Towing Capacity for Travel Trailer
 

Currenlty own a 2014 Dodge Ram 150 (four door cab) short bed 4x4 5.7 Hemi.
Purchasing a 2017 Rockwood Travel Trailer that weighs 8,500 lbs. (higher than number on travel trailer) with a 1200 lb capacity for cargo.
Will my Dodge Ram pull this baby? What issues will I have or create?

Your owners manual will state the towing capacity of your vehicle. If you don't have one, you can download one here for free:


https://www.mopar.com/ramtrucks/en-u...ge-center.html

what rear axle do you have 3.55 or 3.92
i pull a TT with my 2015 ecodisel , 3.92 axle ... 34 ft long 8500# pulls good
you will need a good equalizer , anti sway hitch

Will it pull it... YES... will it be safe, Maybe NOT.

I have the same RAM, Big Horn, 4x4, crew cab, 5.7 bed, with the 8 speed and 3.21 gears. I pull a 5000# TT just fine. But I am well within my payload capacity. My tongue weight is about 575#.

Payload for that RAM is under #1500, (1460# rings a bell) which is the design load carried by the truck. That number includes gas, passengers, cargo and tongue weight of your TT.

My WDH weighs about 60#, say two passengers at 400#, cargo at 200#, fuel at 200#. That leaves about 640# left for the travel trailer to put a load on the RAM, in which mine is 575#... so I have about 80# to spare.

Your 8500# is dry weight. Add cargo, you will be over 9,000#. Tongue weight should be 10 to 15% of the trailer weight to prevent trailer sway. Lets pick 13% is optimal. So 9,000 times 13% is 1170# additional weight put onto the frame of your RAM.

That is about 1900# put on your RAM... using my figures for passengers and cargo weights... well above published payload figures for that RAM. Can you overload your RAM that amount... probably, but I would not do it to that extent on an extended trip... maybe 50-100 miles to the local campground. You really need a RAM 2500 for that much trailer. Check your question on a TT forum lime the one I use, Forest River Forum.

People get hung up about rear gears. You need to factor the transmission also. The overall gearing of my 8 speed with 3.21 gears is lower (better off-line pulling power) then a 6 speed with 3.55 or 3.92 gears. Plus I have 2 overdrive gears to get additional MPG when not pulling a TT that give me great highway mileage to boot. Compare two different axle combos with the same transmission for towing power, but throw in a different transmission into the equation and all the final drive numbers are different. The newer 8 spd available from RAM is rock solid and proven all over the world.

From ALLPAR.COM News...

The rear gears make a difference. Look at the tow capacities, I believe its about 1500 pounds higher if you have the deeper gears. Could be the difference from having a trailer too heavy, to one that it's rated for. But like you said, he's in 3/4 ton territory with that trailer either way.