Towing Capacity - What's too much? 4.7L V8 mag
#11
#12
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Get yourself a Class III hitch, don't count on the bumper for sufficient support.
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hit...cleid=20056108
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hit...eid=2005106628
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hit...cleid=20056108
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hit...eid=2005106628
Last edited by dakotaff; 12-11-2018 at 09:24 PM.
#13
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The towing capacity of the truck dosent really have anything to do with what is safe to tow. The tow cap is upto 7000 something lbs with trailer brakes and With the right options (gearing cooling suspension hitch wiring). What you can safely tow tho (on a semi regular basis) is the lowest rating of 1 your truck, 2 your hitch, 3 your draw bar, and 4 your ball. Right now the highest rated hitch you can buy for a dakota is 5500lbs.(that im aware of). As far as what you can tow without damaging the truck goes I've pulled 10k across 2 states with my 3.7 when it was on 33s
#14
#15
#16
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No you're fine with 5000. 5500 is the safe working load meaning 5500 lbs cant break it under any normal condition. The breaking strength is going to be alot more
For the weight you're hauling i wouldn't waste money on a weight distribution. The air bags will improve ride quality but arent required
For the weight you're hauling i wouldn't waste money on a weight distribution. The air bags will improve ride quality but arent required
#17
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Just note that air bags don't increase your towing or hauling capacity. They level the truck, but in the process actually puts more downward force on the rear axle and tires than would be there without them. They also don't really help with any porpoising of the front end. You didn't say what trim level you have, but assuming you have a crew cab Laramie, your max tow rating is 5750 lbs with 3.55 axle ratio on a 4x4 4.7 V8, assuming the tow package (mirrors, wiring, receiver, and transmission cooler). With 5000 lbs (maybe 5500 fully loaded) you have little, if any, room in the truck for passengers. You need to subtract their weight from your tow rating.
My owners manual for my 2011 says that I need a WD hitch for anything over a 3000 lbs trailer. I interpret that to mean more than 450 lbs hitch weight (assuming 15% of the total trailer weight). Since the hitch weight is the important factor, you could go up a little in the overall trailer weight depending on the weight distribution in the trailer and whether your TT is a tandem or single axle trailer. If you have too much weight behind the rear axle it lifts the front end to the point that you start to lose traction. I assume the engineers that designed the truck determined that 450 lbs hitch weight was the point where the front end still had sufficient weight to maintain proper traction and more than that was no longer safe. So, with your 5000+ lbs trailer, I think you'd be best off getting the WD hitch. You might be able to pull it. But, if you were involved in an accident and operating outside the manufacturer's safety recommendations, it might not go well for you in court.
If you get the factory hitch receiver (junkyard or online), you get a class IV receiver rated to 7700 lbs. https://www.factorymopardirect.com/o...QtN2wtdjgtZ2Fz
My owners manual for my 2011 says that I need a WD hitch for anything over a 3000 lbs trailer. I interpret that to mean more than 450 lbs hitch weight (assuming 15% of the total trailer weight). Since the hitch weight is the important factor, you could go up a little in the overall trailer weight depending on the weight distribution in the trailer and whether your TT is a tandem or single axle trailer. If you have too much weight behind the rear axle it lifts the front end to the point that you start to lose traction. I assume the engineers that designed the truck determined that 450 lbs hitch weight was the point where the front end still had sufficient weight to maintain proper traction and more than that was no longer safe. So, with your 5000+ lbs trailer, I think you'd be best off getting the WD hitch. You might be able to pull it. But, if you were involved in an accident and operating outside the manufacturer's safety recommendations, it might not go well for you in court.
If you get the factory hitch receiver (junkyard or online), you get a class IV receiver rated to 7700 lbs. https://www.factorymopardirect.com/o...QtN2wtdjgtZ2Fz
#18
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Great, thanks for the advice!
For the trim I have a SLT Quad Cab. The Camper I'm looking at is a double axle.
Just to note, the trailer I'm looking to tow has a MAX Weight of 5200. So I would never go over that. At most, loaded, the trailer would be 5000 pounds.
I'm getting mixed reviews for air bag installation, or just installing air shocks with helper springs. Air bags seems to be the pricey option when helper springs hold up to the same standard.
For the trim I have a SLT Quad Cab. The Camper I'm looking at is a double axle.
Just to note, the trailer I'm looking to tow has a MAX Weight of 5200. So I would never go over that. At most, loaded, the trailer would be 5000 pounds.
