All,

I am trying to find (in writing, per Dodge or some such "expert") what I can tow with my '05 2500 Quad Cab, Long Bed, 6 Speed, Cummins. I am contemplating a bumper pull trailer OR a gooseneck trailer and cannot find anything in the books in the glove box or from the Dodge web site. I would like to stay under CDL weights (well, I could reg the trailer as a camper right? ).

HELP!

Thanks so much!

Andy

 

FYI: I am in need of a higher GVW trailer to my entire shop into it as to make it portable (I sew leather, mostly rifle slings, holsters, I also do horsey stuff etc) Some of the equipment is HEAVY, hence the need for a higher GVW box (looking at a 10K GVW Haulmark 24 foot, might need longer and a littler heavier, hence asking the questions!)

Thanks again,

Andy

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Look on the sticker on the drivers side door. It gives all the info you need.

 

Andy, here's some info for you to digest and some math homework: my 4x4 2500 has a 9000 lb GVWR; and with a full tank of fuel and nothing else in it, weighs 7100 lbs.

BY THE BOOK, that leaves me with a 1900 lb load that I can put in the truck. That includes me, passengers, stuff in the truck and pin weight or tongue weight.

Figure a 24 foot trailer has a 1000 lb tongue weight. Subtract your weight and tools, etc in the truck an you eat up that GVWR pretty quick.

2500's are limited only by the GVWR, not Gross Combined Weight Ratings.

SRW 3500's have a 9900 lb GVWR, and the dually's are much more. I don't know the exact ratings for them.

You shouldn't have any problem with that 24 footer, but; bottom line, if you want to pull a big heavy trailer, stay away from a 2500, and move to a 3500 - preferably a dually.

 

Times have changed but in the fine print of my owners manual I found the tow limit and the GCWR. I believe your receiver hitch will also have a tag on it. My stock hitch was rated at 10,000 lbs/1000 lb hitch wt with a weight distribution hitch. After it cracked I installed one rated at 15,000/1500. I'm sure a 10,000 lb trailer is well within the limits, but I wouldn't skimp on a hitch and sway bar. I believe you would be better off with a gooseneck trailer, lots easier to tow.

 

That is pretty much the bottom line. For my 04 the GVWR is 9000 and the towing capacity is 13,100#. I'm towing a 10,000# FifthWheel and running at 9100# GVW with 4 people, tools and a full tank of fuel.

btw - one thing does have me stumped. The 2500 and 3500 have no difference aside from an overload spring and the 3500 SRW is rated at 9900#. I don't get why and think it's a marketing thing - eg just show it as 10% better to differentiate... So, I guess that a there should not be much reason you could not load up a 2500 to 9900#? There are guys on this board who have gone way beyond that and lived to tell (type) about it.

 

If you don't buy that the overloads do anything then it is a marketing thing. If you believe they help then the additional 900# comes from them.

On the 2nd gen 3/4T you could add the camper option which gave the 1T overloads and the rear sway bar. It was in effect a SRW 1T by todays standards.

I think DC was just trying to keep up with the competition and rebadged the 2500 with camper option as a 3500.

Go to the DC towing site and you can play around with the towing info and get the numbers for you truck:

http://www-5.dodge.com/towing5/D/home.html

BTW, I ran my new Laramie dually through the scales yesterday and she weighs 8000# even (3700 front/ 4300 rear). That was with 2 passengers and a full tank, but didn't have the nerf bars and mudflaps on it so that it is probably real close to that number with just a driver.

 

true...
... so possibly, at max load if you take a jolt of some sort the spring hits the overload instead of bottoming out and that's good for 900#. If so, then a set of timbrens can help out too.

 

Just as long as one understands that it doesn't change the numbers on the driver's door post.

Rusty

 

From a 06 pamplet
Payload capacities 2500 4X2 long box 8800# GVWR =3020#, 9000# GVWR =2460# 4X4 2580# & 2010#
Towing capacities 2500 4X2 long box 13,250# 4X4 long box 12,800# this is with the 3:73 gear, with manual trans.
John

 

wow they lowered the gvwr back to 8800?

I would highly recommend a gooseneck over a bumper pull.

My official unofficial answer is that your rear tires are going to be the limiting factor.

Figure that the truck weighs 3k "empty" on the rear axle, leaving you about 3k for pin weight before reaching your rear tire combined limit at 80 PSI. Multiply 3000 by 4 for a 25% pin weight... this comes to about a 12,000 lbs trailer. This is only if you have a gooseneck or 5th wheel, not bumper pull.

Best way to find out is to load all of your junk in the truck, fill it up with fuel, and then go to a scale, pay $8 and find out. Also, 265/70/17's are rated to 3195# each giving you a little safety margin.

 

It's a legal thing here in California. CHP will check GAWR's and GVWR if they pull you over. I don't trying to explain that there's no difference other than an extra leaf will get you out of it...

 

I've been doing a lot of calculations in a spreadsheet lately that I built just for this purpose. According to my calculations, when using the 25% suggested for a GooseNeck trailer weight transfer, even a 3500 SRW with GVWR of 9900 may not save you from a ticket if your are over about 8200 lbs GN trailer weight! You would have to have an exceptionally light truck (not a 4x4, no heavy accessories, skinny driver & no passengers) or less than a 25% weight transfer to not go over the GVWR at this weight! Would certainly have to scale it to be sure! Everything else will be fine, tires, axles, GCWR etc. but the GVWR goes over around 8200 lbs GN trailer weight if using 9900 GVWR for a 3500. I guess the secret in California is to not look overloaded so as not to wake up any of the weight police! Maybe I need to re-badge my truck to be a 4500

 

I't seems the CHP mostly picks on people pulling 5th wheel toy hauler type coaches. They know that just about everyone pulling a 37'+ toy hauler with a SRW 1-ton is over weight. My brother was pulled over on his way home from picking up his 39' Weekend Warrior with his '06 F-350. He wasn' t ticketed but was warned and told the CHP is really starting to crack down on overweight rigs.

 

ROTFLMAO, CHP, from my observations, hasn't cracked down on anything. If they have cracked down on overweight rigs it is only because they can catch them cuz they are slower than the normal traffic. I pull trailers out of SoCal and am amazed at the fart can equipped rice burners, the Beamers and the Mercedes speeding, darting in and out of traffic, passing on the shoulder, etc with impunity. That is, I was until I saw the cops running red lights, failing to yield and riding their 2-wheelers down the zipper between cars doing over 60 mph. CHP is a joke.