I recently bought a 2005 Alfa See Ya 5'er. It's 39' in length.

Here are the specs..
Gross Weight 18,500 lbs
Unloaded Weight 12,820 lbs
Carrying Capacity 3,704 lbs
Hitch Weight 2,380 lbs

Got that off the net. I am planning on towing this with my 2005 QCSB 4X4 Auto 2500, it has 20" wheels and 35's. It has leveling kit too.

I am taking care of the performance end of it, but its the pure size and weight I am worried about. I never gave much thought to towing it when I bought it, but reading all these towing posts, I am starting to wonder if the truck is capable. My father in law pulled it when I bought it, coming through the mountains he had to grab 2nd gear in his '96 Ford Crew DRW Powerstroke. His truck is stock with exception of downpipe and exhaust, but I have never seen it where we had to grab 2nd before. But as stated my truck now having enough power is not my concern here. I was planning on airbags and exhaust brake. Anyother ideas or concerns?

 

to much for a short bed auto you need drw,you can pull it but how safe.I have a 33' HR TH @16900 on my 2500 and I know I would not want anything heavyer, your brakes need to be 100% all the time + your 35s are probably load range D?

 

Yep...

Manufacturer specs.
Toyo Open Country All Terrain
325/60R20 (35x13.0R20), Toyo Open Country All Terrain
Load Range = D
Max Load = 3195
Tread Depth = 16/32
Overall Diameter = 35.2""
Sidewall = Black Letters

They are worn out though, came on the truck and I will have to replace them when truck is complete before it would be road worthy.

 

I tow every day at work. I'm only 53' over all length but gross 20-25k lbs regularly. Towing has more to do with your safety awareness and abilities. Your truck is capable and will be fine. I have an 97 and 03 that are autos that tow as much weight as I do.

Get gauges for sure. EGT, trans, and boost like everyone else. I always thought the boost gauge was just for bragging rights, but I blew a boot two weeks ago on my 97. EGT and trans are a must. Bags are good and an exhaust brake is a great idea. I have had a PAC brake for a few years and love it. You'll need a lockup switch for the auto is the only difference from mine. I imagine it will come in the kit. Going back to stock tire size might need to be thought about. Also without a dually, get E rated tires. My 03 lost the trans just under 200k. I had a triple disc converter, shift kit, and whatever else rebal (buddy and my local cummins guru) told me I needed. If you haven't built the trans, you'll be doing it eventually.

 

I'm not big on the Weight Police, but that's a lot of trailer for a 2500. I would trade for a dually.

 

Sorry to say as said above that you are overloaded before you ever hook up. Both exceeding the trucks GVW and GCWR. Here is the ratings from Dodge

2005 dodge ram 2500 pickup 2500 SLT, QUAD CAB, 4WD, 8.0 Ft Bed, 4-Speed Automatic Transmission, 5.9L High-Output Cummins Turbo Diesel Engine:

With 3.73 Axle Ratio Axle Ratio [i] You Can Tow 12800 lbs
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) [i] = 9000 lbs
Payload [i] = 1950 lbs
Curb Weight [i] = 7050 lbs
Curb Weight Front/Rear = 4358 lbs/4358 lbs
GAWR Front/Rear [i] = 5200 lbs/6010 lbs
Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) [i] = 20000 lbs



With 4.10 Axle Ratio Axle Ratio [i] You Can Tow 12800 lbs
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) [i] = 9000 lbs
Payload [i] = 1950 lbs
Curb Weight [i] = 7050 lbs
Curb Weight Front/Rear = 4358 lbs/4358 lbs
GAWR Front/Rear [i] = 5200 lbs/6010 lbs
Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) [i] = 20000 lbs

I'd find another truck to tow with.

Dave

 

My 6 spd, 4.10 drw is only rated to tow 15k. I didn't even like the feel of 10k lbs when I had a srw. The boat-like handling of 18k+ would put me in the nuthouse! Craig

 

We have a 2004 Alfa Gold 5er 38' (really 39'10") that we have fulltimed in since fall of 2003. We pull it with a stock 2003 3500 quad cab 2wd drw 6sp manual 8 ft. bed. No 4:10 rear, just 3:73. Don't need the 4:10 screeming when we are empty. You need to check your ratio of miles running empty vs. how much you tow. Stock other than the exhaust brake. 137,000 miles now. Southwest in winter, Idaho, Montana in summer. No big tires, wheels etc. Does just fine. Replaced brake pads at 91,000. There was still plenty of pad left, but some RV parks frown on repair work. You will NOT be the first one up the mountain, but then I don't need to be. I would highly recommend an exhaust brake. Also a dually will give you more stability.

 

I would not call a 200 rpm differance between a 3:73 and 4:10 at 70 mph, Screaming. I can't tell it at all. Lost about 1 mpg when I changed gears.

 

Will it tow the weight? Yes. Will you be legal? No. Will you be able to properly panic stop? No. Will it be "interesting" in the mountains? MOST definitely. I'd go back to stock sized tires to least get your axle ratio back and load range E and run them at 80 psi. But the safest (and in my opinion smartest) thing would be to get a DRW truck (or a used 4500 or 5500 truck). The right tool for the job. Do what you want, but it will be a handful with a 2500.

 

That is way too much weight for a single rear wheel truck especially with load range D tires. Combos like that are the reason we have weight police.

 

If you had to at least take off the leveling kit and put some load range E tires on it.


I'd trade for a DRW though in a heartbeat.

 

Despite my 5er being 9k wet, the upgrade to disc brakes has made a world of difference in slowing things down.

 

Check the weight rating of those aftermarket wheels too. They may be well below what the truck came with, and well below what the tires are rated for.

 

The trailer has its own brakes... In a panic stop the trailer should be able to lock up and stop the truck!

As for tires, those load range D will make your bung pucker!!! I'd say the first corner you take will just about make you see the Lord and you'll figure out right away that you are in over your head.

What does your rear axle weigh now? Mine is at 3500 pounds empty. My tires are rated for 4100 each so I should be kind of okay carrying 4700 pounds.

But...... The wheels are rated to 3200 each. And the axle rating.. Well I don't care, these axles are heavy enough. They have a big fudge factor in there. The suspension I have bags for and that works well. As for gearing, my 35" isn't great for pulling 15K around. The big tires are no problem for little 8K trailers, but hooking up a big load like you are talking of 18K (will actually end up being 20K if you weigh it) will be crazy.

Can you pull it? Sure! Will you like it? No! If you only pull a short distance once or twice a year then go slow and easy and go for it. If you want to travel the country with this set-up, you are nuts!