Tow vehicle

[trumpetguy]

Presently towing our 2007 International 28 with a Ram 1500 5.7 Hemi. Seriously considering a 2007 31 foot Classic. The classic is 1500 pounds heavier but the tongue weight is 670 vs. 880.

Do I need a 3/4 ton diesel, or will my Ram handle. My wdh is a Blue Ox.

[dbj216]

Oh boy, this is going to be a long thread.

You may know the answer to your question already. Take a look at your Ram 1500 towing specs. I think the Combined Vehicle Weight Rating is important, as well as the axle weight rating. You likely know the weight of the cargo you haul with you when traveling, including that 200 pound St Bernard puppy. Don't exceed the manufacturer's towing specs. The lower tongue weight of that Classic 31' is concerning. We like 12% of gross trailer weight on the tongue for good towing balance.

Will 1500 pounds more weight exceed the Ram's specs?

Florida is pretty flat. If you add mountain assents and strong headwinds in your travel plans, then I think you will wish for a bigger truck with more torque.

Let the many recommendations begin....

David

[gator.bigfoot]

Originally Posted by trumpetguy

Presently towing our 2007 International 28 with a Ram 1500 5.7 Hemi. Seriously considering a 2007 31 foot Classic. The classic is 1500 pounds heavier but the tongue weight is 670 vs. 880.

Do I need a 3/4 ton diesel, or will my Ram handle. My wdh is a Blue Ox.

Fully loaded my tongue weight is only 750 lbs. Not even 10% of the trailer weight. Using a Hensley to get around this issue. Tried an EAZ lift and there was still too much sway. The Hensley solves the problem and works great.

With the proper weight distribution you can move the weight from the back to the front and your vehicle will be within specs.

Personally I wouldn't hesitate in buying the 31 classic. I wouldn't trade mine for anything.

[Hans627]

I have a RAM 1500 and towed a 25' International without too much effort (with the exception of limitations on payload). About six months ago I traded up to a 27' Globetrotter. The 1500 can tow it but if we get into anything other then flat terrain the transmission is always shifting to optimize performance. We recently took a trip to the Adirondack Mountains and it was then that I decided I needed more truck. I still love the 1500 and it is great for the right conditions.

I test drove all of them, gas and diesel, and now have a RAM 2500 Cummins on order.

Based on my limited experience I would say you need a 3/4 ton.

[trumpetguy]

We just finished a 2800 mile round trip that included Mount Pigsah near Asheville, Virginia Highland Airstream Park in Floyd, VA, and up through the Shenandoah Valley to Gettysburg. There were some seven degree grades up and down and the Ram performed very well. I never felt the engine was over at ed. My International is on the heavy side due to 4 six volt batteries , a Magnum inverter, and five hundred watts of solar PV. We always travel with a full water tank.

In my truck are a 100 pound generator, a 20pound LP tank, plus the usual tools and accessories. I also have a bed slide and a Lear topper.

Avg. mpg for the trip was 10.1.

Oh. On this trip I was using the Andersen hitch. Certainly not as good as the Blue Ox, but I never felt unsafe...even with all the trucks on I 81, AMS I95.

[trumpetguy]

Meant to say over taxed on the engine.

[Daquenzer]

I have an F150 with 3.5 Ecoboost and 10 gears Max Tow Haul. I tow a 28’ International with a Propride Hitch. Personally I wouldn’t want another 1,500 lbs to tow without going to a 3/4 ton. But people do it. I guess it would depend on how far, where, and often you are going to tow it. I would think the biggest issue would be stability in traffic and descending steep long grades. I wish I could remember the YouTube place where a guy who towed a 30’ camper (not AS) went from a 1/2 ton to 3/4 ton and could really tell the difference. He said the 1/2 ton was doable, but the 3/4 ton was more comfortable. Put it this way; you will get lots of opinions. My advice is to try it out, and see how it works. But I would not buy the 30’ without realizing a new truck may be in the picture. Good luck. Happy Camping

By the way I wouldn’t automatically go with a diesel. The F250 with the gas V8 is a very capable truck.

[Bill M.]

I do not know what you “need” but a. 3/4 ton diesel would be great with the trailer you are looking at.

[Daquenzer]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdGmDC6U5oQ

Gas vs. Diesel

[Daquenzer]

https://www.tfltruck.com/2016/01/rea...tow-12000-lbs/

[moosetags]

My advice would be that since you already own the truck, give it a try with the new trailer. If it feels right, you're good to go. If you don't feel like it's enough truck for your needs, shop for more payload and power.


Brian

[Daquenzer]

https://rvlifemag.com/towing-half-to...e-quarter-ton/
This is a very interesting article. Makes some suggestions for towing with 1/2 tons.

[PKI]

We have a poster who tows a 30 with his 1/2 Chevy. He's happy, but he does use a PPP type hitch. You should too. Also look at all the parameters that make a good tow vehicle and define for yourself, the right choice.

Ready, set, research! Use the blue box at upper right to find relevant threads.

Pat

[trumpetguy]

With a tongue weight of only 770. Say we add another 1000 pounds for food, clothing, water, and stuff. That puts the tongue at less than 10%. My guess is this trailer will tend to sway more than my International, which is tongue heavy.

I guess I’m talking myself into a 3/4 ton plus a new Pro pride hitch.

[DBinSD]

Having towed 5 different trailers (not all AS) with gas and diesel, ½, ¾ and 1 tons.

I feel the best (for us) is the ¾ diesel with our current set up with 28’ International and PP hitch.

We go for long distance trips with many western passes. The ¾ ride is not as comfy as the ½ ton but, the diesel WAY OUT PULLS on the long uphill grades and the engine exhaust brake is invaluable.

There is ZERO sway with the PP hitch on our set up.

Simply it is just a more COMFORTABLE towing experience. My ½’s did it yes. I was exhausted after towing all day though.

Try what you have now, you can always go up.

Good luck !

[gator.bigfoot]

Originally Posted by trumpetguy

With a tongue weight of only 770. Say we add another 1000 pounds for food, clothing, water, and stuff. That puts the tongue at less than 10%. My guess is this trailer will tend to sway more than my International, which is tongue heavy.

I guess I’m talking myself into a 3/4 ton plus a new Pro pride hitch.

You will need a Propride or Hensley for sure. But as someone else said try it with the half ton first. There are lots of people using it with these heavy trailers.

[Daquenzer]

If you are going to spend money go with Propride or Hensley first. You can always try it. And you’ve got a good hitch. I will bet you will be very comfortable driving with that hitch set up. I would also read that article I posted from the AS dealer. He really thinks a half ton with some adjustments is a better option. He makes a very good argument.

[brick1]

Check your truck’s Tow ratings and payload. You are likely OK, but close to maxxed out. You will probably be happier towing with a 3/4 ton diesel.
brick

[polarlyse]

I'm not going to jump into the issue here except to add that on our 30', 2001 Classic we had a tongue weight of 880# before having the batteries moved inboard and that reduced the TW to 800# with full propane. Trailer weight ready to go approx. 8000#. I tow with a F-350 diesel and have no experience with any other tow vehicles so cannot offer any comparisons.

[trumpetguy]

I have read the articles posted and will stick with my Ram. With the 3:92 rear end it has plenty of pulling power. I won’t have all the extra weight from batteries and solar so the classic may be close to what I have been towing. One article said Bilstein shocks would be beneficial. Any comments?