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Old 02-23-2018, 12:22 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VernDiesel View Post
Holy Grail, you are correct most posters are not on the payload bandwagon and I was a bit condescending. I apologize for that. I do get frustrated with them because many like Newbie come here earnestly for good advice & information and instead get sometimes purposely mis directed & confused by people they don’t even know.

For Newbie I happen to be towing an 18 27’ FC today with my Ram 1500. This one is well optioned with lots of windows and weighs 6,200. IMO with a good well set up per scales WDH with built in sway control with either Ecodiesel or Hemi and 3.92s with the 8 speed trans will make a great TV & TT combination. Naturally the Hemi is faster & ED a lot more fuel efficient. As mentioned unless you need to more heavily load the bed in which case you may prefer a 2500/250 mostly to stay inside GVWR. Airbags can also be a great suspension aid & supplement to the WDH especially for the softly sprung 1500.


Can you clarify which posts are

“purposely mis directed & confused by people they don’t even know. “

Thank you.
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Old 02-23-2018, 01:41 PM   #22
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Originally Posted by VernDiesel View Post
Before purchase something I do is to make sure the travel trailer (TT) gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is within the max tow rating of the particular tow vehicle (TV) I’m looking at just to see if the two can potentially be a match. Extra room here is always good.

Newbie let me help you out with all these agenda driven payloaders. Most are the blind leading the blind that don’t have the first idea what it takes to set up a safe stable tow with their TV & TT even with their family’s safety depending upon it. They are more interested in their agenda & parroting what they have read from others like themselves. Let’s start to put the knowledge of what it takes to determine if how & what you need to have in order to set up a TV & TT for a safe stable tow. Better your family’s safety is in your knowledge & hands instead of blind faith in erroneously stacking weight guesstimates toward a payload sticker number as most “payloaders” on these forums do. Not that the number derived has much to do with the actual stability & safety of a TV & TT set up. Mostly tits on a boar information. No mfg recommends this “method” for determining anything.

Ok if memory serves me a new dry 27’ AS should weigh a little less than 6k. Actual dry weight is listed on the front drivers side sticker of the AS. According to truck Mfgs for trailers above 5k you should use a weight distribution hitch (WDH). First biggie for stability & safety is you want a tongue weigh (TW) in the 10 to 15 percent range. This is based on actual experience & physics. U Haul did a great YouTube toy video that quickly demonstrates this. You set this with your WDH & weight distribution in your TV & TT according to scale results. Such as a CAT scale that weighs your steer, drive, & TT axles separately at the same time.

Ok wet camp ready TTs typically weigh almost 1k above the dry weight. So if you set your TW to say 12 percent of 7K that means your truck axles as seen on the scales will see a TW of about 840 pounds. This contributes toward your gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) or max trailering payload. Fwiw as an example my 4th gen 1500 Ram has a GVWR of 6,950 & a dry weight of 5,500. This WDH TW thing confuses most “payloaders” because they don’t understand that a WDH spreads static TT TW, Hitch weight, & more between both the TV & TT. Plus most have never invested in their own knowledge & the $12 it costs to insure their families safety by visiting a CAT scale with their TV & TT.

Yes I know that before scales were common place we had to rely on other measurements & such and that at one time most of us survived without seat belts & such. And that still others just load the family hook & book down the freeway with their headlights in the eyes of oncoming traffic & their fate in the wind.

The second biggie toward stability & safety is steer axle weight. You should both make sure your loaded TV retains its unloaded steer axle weight and that it does not exceed its rated limit. Again these numbers are from mfg & based in mathematics & Physics not that I can explain them. My Rams unloaded steer weight with me & as driven is 3,260 & my steer axle weight limit is 3,900.

The third biggie toward safety & stability is making sure your loaded drive axle weight doesn’t exceed its rated maximum. My Rams drive axle safe weight rating is 3,900. Again steer & drive weights and TW percentage is set via WDH adjustments plus physical weight distribution in your TV & TT. If you cannot get these numbers within mfg spec your TV & TT will not be as stable & safe as it should be. Generally the more equally the weight is distributed between the drive & steer axles the better.

If & after you are able to get these within mfg limits you should verify from your scale slip that your combined vehicle weight rating (CVWR), & GVWR are within mfg spec. CVWR generally having to do with stoping & suspension handling capacities best as I understand. GVW while it may not be the most critical number in fact sometimes nominally exceeding it can aid stability & safety with a heavy trailer is often the first number that exceeds rating spec which is why many more legalistically minded rightfully holler about payload or more accurately with respects to towing.. GVWR.

With respects to GVW you should also factor in or take into account as best you can heavier things that you may need to carry in your TV or TT. For example if you know you are going to need to put an 800 pound ATV in your bed than you can estimate that you would be significantly over GVWR & perhaps worse over axle. In which case you would be better served to pick a larger TV. None the less staying within mfg specs according to scales is a concrete way of determining if you can and what needs adjusted in order to get your TV & TT in spec and set up for stable safe towing.

