I spent the weekend in Tuscaloosa watching AL destroy TN with a buddy of mine (cause GA was off this week) but what's relevant to this post is we went in a ford f-250 with a 5th wheel camper and tailgated, FYI it was awesome! After pleading with the wife sunday she agreed we need to get a 5th wheel camper for our GA games. I got the dealer sheet today to find out gears and transmission and honestly I'm still lost on what I can tow with my 2500. Below is what the sheet says................

Year 2004

Engine - Engine - Hemi "magnum" 5.7 SMPI V8 (please don't say I should have gotten a diesel, I already regret not doing so daily but I'm in and can't get out so I will have to deal with it"

Transmission DGQ - Transmission-5-SPd Automatic 5-45RFE

Body Model 7h41 - dodge ram 2500 SLT Quad Cab 4x4 4wd 140.5

5ZM 2500 GVW

5ZE 6 1/2 cargo box

AHC trailer tow group

AHD heavy duty snow plow prep group

DJQ Axle front 9.25

DME Axle ratio - 3.73

DRW axle rear 10.50

DSA Axle anti spin differential

DHA torque converter - lock up

I'm running E-rated 34" nitto terra grappler AT's
According to dodges website I have a GCWR of 15,000

Now that's all the codes I could find that had anything to do with towing and from what I came up with I can only pull 8,850 LBS? Is that correct? When I called my buddy with the ford f-250 and told him that he laughed at me, literally on the phone laughed. Then said if that's right then you need to trade it in for a ford cause you just bought a heavy duty, gas drinking, sissy trunk. Then started talking about 5th wheel hitch rating but still irritated at his condescending tone I just hung up on him I came here to ask hoping my calculations are wrong.

Also saw a few codes on the dealer sheet I was curious about if anyone could help my decipher.

2TJ Costumer Preffered Package 2TJ
594 Vehicle Order Tracking
5TV Buisnesslink inventory
5TX Buisnesslink By Pass
5ZW DR- Vehicle family
NZD engine controller next generation


Mainly just interested in what you guys think would be a safe weight range to buy a 5th wheel rv in. Will have 4 to 5 people with me each game so roughly 200lbs per person plus grill, Beer, tv's, ice, etc I'm guessing at least 2000 lbs in just junk and beer guts. So does that really leave me with a 6550 lb 5th wheel?

 

The number I'm looking at is 10,500....
That is with a weight distributing hitch, so I would guess you could go a little higher with a 5 wheel.


I have one word for you: GEARS.

Put 4.56 gears in it front and rear and it should do fine.
BTW, also, kick your buddies *** next time you see him since Fords are really turds unless its the 7.3 PS, anything else sucks.

 

Hahahaha I would but this is a small victory for his truck as mine has had to pull him out of more than one mud hole in the past as well as pulled a huge pine tree stump out roots and all when his just sat there and spun. I have no doubt my truck can pull anything his can and then some but what worries me is insurance. Being where I plan to pull this thing I don't want to hit something and then worry insurance won't pay out cause I was above what Dodge says I can pull.

 

Just gotta say it here again: Ford rates their garden variety F-150 at 11,000 lbs. Not a Powerstroke F250, but the "maintenance department" generic F-150. Nobody ever says how it can magically do this but it's what's on the paperwork so it must be true.

The 34's aren't doing you any good in the gearing category. Going to 4.x gears will cost you a good bit since you've got to do it twice.

 

I have to say gears as well. Running 34's with 3.73s and a 5th wheel and you won't like it. 4.56s would be a nice upgrade. If you want even more after the gears...I would go with an intake, tune and exhaust. It'll be a whole different truck.

 

4.56's, SCT tuner, fresh tune up, 180* stat, new y-pipe...done.

 

Well alright 4.56's it is then. Will this also change the amount of weight I can legally pull? Also where do you guys recommend I order the gears from? I looked online today at work and all I found was eBay for $400 apiece for front and back. Probably just gonna let the shop install them but wanted to go ahead and order the gears.

 

Gears will not change the amount of weight you can legally tow, no.
But it will make it alot easier to tow what weight you are towing. You will need front and rear gears and a shop that KNOWS how to install them. Ask them who will be doing the install and how many sets he has installed. If they have only done one or two or will be going by a book. RUN.

 

All of this is over shadowed by the 1 true weight number you need when towing. Payload. Your 2500 truck is probably rated to carry somewhere about 2500lbs cargo (give or take). In that payload you have to include your passengers and extra gear put in the truck, as well as the pin weight of the trailer and the 5th wheel hitch. If your trailer is going to put 1500lbs on the hitch, and the hitch weighs 300lbs you have 700lbs of cargo and people you can carry in the truck. Go over that, and you are over weight no matter how much is behind you. Also to consider is axle carrying capacity... with a 5th wheel that weight is mostly on the rear axle. That axle may or may not be rated to handle it, regardless of overall payload capacity. To know that number read the specs on your truck door post, and then you need to weigh the truck hooked up to the trailer.

If you aren't looking at the monster sized 5th wheels, you should be ok. If you want a 35ft, super tall, mobile home to hold 30 friends then you need a 1 ton dually truck. If you want a 20 something ft, average sized 5th wheel (good to sleep 5) then you likely will be ok. There is many ultra-light type trailer out now that would make your life easier.

 

The only other thing i'll recommend is getting yourself a good set of pads and rotors. I definately recommend the front if not the back along with it. A set of drilled or drilled and slotted rotors with a premium pad will definitely help you with your braking. It should decrease your braking distance with heavy loads, and also help dissipate the heat that is going to build up from the extra weight behind you. Especially when stopping at highway speeds.
Other than that and gears, i would definately get a superchips tuner. You can get a used unlocked on on ebay for about 200$ roughly. It has a tow mode that affects your shift points along with your gas mileage. Definately a noticable upgrade you should make.