Do you tow heavy with a 2500 ?

[DBazley]

I'm just curious to see if anyone else tows real heavy with their 2500 ?



I know many do with the 3500, but it seems (at least in my case) that it takes a bit of extra effort to allow a 2500 to tow in the "heavy range". I'd be gratified to hear what any of you have done with towing heavy with a 2500.



My set-up is a 1997 Ram 2500 Club Cab Long box 4 by 4, plus various additional suspension & towing mods, and it tows a 38' bumper pull travel trailer and cargo for a weight of about 20 - 22,000 lbs.



thanks,



David B.

 

[GFoley]

David,

I crossed the scales w/ a 26' Haulmark at a combined weight of 20,000 lbs, once. Never did much with the trailer after that, sold it after 7 months.

I would like to get a travel trailer but do not want to pay for storage. I'll wait until I have my own place agian.



Glenn

 

[Turboman]

no worries!

I weigh in at 34000 lbs all the time. Don't usaully go more than a 100 miles ever. I did go 1600 miles at 22500 lbs last summer.

 

[Dieselnerd]

I tow back and forth to AZ from MN every year at around 22K total. Never had a problem.

 

[bombero]

I bet that you guy are so over loaded on your tires that your having problems. There are a couple of post from folks that are having tire problems. You should help them out!!

 

[Dieselnerd]

Bombero, my trailer is under it's gross weight and so is my truck. Why do you think my tires are overloaded? True, the combination weighs 22,000 pounds but the truck is under 8800 and the trailer is under it's max also. If all the weight was carried on the truck it would be a different story. I'm totally legal according to DOT and the trailer has brakes appropriate for it's weight.

 

[Greg Boardman-RIP]

Truck: 7650 lbs

trailer: 4600 lbs

Hay: +12000 lbs

---------------

24250 lbs total;





I haul this load about once every 6 weeks. 125 miles one way with 6% grades up and down hill. I can pull it any, I mean any, speed I want too. I usually keep it under 70 mph though... ...

 

[Larry Willard]

I used to tow just under 21000 on the '96 2500, although I don't remember the exact axle weights, it seems like the rears were at the max of their ratings, and I was having some ply seperations on the BFG's I was running then.

Larry

 

[klenger]

My 5er is about 10,000. I'm guess I'm a lightweight.

 

[Okie-Go]

I tow quite heavy at times also. I recently hauled 3 chourd of wood on a 20ft. gooseneck. Behind that trailer I had a 16ft. heavy duty tandem axle lowboy. On that trailer I had a 5x14 trailer and in that trailer two 4 wheelers. I didn't weight it but I am sure it was up there. I am going to Dallas wednesday to get two pieces of 12" H iron or I beam as some call it 32ft. long on a gooseneck trailer. I have to find out the weight to see which trailer to take!

 

[brobeson]

towing heavy

I tow for a living and we own a 35ft. 5er.



With our 5er I have gone across the scales at 18K to 22K.



At 22k I have gone from Washington State to S. Cal. and back many times including the grape vine.



While our 2500 does well, it is NO comparison to our 3500.



Bob

 

[DBazley]

thanks for the replies

thanks for the replies, I sure learn a lot here.



Seems like most of us do a lot of towing with the 2500, especially when it's a 5th wheel attachment, which it sounds like is the majority configuration.



I'm sure any difficulty I've encountered is with the very heavy 10,000 lbs bumper pull trailer combined with about 3000 lbs in the bed, especially given many folks use a 3500 with a dually back there to handle all that weight, and I've only got half as many tires !!



I've mostly got it sorted out, with the Firestone airlifts, Rancho 9000 adjustable shocks being critical components. And the 19. 5 tire upgrades with the 14 ply rating / 4500 lbs capacity are a big help !



I have just read up on the "sloppy steering" characteristic our trucks seems to have inherited. That might be a source of white knuckles when towing & conditions get dicey, so I'll try to do those fixes.



My father has pointed out how Dodge products have had "sloppy steering" for years now, and that they need to install a rack & pinion system like the one on his Toyota truck, which has very precise steering. I think Dodge engineers ought to take note of this comment.



Thanks again,



David B

 

[jbone]

D. How long is that rig when you get it tied together???? R, J. B.

 

[DBazley]

the long, long trailer.....

Jbone,



Pretty long, I've never used a tape to check, but... ... truck is about 20. 5 ' + 38 ' for the trailer, so right at 58-59 feet.



