Towing question
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Towing question
I have a 06 Ram 1500 quad cab with a hemi. I am looking to pic up a mustang. 91 lx. I was thinking of using a u-haul car hauler to tow the mustang back to my house since the mustang is not currently registered. I am 90% I have the factory tow package with the factory hitch. I am guessing it is a class IV hitch?
I have done a bit of research and it seems that the stock hitch has a 500lbs tongue weight and a 5000lbs tow weight, is this true? Is this rating stamped on the hitch anywhere? If it was on a sticker the sticker is loooooong gone, lol.
If the hitch is only rated at 5000lbs I might be out of luck because u-hauls car hauler weighs 2200lbs and the mustang weighs 3100lbs... 5300lbs is over the rating.
Any one know the answer to any of these questions? Thanks!
I have done a bit of research and it seems that the stock hitch has a 500lbs tongue weight and a 5000lbs tow weight, is this true? Is this rating stamped on the hitch anywhere? If it was on a sticker the sticker is loooooong gone, lol.
If the hitch is only rated at 5000lbs I might be out of luck because u-hauls car hauler weighs 2200lbs and the mustang weighs 3100lbs... 5300lbs is over the rating.
Any one know the answer to any of these questions? Thanks!
Don't worry about it, you will be fine, alot of people including myself pull way more than that. Your truck will handle it, but you need to make your own decision, if your really freaked out about it than you should go a different route, beside our trucks are rated somewhere in the 7000 lbs range.
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Don't worry about it, you will be fine, alot of people including myself pull way more than that. Your truck will handle it, but you need to make your own decision, if your really freaked out about it than you should go a different route, beside our trucks are rated somewhere in the 7000 lbs range.
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I know, but the factory hitch is only rated for 5,000lbs. I don't think uhaul cares what the hitch rating is with a load distribution hitch. Plus if I spend 2-300 bucks on a load distribution hitch I might as well just pay to have the car towed to me.
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You have a factory tow package with only a class III hitch? I've never seen a Ram with factory tow come with less than a class IV (10,000 lb.) hitch EVER unless it was a 2wd, RC V6. Are you sure it's factory tow package? Do you have a 7 pin plug and an auxiliary transmission cooler? If not, you don't have the package.
Straight off my build sheet:
AHC - Trailer Tow Group
BAZS - 136 Amp Alternator
BCQP - 750 Amp Maintenance Free Battery
DMH - 3.92 Axle Ratio
DRBS - Corporate 9.25 LD Rear Axle
XFHP - Class IV Receiver Hitch
XFKP - 7 Pin Wiring Harness
XFUS - Trailer Tow w/4-Pin Connector Wiring
NHBP - Auxiliary Transmission Oil Cooler
And as per our friends at the SAE:
Class I —up to 2,000 pounds (910 kg) — light loads
Class II —up to 3,500 pounds (1,600 kg) — light loads
Class III —up to 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg) — medium loads (campers, boats, etc.)
Class IV —up to 10,000 pounds (4,500 kg) — larger loads (campers, boats, etc.)
If you do only have a Class III hitch, you are right, they probably won't rent you the hauler as they will be putting themselves at liability that their insurance won't cover (and yours won't cover you if towing over your vehicle's limit)...
Straight off my build sheet:
AHC - Trailer Tow Group
BAZS - 136 Amp Alternator
BCQP - 750 Amp Maintenance Free Battery
DMH - 3.92 Axle Ratio
DRBS - Corporate 9.25 LD Rear Axle
XFHP - Class IV Receiver Hitch
XFKP - 7 Pin Wiring Harness
XFUS - Trailer Tow w/4-Pin Connector Wiring
NHBP - Auxiliary Transmission Oil Cooler
And as per our friends at the SAE:
Class I —up to 2,000 pounds (910 kg) — light loads
Class II —up to 3,500 pounds (1,600 kg) — light loads
Class III —up to 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg) — medium loads (campers, boats, etc.)
Class IV —up to 10,000 pounds (4,500 kg) — larger loads (campers, boats, etc.)
