Anyone run a gooseneck hitch in their Ram 1500? I'd much rather run a gooseneck hitch to pull similar weight as I'd pull with a bumper hitch, plus the gooseneck trailer I can use for free instead of buying a bumper pull trailer.

Can anyone recommend some brand names? Not too picky on hideaway ball, etc but it definitely is nice. Mostly looking to keep costs to a minimum.
Does anyone know if a hitch off a 2500 would line up? If someone could measure their frame rail seperation on their 2500 that would be great.

 

Reese makes a set of rails that will accommodate either a 5th wheel, or a gooseneck plate/ball assembly. I have no idea what it costs, but if ever given the choice, I'd pull any trailer with a 5th wheel/gooseneck ball rather than a frame mounted bumper hitch.
The automatic sway control that is provided by having your hitch point at or in front of the rear axle can't be matched with a WDR hitch - close, but not quite.

However, you lose bed space when using a 5th/gooseneck.
Your call.

I don't know if a 2500 hitch mounting kit will fit on a 1500

 

I have a flat plate hitch in my 08 1500. I pull a 3h trailswest gn with a 5'dressing room,mid tack,rear tack and feed ,managers. I installed firestone air bags and the hemi handles it just fine.

 

How much weight are you talking about pulling though? Even that type of trailer itself would weigh more than a normal one

 

with a half a tank of gas, 2 1200lbs mares and the wife and daughter i tipped the scales a little heavy, 14620 lbs, brakes good on both, hemi handles it like a champ.

 

I'd be pulling a 24' flatdeck trailer plus a 4500 lb Blazer off-road rig. Possibly a 500 lb camper too lol

 

Too much. Not too much for 5th, just too much in general. A 24' flatdeck trailer is too much weight in itself I'd bet?? Those things are like 5,000lbs dry!
A cheap uhaul car trailer with a 4500# Blazer is all that should be towed on your Ram.
If you get pulled over...and with a 24' flatdeck it's very possible...You WILL get tickets and won't be able to leave with your trailer. You willl be forced to drop and have it towed or hauled by a larger truck. I suppose if your local, it's not an issue, but I could clearly tell that there was a bit of weight out back when I towed my mustang(3500#'s) with a uhaul car trailer(2100lbs.) It pulled hard with stock trans tuning and I have 3:92 gears. Once I installed a tuner and altered the shifting, tows MUCH better.
This doesn't mean you can tow more, just means the weight that is allowed will feel much lighter oout back.
9,000lbs is the limit for a 1500. Forget the particulars of gearing/wheels..etc. We're talking about brake and frame stength. 9,000lbs is the most any Ram 1500 is rated.(9.3k if you needed to get ahead of yourself) You must accomodate for all the loaded cargo too. Think about all the crap just inside your cab weighing you down. I have about 200lbs myself and this doesn't include me sitting in the driver seat. Go sticking 4 heads inside a cab and that adds another 500lbs easy. Think about how much that 5th plate weighs, fuel, etc...
What are your tires rated at?

 

Yep, known more than one guy whose gotten a heavy fine and had to offload the trailer on the side of the road and make arrangements for someone with the proper truck to come get it in Georgia.

I have a friend who pulls peanuts in the fall and these guys pull tandem trailers (which is legal in Ga., amazingly) with their pickups as they get paid by how much they get to the processor. Cops LOVE to pull over guys with 1/2 ton trucks pulling two peanut trailers because it's like 11,000 lbs. if they are both jam packed.

This guy got REALLY jacked in the fall of '09 because his insurance dropped him (after getting too many over-weight tickets) and he got stopped. Ended up getting his license suspended. He had to wait 6 months and pay something like $3500 to get his license back. Last I talked to him, he could only get assigned risk insurance which is costing him in the neighborhood of $200 a month.

I dunno about where you live, but in my neck of the woods, pulling over what the truck is rated for will get you jammed up with the man, big time...

 

Just wondering why everyone says the max tow rate on the 2010 Dodge 1500 is 4000lbs, when its rated at 10,450? Just wondering!

 

Cyclerhodes,

It does depend on the vehicle's engine, transmission and axle ratio to determine its vehicle towing recommendations. To locate a specific max. trailer weight check out this link:

http://www.rambodybuilder.com/year.pdf

If you have any questions please feel free to PM me.