Hey guys I have a question I have a 2014 Ram 1500 with max towing. It can tow 10,500 but that's not my concern I never considered payload when buying. Now I really really want to bring my golf cart along but with a payload capacity of 1709 lbs I have a slight problem. The hitch weight on my trailer is roughly 800 lbs and my cart is around 900 with my family coming in around 450 lbs for a ball park of let's say 2200 lbs which is obviously over the payload but here is the question. If my WDH puts a percentage of that weight back onto the trailer and off my truck in theory that should change the hitch weight. If I remove my 4 batteries that weight about 370 from the golf cart and put them in the back of the trailer depending on how much weight the hitch is distributing I could possible have reduced the hitch weight by maybe 600 lbs which if nothing else is in the truck could put me under my payload capacity by roughly 100lbs. Am I correct in my thinking or is there something I am missing. I could possibly be way over estimating how much weight the hitch is removing from my truck or just be completely wrong. If I carry nothing else in my truck and I am under the towing capacity and the GVWR of the trailer is this possible?
I have a 2016 27dbs Coachmen Catalina.
Thanks for the replies.
My understanding is that the WDH distributes some of the tongue weight to your truck's front axle & not too much to the TT axles... Your your truck will still need to handle most of the tongue weight of your (loaded) TT (800) plus family (450) plus anything else you load. I don't think removing the batteries will get your golf cart under 450 and it's dangerous to move so much weight to the rear of your TT that you have less than 13%-15% on the tongue...
Ironically, your 2014 Ram 1500 has about the same towing capacity as my 2011 Ram 2500 w/5.7 Hemi because the newer Ram's have 6+ speed trannies whereas mine is only a 5 speed. However, my 2500 has a payload of 3,000. Towing an 8,000 lb. (loaded) TT w/tongue weight of 1300, our payload is around 2400. This is with a fiberglass cap, family of 5, and about 300 lbs. of camping necessities under the cap.
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2011 RAM 2500 ST Crew Cab 5.7 Hemi
2011 Primetime 3150BHD Touring Edition
Days camped in 2018-25 2017-31; 2016-36; 2015-37; 2014-31
Most 1/2 ton trucks can carry more than that. These days 1/2 ton is name only heck my minivan had a 1250 lb. payload. I don't consider myself an idiot . I was just making sure the payload number is correct and not from the web site.
Yes sir that's from the drivers door. The truck handles the trailer no problem at all. The golf cart and payload however I failed to consider when researching my truck prior to purchase
Ya, today you have to shop by specs because the lines are so blurred... Folks drive work trucks overloaded all of the time & the main issue is that parts wear-out a little faster... However, with family on-board driving longer distances I want to have a safely margin - so I stay within the specs. IMO the specs provide wiggle-room for bad surfaces, sudden stops & windy/hilly roads...
IMO there are always bad drivers out there that test my reflexes & my TV/TT combo's stability. The worst are the ones that dart-across the highway because I leave more space between me & the car in front-so I have enough emergency stopping distance... I've nearly clipped a few & feel bad for semi drivers who face those idiot drivers everyday...
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2011 RAM 2500 ST Crew Cab 5.7 Hemi
2011 Primetime 3150BHD Touring Edition
Days camped in 2018-25 2017-31; 2016-36; 2015-37; 2014-31
Hey guys I have a question I have a 2014 Ram 1500 with max towing. It can tow 10,500 but that's not my concern I never considered payload when buying. Now I really really want to bring my golf cart along but with a payload capacity of 1709 lbs I have a slight problem. The hitch weight on my trailer is roughly 800 lbs and my cart is around 900 with my family coming in around 450 lbs for a ball park of let's say 2200 lbs which is obviously over the payload but here is the question. If my WDH puts a percentage of that weight back onto the trailer and off my truck in theory that should change the hitch weight. If I remove my 4 batteries that weight about 370 from the golf cart and put them in the back of the trailer depending on how much weight the hitch is distributing I could possible have reduced the hitch weight by maybe 600 lbs which if nothing else is in the truck could put me under my payload capacity by roughly 100lbs. Am I correct in my thinking or is there something I am missing. I could possibly be way over estimating how much weight the hitch is removing from my truck or just be completely wrong. If I carry nothing else in my truck and I am under the towing capacity and the GVWR of the trailer is this possible?
I have a 2016 27dbs Coachmen Catalina.
Thanks for the replies.