Sorry to be so lengthy but squeezing that on a bumper sticker would not work.
Wow; "agenda driven payloaders"; what is that anyway?? Think most of us share our experience and knowledge without attacking other posters or attempting to scare a newbie, who is just asking a simple question about a RAM 1500 pulling a 27' AS. By the way, did anyone address the payload question yet with his RAM?
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Old 02-23-2018, 01:52 PM   #23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gypsydad View Post
Wow; "agenda driven payloaders"; what is that anyway?? Think most of us share our experience and knowledge without attacking other posters or attempting to scare a newbie, who is just asking a simple question about a RAM 1500 pulling a 27' AS. By the way, did anyone address the payload question yet with his RAM?
I made an attempt to address the payload issue. See post no. 5!
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Old 02-23-2018, 04:16 PM   #24
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“Payloader” that’s perfect! I love it!
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Old 02-23-2018, 08:19 PM   #25
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Vern diesel knows this towing stuff and can be trusted
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Old 03-03-2018, 02:05 PM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Newbie2018 View Post
I know there are all different opinions on what tow vehicle to use but I was wanting to hear from folks using a Ram 1500 to tow a 27ft FB. I'm getting ready to buy both. I'll be towing all over but only on weekends and two-three weeks at a time. I'll be using the Ram as a daily driver. looking for others experiences.


I use a 2017 Ram limited, 5.7 hemi Plenty of torque 420 and 395 horse. I got the air suspension which allows the truck to lower itself in eco mode to get better mileage. Pulling trailer in mountains I avg around 13 to 15 mpg. Flat in level at 65 mph I avg right at 18.
With out trailer you are going get 23 mpg on Hwy 18 in town. I live in the north ga mtns and avg 18.8 all around.
Trust me you do not need a diesel.
Oh yea ,a push of suspension mode to easy access allows you to back under hitch with rear view camera and then Click image for larger version

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ID:	305389touch normal ride height to lock hitch...hit off road button 2 and install your sway bars.
Then back to normal height an off you go.
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Old 03-08-2018, 06:17 AM   #27
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I wonder what changed from 2016 to 2017. I have the same setup and only get 10mpg towing, 16 local, 20 highway. We live in flat Florida. Could it be my Leer topper?
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Old 03-08-2018, 06:20 AM   #28
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I wonder what changed from 2016 to 2017. I have the same setup and only get 10mpg towing, 16 local, 20 highway. We live in flat Florida. Could it be my Leer topper?Attachment 305914
What is the gear ratio in the rear axle of your 2017?
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Old 03-08-2018, 04:22 PM   #29
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Mine is 2016 and has a 3.92
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Old 03-08-2018, 04:46 PM   #30
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We have a 2014 International Signature 27FB and we tow it with a 2014 RAM 1500 Laramie, with the max tow package. Crew cab, 4x4, and short bed. We added an ARE cap that matches the truck. 5.7L Hemi V8.

Never a problem in the world with this arrangement. Plenty of power, very comfortable indeed. That said, we have one single teeny tiny regret: Because of the tongue weight exceeding Airstream's claim of 10% and our truck dealer's complete lack of understanding regarding payload capacity, we are right at the payload limits for this truck. The truck handles fine, but we are right there at that upper limit. So, we travel as lightly as we can.

However, because of the load capacity issue, if we had it to do over again, we would take a hard look at 3/4 ton gasoline-powered tow vehicles, just to get the extra load capacity. (We're not really fans of diesel, but that's just us.) We'd worry that by moving to a 3/4 ton we would lose handling (e.g. solid axle instead of independent suspension, yuck), but if we could find a good 3/4-ton max-tow vehicle that feels relatively nimble, that's what we'd like to have instead of our RAM 1500.
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Old 03-08-2018, 05:12 PM   #31
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Mine is 2016 and has a 3.92


From what I understand the gear ratio could make that much differences in MPG, especially as compared to 3.21.

I have a 3.55 ratio and I get 11.5 to 13 MPG when towing, depending on terrain and conditions.
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Old 08-06-2018, 09:40 AM   #32
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I am using a 2014 to tow my 27 fb twin with no problems. I live in Blue Ridge mountains and have pulled all over these Mountains.
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Old 08-07-2018, 05:10 AM   #33
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I used to tow a Flying Cloud 28 with a Ram 1500 Hemi. I had 2 problems. First, I needed airbags in the rear suspension to prevent sagging. Second, I had difficulty climbing the Rockies. Then I bought a 2500 diesel and the problems were solved. I use it as a daily driver and I prefer it over my car unless I have to go into the city.
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