Hello all,
I just bought a 2000 Ram 3500 van (96k original miles).
There is no hitch receiver on it. Do I need to add any additional equipment besides the receiver and trailer light hookup?
Thanks,
Matt

 

I recommend stopping by a uhaul dealer ort other shop that installs hitches and get the correct equipment for your vehicle. There are too many unknowns regarding your vehicle and what you plan on towing to give accurate advice.

 

Thanks,
In my experience, U-Haul’s motto is “slap a hitch on it”.
I had an ‘05 odyssey that they were going to put a hitch on for me until I called the dealer and found out that the odyssey isn’t rated to tow a single pound without a transmission cooler being installed.
Those are the kinds of details I was looking for regarding the Ram van.
Regarding what I intend to haul… I’d like to comfortably haul up to the GVWR which I believe is about 4k lbs above curb weight of the vehicle, ranging from utility trailer to small RV.
Thanks,
Matt

 

2" hitch receiver, wiring for 7 pin connector, and a trailer brake controller. A trans cooler WOULD be a good idea as well.

 

If you have a trailer dealer, they often sell hitches too. You want a class III with the two inch receiver tube. This lets you use a variety of hitches in the receiver. They can also install the wiring you need. I had one do my Mazda CX-5 when I bought it. They had to dismantle the inside of the car but once it was back together, you can't tell it was ever apart. A van should be easier. You also want as big a transmission cooler you can install and install it between the radiator and the transmission return. Heat is the biggest killed of transmissions.

 

The vans come prewired for a trailer. Look under the left rear corner on the "frame" and you should see a blank rectangular connector. They make pigtails that mate with this connector. The $20-40 or so for the pigtail, far outweigh the trouble of tapping into the van's harness yourself.

Here is an example of the 4-wire one.
Curt T-Connector Vehicle Wiring Harness with 4-Pole Flat Trailer Connector CURT Custom Fit Vehicle Wiring C55368 (etrailer.com)

 

Thanks!
I've never pulled a trailer with brakes. Do you need anything additional for that or does this harness and pigtail cover that too?

Thanks again,

 

A trailer with electric brakes requires a 7 pin connector and a brake controller.

 

Just a little single axle utility trailer you can get by without brakes. I've got one I bought 30+ years ago and it weighs 500 pounds. Less than a fully loaded pickup. Different states have different rules but if you have two or more axles, at least one, and preferably all of them need brakes. If you have surge brakes, like on a U-haul car trailer, that takes care of the brakes. If you go electric, you need a brake controller. This would require a 6 or 7 prong outlet for the trailer to hook to. (6 prong doesn't have a power wire for house batteries.) On pickups, there is a place to plug the controller into.

I've got one of the multi use connectors on my Ram. You plug your 4 prong into the back and that takes care of the lights. You add a brake actuator wire as well as power wire and a heavy ground wire for the 7 prongs. However, it also has a separate 4 prong to plug a flat 4 connetor into in case you want to use a small trailer and don't want to use an adapter.