Tow a rockwood roo19

[kim_m]

Can I do it with a 1500 ram crewcab tradesman with a 6 cylinder engine. 2013 model truck.? Or should I get an 8 cyl


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[wyo700]

I'm sure you can do it. But by your question seems you can get a V8 if you want. My suggestion would be yes get a hemi V8 if you can you will be a very happy camper.


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[Happy Vibe]

It all depends on how your truck is setup, is it 4x4 is it a 3.21 or 3.55 axel? If a 3.21 than your max towing is around 4400lbs and the roo will be over 5000 lbs. IF the 3.55 than you will have around 7700 lbs so this may work. Need more information on your truck. GVWR GCWR.

[Tampajohn]

We pulled a 3000 lb Trailmanor with an Isuzu 6 cylinder with 4500 tow rating. It had all it could do and in the mountains we were in trouble. Bought a Dodge Durango Hemi pulling the same camper. 9000 lbs tow capacity. Mileage increased and could pull anywhere we wanted to go. Went through two transmission in 5 years with Isuzu with tranny cooler. Not going that route agaim. 5 years, we probably covered 75,000 miles.

[indybp57]

I'm towing a Roo 183 which is going to be very similar in weight to the 19. My Ram 1500 has the 5.7L HEMI with 5 spd auto and 3.92 rear end and it handles it pretty well. Not familiar with the Ram 6's. It will probably move it down the road but you're not going to have much margin on your payload. Our previous TV was a Trailblazer that has a pretty strong 6 cylinder and it would handle it here in the flats of Indiana but would not have wanted to take it in the mountains. I would say you would be in for some pucker moments.

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[kim_m]

It is a truck we are looking at buying.


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[indybp57]

Originally Posted by wyo700

I'm sure you can do it. But by your question seems you can get a V8 if you want. My suggestion would be yes get a hemi V8 if you can you will be a very happy camper.


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X2. The Ram Hemis are bad ass motors.

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[rlocicero]

I would go with the 8 cyl. 269 lb of torque is not enough. hp for show, torque for go. The 5.7 is a good motor. What you sacrifice in fuel economy you will make up in performance and safety.

[ChooChooMan74]

I think you would be fine. I tow my 21BH with a I4 Turbo Diesel. I have enough power. I do have more torque at a lower RPM than you have.

[The_Rhino]

IMO to tow anything near/over 5,000 you need a V8 (for gassers...) Ram uses the 5.7 Hemi in both the 1500 & 2500 series so power in not a problem if you choose the 1500. However, for about the same price, you can typically find a 2500 if you shop-around. The 2500 gives you a much more stable platform for towing yet you can still use it as your daily driver since the Hemi gets around 18 mpg empty. IMO anything smaller is not enough truck & anything larger is not practical as your daily driver...

In 2013 I bought a used 2011 2wd Ram 2500 Crew Cab ST (stock Tradesman) with the 5.7 Hemi & 3.55 for $14K. It has a haul capacity of 3,000 but a tow capacity of only 9,100. (The tow capacity was increased in later years without changing the design - so I feel safe operating near capacity when I need to...)

The other week I had the truck loaded with our family of (5), our (5) bikes, firewood, scooters, and a cooler I could hardly lift while towing a loaded 7,500 lb. TT... Near a campground in the steep hills of Southern Ohio, I had to come to a dead stop on a steep incline to make way for pedestrians. Although I observed newer gassers & older diesels struggling with similar loads, my (newer) Hemi had no problem getting me back to speed. The 2500 also had the stability & braking power to handle the steep declines around hairpin turns. After that trip I am so glad I chose the 2500 vs. a 1500.

It also confirmed that I didn't need a $35K+ diesel truck to have a good towing experience. Today the price of diesel was over $4.00 vs. $3.23 for gas which means a diesel would have to get 22 mpg to keep my annual commute expense the same - not factoring a diesel's higher maintenance costs...

[rockfordroo]

I tried pulling my Roo 19 with a 2011 Traverse (3.6L, V6, 281hp, 266 lb-ft, 5200 lb tow capacity) for one season. I wasn't happy. It ran ~3100 rpm in 4th gear at 60 mph on straight and level road. Any slight incline dropped it into 3rd. The issue isn't the weight, but the drag.

I got a Silverado with a V-8. I'm a LOT happier now. I wouldn't bother with a V6.

[HONDAMAN174]

On flat roads, it can do it but something as simple as headwind could make it struggle.

Go with the bigger engine- you won't regret having more capability but you could regret not having enough.




2014 Stealth Evo 2850 "Woodstock"
2011 Toyota Tundra Rock Crawler TRD 5.7 "Clifford"

[kim_m]

Okay so go with the bigger engine. Back to the search for a new truck.


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[t0rnado]

We have a roo 233s and were using a 2012 durango with the 3.6L v6 and it did ok. We just traded to get a 2012 with the hemi v8 and it pulls like a rock star. The engine has more power at lower RPMs. It is better to pay more now then regret it later!


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[Archicamper]

I am pulling my Roo 19 with at Trailblazer with a 6 and it is ok but any kind of a head wind is a killer. Too much drag! I got 7.5mpg going out to South Dakota (upwind) and 11mpg going home (downwind)!

[prof_fate]

I believe the 'tradesman' model is the basic work truck - not going to have a tow package, cooler, wiring, and such you'll want (or need) for towing.

that looks like a used truck? I bet you could get a new 2014 for about that price and just add a year to the payments - starting with a new truck vs a year old one means they'll be the same 'age/condition' when paid off so no risk. And prolly lower interest rate on a new one.

We got a 2013 4 door 4x4 chevy 1500 w/ v8, tow package, backup camera, integral braking controller for $30,500 new and the incentives I"m seeing now on TV are more than we got.
Use the internet, truecar.com I think I used on my subaru (got it $1100 under invoice, 1.23% 5 year loan)

[The_Rhino]

Not sure about the 1500 series, but my 2011 Ram 2500 ST is the "Tradesman" crew cab & even this base model comes with a tranny cooler/gauge & trailer hitch wiring - because, after all, they are made for hauling around construction & landscaping trailers, etc.

Although my base Tradesman did not come with the internal brake controller, it was already pre-wired for one. All I had to do was buy a used one for $100, plug it into the pre-wired socket, and have the dealer program the computer ($40).

A couple friends just dropped $30K+ for new trucks, complete with $500-$600/mo. payments, so I just admire their new toys & don't judge... However, I get around just fine without leather seats, backup camera, internal GPS, or satellite radio for $200/month payments...

[Roocrew1]

Has anyone been towing with an expedition EL? I'm looking at one to replace my current 2002 F150 super crew. I currently have a 3:55 ratio, and was looking to go with a 3:73 in an EL. I'm currently looking at 2007 or 2008 models.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by rlocicero

I would go with the 8 cyl. 269 lb of torque is not enough. hp for show, torque for go. The 5.7 is a good motor. What you sacrifice in fuel economy you will make up in performance and safety.

Understand the performance increase but how does more power increase safety?

[prof_fate]

Acceleration getting on the hiway, passing, going up hills, keeping up with traffic - IMO it's not safe to be a 'rolling road block' with everyone trying to pass you.
And if you have more power you won't be using 'all' of it just to get down the road - so less wear and tear on the engine/drivetrain, less tiring on the driver (which means a safer driver).

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Understand the performance increase but how does more power increase safety?