Opening up the "Tow" discussion again.

B

Bobby P.

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 17, 2018
Messages
440
Fluid Motion Model
C-302 SC
Non-Fluid Motion Model
Boston Whaler
Vessel Name
The Retreat
I have a 1500 Ram ecodiesel, 4wd .,crew cab. I also have a 31cb.

My truck has higher quality tires than stock, improved suspension, including rear airbags, 20,000 pound tow hitch, high end shocks, transmission cooler and electronic break control. Also, when I ordered this truck, I had them put in 3.92 axle (better than the 3.5 for towing). The truck also has a tow mode. I'm also going to instatl higher end rotors, calipers and brake pads. The trailer is a triple axle, with brakes on each axle.

I've read and researched both sides of the decision to tow with this vehicle. Ram has a recommended tow capacity for stock vehicles. There is no other specific guidelines beyond this for legal towing, if I am not towing commercially.

I don't see how a stock Ram 2500 would improve my tow capacity over my current vehicle, except for the increased hp of the cummins diesel (notwithstanding dual rear wheels, which I would not get anyway).

In my mind, this is a much safer tow vehicle than the stock 2500. And, I already own the 1500, and I really like it. So far, I've towed the boat and trailer around the marina and have pulled the boat in and out of the water a half dozen times. Have not ventured out beyond this.

Thoughts?
 
What does Ram say the max towing capacity is?

I would be hesitant to exceed that number.
 
First of all, you should get the boat weighed on the trailer. You really can’t make any informed decisions without having that data.
That said my SWAG is that, with fuel, black water and fresh water tanks mostly empty, you are in the neighborhood of 15,000 to 16,500 pounds with your 31cb on trailer. In doing a quick check for all versions of the Dodge Ram 1500 for 2019, 2018 and 2017, I can’t find any with a towing capacity over 10,550 pounds. Even with the way you have speced your truck, that’s a huge gap! With the 31cb you should be looking at a Ram 3500 with towing capacities closer to 18,000 pounds or more. I don’t think a gas engine Ram 2500 would cut it but some of the big diesel Ram 2500 versions might.

PS: Please remember that the air bags, heavy duty brakes, heavy duty oil and transmission coolers, big anti-sway bars, etc. do not increase towing capacity. These parts just improve handling while towing and may help stoping distance just a little bit.
 
It sounds as though you and your vehicle could pull it off (yes, pun intended). But in the unlikely event that anything went wrong and there was an accident, if your vehicle is out of spec for the trailer load/weight, then your insurance would have grounds to disallow any claims, and you would be left holding the bag, even if it wasn't your fault. The primary function of insurance adjusters is to minimize claims against their company, and in my experience many of them are experts at that part of their job.
 
I don't think there is anything you can do to a 1500 that will get you there. The 2500 HD with the larger gas engine should but would agree for longer hauling and hills you might want diesel. I believe there are more hardware differences in the 2500 than you mention.
I would not compare it to a stock 2500 as far as safety because I think you would need to go HD. I know my HD rides like a rock with nothing being towed to the point it is not comfortable to take on a highway trip. But a boat on the back and it rides much better. Compared to many discussions on here you are talking bigger boat and less truck. That usually will not work.
weighing if you can is good but if you have to weigh it just because you are trying to see if you exceed the upper limit you are probably taking a risk. You should be able to estimate but 16,000 is close enough. Using the 16,000 you should look to exceed that to be safe.

You have probably already seen this tow guide from Ram
https://www.ramtrucks.com/towing-guide.html
 
I have the GMC 2500HD with tow package and the large gas engine for towing my RT-27OB. It does the job but I consider it marginal. There is NO way I would tow a RT-31 with it!!
You have a $300K boat and your trusting it to an undersized tow vehicle. A tow vehicle is not the place to cheap out on. Maybe a short slow distance from home to ramp, but long distance at highway speeds... NO way.
 
I know... Thanks for the reminders!

Bobby P.
 
"Towing capacity" is a marketing number used by all pickup manufacturers. It is a theoretical value based on one driver, no cargo and little fuel in the tow vehicle. The limiting factor for (legal) towing is often GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating), which is the total weight of the tow vehicle, passengers, cargo, fuel and loaded trailer. To my knowledge, there is not a 1500 series pickup that has a GCWR of much over 18,000 lbs. You could be putting others at risk by venturing outside the boatyard.

