Is a ram 2500 to small

[Karguy]

Hi saw a nice ram 2500 and a 2011 Cardinal 3450 5th wheel trailer was wondering if the truck could handle the weight . What size truck would u need.

[Hexnut]

When it comes to pulling heavy, I tend to also go heavy on the TV. I opted for a Ram 3500 HD so I could maintain an adequate safety margin for whatever I end up pulling. Gather the available data on the 5th wheel and the truck and go to:

Travel Trailer Weight Calculator=

[Littlebear]

Depends on engine and rear end gears

[Kevinc2011]

The Ram 2500 only has 3.42 gears available from the factory. Gear ptions were offered for the 3500 DRW variant of these trucks. With a Fifth Wheel setup, one of the first numbers crossed is the Rear Axle Weight Rating ie.. What weight the rear tires can safely carry. Most finally go to DRW because of this and the greater stability of the DRW truck when encountering cross winds and such when traveling. i personally have had too many white knuckle rides in a srw tow vehicle. I went DRW in 2007, and would not consider anything else again!

[dustman_stx]

Originally Posted by Karguy

Hi saw a nice ram 2500 and a 2011 Cardinal 3450 5th wheel trailer was wondering if the truck could handle the weight . What size truck would u need.

The vast majority of 3/4 ton diesels pulling FW's are over their GVWR. Most have payload capacities of 1800-2200 pounds. All but the lightest FW trailers will have more pin weight than this when loaded- and that doesn't even take into account the passengers, hitch, gear, etc. With that being said, I believe a 3/4 ton truck can carry significantly more weight than that. Considering the fact that probably 50% or better of the thousands of FW's I've seen are being towed by them with no apparent issues, I think my theory has been well tested and proven.

[spock123]

If I had it to do over I would have kept the Silverado 2500 that I had. There is very little difference in what you can pull between the 3500 and the 2500. If you think there is going to be a problem then put air bags on the 2500. I have a SRW and I have never had a problem where I thought I was not safe. I have pulled camper's down Black Mountain in the western part of NC on I-40 and its steep and never had a problem, I have went to Yellowstone twice with SRW with very steep grades out there and no problems, comes down to what you like, what you feel safe with and most of all what you can afford. I feel safe with the SRW and I could have had any one I wanted. I was pricing the new Chevy 2500 and the 3500 and the 2500 costs more.


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[Jim34RL]

Originally Posted by Kevinc2011

The Ram 2500 only has 3.42 gears available from the factory. Gear ptions were offered for the 3500 DRW variant of these trucks. With a Fifth Wheel setup, one of the first numbers crossed is the Rear Axle Weight Rating ie.. What weight the rear tires can safely carry. Most finally go to DRW because of this and the greater stability of the DRW truck when encountering cross winds and such when traveling. i personally have had too many white knuckle rides in a srw tow vehicle. I went DRW in 2007, and would not consider anything else again!

That's funny as I have a 3:73 gear set in my Ram 2008 6.7L Cummins 2500 Mega Cab 4X4.

You need to be more specific when making statements. In 2013.5 MY the 3500 SRW Ram and in 2014 MY for the 2500 diesel trucks was when this change took place. Ram test the new trucks with the redesigned frames along with the HP/TQ change to the engines and found that the 3:42 gear set could and did pull as will as the older trucks with the 3:73/4:10 gears set in them. Tire size and ratings where also change to a higher load level tire. So for Just In Time on the assembly line and cost reason only one gear set is offered on the SRW trucks now. Trucks are certified to meet SAE J2807 towing standards.

[Ddubya]

The load capacity of 3/4 ton trucks is all over the place based on the equipment and accessories. I have a 2013 SRW 2WD 2500Hd Diesel that has a sticker rating of 2861 lbs. most are not that high. A loaded truck with 4x4 may be hundreds of pounds less.


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[dustman_stx]

I had a 2011 f250 XL 2wd diesel that only had 23xx payload. It did have factory overloads and the fifth wheel prep pack. It was also a crew with 8' bed. Had a GVWR of 10k- max for a 3/4.

[Skippy38]

Originally Posted by Kevinc2011

The Ram 2500 only has 3.42 gears available from the factory. Gear ptions were offered for the 3500 DRW variant of these trucks. With a Fifth Wheel setup, one of the first numbers crossed is the Rear Axle Weight Rating ie.. What weight the rear tires can safely carry. Most finally go to DRW because of this and the greater stability of the DRW truck when encountering cross winds and such when traveling. i personally have had too many white knuckle rides in a srw tow vehicle. I went DRW in 2007, and would not consider anything else again!

Hmmm, that is strange. My 2015 Ram 2500 CC has the 6.4L/4.10 combo from the factory, and I could have got it with the 3.73's also. It also has a payload capacity of 3610 lbs and a rear GAWR of 6000 lbs. When you say "The Ram 2500 only has 3.42 gears available from the factory." that is not a valid statement. I feel that with the numbers on my truck that I could comfortably pull any reasonable 5th wheel out there

[goduc]

2014+ 2500 6.7 Cummins only have 3.42's.
When you get a Hemi 6.4 you get different gear options.