Anyone Pulling 8244WS with Ram 1500

Chillbilly · 06-27-2014, 01:11 PM

I just purchased a Rockwood 8244WS and will be pulling it with a 2014 Dodge RAM 1500 Quad Cab 5.7L Hemi. It has the 6-speed transmission, 3.92 rear end. Was wondering if anyone has this same setup? What is your experience? Can you give any advice or recommendations?

Chillbilly · 06-28-2014, 06:43 AM

Sure hope someone will respond. I have already purchased the trailer - Rockwood 8244WS - and will pick it up on Tuesday. The door sticker reads UVW 6517, Max Cargo 2269, GVWR 8836, and FGAWR 4000 RGAWR 4000. Hopefully I will be able to pull it satisfactory without sagging the truck down.

Crusadernoob · 06-28-2014, 08:17 AM

Not familiar with that RV, what's the specs on it? Sounds like that truck would be a good TV, as long as that trailer is not to big.

fonzie · 06-28-2014, 08:21 AM

Here are specs for people who wants to comment:

8244WS - Signature Ultra Lite Fifth Wheels

Dry Hitch Weight 1,181 lbs. (536 kg)
Unloaded Vehicle Weight 6,592 lbs. (2,990 kg)
GVWR TBA (TBA)
Cargo Carrying Capacity 1,458 lbs. (661 kg)
Exterior Length 26' 9" (8.2 m)
Exterior Height 12' 5" (3.8 m)
Exterior Width 96" (2.4 m)
Fresh Water Capacity 43 gal. (163 L)
Gray Water Capacity 38 gal. (144 L)
Black Water Capacity 38 gal. (144 L)
Awning Size 17 ft

wyo700 · 06-28-2014, 08:52 AM

There will probably be people that are gonna come on here and tell you that you will be over weight and all that. Which you might. But from what I can see you will be fine. Take it easy towing and enjoy the journey.

Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

Skidooman · 06-28-2014, 01:14 PM

I'm sorry to rain on your parade, but I would never pull that trailer with any 1/2 ton truck. I've been in the auto industry as a tech and now a self employed inspector for 25 years. That is too much tongue weight and gvw for that chassis. The motor will handle it, but the suspension, transmission, and rear end will won't take the abuse in the long run, IMHO, that is a 3/4 ton tralier. I own the same truck except it is a 2012, while looking for a new trailer I was adamant that dry weight be under 5k. No matter what my gross towing capacity is. But I may be gun shy with all the experience I have will failed Tow Vehicles over the years.

surv294 · 06-28-2014, 01:27 PM

With a 1/2 ton suspension and tires, I worry about the high tongue weight and greater than 7k lb loaded weight. I agree, a 3/4 ton suspension may be a better match for this RV.

cohuttariverrat · 06-28-2014, 02:06 PM

My brother pulls a very similar camper with that truck. unloaded is 6500 and gvwr is 8600. He says has no issues towing even on some steep grades and using an equalizer wdh. If you loaded it to the max gvwr thats a whole lot of camping gear and you would probably stress your truck. I agree that kinda weight should be pulled by a 3/4 ton but if your towing occasional not across country and conservative not loading 2,000 lb of gear your truck should be fine. He only gets 8-10mpg when towing though

Skidooman · 06-28-2014, 02:13 PM

A 3/4 ton pickup is a completely different animal. If I had a 3/4 ton pickup any manufacturer, with a manual transmission. Motor doesn't matter, wear and tear is all on the rear end, and transmission. I wouldn't be afraid to go up to and slightly over the weight limit with a 3/4 ton truck because they are made for pulling and work.

**bikendan** · 06-28-2014, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cohuttariverrat

My brother pulls a very similar camper with that truck. unloaded is 6500 and gvwr is 8600. He says has no issues towing even on some steep grades and using an equalizer wdh. If you loaded it to the max gvwr thats a whole lot of camping gear and you would probably stress your truck. I agree that kinda weight should be pulled by a 3/4 ton but if your towing occasional not across country and conservative not loading 2,000 lb of gear your truck should be fine. He only gets 8-10mpg when towing though

the trailer the OP is looking at, is a 5th wheel, not a TT like your brother's.
totally different animal when it comes to pin weight vs. tongue weight.

The_Rhino · 06-28-2014, 04:07 PM

ChillBilly, in your other post I originally thought you had a 2500...

