I recently picked up my '04 Ram 1500 4.7L Crew Cab, and it has a Class III hitch installed...

My question is from what I hear if you plan on towing a leveling kit is recommended, but I thought that the Dodge trucks were set up stock so that when tongue weight is applied the truck becomes level??

Also is a tranny cooler needed for towing a small truck, lets say a Mazda B2200?

Any help would be a appreciated!

 

Dont know about the levelling kit but id toss the tranny cooler in, better safe than sorry.

 

I don't think I have the "tow package" the hitch wasn't on the truck originally from what I know, it was tossed in with the purchase from the dealership...its brand new installed though

 

Ditto that. Are you towing it on a trailer? If so, you may be close to the towing limit. The Mazda probably weighs 4,000# and the trailer 2,000 or so. Make sure the trailer has brakes and the truck has a brake controller. If you're just towing the Mazda, tongue weight won't come into play, but your braking capability is surely diminished. Be real careful trying to stop that much weight with just the Ram's brakes.

 

Yes you are correct, dodge is set up with the rear higher so when you tow it will self level! Putting a leveling kit on will only torque up the front end and with a trailer on it will then lower the rear and make the front even higher!

 

Out of curiousity, what kind of trailer are we talking about? Pop-up camper? Toy hauler? Car trailer?

 

I'd be concerned about the class III hitch (MGTW of 5000lbs and 500Lbs tongue weigth), They usually put class IV hitch's (7500 and 1000lbs TW) on all trucks... Get that verified since it will be a factor in towing capabilities...

 

Don't all the rams come with a class III but when you add the optional receiver it becomes a class IV?

 

The truck has a towing capacity of 6300 or 7300 depending on the rear gear ration. If it has 3.92 rear gears, then it has a capacity of 7300 lbs. You will want to be sure and stay within these limits.

I think the recommendation you are getting on leveling kit is refering to a weight distribution hitch. I tow a 6300 lb travel trailer. The weight distribution hitch is a must with higher trailer weights. It will make the towing experience much more comfortable for you. The hitch distributes the tongue weight between the trucks front axle, rear axle and trailer's axles. It does not lift the front of the truck. Do some research on Reese Hitches web page. They have a lot of info on setting up one and how it works.

Class III hitches have two weight capacities, one without a weight distribution hitch and one with the hitch. The hitch usually increases the tongue weight by 300 lbs and the trailer weight by 3000 lbs. This does not mean the truck can handle more, it means the hitch can handle more. Be sure to stay within the trucks capacity.

Good luck. There is a lot of miss-information out there on topics like this one.