Good day, I apologize up front if this question has been answered somewhere else. I have purchased a 2009 Ram 1500 Crew Cab Laramie, 5.7 Hemi. It's a nice truck. Anyway, I tow a 21' travel trailer, 4300 pounds, lets say 5500 pounds all said and done...Should tow it very easy. It came with 275/60/R20 tires I believe, I am assuming from what I read that they are "P" tires, I looked but, now I've forgotten. Couple of questions please and thanks. 1) Am I able to tow with "P" tires?, I understand that LT tires are likely more preferable, but are "P" tires fine? 2) Can I move down to a 17" tire on the same rim? I have tires from my 2006 Dodge Dakota that are 17's. They should fit right? 3) Do I tow in 4WD or 2WD or does it matter? 4) Do I need to tow using the toy/haul button? It has the 3:92 gear ratio. Anyway, sorry if these are stupid questions, this is my first full size truck and I so looking forward to hooking up this summer and heading out, I expect it to be so much more comfortable towing my TT than with the Dakota.

 

Wrangler HPs in the 275/60/20 size are rated for 2600 lbs ea max. Truck probably weighs less than 6000, and tongue weight isn't that much - I assume you'll be just fine.

I have a 3rd gen manual floor shifter transfer case, once I shift into 4H - can't turn unless the wheels are able to slip (one wheel turns faster than the other in a turn, and will cause binding). I don't know how the new 4x4 setups work, but I wouldn't use 4x4 unless you're driving in snow or off road in mud.

You may consider an equalizer setup for your rig...

This is more than you need.... but an example all the same.
http://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distr...s/PS49902.html

 

I have weight distribution bars and hitch and will be using them anyway. Just not sure about the tires and towing in 4x4 mode is all.

 

If your current tires are originals or equivalent to the factory originals then they are fine to handle whatever tow rating and GCWR your truck has. No need for LT-rated tires.

Not sure about your question on if you can mount 17s. They won't fit on the stock 20" wheel...

Don't use 4WD unless you're in truly slippery conditions while towing. If the roads are icy/slippery then feel free to use it.

Do use Tow/Haul mode when towing. You don't have to but it should avoid gear hunting at highway speeds.

Rob

 

You could buy 17 inch rims like off e/bay or? And mount new 17s. If you tow a lot the 17s are the 'preferred' size. I pull a 6000ibs5th wheel and have the 20s. Run air psi to max on the rear tires.

 

The one thing you will find is that the rear end does sag quite a lot. I pulled our 32ft holiday trailer, and that thing sagged pretty near 6". Although I was surprised it never once hit the stops...

My truck pulled that trailer alright, but I was never going more then 300km one way. If I were to be going any more distance then that, I would probably have invested in a set of bags. From what I heard it helps out like night and day...

Its not a "fun" pull, and I am in Alberta so there are not many hills. Its definitely not a pull you can set the cruise at 110km/h and one hand on the wheel. It definitely keeps you on edge most of the time. From what I hear putting bags in helps that just in itself.

As far as tires go, I was pulling with P rated tires. As BigBlue already stated, the need to increase that rating just to tow the trailer is not there. However what I have seen lots is people upgrade them just to make it pull better, But again its not an absolute must. I would have done it too, but as you probably have already found out. A 20" tire is not cheap...

Also as far as the 4WD goes...I thought these new transfer cases had a slip gear in them? Just for such cases as driving in 4X4 on dry ground. I do notice a difference between the 4x4 in an 04 duramax, compared to my truck. In that duramax you can't turn hard at all in 4x4. However with my truck you can, you can tell its in 4x4, but it doesn't jump or anything...

 

My experience has been the opposite with sag. I've pulled several types of heavy loads and not had a significant issue. At first I put in some Firestone bags before a several thousand mile trip through the mountains with about 8500# of trailer and gear. It pulled decently. Then the bags went to hell and I ripped them out. Next time I pulled the same trailer with about the same weight it rode the same. Didn't sag noticeably more and drove just as well. I also have had too much weight hooked up (after the bags were removed)... probably slightly over 12,000 total with a larger skid-steer loader, heavy brush mower, and steel trailer. That didn't sag bad either. Here's a pic...



Much about trailering is dependent on the specifics of the situation. How you load the trailer, how much tongue weight you have, etc. I'm not saying that certain combinations won't cause issues with sag or other problems, but it isn't always the case and it isn't a direct correlation to towing weight. You probably had less control of tongue weight with a travel trailer and ended up a bit front-heavy. Towing is kind of a art, not an exact science.

Rob

 

No airbags and P/rated tires. I've pulled it about 5000 miles last summer.

 

Thanks for the feedback guys. Appreciate it, gonna go with 20's for the summer, found some decent tires. Load rated 117. And I have my weight distribution hitch system.

 

will a light duty (1/2 ton) pull a heavy load, sure it has as much or more power than the HD's do (3/4 and 1 ton) but what it doesn't have is the brakes, frame, transmission and suspension to safely tow that heavy load.