Tow Vehicle for Grey Wolf 26DBH

BadWolf · 07-31-2013, 02:50 PM

I’m a newbie, so please forgive me for any ignorance. We are planning on purchasing a Grey Wolf 26DBH within the next year. (Our first TT!!) We first need to purchase a tow vehicle, and this is causing nothing but conflict in regards to what truck is best for our needs. DH has long loved the look of the Dodge Ram and I’m fine with that, afterall, it will be his truck. When looking at the towing capacity of the TV and the weight of the TT (GVWR 7740) I am thinking our best bet would be a Ram 2500, DH thinks the 1500 is fine. We need a Crew Cab to comfortably travel with our two growing boys, and will be doing a lot of mountain driving both here at home (Blue Ridge mountains) and eventually out west. Trying to figure this all out without owning either vehicle for all the numbers has been frustrating. The last thing I want to see happen is DH fall in love with a truck, buy it, and quickly realize that it’s not powerful enough (or safe!) for our family. Any tips, recommendations would be greatly appreciated. TIA

MtnGuy · 07-31-2013, 03:05 PM

The Grey Wolf 26DBH has a listed empty tongue weight of 740 lbs. That might climb to close to 1000 lbs. when you have that puppy ready to travel.

Realistically, most 1/2 ton pickups only have about a 1200 to 1400 lb. payload capacity depending on the GVWR. Add the 1000 lb. tongue weight to the hitch, and that leaves you with 200 to 400 lb. for passengers and cargo. Not to say anyone is heavy, but with you and your husband, plus 2 growing boys could easily put your tow vehicle over the weight limit.

A long wheelbase (145" or more), 3/4 ton truck with a big engine, and low final drive ratio (high number) would be your best bet. Make sure you get the heavy duty tow package, also, with a hefty tow rating.

ridersfan · 08-01-2013, 11:02 AM

I have the same trailer and pull it very easily with my half ton and equalizer bars

wyo700 · 08-01-2013, 11:17 AM

You could make it work with a half ton and with a gvwr of the trailer it's lower than a half ram tow capacity. I have a toy hauler with close to exact same gvwr and I pull it with a 2013 tundra. Don't have any issues pulling and I feel safe. But as stated before with two boys and all the camping gear you will be at if not over the trucks gvwr so a 3/4 may not be a bad idea. And if you dh likes the hemi engine get one in the 3/4 ton.

rotorhead1250 · 08-01-2013, 11:42 AM

I have the 26BH, and I tow with The Ford Superduty crewcab long bed 1 ton. Put an exhaust temp and trans temp gauge in there and don't worry about those mountain passes. My advice is get the most truck you can afford and never look back. The family will grow with the truck and I never wake up at night wishing I would of bought a bigger truck, because there isn't one!!(joking).

BadWolf · 08-02-2013, 10:46 AM

Thank you for the replies. It's definitely the trucks payload capacity that has me concerned with the smaller trucks. Our boys are small now, but they will be growing up fast. I do not want to think about having to buy a bigger truck later when we should just get the right truck to begin with. I also know that an empty truck bed will be calling for stuff to be thrown in last minute....you know boys and their toys...

**ependydad** · 08-02-2013, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BadWolf

Thank you for the replies. It's definitely the trucks payload capacity that has me concerned with the smaller trucks. Our boys are small now, but they will be growing up fast. I do not want to think about having to buy a bigger truck later when we should just get the right truck to begin with. I also know that an empty truck bed will be calling for stuff to be thrown in last minute....you know boys and their toys...

You're 100% correct. My wife and I aren't thin but our kids are little (9 year old and 1 year old). Both kids are in some sort of car seat (booster seat for one and was an infant seat and now a child seat for the other). Add on the fancy rolltop cover on the bed (150 pounds), miscellaneous stuff in the cab, miscellaneous stuff in the truck bed and fifth wheel hitch (you won't have this, but you'll likely have more stuff in the truck bed than us). We eat 1,200 pounds off of our payload before we hitch up.

Given a TT with 1,000 pounds of tongue weight- we'd need payload in the range of 2,200 pounds and up (since the kids will just get bigger).

Some of the F-150s with max tow and max payload options are coming in with these kinds of numbers, but that's a very specially optioned truck.

IMO, Chap/MtnGuy was spot on. Can it be done with a 150? Yep. Will you be over your ratings? It depends on how you pack. IMO, you don't have the truck now- the Ram 2500 is an easy choice.

jeeplj8 · 08-02-2013, 11:00 AM

are you looking at new Ram's? I was just ready that for 2014 (so basically available in the next 2 months) the Ram 2500 will have a new suspension with coils out back and multi link front. In other words, it should ride much better than previous 3/4 trucks. Which is of course the big difference between 1/2 and 3/4, the ride quality.

As stated, you CAN do this with a 1500, but you WILL have to be careful when loading. One nice thing about TT is that you load virtually everything in them which helps keep the truck free of extra eight. They can often tow more than they can haul.

For the 1500, the eco diesel version is supposed to have a 9200 tow rating, and they are supposed to have slightly higher payload capacities as well.

BadWolf · 08-12-2013, 11:22 AM

Thank you again for all the replies. We took a look at the Ram 2500 Mega Cab Laramie and fell in love (just not with the price tag!) I think we'll hold off and look at the 2014's when they arrive on the lot since camping season will be coming to end by the time we're ready to pull the trigger on purchasing the truck and TT. Can't wait to get out and start camping!