CN
 
Second Captain Nice’s post.
In addition to towing capacity and GCWR, you also need to make sure to be within all of the following weight limitations when towing:
GVWR - gross vehicle weight rating
GAWR - both front and rear truck axle weight limits
Payload weight - truck and cargo in cab and in bed
GTW - gross trailer weight to ensure your trailer axles can take the load placed on it
Your receiver, draw bar and ball should be rated well over the loaded weight of the trailer.
You should also know tongue weight which should be close to 10% of total loaded trailer weight for single axle trailers and 6-8% for tandem and triple axle trailers.

I have no idea how you can measure all these actual weights for your rig to ensure compliance without the use of a commercial scale. I have 3 state run free truck scales within 5 miles of my house so checking all the weights is something I do at least once every season. The guys who run these scales have been very cooperative when they aren’t busy with commercial traffic.
 
Even with all the mods on the 1500, which sound great, this is an accident waiting to happen.

To paraphrase the Florida sheriff in advance of a hurricane, "If you don't evacuate this idea, please leave us your next of kin."

As the Robot said, "Danger Will Robinson!!!"

I'm a retired TV News cameraman and I used to document the aftermath of accidents, crashes, murders, fires and all manner of disaster; there's someone in your area waiting to do the same for you.

Don't be a statistic.

Please.
 
I once had a situation with a Rv trailer going down the 5 in the siskyou mountains towards Oregon. The tow vehicle was a dually diesel ram 3500, no exhaust break. The trailer was about 14000 lbs. my son was driving and when I told him to start the descend on that stretch slowly, he did not. While nothing serious happened, we had a real scary time slowing down for an exit and had to use the truck emergency strip to stop. At the end, the breaks pads were so hot that one could feel them from a distance. When we applied brakes it felt like nothing was slowing us down. After that, I sold the truck and got a newer model with exhaust brakes, never had that experience again. There is nothing more satisfying than the feeling that your tow vehicle is up to the task.

Just take a look at some YouTube videos of truck and trailer accidents to cure you from thinking an undersized truck will do the job. If you still plan on doing so, send a note when and where so we can stay off the road.

Others have made references to insurance policies. And don’t forget highway patrol who will check on you if they see something dangerous. Some of them are very experienced in identifying situations like this and you will end up with an expensive tow bill.
 
Bobby P.":1n49az38 said:
I have a 1500 Ram ecodiesel, 4wd .,crew cab. I also have a 31cb.

My truck has higher quality tires than stock, improved suspension, including rear airbags, 20,000 pound tow hitch, high end shocks, transmission cooler and electronic break control. Also, when I ordered this truck, I had them put in 3.92 axle (better than the 3.5 for towing). The truck also has a tow mode. I'm also going to instatl higher end rotors, calipers and brake pads. The trailer is a triple axle, with brakes on each axle.

I've read and researched both sides of the decision to tow with this vehicle. Ram has a recommended tow capacity for stock vehicles. There is no other specific guidelines beyond this for legal towing, if I am not towing commercially.

I don't see how a stock Ram 2500 would improve my tow capacity over my current vehicle, except for the increased hp of the cummins diesel (notwithstanding dual rear wheels, which I would not get anyway).

In my mind, this is a much safer tow vehicle than the stock 2500. And, I already own the 1500, and I really like it. So far, I've towed the boat and trailer around the marina and have pulled the boat in and out of the water a half dozen times. Have not ventured out beyond this.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

