i have a 2012 ram big horn 2wd, im looking to buy a 2004 cedar creek 5th wheel camper, it weighs 10k, will my truck pull it? the guy at the dealer said that it would, he said i would probably need to install a tranny cooler and maybe air bags, if anyone has any info or advice it would be appreiated. thanks

 

This is a 1500 I assume? No matter what axle you have 10,000 is likely dry weight and would be pushing it in my opinion. You also have to factor in what you'll be carrying such as any water, propane, batteries, bedding, food, etc.. I'd try to find something a little lighter. Air bags would be good. I guess an additional tranny cooler wouldn't hurt but if you do get one I suggest a thermostatically controlled one so it doesn't over cool in the winter.

 

i'm kinda stuck behind rock and a hard place, my truck is not even 8 mos old and wouldn't be feasible to trade for something better equiped to handle the camper, and i can get the camper for way cheap, so i guess im going to have to figure out some other way to tow it, i don't want to mess up 30k truck, or kill myself or someone else, thanks for the help

 

Overloaded in my opinion.

 

Go talk to the dealer never know with the 13's coming out you maybe able to change trucks and not be out much. it may make the total cost of the camper less but it if it is something you want maybe worth it to you overall.

 

Towing is an art, not an exact science. Can your truck pull that trailer? Certainly. But can it do it safely and without destroying the truck prematurely? That depends...

First, what engine and rear axle ratio do you have? Depending on the setup it may be rated for close or slightly over your 10K weight. If your tow rating is significantly lower then it is time to reconsider. If it is in the ballpark does that mean it's going to be just fine? Not exactly...

Is the 10K weight the empty/dry weight or the max weight when loaded with equipment, supplies, and all liquids? If the former then you just need to stop now and skip the idea because you'll be significantly overloaded when in normal towing conditions. If it maxes at 10K fully loaded read on...

What type of conditions are you going to pull in? Somewhere within 100-200 miles from home in fairly flat terrain? Just several times a year? Probably not a big deal then, as long as the truck itself isn't also heavily loaded (remember, towing capacity includes cargo in the truck too). If you're going through a lot of mountainous conditions, driving in extreme heat, bad weather, etc. then you're going to be at the bleeding edge of the limits and towing it will be risky to safety and longevity of the truck.

You always have be careful when towing a trailer. Even if the truck can technically tow the load don't assume it will be simple and safe. When you're near the towing capacity of the vehicle you have to be extra, extra careful because you can more easily get into unsafe conditions (stopping distances in poor conditions, for example, or unbalanced loads). Use the info above to decide whether you're being smart or risky about the situation. If you are going to exceed the capabilities then either get a different camper or different tow vehicle.

As for trans cooler and airbags, your truck may already have a trans cooler if it has a trailering package. If not it might be a good idea. Airbags can be useful to level a load to keep the back end from sagging too much, but I think it is more cosmetic than functional. They might improve handling a bit but they will have zero effect on actual towing capacity/capability.

Rob

 

I'm always surprised by the lack of understanding of vehicle ratings. Your truck has 2 ratings, Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR). GVWR is the sum of the weight of the truck, it's occupants, gasoline, cargo and the tongue weight of the trailer. GCWR is the sum of GVWR plus the weight of the trailer itself. If you have the max capacities for your truck with ratings of GVWR of 6,800 lbs and GCWR of 15,500 lbs then this is the way to figure out if you are over your head.

Assume that your trailer is 10,000 lbs with a tongue weigh of 1,000 to 1,500 lbs (10-15% of trailer weight). Also assume your truck weight 5,300 lbs with gas and you weight in at 200 lbs.

GVWR = 5,300 + 200 + 1000 (low end of TW) = 6,500 lbs, since the trucks has a GCWR of 6,800 lbs, that leaves you 300 lbs for all of the other passengers and gear and all the other stuff you want to take camping. If on the other hand the TW is closer to 1,500 lbs, you are over the limit pretty muck right away at GVWR of 7,000 lbs.

GCWR = GVWR + trailer (by the way, the TW comes off the trailer weight since it is added to the truck so for this exercise the trailer weight is either 8,500 (for the TW of 1,500 lbs or 9,000 (for the TW of 1000 lbs), either way they add up to 10,000.

So, GCWR = 6,500 + 9,000 + passengers and gear = 15,500 + , this is over the limit since the max GCWR is 15,500 and you haven't accounted for the wife, kids and firewood, etc, etc.

the other scenario is

GCWR = 7,000 + 8,500 + passengers and gear = 15,500 + , this again is over the limit for the same reason as the last calculation.

The difference here is that for the first scenario, you still have a little more room with the GVWR.

Hope it makes sense to you.

 

There is no trailering package on the 1500s and they all come with a trans cooler.

 

There was some type of trailering package available on lower models (ST?) when I ordered my 2010. Perhaps it was just the trailer brake controller and I'm mixing things up.

Rob

 

I'm pretty sure the tow package is available on the 1500's. Unless the hitch, trailer light plug and oil cooler are for something else.