[Boubou]

I've never towed anything in my life, but bought this truck last year to tow a travel trailer. We finally purchased it!
Here are the specs, please, tell me I'll be ok
Also, would you recommend a brake controller, anti sway bars and load leveling hitch?
if yes, which are the best and safest set ups and brands available?

thank you so much for you help

Truck:
2010 Ram 4X4 Quad Cab, HEMI,

P275/60R20 5.7L V8 (EZH) 545RFE (DGQ) AXLE RATIO: 3.55 GVWR: 6,700 PAYLOAD: 1,310 BASE WEIGHT: 5,362 FRONT: 3,113 REAR: 2,249 GAWR FRONT3,900 REAR 3,900 GCWR: 14,000 MAX TRAILER: 8,450
Class IV hitch

Trailer:
2012 Shast Revere 21 FBS LE (Forest River)
Hitch Weight 750 lbs.
Ship Weight 5,370 lbs.
GVWR 7,650 lbs.
Cargo Capacity 1,806 lbs.
Exterior Length 25' 6"
Exterior Height TBA
Exterior Width 96"
Fresh Water 50 gal
Gray Water 37 gal
Black Water 37 gal
Awning Size 17'

 

[erm]

You will be just fine as long as you don't overload the truck or the trailer.

The hitch weight requires a Class V hitch. A Class III will only support up to 500 lbs and you are right on the edge of the Class IV max:

TW = Tongue Weight
Hitch Class Rating
Class I
WC GTW - Up to 2,000 lbs.
WC TW - Up to 200 lbs Light Duty Light Duty Light Duty

Light Duty
Class II
WC GTW - Up to 3,500 lbs.
WC TW - Up to 350 lbs Medium Duty Medium Duty Medium Duty
Class III
WC GTW - Up to 5,000 lbs.
WC TW - Up to 500 lbs Heavy Duty Heavy Duty
Class IV
WC GTW - Up to 7,500 lbs.
WC TW - Up to 750 lbs
WD GTW - Up to 12,000 lbs.
WD TW - Up to 1,200 lbs Heavy Duty Heavy Duty
Class V
WC GTW - Up to 12,000 lbs.
WC TW - Up to 1,200 lbs
WD GTW - Up to 14,000 lbs.
WD TW - Up to 1,400 lbs

And yes on the brake controller (Tekonsha or Reese), anti-sway and load leveling hitch (Curt or Reese) as those will definitely help you with the load and provide a safe tow.

 

[Boubou]

Shoot! This isn't a big trailer, only 21 feet. Should I have just purchased a light unit? these are more conventional trailers, sturdier etc...
What's best I wonder? smaller and stronger or lighter and??
Deal is signed sort of but could always change things for a jayco made lighter. I think this Forest River Shasta Revere is the sturdiest and better built of the two, worth beefing up the truck?

as for the hitch size, I have a class IV already and would the load leveling hitch not help with that? how much is a class V hitch? is that an expensive thing to change?

 

[Boubou]

There are just the two of us, and two little dogs (sheltie and chihuahua )
We don't plan on loading much in there, just clothes a few dishes towels etc.. not biggie, bicycles and two 40 lbs kayaks. We'll not be carrying food with us, I don't bake or cook that much. We'll purchase stuff on site more or less.

 

[erm]

It doesn't have to be big to weigh a certain amount. The tow hitch ratings are what they are. They've been that way since they first started rating them.

The load leveling devices will help transfer weight off the hitch point back along the front frame of the trailer so you will be able to reduce the tongue weight some. Also, remember that the tongue weight they gave you assumes a fully loaded trailer weighing in at the max.

Don't forget that you have a half ton pickup. That's a evenly distributed load in the bed rating of 1,000 pounds. Now, imagine what it looks like if you move 750 pounds of that load out of the bed and into a box balanced on the hitch.

The only "beefing" you really need to do is to get the load leveling and anti-sway devices. If you don't fill your fresh water tank until you get to your destination, then you should be within safe parameters. Remember to empty your gray water, black water and fresh water tanks before you head home.

A good quality class v hitch will run from $200 to $400 USD. The bolt on but on some trucks, you get to remove the bed first. I don't think that's the case with your truck.

What I would do is make sure you don't max out the trailer weight, don't fill the fresh water until you are close to, or at, your destination; and get the load leveling and anti-sway devices.

