New truck

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So we finally traded in the 2015 Dodge Grand Caravan for a 2018 Dodge Ram 1500 Outdoorsman. The payload is 1510lbs and the max tow rating is 10140lbs. We have been pulling our new 2017 Jayfeather 17 hybrid with a GVWR of 3500lbs. I wanted to post this question to ensure I am correct.

If the payload is 1510lbs i subtract the weight of my wife, son and myself which leaves 970lbs. The gear we carry in the bed of the truck adds up to 287lbs so subtract that from the 970lbs which leaves 683lbs. The tongue weight is when the camper is loaded is 334lbs so subtract that and we are left with 349lbs. So we can still carry a good 200lbs more and still be well under the max payload of the truck? I will say as soon as I got home to hooked it up and it pulls like nothing is behind it.

How do people tow 7000lb and heavier trailers? The tounge weight of those are well over 700lbs! I see a ton of rams pulling 28' and 30' campers! Are they all over loaded?



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[LiftedAWDAstro]

Congrats on the upgrade! I think Ram (and most manufacturers) includes a 150# driver in the weight ratings already, so really you have an additional 150# available for cargo. Otherwise, you are correct in your numbers. Most 1/2 tons towing a 7,000# trailer are well overloaded. Most of those drivers just look at the towing capacity and think they are fine. Very few actually weigh their rigs.

[Ohiofinlander]

Congrats and enjoy!

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Originally Posted by LiftedAWDAstro

Congrats on the upgrade! I think Ram (and most manufacturers) includes a 150# driver in the weight ratings already, so really you have an additional 150# available for cargo. Otherwise, you are correct in your numbers. Most 1/2 tons towing a 7,000# trailer are well overloaded. Most of those drivers just look at the towing capacity and think they are fine. Very few actually weigh their rigs.

Thank you! I know we were overloading the van we had. We drove slow, used a good WD hitch and up grades tires to a higher rating. I was a rookie and listened to the salesman...never again! We had no choice but to use it for one season.

When we retire my wife and I plan on wintering in Florida with a 25 to 27 foot Jayco. So it is safe to say a 2500 ram would be a wise choice indeed?

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Originally Posted by LiftedAWDAstro

Congrats on the upgrade! I think Ram (and most manufacturers) includes a 150# driver in the weight ratings already, so really you have an additional 150# available for cargo. Otherwise, you are correct in your numbers. Most 1/2 tons towing a 7,000# trailer are well overloaded. Most of those drivers just look at the towing capacity and think they are fine. Very few actually weigh their rigs.

That is good news about dodge including a 150lb driver in the rating. That means we have 500lbs left after we are all ready and pulling away from the house! What a difference a good TV makes!

It is kind of scary to think at least 1/2 of the TT/TV's I see on the road in the summer are way over weighted!

It is even more outrageous that salesmen will sell a camper to someone which will dangerously overload their TV.

We were told our 2015 Grand Caravan (3600lb) would safety tow our 3500lb camper. When in the real world it takes a Dodge Ram 1500 to just handle the payload.

This forum was a real eye opener...thank you!

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Just to compare the 2015 Grand Caravan has a GVWR 6050lbs and a curb weight of 4321lbs and the difference is 1729lbs. We add up two passengers and gear 850lbs (on the heavy side) subtract from 1729lbs and we get 879lbs. Now sudtract the tongue weight of 330lbs and we are left with 549lbs. So unless I am wrong the 2015 Grand Caravan has a max tow rating of 3600lbs and a payload of 1729lbs. Therefore the camper' s GVWR is 3500lbs so we were just a hair under the max of what the van was rated for. It sure felt like crap towing the camper and happy we have the truck now!

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[Midnightmoon]

Your new Ram is a quad cab correct? I believe that they have the 1700#+ available payload ratings. My wife's Ram Crew Cab 1500 has a payload rating of just under 1400#

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Originally Posted by Midnightmoon

Your new Ram is a quad cab correct? I believe that they have the 1700#+ available payload ratings. My wife's Ram Crew Cab 1500 has a payload rating of just under 1400#

Ours is a 2018 Ran 1500 Outdoorsman, Crew Cab, 5.7liter, 5'7" box, a 1510lbs payload with 3.92 gears. This chart is off the dodge site.

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[Midnightmoon]

I'm pleased to hear that yours is so high. My wife's is also a crew cab short bed 4x4 with 3.92 gears. It's a low option Tradesman truck but it has the 32 gal fuel tank and the protection group with the skid plates. As per the door sticker, it is 1346#.

[Midnightmoon]

Here's the door sticker.

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Originally Posted by Midnightmoon

Here's the door sticker.

That could be the difference indeed! We don't have those options.

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[SkyBound]

Are you getting that 1510lb payload figure from the chart you posted? Or from the sticker inside the driver's door of the actual truck?

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Originally Posted by SkyBound

Are you getting that 1510lb payload figure from the chart you posted? Or from the sticker inside the driver's door of the actual truck?

Sticker...however I called brother-in-law who has a big horn and it us the same as yours...weird!

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[TheB2B]

Hook it loaded out same as you would to go camping and scale it out. The only way to know with certainty your weight and how it's dist. I have a 14 Ram Outdoorsmen with the EcoDiesel pulling 24 RBS dry weight of 4700 lbs and fully loaded out well under with WDH, transfer same of the tongue weight onto the front axle.