There are several good threads in here as well as many explanations of how a WDH works. Weight the truck and trailer and then you will be sure. I believe the number leveraged to the trailer axle is app 25% of actual tongue weight not published tongue weight.
with a payload capacity of 1709 lbs I have a slight problem. The hitch weight on my trailer is roughly 800 lbs
Two questions: 1. Is the 1709 pound payload from the yellow sticker on the door of your truck? I ask because I have a '14 Ram Quad Cab with a payload of 1200 pounds. My Ecodiesel engine weighs 200 pounds more than a Hemi. My point is your payload on the door sticker is much higher than mine and I hope you're not using a number from a sales brochure. 2. Is your actual tongue weight 800 pounds as measured on CAT scales? I see the Coachmen spec sheet lists tongue weight at 763 pounds, but that's for an empty trailer with no options, no propane, no water, no clothes, no food, no tools, etc. etc. Again my point is the actual tongue weight is probably more than 800 pounds. So it's entirely possible that your payload is less than you indicated and tongue weight is more than you indicated. I hope I'm wrong, but you have to be sure you're working with the actual numbers for your specific rig.
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2015 Rockwood Ultra Lite 2604 WS. Rear LR, large street side slide with small wardrobe slide in BR.
2014 Ram 1500 Eco Diesel Laramie Quad Cab.
My concern with moving the 4 golf cart batteries to the rear of the trailer would be having too little tongue weight and inducing sway. (Never mind that I'm too danged lazy to move 350 pounds of batteries for each camping trip! )
I have not seen a 4th gen ram 1/2 ton with more than 1450 payload. Is yours a regular cab? Any how. Weight is weight. Take it to the scales and see what you are loading it with. You will get your answer. My gut says this won't work.
The numbers I gave you were all ball park figures as far as my family the cart and the tounge weight for the sake of the discussion. If it were deemed close to possible I would have it weighed and get more exact figures. The payload is however from both a run of the VIN of ram calculator and sticker from the door those are exact. It is a crew cab and I assuming it's higher due to the max towing with 3.92??
Assuming then it's 2 wheel drive. I still don't think you will arrive at a comfortable situation. You are going to be right at your payload limits. You might be asking too much from your truck. Just my opinion
I have a CDL & previously drove a variety of 1/2, 3/4 & 1 ton trucks for commercial construction-type work. All trucks were pushed to their max payload & GCVW limits weekly. Overall the 3/4 & 1 tons from the Big 3 held-up great. No real safety issues or mechanical problems when pushed hard... Not true with the 1/2 tons. Brake problems, suspension problems, tranny problems, you name it because they are designed for car-like comfort & not hard work... Also, their suspension softness made them a lot harder to control when conditions required fast braking & maneuvering. Just sayin'...
For instance, my loaded TT pushes my Ram 2500 w/5.7 Hemi close to its GCVW (mainly due to my year's 5 speed tranny vs. the newer 6 speeds they are using...) Unlike a 1/2 ton pushed to its limit, I feel the specs on my 2500 give me a built-in safety margin.
For instance, my payload is 3,000 & I can haul 3,000 lbs. of mulch with plenty of spring left. I have hit potholes & not bottomed-out. If run a 1/2 ton at its respective max payload, the coil springs will bottom-out on same road, same railroad tracks, etc.
That said, I see no reason to by more truck than you need for a specific duty. If you get a great deal up-front it lowers your overall cost of ownership.
For instance, in 2013 I paid $14K for a 2 year-old 3/4 ton. Since I added a like-new fiberglass cap (CL for $500) two years later I still get offers of $14K - $15K but now only owe $5K on it... So I have $10K in equity after owning it for 2 years vs. the guy that paid $60K & still owes $45K for a truck that's only worth $40K...
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2011 RAM 2500 ST Crew Cab 5.7 Hemi
2011 Primetime 3150BHD Touring Edition
Days camped in 2018-25 2017-31; 2016-36; 2015-37; 2014-31
As a previous owner of a newer Ram 1500, IMHO you will be asking WAY too much of your truck to do what you propose. The rear suspension is extremely soft. You'd need to spend some $$ to add airbags, new coils, Timbrens, or some combination of the three to make your TV even close to comfortable to drive.
Good luck if you choose to proceed.
Brian
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Brian, Stacy, and the kids
2011 F-250 CCSB 6.7L PSD 4WD
2013 Palomino Solaire 269BHDSK
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