help

[TrailBlazer]

I am new to this forum so please be gentle. I have been reading alot of posts in the towing forum and it seems that hitch or tongue weight and payload capacity should supercede towing capability of the truck. I have a ram 1500 with all of the HD towing options except for the 3.921 gearing in the rear end. I have the 3.55. SO if the frame, hitch, tires and payload capacity and tongue weight of the trucks are indentical why can the towing capacity jump up to 10,000 from 8900 just with gearing ratio? Also is the rated tongue weight of the trailer calculated including its carrying capacity? TV 2012 Ram 1500, TT Laredo 303tg. dry weight 7430, hitch weight 905.(tx)(tx)

thanks

[Jim W]

I am new to this forum so please be gentle. I have been reading alot of posts in the towing forum and it seems that hitch or tongue weight and payload capacity should supercede towing capability of the truck. I have a ram 1500 with all of the HD towing options except for the 3.921 gearing in the rear end. I have the 3.55. SO if the frame, hitch, tires and payload capacity and tongue weight of the trucks are indentical why can the towing capacity jump up to 10,000 from 8900 just with gearing ratio? Also is the rated tongue weight of the trailer calculated including its carrying capacity? TV 2012 Ram 1500, TT Laredo 303tg. dry weight 7430, hitch weight 905.(tx)(tx)

thanks

In your statement about towing weights did you not mean: Should Not Supersede Towing Capacity?

The lower gear ratio of the 3:92 to 1 allows for more torque to be applied from the drive train to start this loading moving. Once the load is moving on a flat level surface any gear ratio would work but it is starting this load to move that requires more torque (force) than a 3:55 gear ratio can provide. Now when you try and tow in the mountains this lower gear ration will also come into play as the mass of the truck and trailer will require more torque to be applied and the other gear ration will not have the required torque for this mass.

I can’t speak on a TT to much since I have only towed 5er’s and a pop up. But to me the advertize Tong weight would be the dry weight of a TT similar to the 5er pin weight that is advertized. I would add in the carrying capacity to the TT dry mass and then refigure the tong weight. The best way to see what your truck and trailer mass is to weight them on a CAT scale and fine the actual masses of the vehicle.

Jim W.

[SteveC7010]

Also is the rated tongue weight of the trailer calculated including its carrying capacity? TV 2012 Ram 1500, TT Laredo 303tg. dry weight 7430, hitch weight 905.

My '99 Sunline had a factory tongue rating of around 650#. We scaled the tongue with a Sherline and found the actual loaded tongue weight to be 820#.

A good bit of the extra weight can be adjusted on the tongue by packing the trailer differently but you still should have 12 to 15% of the gross loaded weight of the trailer on the tongue.

(I was pulling the Sunline with a one ton duallie so tongue weight was not an issue for that trailer, ever.)

[cabinfever]

Also, the lower gear would aide in braking. Automatic transmissions give you more weight because you maintain more control. No need searching for gears and no clutch to burn out. Basically the transmissions of today think for you, especially those with a tow/haul mode. Increase engine size increase weight, more power to pull. Increase wheelbase increase weight, gives better ability for control over load being pulled.

[TrailBlazer]

hopefully with the truck in tow/haul mode the engine will help in slowing down the load. I never am towing in the mountains though. thanks for the helpfull info.

[fla-gypsy]

The engineers calculating the capacities of any truck have to take into account the whole truck including the driveline as a system as well as the weakest link in the system. A bigger rear gear gives you more torque at the rear wheels which is very important to towing.

[mhs4771]

For the most part the "Towing Capacity" number is pretty much useless as most TV will max our their gross, rear axle, or cargo capacity long before they get near that "Towing Capacity" number.
You're dealing with a TT with an advertised Hitch weight of 905Lbs, so more than likely it's really something over 1000Lbs. Not knowing the numbers for your TV, but I bet you're over your cargo cap unless you don't put anything in the bed and nothing in the cap but yourself.

[TrailBlazer]

payload cap is 1630 lbs

[TrailBlazer]

u corrected how a spelled supercede and spelled tongue "tong". what the?

[Festus2]

Trailblazer -

I think Jim thought your statement should read "payload capacity should not supersede...." instead of "should supersede". He included the word "not" in his statement and was not correcting your misspelling of "supersede".

Let's try to overlook the lack of correct spelling, punctuation and capitalization, grammar and word usage found in some posts and focus instead on the content and ideas.

[nitro4you75]

I have a 1500 silverado and a 2013 303tg very heavy for a half ton truck but not impossible. I added E range tires, airbags and a Propride Hitch (the hitch is a must MUST MUST have) and its fantastic.

[TrailBlazer]

I am using the 4 way sway equalizer hitch and wont even consider any thing else! it is awesome, transport trucks blow by me while I am doing 60 mph in the right lane and I don't feel a thing.