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comeonletsgo · 10-15-2016, 05:19 PM

Hello,
Is anyone towing a 28" Airstream with a Ram (2014) 1500 Longhorn w/ 5.7 Hemi?
Full tow package and trailer brake set up. 3.21 axle ratio.....

Thanks

dasams · 10-15-2016, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by comeonletsgo

Hello,
Is anyone towing a 28" Airstream with a Ram 1500 Longhorn w/ 5.7 Hemi?
Thanks

28 inches? Doubt that would be a problem. In fact, I suspect that it'd also be fine with a 28 footer

What's the issue?

comeonletsgo · 10-15-2016, 05:58 PM

Ah Yes 28' .... eyeglasses help! And I'm a carpenter... I hear a lot of mixed opinions on this trucks capability in pulling a 28' Flying cloud. It seems fine to me, but we take delivery on our new FC next month. I'm curious if anyone else is in the same pairing of truck VS trailer.....

FCStreamer · 10-15-2016, 06:07 PM

The truck should be fine. Towing capacity should be enough. It's the payload you have to watch,

What is the payload of your truck?

You should figure the trailer will put 900-1000 lbs of weight onto your payload when fully loaded. If you have a payload of, say, 1400 lbs, that leaves 400 lbs for you, your significant other, and some kick knacks.

If that's all you're bringing, you're fine.

If you were planning on bringing your Harley Davidson motorcycle in the bed of your truck, well, then you'll probably be exceeding the payload capacity. Not a good thing.

So the answer is.... it depends.

comeonletsgo · 10-15-2016, 06:11 PM

The payload is 1080 lbs.

SeaLevel · 10-15-2016, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by comeonletsgo

The payload is 1080 lbs.

For comparisons sake, we tow a 25' FC with a Chevy 1500 that has a payload rating of 1680. The payload rating on your truck sounds pretty minimal.

Jukeboxfun · 10-15-2016, 06:23 PM

I had a Hemi like yours to pull my 25' flying cloud. It did okay but I was always maxed out on payload. I traded it in for a Ford F250 powerstroke diesel. I feel much more confident now.

silverlabs · 10-15-2016, 06:25 PM

The hitch weight on a 28FC is per Airstream 976, but in reality more in the range of 1100. Don't have my scale numbers handy but it's heavy. One of, if not the heaviest of all Airstreams. Payload will be your issue. Put it on a scale and double check all of your weights. I pulled mine for a year or so with an F150 and just went to a 2017 F250 diesel. Love the way it pulls it. Good luck and enjoy your new Airstream and travels.

Chuck

FCStreamer · 10-15-2016, 06:58 PM

That payload is very small. You will very likely exceed your payload rating. Some folks are ok with that, but I'd say you don't have enough truck for that Airstream.

cliffcharb · 10-15-2016, 07:18 PM

IMO with that gearing it will feel like a dog when accelerating. My Sierra has 3.73 and is OK, but like the 4.11 rear better in my brothers 2500. Also remember when you have a WD hitch the full tongue weight does not just go on the tow vehicle. For instance my 30' Bunk has about 1200 lb tongue weight but when hooked up only about 600 lbs is sitting on the truck.

SpletKay06 · 10-15-2016, 07:52 PM

It should do fine the payload rating on our trucks includes 300 lbs of passengers and full fluids. If your going to be pulling big grades a gear swap would help but the hemi has lots of pulling power.

dkottum · 10-15-2016, 08:00 PM

We have towed our FC 25 all over the country many times with a 2012 Ram 1500 reg cab Hemi, ProPride hitch. It performed so well, we got a new Ram EcoDiesel, it is terrific. If it has a tow package it most probably has a 3.55 or 3.92 axle, check it out. The 3.21 is an optional ratio for economy, not towing power.

The FC 28 has a little higher axle rating and empty hitch weight than a FC 25. I doubt the truck would know the difference when towing. Load the truck bed lightly, especially behind the rear axle. You have a (GVAR) axle rating of 3900 lbs each, front and rear, check the door tag. That's 7800 lbs before the truck axles are overladed, if you use a good weight distribution hitch and load management to load the axles evenly. Our axles load within 20 lbs of each other by the CAT scale.

