Hey guys..

so i found a ram 1500 that has been in an accident, about two hours up north from me. 250 miles total trip (125 miles towing the car). can my 96 ram 1500 with the 5.2, stock everything tow it back?

I would need to rent a trailer from Uhaul. i've never towed anything heavy, besides some trash, so i won't be doing anything crazy. most of the trip will be I95 south anyways.

brakes are fine, don't need to be changed. rears are new, fronts are i think halfway. I will do transmission oil change before it happens, rear diff fluid is new.

 

U-haul won't give you the trailer if you tell them you're towing a full size truck. Tell them you're hauling a small car but make sure the trailer is big enough. Lots of car trailer aren't big enough to accomadte these dodges. 1500s included.

It's such a hassle. I would try to find a large utility trailer and buy some quality tie downs to dog it down. Good things to have anyway

Keep OD off and don't tow it unless the trailer brakes work

 

You are going to be pushing your max tow weight.... Trailer brakes are an absolute MUST. Your truck will *technically* do it.... but, that was when it was new.... Now? Good question.

 

You COULD do it, You'll probobly be over loaded but you just need to drive EASY, give yourself plenty of room pulling out into traffic, accelerate easy, keep over drive off, go over any speed bumps sloooow, avoid pot holes, drive slower than the speed limit. If you were just going a few miles you could make it happen without trailor brakes, but for 125miles you need to have have them or your going to smoke your brakes, especially if you're traveling at freeway speeds. Even with trailor brakes, give yourself plenty of room to stop with trafic. People drive like idiots especially when they get stuck behind a slower moving truck with a load.

I towed a 330 skid stear with my 1500 but I only went about 10 miles. I've towed alot for work with larger trucks, excevators, multiple skids, materials. You can over load a little but it's not recomended. If you do it just take your time.

 

your 96 1500 can tow it ok, barely. a 1500 4wd will weigh right around 5000 pounds, plus the weight of the trailer. a 2wd will be a little less.

the most important thing is to make sure the trailer or dolly can handle the load. don't use a single axle 3500# trailer. either get a dual axle 7000# or a dolly capable of handling the front end of the towed truck - about 3000#.

if you have any doubts, you can rent a mid-size 1 ton u-haul or budget truck with the rated capacity to pull it.

 

My little 1500 (when 3yrs old) towed a tandem car trailer with a Neon filled to the roof, and the bed stacked to the roof, from PA to FL.
Take it easy on the gas (slower acceleration, keep the top speed down), and leave plenty of braking room... she handled it just fine.

 

It will be like driving a truck 20 years older, but should be fine. Keep it out of OD and make sure fluids in truck are good before the trip, coolant, oil, tranny fluid, and gear oil.

Bring plenty of tools for minor stuff like a flat tire, and if you find a dolly big enough ask for a spare for it, and 2 if they another spare laying around.

 

thanks for all the help guys... but sadly it won't be happening. I can't find a trailer, and to top it off.. today I was doing my ball joints, and when I pulled the truck on the driveway, coolant was everywhere underneath. I checked the rad, its empty. it looks to be leaking from the block, around the AC condenser, as the small inlet from the water pump had some good amount of coolant around it. bummer.