I currently have a 09 Dodge Ram 1500 CC Laramie with 4.55 gear ratio...looking to purchase a TT in the near future. I have fallen in love with the Keyston Cougar 29Ft model but am a novice when it comes to name brands. Anyone have any other suggestions on other models. This will basically be a summer vehicle for family vacations around the country. The max my truck can tow is 7450lbs...looking to for a trailer around the 6K range.

 

Please remember that the towing capacity is with a 150 lb driver and any additional load is subtracted from that 7450 number. Put a 1000 lbs of people and cargo in the truck and the towing capacity is now 6450. Also conventional towing wisdom is to tow a fully loaded trailer to no more than 80 % of the tow rating. That would be 5200 lbs fully loaded. So your trailer should weigh no more than 4700 if you got 500lbs of stuff in it.


Yup, it surprised me too.

 

Remember, the 09's Tow Cap numbers were ridiculously conservative (being 1st yr model), and 2010's were bumped significantly higher after "no changes".
(btw: assume you meant 3.55 ratio - with a 4.55 ratio you'd have difficulty towing a Red Chief Flyer wagon
Even bigger than considering the add'l passenger weight and truck cargo, remember that trailer Dry Weight is before the approx 500-800lb of a filled fresh water tank plus 50-100lb propane plus all the stuff that you kit out the trailer with (dishes, towels, clothes, food, all adds up).
In any case, I've towed a rented 9K lb toyhauler around AZ and CO in my 09 w/3.92. The mountains were really working it hard, and the mileage sucked. But it made it... I wouldn't want to make that weight a regular thing, but it made it... (I'm looking at a 6K trailer for next year, too.)

 

Trying to figure all this dry weight and max load can be a little confusing...just want to get a TT bunk model that the family can enjoy.

 

Take a look at Rockwood's Signature Ultra Light Series. Keystone makes a pretty good one too. They are both entry to mid-level trailers IMO. If you have never owned a TT before, I would consider the extended warranty. I paid a few hundred bucks and covered my fifth wheel for 7 years, well worth the piece of mind. As far as weight goes, it all depends on how often and how far you plan on towing it. I dont normally camp in primitive sights, so I tow the trailer empty ( no water in the tanks), as I use the campgrounds water. Almost all travel current travel trailers are designed to be pulled by a half ton truck so there are a lot of choices out there.

 

Umm.... actually, if he had a 4.55 ring and pinion (assuming there was such a ratio available), he'd tow a LOT BETTER than with 3.55 gears.

 

It would be best to go to an RV website for the model you are interested in and ask around with the people that have experience with the particular model.

As far as towing goes there is towing and towing safely. I think the Dodge ratings are for doing it safely.

 

@pigpen56: How does your Ram ride with the 5th wheel weight hitched in the bed vs the traditional trailers weight at the hitch 3ft further aft ?? 700-900lb tongue weight causes enough squat that most of us are talking about airbag helpers for the rear coils. How different is the 5th wheel weight ?? And what weight and size is your 5th wheel ??
(my experience is traditional trailers)

 

Seigell - I no longer have the fifth wheel. The in-laws wanted it so they could travel. It was a 29 or 30 foot rear bunk house and it weighed in around 6000 (if I remember correctly). I purchased it after I was told that it was "half ton towable" which did'nt really matter at the time as I had an 07 F250. Sorry I can't answer your question, as I do not know how it would tow behind a half ton. I would certainly invest in an airbag system if I was going to try it though.

 

I really like the Keystone Cougar but that's the only on that I've really researched...any good website suggestions for other companies. Keystone is the big seller in the part of Washington where I live