Newbie with question: towing with a 1500

RonJackson · #1 03-16-2009, 03:36 PM

Hello:

I am a new member of the forum. I live in Prince Edward Island, Canada, and drive a 2008 Dodge Ram 1500, 5.7 Hemi, 4X4. My question:

I am planning to buy a 5th Wheel trailer. I checked the owner's manual on "Towing" and got an instruction on getting set to tow that consisted of the use of all my limbs, a ball point pen and all the shifts on the truck. The instruction pertained to 4X4s with an electronic shift to engage the 4X4.
This procedures complex. Do I have to do this every time I tow my trailer? What am actually doing with this procedure?

Thanks,
Ron

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xfeejayx · #2 03-16-2009, 04:54 PM

that sounds rather complicated. what instruction are you talking about? and now that i think about it, how heavy is this trailer? Generally 5th wheel trailers are a bit too heavy for a 1500.

anyway, welcome to DF. I'll move this over to 3rd gen ram for you so you can get some more help.

bcendro · #3 03-16-2009, 05:04 PM

Iagree unless the 5th wheel is one of the smaller ones 20ft or less its to heavy for the 1500...But...can put air shocks/air bags it the back to help I did this to a caravan to help pull my pop-up camper and it worked well.

traker1001 · #4 03-16-2009, 05:19 PM

Man I cringe when I see these little half ton trucks hauling around a fith wheel. Not only knowing how unsafe they usually are, But knowing what they did to there bed to get the hitch installed.

HammerZ71 · #5 03-16-2009, 05:29 PM

Fifth wheels are NEVER approved for towing with a half ton pickup... The FIRST thing you need to do is check with your insurance company. I know down here, you have a problem and you're over spec, they refuse to cover you, for damages, liability, anything. I'd hate to see you have a problem on the road and lose everything because you were over spec...

MikeHTally · #6 03-16-2009, 07:20 PM

1500s are generally not suited to fifth-wheel trailers. The PO of my truck traded it so he could tow a fifth-wheel horse trailer.

RonJackson · #7 03-16-2009, 07:40 PM

Hello:
Thanks for the quick response. Seems to be a consensus about 5th wheels. I am looking at one under 7,000 lbs. My truck has a trailer package that I thought would do that weight.

Is hauling a 'tag along' (regular hitch travel trailer) a better option?

Thanks again
Ron

Rojhan · #8 03-16-2009, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RonJackson

I checked the owner's manual on "Towing" and got an instruction on getting set to tow that consisted of the use of all my limbs, a ball point pen and all the shifts on the truck. The instruction pertained to 4X4s with an electronic shift to engage the 4X4.
This procedures complex. Do I have to do this every time I tow my trailer? What am actually doing with this procedure?

I think you were actually reading the section on another vehicle towing the truck, not the truck towing another vehicle. You can put the 4x4 into "neutral" by sticking a pin in a small hole on the 4x4 switch.

Rojhan · #9 03-16-2009, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RonJackson

Hello:
Thanks for the quick response. Seems to be a consensus about 5th wheels. I am looking at one under 7,000 lbs. My truck has a trailer package that I thought would do that weight.

Is hauling a 'tag along' (regular hitch travel trailer) a better option?

Thanks again
Ron

Published "tow ratings" are generally for travel-trailers, not 5th wheels. This is mostly because a 5th wheel puts a lot more weight on suspension, frame, etc. of the truck. 20-25% of a 5th wheel's weight goes on the hitch vs 10-15% on a travel-trailer.

Even at 7,000 lbs, and the low-end of 20% pin weight, that's 1,400lbs. That is close-to or over the payload on a 1500 depending on regular vs QC, auto vs manual trans, etc. Once you start adding camping stuff and water, propane, etc. to the trailer, you leave "close-to" in the dust.

A 7,000lb travel trailer would likely be fine (you'd need a weight-distributing hitch), but a 5th wheel is almost certainly going to be too much for the truck's specs.

Redone4x4 · #10 03-16-2009, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RonJackson

Hello:
Thanks for the quick response. Seems to be a consensus about 5th wheels. I am looking at one under 7,000 lbs. My truck has a trailer package that I thought would do that weight.

Is hauling a 'tag along' (regular hitch travel trailer) a better option?

Thanks again
Ron

thats still roughly 1500 lbs "hitch weight" going into the bed. and that doesnt account for fuel, supplies, gear, etc. i would look at something with a class IV weight distributing hitch requirement. that you could tow 7000 or 8000 with no problem.