I'm looking at getting a travel trailer, and I am curious what others experiance has been towing with a 1500?

Mine is a 2001 4x4 with a 5.9.

I know what Dodge says.

I've done the math.

I want real world experiance!

 

Used to pull a 27' travel trailer with a ATV in the back of the truck....never had a problem.

 

I don't haul stuff all that much, and if I did I'd probably stick to the 6,000 poundlimit or whatever...
Now with that being said, whatever they say the limits for these trucks are is totally bogus.
I've hauled 2 tons of gravel in the bed of my half ton pickup. It looked a little funny, I'm sure I can find a picture somewhere. It was a little bit squirrly, but I didn't have to awful far to go.
Also pulled a about a 12,000 pound camper about 200 miles round trip. Didn't have any problems with it. Didn't have to go up and mountains or anything crazy though. Turned the Overdrive off. Bad gas mileage.

Like I said I don't do this very often. If you're thinking about stretching the limits of your truck on a regular basis you might want to get a bigger one.

 

About a 3800-4000lb Jeep on a car hauler:



Pulling it has no problems, just have to anticipate stops...and yes the trailer has surge brakes. I'd recommend putting an add-a-leaf in the rear, stock the springs want to sag more than I like. Part of that is how much tongue weight you have depending on how the trailer is loaded too though.

Get about 8-10 MPG depending on how fast we go. O/D off of course.

 

Here's the picture with 2 tons of limestone in the bed. I should mention to that the load E tires I have on here now would probably do alot better than the P265/75/16s that where on the truck (and probably weren't supposed to be) when I got it.

 

I have a 2005 citation 5th wheel aprox. 5000 lbs. This is my third 5th wheel. I have been towing trailers since 1990.
5000lbs is perfect for a 1/2 ton., Especially on hilly terrain. That will give you lots of room for those steep hills.

Happy Camping
Kayakman

1998 1500 Quadcab 5.9 V8
3.55 axle
PS - remember tow in O.D. off

 

Ive pulled a ~10,000 trailer with mine... It was a dog... Not much power but it did it...

If you are ever going to pull more than 6500lbs on regular occaision more than 50 miles I would recomend a diesel 2500.

 

I pull a 25 foot camper. It's alittle older(heavy) seems to do ok. Just make sure those trailer brakes work[8D]

 

ok, so I get no overdrive, trailer brakes, I would assume a load leveling hitch, and less than 6k pounds.
What about gear ratio? I have factory 3.55. Do the 4.10's make a big difference? And what about a Detroit locker?
I just don't want to get a trailer and not be able to take it out. And I don't want to go into hock for a 2500/3500 if I don't HAVE to.........................................[:@]

 

You should be able to handle more than 6k. However, if you're regularly going to tow 8-10k+ you should just shell out and get a Cummins 2500 anyway, it's going to save you money in the long run and you'll be much happier with the towing ability. Either way, definitely find a trailer with brakes on one of the axles. A half ton can handle a decent load, your main problem is not going to be the engine, its going to be the braking system. It just takes some foresight, especially on long downgrades.. (IE:don't run around hugging someone's bumper)

4.10's will help a lot with acceleration while towing compared to the 3.55's. Mine has the 3.92s (I think that's right) and I find it to be a pretty good ratio even with my 285's. 4.10's would be nicer though.