[WeeJohnny]

Hey Folks,

Looking to Tow a 6500lb(dry weight) travel trailer with my 2012 Dodge Ram Big Horn. Any thoughts on what to expect or any experiences towing travel trailers with the new edition?

 

[fat1]

just do it to it

 

[michaelman501]

What rear end do you have ? what is the length of the trailer ? First off you want to make sure you have a brake controller installed, did your truck come with the factory one ? As well make sure you have a proper weight distribution hitch as well. The dry weight of a travel trailer really means jack all, you want to look at the fully loaded weight of you unit! Your truck is good up to around 10,000 LBS for towing(depending on your gears), however this does not include propane, water, cargo, people etc etc....You would be suprised how quick you could get up to 10,000 LBS...You will probably notice lots of sag in the rear end, i would reccomend getting some airbags in the back to help level out the ride! I tow my travel trailer with my 2010 1500 Hemi, and it tows like a dream...Just make sure you are within the weight limits set out for your truck and you should be fine!

 

[GTyankee]

your tow rating is 10,950 pounds, full tank of gas is already in computation

that is with 1 person in the vehicle & nothing in the trucks bed

you have to figure how much is in the trucks bed & the weight of the passengers from that weight

http://www.ramtrucks.com/en/towing_guide/

 

[col]

This is what I'm going to be pulling this year. 9690lb GVW. 840 Hitch. Equalizer cut's it down to 420 on the Hitch.

 

[WeeJohnny]

So as of right now it's a 30' travel trailer, rear end unknown(looking into it), Factory break installed. Can you recommend at proper hitch as well as air bags(kinda confused on the air bags)

Let me know, and thanks again for the replies. Beter getting answers hear then at the RV dealership, they just want you to buy but I want to make sure I am safe going down the road as well as I don't destroy my truck!

 

[2011lilred]

Have you ever towed before? Did you do any research? 6,500 lbs is nothing for a Hemi and you won't need airbags.

 

[WeeJohnny]

Yes I have Towed before, prior to this was a 12' pop up, however also drive with 18 wheels on occasion. I am doing research aren't I?

 

[Ramsail]

I'm currently pulling about 5000 pounds Wisconsin to Florida. 5 hours in, I wish I had done air bags before I left. Not killing me, but it would be nicer. In terms of power, the hemi couldn't care less. So far I am just shy of 11 mpg.

 

[jacobson.s]

I remember towing 6 horses in a 20' gooseneck (approx. 10,000lbs) with a 1990 Chevrolet 1/2 ton, with 400,000kms probably 200,000 on a tired 350 v8 (approx. 200 horsepower at the very most), transmission not shifting that great, took a while to get to cruising speed 120 km/h, but it did the 3.5 hour with $400 worth of gas. (back when gas prices were at there highest a few years ago). When we got up there we went straight to look at a diesel.

My point is I'm sure your 390 Horse Hemi can handle this no problem.

 

[Otterdriver]

Hey Folks,

Looking to Tow a 6500lb(dry weight) travel trailer with my 2012 Dodge Ram Big Horn. Any thoughts on what to expect or any experiences towing travel trailers with the new edition?

You want to check on a couple of things, refer to your build sheet if possible, if your truck came with the heavy tow package (should see that on your window sticker sitting on the lot), your golden, along with the rear-end ratio, 3:92's being the optimal pulling gears. This ratio is limited slip also. Even if you had 3:55's, plenty of power, maybe slightly slower acceleration, (gears being taller), I would think you would still be safe at that weight. My trailer is about 5600#'s loaded, you know it's there, you just have to be reasonable about expected performance, pulls beautiful between 55 to 65 mph. Let the truck pull on it's own and expect to see 10 to 13 mpg, that's real-world numbers for mine, that's with the 3:92 gears. Weight distribution hitch and sway control levels everything, cuts your tongue weight approximately in half. I have the timbren rubber suspension on the rear, they substitute the factory bump stops. They sit about an inch above the rear axle unloaded, any squat is taken up by the rubber stops with a load, greatly relieving your factory springs, also adding roll stability. Combined with your factory trailer-tow, the hemi pulls loads awesome. Good luck with trailer towing!