IMO a 7,000 lb. 5th wheel with 1,250 lb. tongue is out of the question and even a 7,000 lb. TT (with a 700 lb. tongue) is also really iffy...

Although I am new to camping, I have pulled commercial trailers with 1/2, 3/4, & 1 ton trucks (loaded with backhoes, Bobcats, etc.) on some pretty hilly, winding, back roads - the same roads many campgrounds are located... IMO a fully loaded 1/2 ton is going to feel uncomfortably "soft" going downhill, around corners, with oncoming traffic hugging the center line, etc. If you ever camp in the hills, even mild hills, you won't need anyone on this forum to convince you to upgrade your TV...

Also, pushing your 1/2 ton to max. capacities will wear everything out a lot sooner. With new trucks costing $30K plus new, it's not a good idea to continually push it near specs... Your Hemi will be fine, but everything else will start to go... If you tow a lot, especially in the hills, you will burn through a tranny hauling 7,000+ lbs. on a regular basis. Again, this is from someone who has followed the service lives of a small fleet 1/2, 3/4, & 1 ton trucks. We had to baby the 1/2 ton whereas the others we just loaded 'em up & went...

Jammer3025 · 07-02-2014, 11:10 AM

Chillbilly, Even if Ram says you can, thats a lot of weight for that pickup. Not trying to be a downer, but you will probably not have a good time towing that TT. Some people say yeah it will be ok if your on mostly flat ground no hills, and you only to w a few times a year. Thats total BS. I would really like to see one of those trips where you don't encounter some obstacle that will pop up on your travals. For one would be having to slam the brakes on. Have you looked at those tiny little brakes compared to a new or even older 3/4 ton pickup. The 3/4 ton are huge compared to the 1/2 ton.

I tried and tried and tried to convince myself that my old Nissan Titan 1/2 ton truck would be ok to pull the trailer I really wanted. I mean I had spent a lot of money on it trying to increase the power, cooling system, exhaust and what not so that I could step up to a larger TT. On paper it was ok by 600 lbs.

When we towed our old TT down to the dealer , and looked at all those big TT's we fell in love with the Windjammer. I knew deep down my truck would not be up to safely tow this rig, even though I had all the power to do so. Once we walked around I dismissed all my good judgement and bought the new big TT.

We transferred the WDH to the new TT, hooked it up to the Powerful 1/2 and off we went on our way home. We were 150 miles from home, so it would be a good test. We decided to camp about 80 miles away from the dealership. To get there we had some 25-30 cross-winds on the driver side quarter panel, and it was pusing us around like crazy. I was doing the white knuckle thing for about 20 miles. Very scary. The TT out weighed my truck. Then we hit the Willits grade. This grade will challenge any vehicle's cooling system, power, and transmission, not to mentioned the brakes on the way down the 7 mile desent. The truck handled it perfectly, even going down the grade the TT brakes worked great. Got to the CG and set up, and I was thinking the whole time, MAN! did that wind scare the poop out of me. After contemplating my desisssion and purchase of the TT, I decided we needed to look at a bigger rig.

Next day we drove back down from the direction we came from and began our search. Even though I was not in the market for a new truck, and prior to this trip I said I would run my Titan forever (I really loved that PU) We brought a new Ram 2500 back to the CG. The tow home was nothing short of spectacular. It was as if the Big TT wasn't even back there. I didn't use the brakes at all until we got into town. I used the installed smart exhaust brake the whole way. I wasn't getting 3-9 mpg anymore either, I was getting 11 mpg. So thats my story. I also know that many can not just run down to the truck place and buy a new rig. We are very blessed. That being said, I can tell you a 3/4 ton truck will make your towing experience exponentially better.

I

Chillbilly · 07-06-2014, 07:23 AM

Picked up the 5er and weighed it at the CAT scales on the way home. The truck was full of gas and my wife was with me. The trailer came in at 5760 and the GCVW was 12500. The truck is rated for a GCVW of 15650. The pin weight will probably get maxed out when I load the trailer. MPG dropped to about 11 on the way home. I'll weigh it again when fully loaded. I didn't hear from anyone on here with same setup - am I the only one? Is this not a popular 5th wheel? I know it's small but perfect for two people.

