Hey guys got a towing question.I have a 2009 Ram 1500 with a HEMI that I bought new.Its all stock and I love the way that it runs and drives.In October I will be attending a Car Show in Alabama(I am in Utah) so I will be towing a trailer with my car on it.Im hoping to use a enclosed trailer to keep the car as clean as possible for the Show but if I cant find one to use then I will use an open trailer.The car is a 71 Dodge Charger R/T big and heavy.My question is have any of you out their with a 1500 with the coil spring rear suspension towing something that heavy?And how did the truck do?Gas mileage?Did the rear sag a lot? Thanks for any feedback Sam

 

i just recently towed my f150 to the scrap yard. trailer netted 8k lbs. it squatted a little, and a trailer brake controller would have helped tons. but the little 4.7 did AWESOME.

on the squat note, it just about leveled the truck. not impairing the driving at all.

 

Maybe you could make something like this.

http://www.serpentexpress.com/

I have one for my Cobra. It is very light weight. You only need to protect the car against dirt and chips. You could proably mock this up yourself with some electrical conduit and a bender.....

 

you could always get a weight distribution hitch

 

I just towed my tractor 4200lbs on my 16ft car hauler and my truck did just fine with it. I also have a leveling kit, and I put in taller bump stops in the rear of the truck so it won't squat all that much. Gas mileage wasn't the best, but what can you expect when towing something.

 

If you are planning on towing often might want to look at Airlift 1000s. Only about $100, about an hour to install. They will get rid of any sag. I have them, I tow a 9000lbs travel trailer, they work great along with the weight distribution hitch. Trailer brake control is a must. It scares the sh*t out of me thinking that people would tow that kind of weight without trailer brakes. The brakes on these trucks are awesome, but not enough to stop that kind of weight in an emergency.

 

I'm waiting on my Air Lift 1000's. I got mine from, "Ultimate truck.com" for $80.69 and free shipping.

 

I always use a weight distributing hitch.

 

If you don’t already have one the first thing you need is a brake controller. By law you need trailer brakes and a controller for the weight you’ll be towing. I recommend a Tekonsha Prodigy 2. It’s an industry standard that has the latest circuitry for inertia control and adjustability. If you end up using an open trailer the only thing you’ll need to get is the proper height ball receiver for the trailer tong height. You’ll be in the 5,000 lbs range and that’ll only require 500 lbs of tong weight at most which is easy for the truck in stock condition without any rear suspension additions. If you are using an enclosed trailer you need to get a weight distribution hitch to equalize the load. Set up properly these will allow you to tow up to the rated capacity of your vehicle. Have someone knowledgeable show you the proper set-up of a weight distribution system.

When you get your trailer take a good look at the tire age. The manufacture date will be on the side of the tire and it’ll be a four digit code. The first two digits are the week of the year and the last two are the year. ie….2508 would be the 25th week of 2008. Anything over 5 yrs is a failure waiting to happen given the distance you’re traveling. Most trailer tires wear out from age and expose themselves when put to the test of a long ride when loaded. If it’s an open trailer it’ll have 5 bolt wheels and the tire should have at least a C load rating. If it’s an enclosed trailer I’d be more comfortable with load range D tires. When you’re broke down on the road with a trailer tire/axle problem you can’t throw money out the window fast enough to get things fixed.

Prior to buying my 2011 Hemi Ram I towed my 3k and 7.5k enclosed trailers with a 2004 Hemi Durango w/3.92 and it was everything that the replacement truck is when it came to stability and braking with a load. That includes my 24’ enclosed car hauler.

 

The towing task you describe should fall well within the capabilities of your 09 RAM.
You will need to add the Trailer Brake, and will probably drive yourself crazy trying to install it in the hole left of the steering wheel.
You will appreciate adding the AirLift 1000's (you don't need to go for the Onboard Inflation - the std install with 2 air lines run out to the rear licence plate frame bolts is GOOD), and may want to check this $75 Rebate out (although it does NOT include the 1000's). I've added AirLift 1000's to my RAM for times towing a 4500lb camper, and they are great at leveling out the 1-2in of squat that the coil springs always allowed - and don't affect the normal ride when aired down to 10lbs.
You didn't mention whether your RAM has the Towing Package - if not you might eventually want to add a Tranny Cooler although you should be good with just stock for this first towing trip. You can use the EVIC to check Tranny Temp while towing up over the big passes (I assume you'll go over on I-70 or maybe I-80).
As for gas mileage, towing will always eat it up (especially if you tow a closed trailer with a taller blunt nose). You can expect something between 10-12MPG. Use Tow-Haul mode through the mountains and then switch it off for the plains and the rest. You might even find that you can get into Fuel Saver mode under cruise control if you keep speed near 65MPH.
Enjoy the trip...