I'm getting mixed reviews for air bag installation, or just installing air shocks with helper springs. Air bags seems to be the pricey option when helper springs hold up to the same standard.
#19
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The basic effect of air bags and helper springs is the same: level the truck under a load. Both add the downward force that I talked about. I haven't done either, but in my research the primary difference I found is that the air bags allow you to return to the feel and ride of the stock suspension easily when you're not towing or hauling. The helper spring stiffens the ride a lot, making it pretty harsh when you're unloaded. I suppose you could take it on and off, but that seems like a lot of work. If you're only going to use the truck to tow the TT or haul loads, the helper spring might be best. If it's also a daily driver, I'd look at the air bags.
Tandem axle will help the trailer tow straighter and bounce less. My only concern with towing a 5200 lbs TT with my Dakota would be where I'm towing it. Up and down the mountain passes could be a challenge. The other concern would be some place with a lot of crosswinds (i.e., I-80 in Wyoming). That's a large sail behind you with a relatively light TV. Going slower and having the tandem axles on the trailer will help in both cases.
That said, without the factory tow package or its equivalent, you're limited to about 3500 lbs. According to the charts dakotaff posted, with the tow package, your truck is rated at 5650 lbs for towing. In practice, you need to subtract from that the weight of any passengers, cargo (boxes in the bed, etc), and accessories (skid plates, running boards, etc). So, you're sitting almost at the truck's tow limit.
Tandem axle will help the trailer tow straighter and bounce less. My only concern with towing a 5200 lbs TT with my Dakota would be where I'm towing it. Up and down the mountain passes could be a challenge. The other concern would be some place with a lot of crosswinds (i.e., I-80 in Wyoming). That's a large sail behind you with a relatively light TV. Going slower and having the tandem axles on the trailer will help in both cases.
That said, without the factory tow package or its equivalent, you're limited to about 3500 lbs. According to the charts dakotaff posted, with the tow package, your truck is rated at 5650 lbs for towing. In practice, you need to subtract from that the weight of any passengers, cargo (boxes in the bed, etc), and accessories (skid plates, running boards, etc). So, you're sitting almost at the truck's tow limit.
#20
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Good afternoon all,
I'm having some conflicting responses in regards to towing with the Dakota. I was hoping you all had some input for me!
I'm looking to purchase a camper trailer in a few months. I've been prepping my truck to be able to tow. I'm trying to understand how close you can get to the maximum tow capacity of the Truck. Not that I want to. If anything, I'd rather be significantly under it. But if it was close, how detrimental is it to the truck? I want to make sure I can tow comfortably.
Here'es the specs of the camper.
Keystone Passport 199MLWE
Shipped weight - 4232 lbs.
GVWR - 5400 lbs.
Carrying Capacity - 1168 lbs.
Hitch 494 lbs.
Length - 21' 9"
Height - 10' 2"
Some people tell me the Dakota can only tow up to 5500, some say 6500, someone even gave me a 7900 capacity, which I doubt.
Any help is greatly appreciated, I can answer any questions as well!
Here's some facts about my truck.
2005 Dodge Dakota
4.7L V8 Magnum
4X4, Tire size 265 All-Terrain
127,000 Miles
No Idle issues, Transmission appears to run strong and no hiccups. 4X4 kicks in with no issues.
I'm having some conflicting responses in regards to towing with the Dakota. I was hoping you all had some input for me!
I'm looking to purchase a camper trailer in a few months. I've been prepping my truck to be able to tow. I'm trying to understand how close you can get to the maximum tow capacity of the Truck. Not that I want to. If anything, I'd rather be significantly under it. But if it was close, how detrimental is it to the truck? I want to make sure I can tow comfortably.
Here'es the specs of the camper.
Keystone Passport 199MLWE
Shipped weight - 4232 lbs.
GVWR - 5400 lbs.
Carrying Capacity - 1168 lbs.
Hitch 494 lbs.
Length - 21' 9"
Height - 10' 2"
Some people tell me the Dakota can only tow up to 5500, some say 6500, someone even gave me a 7900 capacity, which I doubt.
Any help is greatly appreciated, I can answer any questions as well!
Here's some facts about my truck.
2005 Dodge Dakota
4.7L V8 Magnum
4X4, Tire size 265 All-Terrain
127,000 Miles
No Idle issues, Transmission appears to run strong and no hiccups. 4X4 kicks in with no issues.
So you shouldn't have any problems pulling any thing.