Dealer and Chysler can not tell me. Class IV is usually 5-10,000 AFAIK weight carrying, but it depends on the hitch rating. Saw a thread on edmunds forum that claims it is 5000 lb weight carrying. Hard to believe a diesel would be equipped with that "light" a hitch. Any idea??

 

The one on my '01.5 says 5 K (10k weight distrubting), IMy drop hitch is rated at 5K also.
Whrn I load up all said the Trailer, Tractor & Impliment, Chains and binder I'm probably pushing 9-9500 lbs. I never really got a straight answer last time I asked, guess I'm pushing it a bit. To tow what I do, I (and everyone else) probably need to look at a whole new set up?
Not sure on the New ones either.

 

you might want to look at one of these
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...=47815&R=47815

 

Thanks, I've seen these before. Never considered them to help protect the truck/hitch, just figured they made everything more "comfy" . Anyway, I was told the 05 factory hitch is welded to the frame. I don't get the truck till tues (so I can't check for sure yet), but I started pricing hitches since I tow 8600 and was finally told Reese makes one that bolts on under the factory hitch (since the factory hitch does not come off). Not really crazy about having 2 hitches on the back of my new truck really. I may run up to a local dealer today and check about this "welded" thing.

 

Been poking around the dodge boards for the past week and I've read the earlier trucks had a factory class III hitch??? Every class IV/V hitch I have ever seen is mounted to the frame in six places and the load is also spread out with the side plates running up the frame. This is why I started to question the rating of the 05 factory hitch, as it just has one tube that twists up (which makes it weaker) and runs straight out to the frame.

 

Well my dealer told me it was rated class 5 only when you use a weight distribiting bars with the hitch !

 

I believe that, but I was hoping the factory hitch was rated for 7500ish weight carrying. That is what the class IV I have now on my current tow rig is and I've towed 8600 for 5 years and no problems. I read that you should not use weight distributing with surge brakes (which is what I have). I wouldn't care much if the hitch came off, I'd just get another one that I knew was rated correctly. Can you answer me this, is the factory hitch indeed welded directly to the frame??

 

Think I got most of my answers here.

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...threadid=58411

 

Mine is rated 12K WD per the book. Some early trucks had an insert or extra sheet of paper for the tow package. I never noticed what the non-WD rating is. But the factory hitch is holding up to my heavy tag trailer so far, its not bent.... I've been way over 12K with a pintel tailer, three times.

 

The more I read, the more I hear that. Guess I'll just have to run with the experience of others. Sucks that the day someone did bend it, you'd probably bend the frame also