I need advice from other dodge ram 3/4 ton pickup owners. I recently moved out of state but I'm heading back to pick up the truck (96 dodge ram 2500 8.0 liter) and the jeep. I planned on towing the jeep with a uhaul auto trailer (not the dolly) but uhaul says the truck can't tow the trailer w/ a jeep cherokee. I find it hard to believe that it won't tow it. Thoughts? Recommendations? They say that if I rent one of the auto dollies, it would tow it because the weight of the jeep is not on a full trailer. I'd rather put it on a trailer over a dolly since I'm driving it 1800 miles.

-Tim

 

I don't personally own it but my dad had a 95 V10 3/4 ton auto, and use to pull 14000 #s plus on a gooseneck trailer. Even had a 96 one ton V10 that he slightly over loaded at around 30,000 #s (tractor and gooseneck trailer) but he didn't have to travel that many miles. Anyways, there is no reason at all why you couldn't haul a jeep. Uhaul must be stupid as he**. I would ask them why you couldn't tow it, if they say it is because of the weight, something is wrong. Maybe they have some other reason.

 

According to the uhaul lady, she says that the weight of the jeep plus the weight of the trailer would out weigh the overall weight of the truck so the trailer load out weighs the truck. In a way, that makes sense but I've seen and been in Ford rangers that have towed full trailers with a classic camaro on it. Damn Uhaul!!!!!! When I get back, I'll have to see what the tow hitch is rated at. I believe it is 10,000 pounds. I may just have to lie to uhaul and say I'm towing a civic or a lighter vehicle.

 

The hitch should be rated at between 8,000 and 10,000 lbs. Anything over 10,000 requires a 5th wheel setup. There's no way that the trailer and jeep combined will come close to the 10,000 lb. limit on the hitch.

Towing capacity has nothing to do with the weight of the truck being less than the weight of the trailer. Sounds to me like the uhaul lady has no freakin' clue what she's talking about. [&:]

 

Sadly Uhaul dont know what they are talking about, they use really od figures to get what they tell you. The only way you can get by with it, is tell them you are hauling a really light car or see if you can use someones dually to pick up the trailor then switch it over to your truck when you get away from there. I have to do that alot, because if you went by their rules, you would have to use a semi to haul a yugo.


Oh by the way your Cherokee only weighs in at like 4000 pounds, and I am guessing you Ram weighs close to 6000 or more, just a guess, my short bed 1/2 only weighs 4500, so then their trailor must weigh 2000 pds.