Greetings and weight question

[BigDinAZ]

Greetings, Don here from Southeast AZ. We are looking to get a FW, but have no real rush because we want to research, and pick the best rig for us.
We just purchased our new 2018 Ram 2500 Laramie. 6.7 Cummins and a 3:73 rear end. I pulled the vin up on Ram towing guide and it says 17,100 LBS Max towing.
The GVWR is 10,000 lbs and rear axle Max is 6,000.
I understand the dry weight and GVWR weight as well as pin weight. So here is my question.
IF I get a trailer that has a GVWR of 16K lbs, and a pin weight under or at 2k lbs I should be okay right?
In other words the 16K LBS GVWR is under the 17,100 Max towing, and the pin weight of 2k lbs is under the 6K Max axle capacity. Am I correct in my thinking?

I want to make sure I am researching the right FW and weights BEFORE really looking.

Thanks in advance.
Don.

[garyp4951]

Way to go BigDinAZ, you nailed it, and no white knuckles driving for you.

[Cummins12V98]

"Nice to know I have plenty of truck for when we upgrade."

Smart Man!!!

[Cummins12V98]

alboy wrote:
PUT ABOUT 50 LBS OF AIR in those rear duals and you will really love the ride.

If that!

[BigDinAZ]

Jim&Sharon wrote:
Thanks for the update Big D. I was following your post, and hoping you would make the right decision without me adding to the clutter, and YOU DID.
Don't be surprised if you find yourself traveling farther, and staying away from home longer.....Jim

Jim,
The thing is I actually knew better, but just not with this kind of set up, I mean deep inside I knew I made the wrong decision pretty much right off the bat, and let me tell you, the feeling I got when my heart dropped and it came to lite what I had done.

Well now, I totally understand this, and I know the numbers game. When we hooked up and hit the interstate and came home with our 5er and the truck never even hit passing gear with cruise set and we didn't even feel that trailer back there.
Down the road we can get a bigger rig, no problem, but for now we got what fits us.
Nice to know I have plenty of truck for when we upgrade.

Don.

[Jim_Sharon]

Thanks for the update Big D. I was following your post, and hoping you would make the right decision without me adding to the clutter, and YOU DID.
Don't be surprised if you find yourself traveling farther, and staying away from home longer.....Jim

[alboy]

PUT ABOUT 50 LBS OF AIR in those rear duals and you will really love the ride.

[ACZL]

Congrats and enjoy the smiles er ride !!!!

[BigDinAZ]

So it's been a couple of months and here is what has happened.
First of all we went back to the dealer within a couple days and they actually agreed to cancel the contract, so we took the truck back and started over.
We ended up getting a Ram3500 Crew Cab DRW, long bed Laramie with 4:10 rear and a 5,704# payload. We also purchased our 1st 5er which is a 2019 Coachmen Chaparral 11,000 GVWR.
We don't even know it's back there, and it's comforting to know when we trade up, we have more than enough truck to pull a bigger heavier RV.
I learned a big lesson.
Just wanted to update.

[Braces]

You can get the weight your Ram can carry by calling a Ram customer # and using your vin. They give you a specific "carry weight" for your truck equipped as it was when it left the factory. I forget the term they use but I would think it would be the same as pin weight. For my 2013 2500 the towing weight was 17,500 and the carry weight was right at 2,970. I don't remember where I saw the # but it was on one of the popular RV forums or maybe the Cummins forum.

[Cummins12V98]

BigDinAZ wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:

BigDinAZ wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Not to pop your bubble but your truck has 3.42’s NOT 3.73’s unless someone changed them.

You should have researched the truck before buying anything. A 12k 5er LOADED is a good rig for your truck.

Sure your truck will TOW IT but it won’t CARRY IT !!!

According to Chrystler.com here is the window sticker showing 3.73.
***Link Removed***https://www.chrysler.com/hostd/windowsticker/getWindowStickerPdf.do?vin=3C6UR5KL7JG303387

Aslo on the Ram towing guide page it says 17,100lbs Max towing and 2,270 Max Payload. Maybe I am missing something?

It's 3.42 plain and simple on "ANY SRW" newer Diesel RAM thru 2018.

Okay I got it.
Now this confuses me even more, because the screen shot you posted says 3,160# payload, and 17,980# Tow.
When I go to the Ram Towing guide web page and put in the Vin# I get 2,270 Payload and 17,100# towing.
Meh, what the hell to believe!!!!

Chart shows ALL trucks to be regular cab. Look up 2018 RAM towing SAE guides and you can find the chart that looks like this but with proper configuration.

Bottom line weigh your rear axle loaded subtract from your RAWR and that is how much pin you can add.

[Me_Again]

Yet another person learns a bit the hard way that diesel 250/2500's are not the best for towing medium to larger 5th wheels. The 3500 model of the same truck has a 7K RGAWR and a 12,300 GVWR, and a more capable rear suspension.

OP, you can air bag it on the rear axle and pretend that it is a 3500. Enjoy!

When we bought our last 5th wheel we looked for one with a lighter dry pin weight and choose our Bighorn 3575el for its 2435 dry pin weight. Full timing with trailer at close to 16K truck at 8900 ready to tow, we were 40 lbs over the SB 11,700 pound GVWR and under on rear axle at 6700+.

The combined weight was 24,500 and with the Aisin tranny with it's lower 1st and 2nd gear ratios it worked great. Chris

Chris

[Walaby]

Actually, I meant rear axle weight...

Edited

Mike

[JRscooby]

Walaby wrote:


Remember if you have a spray in bedliner and/or a bed cover, those add directly to pin weight.

Not exactly. Your liner and cover, like everything else on the truck, add to the weight of truck, and reduce the capacity you have available for pin weight, but do not change pin weight.

[Walaby]

BigDinAZ wrote:

So there are two stickers. One with weights, one with tires.
The one with weights says GAWR FRONT 6000#, GAWR REAR 6500# GVWR is 10,000#

The one with Tire info says Combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed 1,970#

I looked on the sidewall of the tire and it says 3649# rating

Which one do I go by?

1970 is your payload
6500 axle weight is good. Thought it was only 6000, so now you have some more room to play with.

Tire weight exceeds axle rating, that's good too.

As others said, it's best to get actual weight from truck scale, then you know exactly how much weight you have to spare.

My Pullrite slider hitch weighs 300lbs. You will probably be in the neighborhood of 2800-3000lb pin weight available when done. Still in the 12K 5er category.

Remember if you have a spray in bedliner and/or a bed cover, those add directly to rear axle weight

Mike