Long enough that I just try to ignore that last 10 or 15 feet. My buddy who hauls a similar one said, don't worry that it's a few feet longer than your 30' you hauled earlier, once it's pointed down the highway, what's a few more feet anyhow ??



Seems to work that way, eh ?



safe towing to you & all and no :--) stuff,









David Oo.

 

[Bob Cochran]

Sorry for long post!!!



I am surprised nobody has talked about stopping all that weight!!! I think we all agree we can pull a lot more than nameplate GCWR with our trucks. Now I cannot comment on the 2500 directly but I can legally pull GCWR 21,500 with my 3500 dually. The thing is stopping in an emergency and we all have those with all the idiots on the road. No matter how good a driver you are the other guy is going to cause you problems.



Dieselnerd ~ Not to be critical (honest ) if your GCWR is over what the truck is rated for as well and each truck axle front and rear and trailer axles you are in violation of DOT. My GCWR is 21,500 I think the 2500 is less but I maybe wrong. Bottom line if you are over any individual axle weights or GCWR then you are in violation of DOT ( who will probably never know Oo. ) but if you ever hit anyone insurance company will not pay, courts will have a field day at your expense too.



Not a war, just a caution is all I am suggesting. Haul 50,000 if you want if the truck will pull it. The mighty Cummins probably can we have all seen some pull amazing loads. :--)



Just please don't follow me to close in case some idiot makes me make a emergency stop. Fact you can pass me any time you like I think in this case would much rather follow than lead.



Okay all done now!!!! Oo.

 

[Dieselnerd]

Bob C, none of my axles or tires are are over their ratings (not even close) and that is what the DOT looks at for legality. As for stopping, I ordered my trailer with optional extra large brakes. They are the same size brakes found on trailers weighing 18,000 pounds and my trailer usually weighs 12,500 to 13,000 although it's GVW is 13,900. With the trailer in tow, it actually stops as well or better than the truck all by itself. There were many posts about DOT and axle weight ratings on this forum some time back and the DOT does not go by the GCVW from the manufacturer, just the axle weights on the vehicles door tag and the tag on the trailer. They don't have books with the GCVW for every pickup out there. For that they would need to know your gear ratios and all the other factors that make up the tow rating. I spoke to my insurance company about these issues and they have no problem as long as the axles and the tires do not exceed capacity. That's the reason there are capacity tags on the truck, trailer and tires so that if there is a legality question it can be resolved with a scale. The GCVW is more of a warranty issue than anything else. Many states allow you to license your truck for any weight you want up to the maximum axle/tire ratings.

 

[DBazley]

getting it stopped....

Hi Bob:



You bet I share your concern about braking. That's why I run with my "jake brake", ie Pac Brake, for safety sake.



My only regret is I can't run it when using the Gear Vendors Overdrive unit, as it will hurt that unit. It's ok, though, as it's mainly needed on flat or upgrades anyhow.



Basically, I use the trailer brake controller with the service brakes (always well maintained) on flats, and add the 'jake' on a downhill of any consequence. [I love it, just coast down the steepest grade, no problem and no scares !]



As to capacity, I believe that with my upgrade on the whole rig considered, especially the 14 ply rating "semi-truck" type 19. 5 tire & wheel pkg, I am well under the capacity of the truck & trailer.



My concern (if you read first post, btw) has just been to maximize stability, given that I use a bumper pull trailer, and it's inherintly less stable than a 5th wheel layout.



Road speed is a definite issue. I try to just run with or about what the big rigs do, and go slow (@ approx 60-65 mph). It's hard with the Cummins, as it is still barely breathing hard, and would love to go 75-80 mph, if not for the load & handling limitations.



I did weigh in at about 21,500 with it spread accross the axles properly. I think one or two posters above mentioned weights significantly higher, but I presume that meant they were using 2500's with (likely heavy triple axle) 5 er cargo trailers, for freight/hay or auto transports.



thanks for the thoughts,



David B.

 

[Bob Cochran]

DBazley & Dieselnerd sounds like you guys got it all covered and have thought this out very well. I change my comment you can tailgate me any day; well maybe not to close.



I just had concerns about others that have not thought things out as well as you 2!!! Unfortunatedly I have seen them at the bottom of 6% grades finally getting stopped with smoke boiling and rolling and I don't mean diesel!! Course seen big rigs do this too but not like some pickup trailer combo's.



Anyway this has been a good discussion and should have made all aware that all aspects of weight and equipment installed on truck and trailer needs to be coordinated to the optimum.



Yep love my exhaust brake going down steep grade in lower gears and brakes hardly get warm. Should be standard equipment on our trucks. Oo.