One other thing to consider, after you see how much droop you get in the back with the trailer on the truck, is some load assist air bags. I've had them on my previous trucks and they are great to have.

 

[Boubou]

Thanks for the tips, I am very safety conscious so the more I can do before getting on the road to make things safe, the better. I will always travel lights and not carry water and will empty the waste before pulling out.

as far as the hitch, I've been googling for class IV and 1000 lbs tw keeps popping up. What am I missing here?
" A Class 4 hitch can carry 10,000 pounds and 1,000 pounds of tongue weight with a weight carrying hitch, or up to 12,000 and 1,200 pounds with a weight distributing hitch. "

 

[Boubou]

Reading up on travel trailer weight calculator and now freaking out.
According to that site, I should not use the dry trailer weight but the : actual weight (Gross Vehicle Weight or Gross Trailer Weight) of trailer. which is 7650 lbs GVWR
When I enter all the numbers, I'm over and not sure I'll be able to sleep tonight! I was sure a 21 foot trailer would be ok for this truck!

 

[PITA]

^ I think you should be fine, your trailer is similar in weight and at 26 feet is just shorter than mine. It'll be plenty of trailer for you 2.

I thought a class IV was good for 1045 pnds. max on our trucks, so you should be fine for hitch weight. Airbags could help, at only $100 for an airlift 1000 it's cheap insurance, but it's not 100% required. HD cooling is required though, just make sure your truck has that.

Don't sweat it, I know it seems intimidating for a newbie (that was me last year) but it'll all become simple once you get some time under your belt.

RV'ing is really fantastic, I betcha you'll end up loving it.

 

[Boubou]

^ I think you should be fine, your trailer is similar in weight and at 26 feet is just shorter than mine. It'll be plenty of trailer for you 2.

I thought a class IV was good for 1045 pnds. max on our trucks, so you should be fine for hitch weight. Airbags could help, at only $100 for an airlift 1000 it's cheap insurance, but it's not 100% required. HD cooling is required though, just make sure your truck has that.

Don't sweat it, I know it seems intimidating for a newbie (that was me last year) but it'll all become simple once you get some time under your belt.

RV'ing is really fantastic, I betcha you'll end up loving it.

Thanks
I found the info for the class IV hitch tongue and it is 1045 lbs,
Have HD engine cooling,
hD transmission oil cooler,
700 Amp battery
I ordered the Reese dual cam WD/sway controller hitch from an other truck part dealers (the RV dealership only carried Husky) and they looked at me as if I had two heads for not taking their advise to get their product. Kinda left a bad taste in my mouth.

 

[Boubou]

Oh, and i also order the Mopar brake controller :smileup: The other truck add on type store was insiting that there was no way no how and no brake controller that was gonna fit in the space above the parking brake. Showed him a picture of what i wanted and he still insisted it was mounted on the dash part!! I told him the wiring harness was right behind there but he was justset and determined to not listen or care. He wanted to install his model on the dash just under the ignition where my knee was likely to hit it all the time.

Also, i went in looking for a reese dual cam WD/sway hitch and he tried selling me the lesser version pro something. He just tought cuz I'm a woman he was going to snow me! Pissed me off, so off I went to another place where I found exactly what I was looking for.

 

[Boubou]

^ I think you should be fine, your trailer is similar in weight and at 26 feet is just shorter than mine. It'll be plenty of trailer for you 2.

I thought a class IV was good for 1045 pnds. max on our trucks, so you should be fine for hitch weight. Airbags could help, at only $100 for an airlift 1000 it's cheap insurance, but it's not 100% required. HD cooling is required though, just make sure your truck has that.

Don't sweat it, I know it seems intimidating for a newbie (that was me last year) but it'll all become simple once you get some time under your belt.

RV'ing is really fantastic, I betcha you'll end up loving it.

I need better tires, I'm on the Wrangler HP but they'll have to do until next summer. Would airbags help with loads on tires? I don't know how that works. What do airbags do?

 

[erm]

Boubou,

The airbags simply level the load and isolate the truck from some of the hard bounces and jounces. They won't change the tongue weight.

 

[Boubou]

Boubou,

The airbags simply level the load and isolate the truck from some of the hard bounces and jounces. They won't change the tongue weight.

So they would bring the back of the truck back up a bit?
That wouldn't change my set up on the Reese WD would it?
right now, the WD is set up so that the front axles are the same loaded as they are unloaded.