bobinyelm

I was looking at the hitch that's kind of part of the rear bumper on my '03 3500 Dually that has a 2" receiver plus a hole to mount a ball through the license plate step as well.

The placard on the plastic step (not on the hitch itself) says 5000lb trailer/500lb tongue, and doesn't mention a weight distributing hitch.

I can't believe they would only put on a 5000 pound hitch on a 3500 Cummins equipped truck. Is that the limit if you use the hole on top w/ a ball, or for using the 2" receiver hitch as well?

If that's the limit for the receiver, I am very disappointed. Like, who buys these trucks to tow only 5000lbs when they are rated well above 10,000lb towing specs?

Bob

kully560

you need to fill out what you have 4x2,4x4, bed length , rear gears etc . also you can look on genos garage web site they have tow specs for 2003 dodge ram trucks kully

bobinyelm

I don't see how axle ratio or whether it's a 4X2 or 4X4 makes any difference at all, unless they installed different hitches depending upon if you have a 3.73 or 4.11 gear ratio, but maybe they make a different hitch for every different ratio and whether 2 or 4 wheel drive?

Is the frame different on all of these 1-ton models so the same hitch wouldn't be installed at the factory?

No wonder Chrysler went broke if they are so stupid!

Bob

Lost Lake

Well Bob,

There is a difference in towing capacities. In fact, your dually is rated to tow less than my single.

They come up with a maximum combined weight (GCVW) and apply it to both our trucks. But because you have an extra set of wheels. your truck weighs more and thus you can tow less before you reach that magic number.

I know. Stupid. I agree.

Back to hitches. The bumper hole is for rookies. Maybe you could put a little ball in there for towing a yard cart. The hitch should be 10,000 pound rated with a weight distributing hitch.

I don't follow these 'rules' because I understand them. I know I'll get a lot of flack about this, but I've been towing stuff for so long with so many different vehicles at such weights I don't really care what people think they know.

The Dodge owner's manual will tell you the designed weight capacity.

bobinyelm

I KNOW different trucks have different towing specs. I didn't ask that at all, actually, in my question. I KNOW my truck is rated to tow over 13,000 pounds, and that's plenty for me. I am only asking about the hitch.

So you are saying the OEM factory 2" receiver hitch that is attached to 2" round cross-tube that is bolted to both sides of the frame is only rated to tow a "garden cart"? Why would they install useless 2" receiver hitches on our trucks? To carry a bicycle carrier? That is double dumb!

So you are saying toss the factory receiver hitch and buy an after-market one because the OEM one is junk?

I don't see anything about my factory hitch in the owners manual. I will go read it again.

Bob

.boB

The bumper4 is stamped 500/5,000#. That means you could put a ball in the hole and tow that much on the bumper.

The reciever hitch itself also has a weight rating. I can't remember exactly what it is, though. 750/7,500 maybe?

If you want to pull 10,000#, you'll need an equalizer. If you want to tow more than 10K, you'll need to change the reciever.

bobinyelm

Yep, I have weight distributing hitches (Reese and a Hensley Arrow, both rated to 12,000lb), but since the Factory receiver hitch is not stamped anywhere, and doesn't have a placard on it (NTHSA requires all hitches to have a placard showing the weight carrying and weight distributing weight limits), I was wondering if anyone has a factory hitch that DOES have the limits posted on such a placard.

The ONLY placard is on the bumper itself mentioning the bumper limits of 5000lb/500lb, and says "Bumper" vs. the 2" receiver portion.

At least the hole in the bumper attaches to the top of the actual hitch, and not the tin-foil bumper.

Bob

CHOPPER ROB

The bumper hole and ratings that you saw and posted,, just forget about them. Your 2" receiver that is bolted to your frame is rated for approx. 10,000 lbs. I personally tow mini excavators and skid steers on a heavy 14,000 gvw trailer which in total weight equals 11,000 lbs. Always remember that its not always what you tow but how you tow it. Watch your tongue weight and try to keep majority of your weight over your trailer axles. Factory ratings are safe ratings, but might not be max rating.. Just my opinion. If you have a jet ski or something light you could tow that with the bumper,,, but don't bother..

Lost Lake

Calm down Bob!!! I said the hitch is 10,000 pound rated with a weight distributing hitch. I believe it has a 5,000 pound rating without WD.

I don't make the rules, I just break them.

On the farm we haul 20,000 pounds on 4 tires rated at 2800 each. All the time. There's a lot to know about ratings, and why they are what they are.

CHOPPER ROB

LOST LAKE, you are so correct, I never use load equilizers or any of that on my srw its just how you load. I love to see guys pulling light loads, but they have all the weight in the front of the trailer and the truck is dragging in the back end.

Lost Lake

I always want at least 12% of a tag trailer's weight on the tongue. With my fiver I run about 30%, but that's just how the fiver is designed.

CHOPPER ROB

That sounds right on the tag. I dont run a fiver at all. I tow so often that I can just load and look at the sag in the rear of the truck to get it just right. Does your srw tow good with the fiver hooked? I used to have a(dont pick on me) F-450 with a fiver , but i got rid of it and just use my tag. Seems like I get less looks from D.OT. with just the tag then the fiver on.. Not that I would ever overweight or anything......

bobinyelm

Sorry; I didn't mean to sound like I was snapping.

When you said "The hitch should be 10,000 pound rated with a weight distributing hitch. " in your post I thought you were saying one should install a 10,000 WDH (if one intends to tow).

Obviously you meant the OEM one I described 'should be good' for 10,000lb used as a WDH. My mistake for mis-reading.

Only having the rating for the ball is very misleading. I am surprised that they don't mark the receiver portion if it has a higher rating.

BTW, here is a picture of the one I have (it's the one on the left): http://www.torklift.com/dodgeoem.html
You can see the hole for the ball alone above the 2" receiver portion of the hitch.

Thanks-
Bob

CamperAndy

Your truck has a class III hitch and you are limited to 5,000 with a WDH. It is not rocket science guys. My truck came with a class IV hitch and it was what I ordered and yes it is an option and more expensive then a class III but not as expensive as a class V receiver. You get what you pay for.

Hitch and receiver classification

nwflyoda

also, i believe if your truck came w/ the towing package...then the hitch doubles as a cross member. so if you want to get rid of the stock hitch you may have to look into that...but i could be wrong as well.

i twisted mine on my old truck from doing 45' snatches on a 7k lbs truck that was stuck in the mud and water for 7 hrs.