If you do only have a Class III hitch, you are right, they probably won't rent you the hauler as they will be putting themselves at liability that their insurance won't cover (and yours won't cover you if towing over your vehicle's limit)...
Last edited by HammerZ71; Dec 11, 2011 at 10:32 AM.
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You have a factory tow package with only a class III hitch? I've never seen a Ram with factory tow come with less than a class IV (10,000 lb.) hitch EVER unless it was a 2wd, RC V6. Are you sure it's factory tow package? Do you have a 7 pin plug and an auxiliary transmission cooler? If not, you don't have the package.
Straight off my build sheet:
AHC - Trailer Tow Group
BAZS - 136 Amp Alternator
BCQP - 750 Amp Maintenance Free Battery
DMH - 3.92 Axle Ratio
DRBS - Corporate 9.25 LD Rear Axle
XFHP - Class IV Receiver Hitch
XFKP - 7 Pin Wiring Harness
XFUS - Trailer Tow w/4-Pin Connector Wiring
NHBP - Auxiliary Transmission Oil Cooler
And as per our friends at the SAE:
Class I —up to 2,000 pounds (910 kg) — light loads
Class II —up to 3,500 pounds (1,600 kg) — light loads
Class III —up to 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg) — medium loads (campers, boats, etc.)
Class IV —up to 10,000 pounds (4,500 kg) — larger loads (campers, boats, etc.)
Straight off my build sheet:
AHC - Trailer Tow Group
BAZS - 136 Amp Alternator
BCQP - 750 Amp Maintenance Free Battery
DMH - 3.92 Axle Ratio
DRBS - Corporate 9.25 LD Rear Axle
XFHP - Class IV Receiver Hitch
XFKP - 7 Pin Wiring Harness
XFUS - Trailer Tow w/4-Pin Connector Wiring
NHBP - Auxiliary Transmission Oil Cooler
And as per our friends at the SAE:
Class I —up to 2,000 pounds (910 kg) — light loads
Class II —up to 3,500 pounds (1,600 kg) — light loads
Class III —up to 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg) — medium loads (campers, boats, etc.)
Class IV —up to 10,000 pounds (4,500 kg) — larger loads (campers, boats, etc.)
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From: South Georgia/East Florida
They won't give a rat's a$$ about a weight distributing hitch (although they rent them too). They only care about the max rating and leave any optional (recommended) equipment up to you. Been there, done that with 14,000 lb. peanut trailers on my diesel that was only rated at 10k without a WDH (16k pounds with). If your vehicle has a PRINTED rating at or above what they are gonna rent you, then it gets them off the hook as far as liability goes and trust me, that's all they care about - THEY WANT YOUR MONEY...
In Georgia you can only be ticketed for towing above the stated capacity of the vehicle, there is no law stating at what rate or even if a WDH be used. Now the insurance company can be another story as far as YOUR liability goes, you need to read your policy, they may require towing with a WDH at a certain percentage of the vehicles capacity. Mine does not, but I know some do...
In Georgia you can only be ticketed for towing above the stated capacity of the vehicle, there is no law stating at what rate or even if a WDH be used. Now the insurance company can be another story as far as YOUR liability goes, you need to read your policy, they may require towing with a WDH at a certain percentage of the vehicles capacity. Mine does not, but I know some do...
Last edited by HammerZ71; Dec 11, 2011 at 10:38 AM.
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Not sure about 06 but the dead giveaway on my truck that i have the factory tow group, is on the column shifter. Button on the end you push labeled "tow". Factory tow also comes with a round trailer wire plug and a 4 wire that dangles. If you have factory tow, you should have a class iv hitch and plenty of capacity to tow that car.
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Not sure about 06 but the dead giveaway on my truck that i have the factory tow group, is on the column shifter. Button on the end you push labeled "tow". Factory tow also comes with a round trailer wire plug and a 4 wire that dangles. If you have factory tow, you should have a class iv hitch and plenty of capacity to tow that car.