 

[ArmyofOne]

First and foremost, My name is Josh and I have ALOT (I do mean alot) of experience towing and hauling heavy loads. Having been in the army, and on 3 combat tours, for the better part of a decade now, I have seen and driven just about everything there is to drive, from tanks, to Route Clearance Vehicles, to pickup trucks. Some are VERY heavy, and some are bone stock trucks guys like you and me drive everyday.

If you are towing a 6500lb trailer (which you can do just fine), you will notice something profound almost as soon as you set your trailer on your hitch. Your truck will go from raked (the front end lower than the rear), to squatting. Your coil springs will collapse under the weight, and while that does not pose a problem to your truck immediately, it can, over time. Towing a load as heavy as this with the 4th gen Ram requires some additional help, due to the smooth riding coil spring Multi-Link rear suspension. Coils were put in the ram because they ride smoother, but they are your worst enemy when towing/hauling heavy. Thats where the good folks at Total Load Control Suspensions come in. TLC John will not only hook you up with great customer service, but Ramforumz members even get discounted pricing on their kits. This system is designed and patented specifically for 2009+ Ram 1500's. It will work in conjuction with your coil springs to improve load handling, reduce wear and tear on your coil springs, and even helps with unladen ride comfort and stability.

Shoot TLC John, or myself a message, and we can get you on your way to comfortable and safe towing. Happy Travels!

 

[2011lilred]

I am doing research aren't I?

No, you are asking others to do your research for you. Simply looking up your trailer tow rating and reading existing posts would have given you your answer.

 

[WeeJohnny]

No, you are asking others to do your research for you. Simply looking up your trailer tow rating and reading existing posts would have given you your answer.

Thanks ChiChi, I guess what I meant to ask was for other peoples expierences.....I'll run it buy you first before I post, seems to be a problem with my wording.

Thanks to all who are helping and I hope I am not bothering anyone.

 

[2011lilred]

If you are towing a 6500lb trailer (which you can do just fine), you will notice something profound almost as soon as you set your trailer on your hitch. Your truck will go from raked (the front end lower than the rear), to squatting. Your coil springs will collapse under the weight

What??? His tongue weight is only 840lbs, 420lbs with equalizer bars...this is NOT going to make his truck squat excessively and need a bunch of other BS to haul that trailer. I hauled a 10,000lbs enclosed trailer from Little Rock to Maryland with my 2003 1500 Hemi with nothing more than equalizer bars. Sure the 3rd gens used leafs instead of coils, but still, 850lbs of tongue weight is not alot - a bumper hitch can handle that.

 

[col]

Just wondering if he pic's of my TT showed up ??

 

[Arth]

What??? His tongue weight is only 840lbs, 420lbs with equalizer bars...this is NOT going to make his truck squat excessively and need a bunch of other BS to haul that trailer. I hauled a 10,000lbs enclosed trailer from Little Rock to Maryland with my 2003 1500 Hemi with nothing more than equalizer bars. Sure the 3rd gens used leafs instead of coils, but still, 850lbs of tongue weight is not alot - a bumper hitch can handle that.

He is correct they will collaspe. I just pulled 7200 pounds on my ram and it was sitting down pretty low. I pulled a u-haul auto transport with an SUV loaded up. The pull was easy everything performed great only wish I had bags to level out the truck when loaded like that.

 

[WeeJohnny]

Just wondering if he pic's of my TT showed up ??

The pics did show up, great looking unit!

This is what I am looking at.

Kingsport 301TB Silver Edition

 

[titanman2789]

He is correct they will collaspe. I just pulled 7200 pounds on my ram and it was sitting down pretty low. I pulled a u-haul auto transport with an SUV loaded up. The pull was easy everything performed great only wish I had bags to level out the truck when loaded like that.

I pulled a 5x8 Uhual loaded all the way up for our move. 1000 miles. I have 3.55 gears and it pulled easy - obviously, it's not a heavy trailer. But when I got that trailer loaded up there was noticeable sag in my rear end. I also had maybe 150 - 200 lbs of stuff in the bed. Add 2 people, our 80 lb dog, and tv with other odds and ends in the cab. Like I said, it pulls easy, the HEMI has tons of power. But I was not impressed with the rear suspension.

The Ram website says towing capacity for my truck is about 8500 lbs. I would not want to come anywhere close to that number with stock rear suspension.

 

[col]

Very nice WeeJohnny. Just make sure you go with a Wieght Distribution Hitch & you wont even notice any Sag if it's set up properly. Good luck man...