When we purchased our C26 I owned a Tahoe. I looked at the C28 but knew there was no way the Tahoe would tow that. I knew that the C26 was a little over the Tahoe tow capacity but probably doable. I just bought a new boat the last thing I wanted to do was buy a new truck. Besides I really liked the Tahoe. Heres what I did. I installed air bags, I removed the brake calibers and installed HP calibers with ceramic pads, I installed slotted police intercepter rotors,K7N air filter, chipped the ECU for towing performance, I installed load range D tires instead of stock C . I went with a tri-axel trailer instead of the stock tandem axel trailer, I installed a weight distribution hitch. That summer we dry stored the boat . I launched every weekend and pulled the boat a short distance to a storage building. The Tahoe worked perfect. We planned a trip to the AGLCA Rendezvous in Alabama that fall. Before taking the Trip approx 600 mile road trip I did a trial run on the highway with all my add on's to see how well the Tahoe handled. It pulled the boat trailer combination. Thats all it did. Was it safe? No, Could it pull the boat yes. As much as I wanted to keep the Tahoe I knew that I needed a bigger truck. I really wanted a 1/2 ton because I wanted a truck that had a ride close to the Tahoe. 3/4 ton trucks do not ride good! While shopping for a truck I (speced out) any and every 1/2 ton. A half ton could do it but it was marginal towing my C26. I looked at the difference of the 1/2 ton truck and 3/4 ton. Night and day difference. 3/4 ton, Rear end and axel heavy duty, leaf springs with large helper leaf, load range E tires, larger diameter rotors, larger calibers and pads, heavy duty torsion bars on the front axel, truck Frame significantly thicker and taller, hitch capacity 14500 without distribution bars, standard gear ratio (taller) GVW significantly higher. Would a 1/2 ton pull my boat yes, will a 1/2 ton pull your 31 Ranger yes. Is the max towing capacity of the 1/2 ton rated to tow my C26 marginally yes. Is the max tow capacity of a 1/2 ton rated to tow your R31 no. Would I tow my C26 with a marginally rated 1/2 ton? I wish I could say yes. Because the 1/2 ton rides so much better. I can't say yes because it really is not designed to pull that much weight safely. The truck manufacture wants that truck capacity rating as high as they can get it. It's great for advertising, I believe the safety margins are really close to the posted capacities. Manufactures Ratings are not opinion based. They are factual. The decision a truck owner makes, will or will not the truck pull a trailer that is over the rated capacity is his or her opinion only. Good luck with your decision. It sounds like you have a nice truck now but maybe not the right truck to pull a 31 Ranger Tug.
 
Why not check out used ford f-450 -f-550 and Chevy C-4500?
Model years from 2005 to 2010 can be purchased between 20 and 30k
Usually have lower miles than your standard 1-ton, not a big market so usually you can get a better deal. Keep your 1/2 ton for day to day use as the depreciation that you would take would pay for a nice used truck. Just my thoughts! Bob
 
The GCWR is on your tucks data plate. With your load you will be required to stop at weigh stations. If the actual weigh exceeds GCWR you won’t be allowed to proceed and you will be ticketed.
 
Towing around a marina and real world highway travel are very different. Besides safety, People that tow with marginal equipment eventually destroy their transmission and engine. The foregone conclusion on this site is that the optimal tow vehicle is a 3/4 ton diesel.
 
Knotflying: the conclusion that the optimal tow vehicle for a Ranger / Cutwater boat is a 3/4 ton diesel is misleading as the tow weight of the larger boats (R-29 and R-31) are over weight for that size truck!
You need the correct vehicle for the job and the only way to really know is to weigh your pay load!
While there are many factors involved, as said on prior posts ( it is better to error on the safe side)
Like I've said prior, a nice used truck is less than 10% of that investment. When standing on the side of the road waiting for the tow truck or God forbid the police or medical personnel is not the time to think of a bigger truck!
Please be safe. Bob
 
Interesting. A Ram 2500 HD with turbo diesel is rated at 20,000 lbs. Next smaller diesel 18,000. Is somebody carrying a load of rocks in the boat? I am conservative but seems 20,000 is plenty.
 
Matty: you are correct as to what is listed on the brochure for a new ram 2500 diesel, however not every one tows in Florida where the road is pretty much flat through the whole state. When descending a downgrade of 7-8% for 5 to 10 miles it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that your rig is not as safe as the salesperson convinced you of. Bob
 
Some 2019 Ram 2500 turbo diesels are rated to tow 19,580 pounds while other Ram 2500 turbo diesels are only rated to 13,770 pounds. All depends on how the truck is configured as to whether towing a RT31 is safe or not!
https://www.ramtrucks.com/towing-guide.html
 
I don't think they tested in FL. I was replying to the statement that a 3/4 ton is not optimal for a 29. Optimal has many data points. An eighteen wheeler tractor is powerful but not at all optimal. I agree you need to look at your particular situation but 5,000 lbs is a lot of cushion. Many on here and another thread have advised the original poster that they need to pay attention to the rating and leave cushion. Good advice. This rating leaves several thousand pounds of cushion. Keep in mind manufacturer is not going to lie about towing capacity and risk lawsuits. I do not take chances either. I have a lift and when i replaced it i went over by one rating. When i had them redo my launxh ramp i went 2 inches thicker on the concrete than company recommended and add rebar. He said that will be like a bridge. I said good ..do it.But i do agree if you live at top of a mountain you should take that into consideration. Certainly there will be many opinions.
 
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