BandJCarm · 08-16-2013, 06:14 PM

Posted this elsewhere, but posting it here because I have the exact same TT.

I have a Chevy 1/2 ton 1500 with 3.45 rear end, and I'm disappointed big time. I am actually in South Carolina right now visiting daughter and grandsons. Had I pulled this thing from Arkansas, I'd not have made it!!

Wife's Tahoe blew the fuel pump in driving rain at MM 10.5 on I-40E, on the acceleration ramp of the first NC Welcome Center, going uphill. Scary scary stuff. I doubt I'd have made it up the Smokies with my current setup (I got passed by a lot of similar ones, not sure how they do it), and honestly I wouldn't even try.

I'm waiting on the 2014 Chevy 2500 with 6.2L and Max Trailer Package. Gonna hock the farm and just get one.

**ependydad** · 08-16-2013, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BadWolf

Thank you again for all the replies. We took a look at the Ram 2500 Mega Cab Laramie and fell in love (just not with the price tag!) I think we'll hold off and look at the 2014's when they arrive on the lot since camping season will be coming to end by the time we're ready to pull the trigger on purchasing the truck and TT. Can't wait to get out and start camping!

If you want a MegaCab and want to stick within your ratings, you need to look at the 2013s and newer (you did say you were going to be looking at 2014s). The '12s and earlier have incredibly low payload numbers compared to their crew cab counterparts.

jeeplj8 · 08-17-2013, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BandJCarm

Posted this elsewhere, but posting it here because I have the exact same TT.

I have a Chevy 1/2 ton 1500 with 3.45 rear end, and I'm disappointed big time. I am actually in South Carolina right now visiting daughter and grandsons. Had I pulled this thing from Arkansas, I'd not have made it!!

Wife's Tahoe blew the fuel pump in driving rain at MM 10.5 on I-40E, on the acceleration ramp of the first NC Welcome Center, going uphill. Scary scary stuff. I doubt I'd have made it up the Smokies with my current setup (I got passed by a lot of similar ones, not sure how they do it), and honestly I wouldn't even try.

I'm waiting on the 2014 Chevy 2500 with 6.2L and Max Trailer Package. Gonna hock the farm and just get one.

I have to think your rear end ratio is what is killing you here. In theory that truck should have the juice to get you there, but the rear end is geared to low (numerically).

fmiloscia · 08-19-2013, 09:15 PM

Don't be fooled by the Dodge Ram 1500, yeah it can tow 10K but the rear springs are no match for towing. I had '09 Ram 1500 CC VSB Hemi 4x4 and I spent hundreds for that thing to handle the weight of a Jayco 228. Well Traded in for a '13 Ram 2500 CC SB Hemi 4x4 and bring on the weight. Traded in the 228 for a Catalina 272BH, 2500 tows like a dream not white knuckled. Be safe not sorry.

whj77372 · 08-22-2013, 03:16 PM

With the newer transmissions of 6 speeds and much better then in the past, the rear end ratio, while still important, much less so. Try pulling with a F250 with a ratio of 3.31 or 3.51 and they do very well, no jack rabit starts.
thou.

Brother Les · 08-22-2013, 03:39 PM

You will be happier with the bigger truck.... I have a F-150 and a F-250. With the F-150.... the truck knows that something is back there, and it don't like it

.....the F-250.... goes all day long and not a care in the world....

Safety first and always. Get the bigger Ram.

avolnek · 08-22-2013, 04:05 PM

I had the same trailer prior to my new trailer and truck. I also pulled it with a crew cab hemi. I had stepped up to the hemi from at Chevy 1500 with the 5.3 I believe... I was impressed going to the hemi, it pulled it well. It rev'd a little harder in the hills then I really cared for, but it would do it all day and not hiccup once. The hemi is a great motor and the 26DBH is a great camper.

After a few shorter trips with the 1500 Hemi I noticed my trans and engine warming up fast, never got to where I felt uncomfortably hot, but it would heat up fast going up hills and such. This is mainly due to the drive train and cooling systems being smaller.

I switched to a 2500 for the added weight to help "boss" the trailer around rather than being the other way. It also gave me added confidence knowing my drive train and cooling systems were built for the task at hand.

Seeing that you will be in the mountains often, I highly recommend the 2500. This will give you a heavier truck for added control. Steering will be beefier, tires stiffer, cooling systems bigger, brakes bigger and drive train much stronger.

The newer body style rams 1500/2500/3500 all ride very nicely! If you can afford a cummins DO IT! you wont regret it! If you do go with a Cummins try to get a 2012 as it wasn't mandatory to have the DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) added to it yet. This is just another task and thing to remember, it will also up your resale as people a few years from now wont want to deal with it!!!

As stated earlier... Buy the most you can afford now... I have gone through 3 trucks in the past 1.5 years stepping up... (dont tell my wife, but I still wish I would have bought a 3500 manual transmission

)

intensepisgahbiker · 08-22-2013, 06:34 PM

I have a 2013 26 DBH and live in the WNC mountains. I have already towed it over 4000 miles this year with a 1/2 ton truck with an Andersen hitch and had no problems or the need for a larger truck. My truck has 117,000 miles on it and I spend more time in it while not towing so I want a comfortable ride. I used to have a smaller camper that I towed with a 3/4 ton that beat me to death when I wasn't towing so I dropped back to the 1/2 ton and haven't looked back.

You may also like: