[gilunionhall]

hi guys -

a newbie here. i hope this forum is as helpful as the others i belong to - this is my first post here.

i am intersted in buying an rv and wanted to use my 2007 1500 4x4 as a toad and tow it 4 down (on its own wheels, without a dolly or trailer - i think the terminology is).

i am not sure what forum to post this question and have done several different searches and did not come up with any previous discussions - maybe i am not in the correct forum?

1 - can my ram be towed 4 down?
2 - what, if any mods are needed?
3 - i am looking at a haulmark truck conversion with a 450 hp MB engine capabile of towing 40k lbs - do i need a braking system?
4 - a good source for any of the above items?

in advance, tks loads for all of your input

gil

 

[brad12kx]

I can't answer all your questions, but can shed light on some.

1 - The Ram 4x4 can be towed 4 down. In your manual it under the heading 'Recreational Towing'.
2 - Other than a proper frame mounted front draw bar setup - none.
3 - I would think yes....but have absolutely no idea on how this would be accomplished. If I was considering this, I would contact an RV dealer and ask them.
4 - Your owners manual, and a larger RV dealer would hit the top of my list.

If you do not have an owners manual, you can download one from Dodge.com. Here is a link to manual section - http://www.dodge.com/en/owners/manuals/

Hope this helps a bit.

 

[GTyankee]

4 down is also called FLAT TOWING
Towing a car with all four wheels on the pavement is called flat towing. It is mostly used to tow a vehicle behind an RV or motorhome. The advantages of flat towing are that there is no heavy trailer or dolly, and the tires wear at an even rate. The disadvantage is that many cars cannot be towed this way without modification. Since the car being towed is turned off but the transmission is still in gear, lubricating fluid is not being pumped. This can cause damage to the gears and transmission. The drive shaft is usually removed from the drive axle



Towing a vehicle 4 wheels down (also referred to as "dinghy towing" or "toading"

 

[gilunionhall]

tks and more info

hi brad and gt - tks for responding to my inquiry.

i called a local camping world dealer in roanoke, va and got a very helpful gal in the service dept.

she took some time and ck'ed some other sources and came with the info that if you are in VA and there is an accident and the dinghy does not have a supplemental braking system that the insurance company would not pay for anything.

i have not done any further research to verify if she is correct.

she did say that they could do all the work on my truck and that the tow bar, etc would be $1900 and the braking system would be $1200 - both are installed prices.

that is the first place i called and talked to so i am not sure if those are "good " prices or not.

any other input, ideas, concerns?

tks again,

gil

 

[brad12kx]

I found many brakes systems to choose from. If you are interested in a completely portable system the can easily be moved to a different vehicle, the 'Brake Buddy' looks like it would be work considering, but it 'must' be removed each time you want to use the toad as a normal vehicle, and re-installed when connected up to the RV. Having said that, it doesn't appear to that much to do that.

I also found a unified system by 'US Gear' that appears to be quite popular, but does require a bit to install it.

Other units for brake systems include -
Ready Brake
M&G Air Force one
Invisi-Brake
Even Brake

Some are for use with Motor Coaches that have Air Brakes, others do not.
The RV industry has a lot of products available, and a little more research on this would be prudent, and the cost of the brake systems appears a fair bit lower then the prices you indicated, and most have great videos on how to install your own.

As this is topic that is likely to crop up again, please keep us posted on what you end up doing and what you think of the final result. I'm sure there will a lot of future interest.

 

[gilunionhall]

good info

hi brad -

tks for taking the time to respond.

yes, there will a lot more research involved, i have enrolled in several RV sites and will do a lot of computer time on them as well.

the rv does have airbrakes and i was busy copying info down while the gal was talking and forgot to write down the manufacturers name of the braking product she was referring to.

tks again

gil

 

[Stangshcky12]

With a vehicle that large it may almost be worth getting a trailer(open or enclosed)
That would probably my choice as limitations/rules for trailers are much more clear

 

[gilunionhall]

towing 4 down - transmission in Park?

hi brad -

per your suggestion ---
"4 - Your owners manual" - i did ck out the manual out and it appears that you place the transmission in park (and the transfer case in N) when you tow - it seems to me that it should be put in N.

i am not very mechanically inclinded - why is that?

tks,

gil
http://www.dodge.com/en/owners/manuals/

 

[rpasetto]

hi guys -

a newbie here. i hope this forum is as helpful as the others i belong to - this is my first post here.

i am intersted in buying an rv and wanted to use my 2007 1500 4x4 as a toad and tow it 4 down (on its own wheels, without a dolly or trailer - i think the terminology is).

i am not sure what forum to post this question and have done several different searches and did not come up with any previous discussions - maybe i am not in the correct forum?

1 - can my ram be towed 4 down?
2 - what, if any mods are needed?
3 - i am looking at a haulmark truck conversion with a 450 hp MB engine capabile of towing 40k lbs - do i need a braking system?
4 - a good source for any of the above items?

in advance, tks loads for all of your input

gil

Hello, It's been a while since your posts; hopefully you're now well on your way towing your RAM. I just bought a RAM 1500 and am now researching/planning the steps to add baseplate, wiring, etc.

I would appreciate it if you'd share your experiences. THanks

.. RP

 

[modlite52]

ram towing

towing a ram 4x4 is simple,
1st) get a base plate, they are simple to install on the ram
2nd) I put extra bulbs in taillights
3rd) YES you need a supplemental brake unit ( by law in most states)
4th) hook up to M/H put transfer case in "N", trans in "P", key in ign turned on to 1st click( to unlock steering)
5th Go have fun
I've towed my '03 about 5000 miles with no problems at all.with my M/H D/P towing at 60mph or 75mph doesn't seem to make any difference in fuel mileage.
a good place for lots of info is irv2.com