really REALLY, am interested in this. As you can see from my Avatar, my truck has a topper, and I want to keep it, and tow a Goose. This rig looks great. It also leads your trailer outside on turns, decreasing your turn radius, by increasing tracking. If I were to ever become a sales person, I would want to sell these. Watch the videos and check it out.



Legal in all 50? Due to the way it attaches to your vehicle, this is not a trailer dolly. It does not fall under the same regulations as a does the dollys we use when pulling douples and triples (I don't pull triples, mind you). This device is considered a "Tag" axle, or auxillary axle, and so is considered a part of the towing vehicle, i. e. , your Ram.



Hope that gives you something to think about.

The problem I see with this is you can easily go over your hitch ratings and would be limited to that number, this is a question by the way?

 

[bob257]

Where can I do that? Fill out my signature information?

 

[MGreer]

Under discussion forums click on "user control panel". Then under "settings & options" click on "edit signature". You can change it around as much as you need until you get it how you want.

Hope this helps

 

[TLane]

Information about your truck can be found here:



http://www.dodge.com/bodybuilder/year.pdf



Click thru the selections for year, body, etc. Then look for a link that's titled "base weights/gcw/payload. More clicks for body style, 2500/3500, etc. will get you to a table that has the information about your truck.

 

[Bob Cochran]

Actually to obtain the shortest stopping distance in a straight line under control is for both tow vehicle and trailer to share the stopping power with the trailer slightly leading the truck brakes when applied. As you said the tires that lock... . want to lead. If they are going to lock they need to lock equally better none lock to keep maximum traction. Your comment says the truck and trailer both have to equally share stopping the gross vehicle weight. SOOOOOOO the bigger the trailer the more the truck has to share stopping gross weight along with the trailer.



Again I will say the bigger the trailer the larger the gross vehicle weight and the part the truck has to share with the trailer brakes. Think about it I certainly cannot stop 80,000 lbs if my truck rear axle could hold the tongue weight in any kind of reasonable distance safely and in a straight line under several football fields. I don't care how good the trailer brakes are or there going to skid and you know the results from that situation can be just as problematic as the situation you described.



To say otherwise can lead an un-knowledgeable person to pull a trailer to large for the trucks ability. There is more at play here than the weight on the rear axle. i will bet when that happened to you the trailer you was pulling was had the brakes adjusted so the tractor and trailer shared equally the load. I have seen to many trailers adjusted to tight smoking and going up in flames on down grades. As well as accidents when this was the adjustment was to tight in slippery conditions.



In conclusion the truck and trailer in balanced combination stops both vehicles safely in the shortest possible distance safely.

I drive 18 wheelers in Maine, NH and Ma. NIsaacs is absolutely correct. I have had a trailer that had brakes out of adjustment. That big Volvo was pushed like a toy. Fortunately, I only had to go around the block to figure it out. The other issue is brakes that apply in excess. Especially when the ground is slippery e. g. , wet or snow. The tires that lock... want to lead.



If you would like to eliminate the axle weight, have an extra set of brakes (and bigger), take a look at the "Safety Hitch". I have been meaning to post inquiries about this but haven't gotten around to it.



Here it is: The Best Way To Tow Your Trailer | Trailer Hitch| Gooseneck Hitch | 5th Wheel RV Hitch | Safety Hitch | Automated Safety Hitch | Smart Hitch | Towing



I spoke to Joe Jamieson (the inventor) about it a little over a year ago. As my plans are to get a 4 horse trailer with a Living Quarters, I really, really REALLY, am interested in this. As you can see from my Avatar, my truck has a topper, and I want to keep it, and tow a Goose. This rig looks great. It also leads your trailer outside on turns, decreasing your turn radius, by increasing tracking. If I were to ever become a sales person, I would want to sell these. Watch the videos and check it out.



Legal in all 50? Due to the way it attaches to your vehicle, this is not a trailer dolly. It does not fall under the same regulations as a does the dollys we use when pulling douples and triples (I don't pull triples, mind you). This device is considered a "Tag" axle, or auxillary axle, and so is considered a part of the towing vehicle, i. e. , your Ram.



Hope that gives you something to think about.

 

[NIsaacs]

Bob, I agree with some of what you posted, especially the last sentence. However I disagree that it requires a larger truck to stop a larger trailer. The bigger the trailer the bigger the brakes or more of them.



In the case of the 80,000 lbs truck, keep in mind the three axle truck is stopping 46,000 lbs of the total weight. The trailer is stopping only 34,000. If you could somehow tow that trailer with your pickup, trust me it would stop.



Another case in point, this same three axle truck can pull and stop a nine axle lowboy. In the case of doubles or triples, mostly this combo uses a two axle truck. The truck stops the truck the trailer or trailers stop themselves.



Nick

 

[Bob Cochran]

Oh I bet we could pull the 80,000 lbs if the truck axles did not bust. I could get it stopped to but in an emergency situation I think the stopping distance would be way to far.

"In the case of the 80,000 lbs truck, keep in mind the three axle truck is stopping 46,000 lbs of the total weight. The trailer is stopping only 34,000. "

So in my case above I am trying to stop 46,000 lbs with 2 axles the weight to stop would be the same no matter a class 8 HDT or my 1 ton Dodge. Point is as the total gross weight increases the truck is required to stop more weight as is the trailer. Can it do so in a reasonable distance in an emergency? There is a break over point whither it be 1/2, 3/4, 1 ton, or class 8 HDT; where safety is compromised and I fear to the un-knowledgeable they will exceed that point without even realizing it. The class 8 HDT say weighs 26,000 +(mine 7,800 lbs) with way larger brakes to handle the 80,000 LBS compared to our lil ol trucks. I am sure you have seen 1/2 tons pulling way to heavy and should have 3/4 or larger. One of the reasons is larger brakes as we are talking about brakes(not suspension, etc. ) for the larger weights. It takes both the truck and trailer in combination to do so. Some could conclude I am afraid that no matter how much the trailer weighs it's brakes will stop it with no adverse effects and the distance to stop. That is what I am trying to avoid!!!

What I am pulling now is right on the ragged edge of being to heavy for my 1 ton. Yep can pull it, and can get it stopped safely but anymore and it would get worse and worse as the weight went up. Oh yea the salesmen said I have plenty of truck to pull my 5er. I bet he told the guy with a 1/2 ton the same thing. I cannot even imagine trying to stop this 5er with a 1/2 ton. It just would not be safe sorry if you are a 1/2 ton owner with a huge 5er or trailer. The Cummin's will pull it but that engine will not help stop it. It is like a 4 wheel drive in snow and ice it will get you going as fast as you want but that 4 wheel drive will not get you stopped any faster than a 2 wheel drive.

Anyway it is my opinion no one needs pay no never mind to it. Just throwing it out there to think about.

Bob, I agree with some of what you posted, especially the last sentence. However I disagree that it requires a larger truck to stop a larger trailer. The bigger the trailer the bigger the brakes or more of them.

In the case of the 80,000 lbs truck, keep in mind the three axle truck is stopping 46,000 lbs of the total weight. The trailer is stopping only 34,000. If you could somehow tow that trailer with your pickup, trust me it would stop.

Another case in point, this same three axle truck can pull and stop a nine axle lowboy. In the case of doubles or triples, mostly this combo uses a two axle truck. The truck stops the truck the trailer or trailers stop themselves.

Nick

 

[NIsaacs]

Yes, if I were to try and make a living selling my opinion, I would be on food stamps



Nick

 

[Bob Cochran]

I could not even qualify for the program!!!

Yes, if I were to try and make a living selling my opinion, I would be on food stamps



Nick