MarcusN · 07-06-2014, 01:09 PM

I have seen on this forum people pulling an 8289WS with a Ram 1500 and have lived in New England so are pulling in some hills/mountains. Can it pull it, yes. Can it do it safely, yes. Is there considerations, yes the drive train will be stressed and will wear more quickly. If you pull with this and that hitch weight and don't pull it 1000's of miles per year you will be ok and in 5-10 years replace with a heavier truck you'll be fine, just understand your limitations.

MikeInRaleigh · 07-17-2014, 03:02 PM

I pulled a Rockwood 8280WS for a year and half with a Silverado 1500 with 6.0 engine, mostly up and down I95 between NC and Fla. I was about 500 lbs over the payload spec, but put in some Timbren suspension enhancements on the rear to control the sag. I did some pulling in the Georgia mountains, but avoided the NC mountains because I was afraid of the hill on I40 at Old Fort. I never had any overheating or braking problems, and was able to blend into traffic when needed. However, I was never really comfortable with the setup, and was exhausted at the end of a 300 mile pull. Last fall, I upgraded to a new diesel F350, and what a pleasure!! I feel so much more under control, and much less tired when I get to the CG. The trailer doesn't bounce me around, and you barely notice when being passed by an 18 wheeler. the biggest surprise to me was the downhills using the exhaust break. Coming down the run at Old Fort, I only hit the breaks a couple of times. After that, the truck just holds the speed. It drops down to 5th gear or maybe even 4th on the way up, but otherwise rolls right on.

RalphieAdie · 07-17-2014, 05:54 PM

We actually have an 8244WS, and love it. Perfect for touring the country. We picked up our 5'er in Indiana, then traveled back to St Louis, in our 2001 Silverado 1500, with 185,000 miles on it. We didn't realize that that it was only a 4.7L engine till after we ordered the rig. It was definitely scary, with such an old truck, undersized engine and I'm sure we maxed out the bed of the truck.

We took one more trip (nearby) and decided that was if for the truck. So, after spending all of the money on installing the brake control and the hitch in the bed, we decided that it was time for us to bite the bullet and trade up.

I have seen a few pulling their larger Rockwood 5er's with 1500, yet we are very happy to have made the decision.

Hope this helps.

PM if you have any questions about the 8244WS, we have made a few changes in the last 18 months. Enjoy your new rig.

MikeInRaleigh · 07-18-2014, 01:59 PM

A reply to Jammer's comment about "tiny" brakes. Prior to my upgrade to an F350, I had done some research on different specs and was surprised to find that for the truck weight, the F150 brakes are actually bigger than F350. Total brake pad area for F150 is 54.96, and for F350 it's 57.16. If you further relate the brake area to GVWR, F150 is 6.7 sq. in/1000 lbs. whereas F350 is 4.97 sq. in./1000 lbs. Even if you look at the total swept area/GVWR, the F150 is only about 5% less than F250 and is about 8% more than F350. So, there are many benefits to the bigger truck, as I related in my previous post, but it appears that brake size isn't one.

swanny297 · 07-18-2014, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Rhino

and even a 7,000 lb. TT (with a 700 lb. tongue) is also really iffy....

I do this all day long with a 2703WS, 2014 1500 CC - 3.55 rear axle - sometimes if you use your axle GVWR you get a better idea of what you can really tow safely.

xs1ve · 09-27-2014, 01:28 PM

I have a 2012 Ram 1500 with the 5.7 and 3.92 rear and I pull a 8280ws (~9000lbs loaded) without issue. Pin weight is 1080 lbs. handles great. Also have the Rambox which makes the release handle on the hitch a bit tight to the side. Custom bent that to fit. No worries. Enjoy yours.

French · 09-27-2014, 09:46 PM

This thread is at least a couple months old by now so I am curious how your (the OP) towing experience has been.
We too drag a "light" five with a half ton. Total distance towed this year maybe a thousand miles. We just take it easy we can run 60 to 62 at 2500 rpm all day. This TV is perfect for short trips of 200 miles. And for the 350 days each year we don't tow provides reasonable gas mileage for a truck. We do dislike long steep grades but we never try to go big speeds particularly uphills. If we were fulltimers or snow birds we like a diesel 2500. We do not have 25K sitting around so we can dream. As you have likely already gathered people on here tend to defend the type and size of truck they have. Half ton people like us see the advantages of our trucks as TV's as the 2500 and larger truck owners do the same.

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