Anyone tow with a Ram 1500 Eco Diesel?

[eyeguy1]

I am looking at a 14' Ram 1500 eco diesel with 3.55 gears.
We have a Wildwood 30kqbss. I currently tow with a 11' Ram 1500 4x4 5.7 hemi slt big horn.
I was wondering if there are any out there that could chime in on the eco diesels performance towing?


Marty, Carla, Gabby and our ankle biters Rocky and Addy
2011 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT Big Horn 4x4 Hemi 5.7
Forest River Wildwood 30KQBSS

[emm-dee]

Your TT is well over 7,000 pounds. Its gross is over 9,000 pounds. The EcoDiesel with 3.55 gear has a max towing capacity of 7,950 pounds. I don't think it's gonna work out well.

[eyeguy1]

Our is 6900lbs dry weight. I agree that with the "specs" it would be pushing it pretty good. However I have heard of ppl towing TTs and loads that are closer to 9k with the eco diesel and it performed well. Just wanted to here from ppl with actual first hand knowledge


Marty, Carla, Gabby and our ankle biters Rocky and Addy
2011 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT Big Horn 4x4 Hemi 5.7
Forest River Wildwood 30KQBSS

[NMWildcat]

I hope someone with actual experience chimes in. This forum's weight police will derail this thread in short order. You might look for a half ton eco diesel Dodge forum that would be more helpful. I would think if your current truck pulls your rig just fine, the eco-diesel would surely be an improvement

[LandJ]

I had a '14 Ecodiesel with 3.55 gears.... IMO, you are on the edge with that trailer. My truck would have handled it, but I had the QC in Tradesman trim and 1450 for payload. You didn't say what the configuration is of the truck you're looking at. You are likely going to be over on most specs, probably not much, but you will be over. My opinion is that you can get away with length, or weight by a bit.... this trailer is long, too, at 33'

All that said, if you tow it with your '11 and are getting along with it, the Ecodiesel will tow it better. My trailer is 30' and 7500 loaded. I considered that to be the biggest trailer that I wanted to pull with my truck, but it pulled it very well and never left me with a white knuckle experience.

I would have no trouble believing the Ecodiesel would pull that trailer nicely, and I know several from other forums doing just that, but it will be right at the edge and you didn't mention how many would be in the truck, nor the configuration/payload of the truck you're looking at.

I hope this helps.

[eyeguy1]

It is a Laramie.
I truly appreciate you guys input


Marty, Carla, Gabby and our ankle biters Rocky and Addy
2011 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT Big Horn 4x4 Hemi 5.7
Forest River Wildwood 30KQBSS

[eyeguy1]

It is a 2wd Laramie eco diesel with 3.55 gears 5.7 bed crew cab


Marty, Carla, Gabby and our ankle biters Rocky and Addy
2011 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT Big Horn 4x4 Hemi 5.7
Forest River Wildwood 30KQBSS

[wyo700]

Some neighbors of mine have a ecodiesel and tow a 11000 pound fiver with there's. I haven't talked to them a lot about it but he says it does fine. Not sure this is any help but I'm sure you'll be fine.

[LandJ]

Originally Posted by eyeguy1

It is a 2wd Laramie eco diesel with 3.55 gears 5.7 bed crew cab


Marty, Carla, Gabby and our ankle biters Rocky and Addy
2011 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT Big Horn 4x4 Hemi 5.7
Forest River Wildwood 30KQBSS

The payload on that truck will be pretty low.... it's got a lot of options and it's a CC. I doubt the payload will be over 1000 lbs. You will need air bags or timbrens and a very good WDH. The truck will pull it fine, payload will be your problem with this trailer. I would expect your tongue weight to be around 1200 once the trailer is loaded. Now add the weight of the hitch and any passengers in the truck.

Good luck with your decision... the baby diesel will pull it, you'll have to decide if it's the right scenario for you.

Edit: just noticed your truck is 2x4, maybe payload won't be as bad as I said.... take a look on the door jam and see what it is.

[eyeguy1]

Originally Posted by wyo700

Some neighbors of mine have a ecodiesel and tow a 11000 pound fiver with there's. I haven't talked to them a lot about it but he says it does fine. Not sure this is any help but I'm sure you'll be fine.

