How much can I haul legal

[KennethS]

I am getting a new o4 dually,diesel truck with a 6 speed trans. This Is a two wheel drive truck. Now the slide In camper weighs3400 dry Its a Caribou heavy sucker I guess. I also pull a enclose car trailer with a Model T Roadster In there. I had a 99 short bed diesel with a 5 speed and pulled the car trailer all over the country and loved It. It was a two wheel drive also. Front tires 70,000 miles and orignal brakes at 85,000 miles alsoI traded that 99 diesel for a 04 hemi what a mistake that was. Now back to diesel One ton dually loaded even nav. Should have by next week. They are putting the hood scoop like the sport model.

 

[klenger]

Here is a copy of the 2004 towing guide http://www.klenger.net/dodge/3rd-gen-reference/2004-ram-towing.pdf

 

[sctnabt]

Yikes!! :--) That is one heavy camper!



****!CORRECTION!*************************************



Below is the calculation for the SRW model!



See following posts!!



****************************************************



Pretty sure you are overweight, here's the math, let me know if I am misunderstanding something:



3500 2WD CTD/DRW:





GVWR: 9,900 lbs

Curb Weight: 6,750 lbs

Payload: 3,150 lbs (GVWR-Curb Weight)

Camper Wt. (Dry): 3,400 lbs

Curb(with Camper): 10,150 lbs (Curb + Camper)





Stick the camper in the back of your pickup, and you are 250 lbs over the GVWR. There is no capacity for passengers, equipment, carry-ons, water, waste, propane, etc... ... The vast majority of the weight of your camper will go to the rear axle of your pickup. Also important is if you add the trailer you are pulling, you also need to add tongue weight to the GVW. Just my opinion but that camper is not compatible with what you want to do.



While the GCWR might be fine (you have 9,850 lbs capacity left for your trailer and load), the GVWR appears to be fairly well exceeded to me.



Don't forget to look at the manufacturer limits on thge tongue and weight carrying capacity of your hitch, ball mount and ball.



Get a hold of someone with your state transportation department. They can probably let you know a great deal about the limitations you have or don't have.



Best of luck, email or reply if you have any questions.



cj

 

[Prairie Dog]

He's getting a Dually so I think his GVWR is 12K not 9900 like my SRW.

 

[sctnabt]

Klenger's reference is where I got the numbers from. There may be a change from 2004 to 2005 dually's, but if you check the 2004 specs, dual wheels don't add any weight capacity to the GVWR.



cj

 

[klenger]

According to the last page of the towing guide, DRW GVWR is 12,000 vs 9,900 for SRW. DRW does NOT add anything to the GCWR.

 

[sctnabt]

Amazing how fast the brain rust begins to form!



Sorry for the mix up, GVWR for the dually should be 11,500 listed under "Ram 3500 QuadCab SLT and Laramie 4x2 Long Box (DRW)" (Pg 8/10) This is with the "5. 9l HOTD I-6 M6" although "M6" is not listed the coloration from others seem to show this as the manual 6 spd rating.



Try again:





GVWR: 11,500 lbs

Curb Weight: 7,098 lbs

Payload: 4,402 lbs (GVWR-Curb Weight)

Camper Wt. (Dry): 3,400 lbs

Curb(with Camper): 10,495 lbs (Curb + Camper)



Much better!



Still have 1005 lbs. capacity. Not bad but I would get a good "wet/loaded" measurement of your camper and tongue weight off your trailer.



SORRY for the confusion, got cross-eyed somewhere this morning.



Clear as mud..... right???



cj

 

[JRMora]

According to the last page of the towing guide, DRW GVWR is 12,000 vs 9,900 for SRW. DRW does NOT add anything to the GCWR.

That's right. But as sctnabt points out the 4x2 GVWR is 11,500, not 12,000#



Juan

 

[DPelletier]

Amazing how fast the brain rust begins to form!



Sorry for the mix up, GVWR for the dually should be 11,500 listed under "Ram 3500 QuadCab SLT and Laramie 4x2 Long Box (DRW)" (Pg 8/10) This is with the "5. 9l HOTD I-6 M6" although "M6" is not listed the coloration from others seem to show this as the manual 6 spd rating.



Try again:





GVWR: 11,500 lbs

Curb Weight: 7,098 lbs

Payload: 4,402 lbs (GVWR-Curb Weight)

Camper Wt. (Dry): 3,400 lbs

Curb(with Camper): 10,495 lbs (Curb + Camper)



Much better!



Still have 1005 lbs. capacity. Not bad but I would get a good "wet/loaded" measurement of your camper and tongue weight off your trailer.



SORRY for the confusion, got cross-eyed somewhere this morning.



Clear as mud..... right???



cj

Yep, that's better. So if I follow that example, mine is;



- GVWR: 12,000 lbs

- Curb Weight: 7585 lbs

- Payload: 4415 lbs

- Camper wt. (dry): 2350 lbs

- Curb (with camper: 9935 lbs



This means I have an excess of 2065 lbs payload capacity. Great! Unfortunately the reality is that I'm at 11,555 lbs with the camper on and only have 445 lbs left over. The wife and kids take up 340 lbs so I still have 105 lbs left! Oh yeah, I forgot the trailer tongue weight. Puts me over by 400 lbs or so.

WHY is the reality so different than the equation above, you ask? Because my truck weighs 8338 lbs, not 7585 lbs with me, a full tank of diesel, mudflaps, tie downs, bedmats, etc. AND because my camper carries 363 lbs of "stuff" plus 500 lbs of water.

I bring all this up so you may consider the following;



- 11,500 GVWR

- 7098 lbs truck base weight

- 750 lbs of "stuff" on the truck

- 3400 lbs camper dry weight

- 850 lbs of "stuff" in the camper

Equals a total GVW of 12,098 or over by 598 lbs before passengers and trailer tongue weight.



In my experience this will likely be a more accurate representation of the true weights involved. You may be able to pack light to limit the amount over GVWR, but I doubt you can do anything to make it under.



FWIW, I'm not saying your truck will care much if your over even as much as 1,000 lbs, but I'm trying to point out that even a 3500 DRW can easily get over GVWR with a heavy slide-in.



Cheers,

Dave

 

[The Adjuster]

Sounds like it might be time to upgrade your camper to a lightweight one ... tis better to be a little under your GVWR just for those times when the kids invite one of their friends along ... or you find that lost dog too cute to leave behind ... or the one that really gets me is when the wifey finds that 300 lb boulder at a campsite that "but honey wouldn't this just be perfect for my garden landscaping you are going to do for me when you get home" situation ... :{



Ever changed a flat tire when you are right on, or just over your GVWR ... sheeesh ... paint the factory jack green and throw it into the long grass never to be seen again (honestly it will be a daredevil job if you use it) and buy yourself a 20 ton hydraulic bottle jack (another 20lbs) but money well spent.



Just my tax free & weight free $0. 02's worth



Kevin

 

[AKAMAC]

Alpcom,

Now that was funny!