Need Hitch Recs for Roo 25RS and Ram Outdoorsman

[Kaytee1206]

Hi,

My husband and I are in the process of purchasing a Roo 25RS that will be towed by a Ram Outdoorsman. We previously owned a Quicksilver popup that we would pull behind my Wrangler. Obviously this is a whole new game for us and are a little clueless as to what would work best and where to purchase. We will be meeting with the dealer again in the next 2 weeks so I'm sure they will give us advice, but I'm sure their prices on hitches aren't great, which is why I want to do my homework first.

Thanks for reading!

[Dave_Monica]

By Ram Outdoorsman, are you talking about a 1500 or 2500 series truck?

I tried to find the specs on a Roo 25RS and haven't found anything...even on the Forest River site. Do you have the specs?

You'll want a weight distribution hitch with integrated sway control such as Equal-i-zer or Reese dual cam. As we don't have any specs, I don't know what size hitch to recommend. I'm assuming that the truck will be ordered with the towing package and will have an integrated brake controller.

Dave

[Dave_Monica]

Oops, I was looking in the wrong place.

The Roo 25 RS is 4841 UVW, 502 dry tongue weight and 6502 lbs GVWR. No problems towing that with a Ram 1500. You should go with 800# spring bars for the W/D hitch. You could go as high as a 1000# spring bar, but it may be too stiff.

Dave

[Triguy]

Equal-i-zer, Reese Dual Cam, and Blue Ox are popular hitches. And then you always have the option of the new Andersen hitch to look at, too.

The TT you are looking at will probably weigh between 5500-6000lbs with options and loaded with cargo. That's just an estimate, of course, so assuming 6000lbs the TW will be close to 800lbs. I have a similar TW with my trailer and I have the 1000lb bars with the Equal-i-zer and its good.

As a point of reference, RV Wholesalers sells the Equal-i-zer for $445 delivered but you will have to set it up yourself or pay your dealer to do it (if they will install something they don't sell).

[bikendan]

even though i love my Equal-i-zer, and highly recommend it, the Husky Centerline seems to be a copy of it and has happy owners.

be sure to get a good brake controller, most recommended one is the P2 or P3 from Prodigy.

[Kaytee1206]

"The Husband" here now.

Thanks for the feedback so far.

Ram will be the 1500 with Hemi and 3.92 gears. Plenty of pull for the GTW we are looking at. IMO.

The truck comes with the integrated break controller and sway control. Does anyone have any experience with the factory installed BC?

What are your opinions on the integrated SC/WD combo hitches vs. seperates? Pros/Cons?

[baldy]

Plenty to pull that and someone else's! You won't pass many filling stations though!

The combo SC/WD are the way to go. If you have the big bucks, have a look at the Hensley or ProPride 3P. I am intrigued by the Andersen hitch. One thing to know though, these types are a little more involved to hook/unhook. You don't just drop the chains and crank the handle. There is typically a little more cranking involved.

I have an E2 (cheaper version of Equal-i-zer and essentially the same thing) and it works just fine. Combined with the F150 and integrated brake control and electronics, towing is easy.

They all have their merits and they all have their issues. Youtube them and find one you think you like and one that you can get. I asked for the Equal-i-zer and got the E2 only because I would have to drive 3 hours to pick one up. Wasn't worth it to me when I looked at them closely.

[Triguy]

Originally Posted by KKapa

The truck comes with the integrated break controller and sway control. Does anyone have any experience with the factory installed BC?

What are your opinions on the integrated SC/WD combo hitches vs. seperates? Pros/Cons?

The integrated BC incorporated with the new trucks is reportedly decent. You shouldn't need another.

Those WDHs with the sway control built in listed above are the way to go. By "separates" are you referring to a WD hitch with which you could add on one or two friction sway bars that are independent of the WDH?

If so, I frankly am not sure what the benefit is with independent sway bars unless you already have the equipment and wanted to reuse it to save money. The WDHs with built in sway are more consistent in their control and easier to hook up.