Holy crap. Lol


Marty, Carla, Gabby and our ankle biters Rocky and Addy
2011 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT Big Horn 4x4 Hemi 5.7
Forest River Wildwood 30KQBSS

[eyeguy1]

You fellas have been a world of help with a lot of insight and I appreciate it a ton
I have a set of airlift 1000 from my current 11' Ram and an Equalizer 4pt sway wdh


Marty, Carla, Gabby and our ankle biters Rocky and Addy
2011 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT Big Horn 4x4 Hemi 5.7
Forest River Wildwood 30KQBSS

[eyeguy1]

This is why I love camping and traveling. Everyone is helpful to others! Now we just need to get the rest of the world on board with us 👍😬👍


Marty, Carla, Gabby and our ankle biters Rocky and Addy
2011 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT Big Horn 4x4 Hemi 5.7
Forest River Wildwood 30KQBSS

[brianre]

Go to RV Safety|RV Towing Calculator|Tow Ratings|GCWR for SAE calculations on what the truck can actually tow. We used this and upgraded to a one ton from a half ton.

[grayfox]

FYI

Trailer Towing Guides | Trailer Life Magazine

[chiggins]

Not to be a member of the "Weight Police" but I see it as a bad idea. The truck is not designed for the weight than you are asking for trouble. I am a contractor and my company tows heavy equipment very day. I will not allow a trailer to be over 75% of the cap for the truck. There is a reason for these ratings. Will the truck pull it? Sure it will. Is it smart to do, not at all. Its not only the suspension you have to worry about. The ratings take into account the brake systems, transmission, and etc. You will kill that small truck way faster. Plus it UNSAFE and in most states illegal. Think that little trucks brakes are designed to stop UP to a certain weight? Would you want your kid to run out in the road and someone not able to stop in time due to they had a overloaded truck?? Will you get pull over for it? Well any state troops in VA takes a good look at your combination will but many states not so much. But if you get in an accident you can be found to be negligent... That means insurance can bail on you for paying... You can be brought up on crime charges especially if someone is really hurt. Just food for thought. As a contractor that has many large trucks with backhoes and etc on them on a regular basis, I know very well about being responsible for making sure our trucks are safe for our guys and the people on the roads with them.

By the way... I believe highly in overkill when it comes to TV. My fifth wheel on my personal truck is in the same wieght class as your TT but as you can see in my signature I tow it with a diesel F-350. I can stop my setup on a "dime". I do not have to worry about sway or my truck having very expensive issues due to overloading it. OK I am done with my rant.

[rlocicero]

I used to tow my boat around the yard with my lawn tractor. Did it tow it? Yes. Was it ok? Yes, in the yard. Was it recommended for the road? No. Buy something that will do the job safely, not something that will maybe, kinda not sure will be good enough to accomplish the job safely.

[NMWildcat]

And off we go. LOL!!

[bikendan]

The weakness of the Ecodiesel is not pulling power, it's poor payload capacity.

That's where you find that it can't handle the tongue weight of bigger trailers.

[LandJ]

I agree to stay within the limits of the truck, but let's be serious... the same truck is available with a Hemi and has tow ratings out to about 11K. Obviously the brakes and chassis are up to more than the ecodiesel tow rating. Again, I'm not advocating going higher than specs allow, and I said that in my response, however, the biggest reason for the lower tow rating is a cooling issue. The answer to that problem is to back down to 50MPH on steep grades so the truck doesn't defuel when it gets hot. I usually don’t need to maintain 70MPH climbing up a mountain.

Yes, payload is a problem. The axle is rated to 3900lbs.... I was over on payload by a couple hundred pounds when I had the truck, but did not exceed the axle rating or any other spec.

People need to chill on this issue a bit. The truck is a wonderful tow vehicle, the best I have ever used (haven't towed with my 3500 yet). If you keep the specs in mind, it really works well. Like I said earlier, I doubt the OP will be able to stay within specs with that size trailer.... especially with 3 people and 2 dogs in the truck. I think the tow rating is 7850 or so, that trailer once loaded will likely exceed that. At least Ram is responsible when they rate their trucks.... some other manufacturers seem to think you can tow a house with their half ton trucks.

[DDC]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

And off we go. LOL!!

Pass the popcorn.