Pulling travel trailer with Ram 1500 V8

[myjourney]

Anybody on here have a Ram 1500 V8 that they pull a travel trailer with? We are looking at a 29' and if we do the math to stay in manufacturers limit we will only have around 1500 lbs for passengers and our stuff.

 

[firemanchip]

I pull a 30` camper behind a Lincoln pick-up with a 5.4 L V8. It does just fine.

 

[Disney Bunny]

Anybody on here have a Ram 1500 V8 that they pull a travel trailer with? We are looking at a 29' and if we do the math to stay in manufacturers limit we will only have around 1500 lbs for passengers and our stuff.

Sorry, but 1500 pounds is not enough left over for passengers and "stuff". It's just not all about the towing. It's about being able to stop safely and your tow vehicle not being overtaken by the weight of what you are towing. You should never max out your weight.......only use about 80 to 85%. We made that mistake.....once. All it takes is flipping your F150 truck and trailer into a ditch and facing south in the northbound lane for you to learn that lesson. We see far too many rigs on the road where the tow vehicle is just not big enough for what it's towing.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

The wheelbase of the tow vehicle and a properly set up hitch would go a long way towards making that work. With a 29ft trailer you would need a active sway control system rather than the passive/friction type. With a good brake controller and properly functioning trailer brakes I would be less concerned about the brakes than the sway.
I would also look into upgrading the trans cooler on the truck, it should already have one but if you are working the truck hard a bigger unit would go a long way towards making your trans survive.
Dont be surprised if you would have to pull this trailer in 3rd gear rather than OD. Most gas engines dont have enough torque to pull a large drag load in OD.
I agree that its best to stay well below the limits on the weight, I would be very careful to stay below them for insurance purposes.

 

[myjourney]

Thank you for all you responses. We traded the truck in on a 2014 Ram Outdoorsman 5.7L Hemi with an almost 11,000 tow capacity with all the towing stuff If I did my math right that gives us 3300lbs cause the trailer is 7700 max
I will have to wait a little longer for the trailer but at least I know I can safely tow it.

 

[Disney Bunny]

Thank you for all you responses. We traded the truck in on a 2014 Ram Outdoorsman 5.7L Hemi with an almost 11,000 tow capacity with all the towing stuff If I did my math right that gives us 3300lbs cause the trailer is 7700 max
I will have to wait a little longer for the trailer but at least I know I can safely tow it.

Wise decision. Don't know if your truck has a short or long bed. If long bed, you might think about looking into a 5th wheel. Lots of great floor plans and plenty of them available in weights that this truck can tow. The difference in the tow between a 5th wheel or travel trailer is like night and day.

 

[super_camper]

I think you made a wise decision as well with the increased capacity. The only way to know for sure though is to get weighed before starting a trip and see what you have. I recommend everyone do this.

Sorry, but 1500 pounds is not enough left over for passengers and "stuff". It's just not all about the towing. It's about being able to stop safely and your tow vehicle not being overtaken by the weight of what you are towing. You should never max out your weight.......only use about 80 to 85%. We made that mistake.....once. All it takes is flipping your F150 truck and trailer into a ditch and facing south in the northbound lane for you to learn that lesson. We see far too many rigs on the road where the tow vehicle is just not big enough for what it's towing.

Although I agree that staying within the manufactures guidelines is good advice I see no need whatsoever to impose an arbitrary limit below it. If safety is your priority then slow down when towing, speed is the more significant problem out there today, not weight.

 

[articfox676]

Towing power is one part but stopping is all important. Emergencies happen and you have to be able to stop quick and safe.