Payload is the weight you carry in the truck including any trailer hitch weight at any given time. I haven't seen any reason outside of a shopping tool for manufacturers to assign a number to it. It varies from the time it hits the dealer's lot, perhaps that is why the number is precede by the phrase "should not exceed" on the door jamb sticker.

When shopping for the truck's capacity, realize that hitch weight of the trailer is not what will be added the the truck's weight after a quality weight distribution is set up. Our hitch weight is 835 lbs empty and our ProPride hitch and stinger weighs about 180 lbs. At the CAT scale after weight distribution is applied this combination of weights adds 820 lbs to our truck, the remainder to the trailer axles. That gives us almost 1,000 lbs for us and our camping equipment before we have overloaded the truck's axles or the truck and trailer combined weight (GCWR).

Some important things to know. Half-ton trucks must consider truck loads when an Airstream is attached. You will need to use the transmission and reduced speed for climbing and descending steep grades. Engine compression braking and truck and trailer service brakes will be needed to hold speed down on the steepest grades, practice and descend slowly and you will learn. These are a small part of the overall owing experience.

Many trips about the country in all terrain, weather and traffic have proven these truck's preform very well towing a mid-size Airstream for us. Absolutely stable when hitched well and plenty of power, they are comfortable, economical tow vehicles.

gandttimes · 10-15-2016, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cliffcharb

IMO with that gearing it will feel like a dog when accelerating. My Sierra has 3.73 and is OK, but like the 4.11 rear better in my brothers 2500. Also remember when you have a WD hitch the full tongue weight does not just go on the tow vehicle. For instance my 30' Bunk has about 1200 lb tongue weight but when hooked up only about 600 lbs is sitting on the truck.

If you have a tongue weight of 1200lbs before you hook to the truck, you still have it after. All you have done is distribute it evenly @600lb rear and 600lb front. It doesn't magically disappear.

George

malinois38 · 10-15-2016, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gandttimes

If you have a tongue weight of 1200lbs before you hook to the truck, you still have it after. All you have done is distribute it evenly @600lb rear and 600lb front. It doesn't magically disappear.

George

cliffcharb · 10-15-2016, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gandttimes

If you have a tongue weight of 1200lbs before you hook to the truck, you still have it after. All you have done is distribute it evenly @600lb rear and 600lb front. It doesn't magically disappear.

George

That is incorrect. The weight gets distributed across the entire rig, truck and trailer.

NorCal Matt · 10-15-2016, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gandttimes

If you have a tongue weight of 1200lbs before you hook to the truck, you still have it after. All you have done is distribute it evenly @600lb rear and 600lb front. It doesn't magically disappear.

George

Though some SHOULD be distributed back on the trailer axles.

I would guess if you go ahead and pull with it, you may not see the downside of overloading your payload. But I would seriously consider upgrading the truck shortly.

Enjoy your new airstream!

gandttimes · 10-15-2016, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cliffcharb

That is incorrect. The weight gets distributed across the entire rig, truck and trailer.

Incorrect.

cliffcharb · 10-16-2016, 07:42 AM

Grandtimes please explain. I understand how WD systems work and have scale tickets to verify what I posted.

silverlabs · 10-16-2016, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cliffcharb

Grandtimes please explain. I understand how WD systems work and have scale tickets to verify what I posted.

I've not seen numbers to support 50% gets moved off of tongue as you are suggesting. Typically 20% to maybe 30% max is distributed. I've measured my 25FC with an Equalizer hitch and my 28FC with Equalizer and then when I went to a ProPride and not seen near a 50% reduction in tongue weight and scales verify that all is set up correctly. As well as wheel well measurements are correct.

Chuck

dasams · 10-16-2016, 09:04 AM

Originally Posted by cliffcharb:
That is incorrect. The weight gets distributed across the entire rig, truck and trailer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gandttimes

Incorrect.

My hitch was set-up by the dealer and the weight on my front axel dropped 200 lbs when the AS was hooked up. I adjusted the spring bars and shifted 200 to the front axel and another ~200 to the AS axels. The weight on my rear axel dropped ~400 lbs.

I don't think there is any doubt that a properly set-up WD system will shift weight off of the rear axel and on to the front axel and trailer axel.