Can I Safely Tow the 376THS with my TV?

[W_A_B_M_W_I]

New to the group and 5th wheel towing.
I am researching, so confusing, if I can safely tow the 376THS with the following TV. Any help/answers are greatly appreciated.

2019 RAM 3500 LARAMIE CREW CAB 4X4 8' BOX
Engine: 6.7L I6 Cummins HO Turbo Diesel
6-Spd Auto Aisin AS69RC HD Trans
3.73 Axle Ratio
SRW
6,000# Front Axle
7,000# Rear Axle
GVW Rating - 12300#
LT275/70R18E BSW All Season Tires
MAX TOWING 25012.58LBS
MAX PAYLOAD 3702.58LBS

[backtrack2015]

I just looked at the specs for that trailer and I'd guess you'll be somewhat over the payload rating and very close to the rear-axle rating of the truck with the 376THS. I know you don't want to hear this, but I would recommend trading for a bigger truck (DRW) or selecting a smaller fifth-wheel.

[Txfivver]

I agree with backtrack, I have looked at this trailer as well. With the front living room, a generator more than likely, and propane and batteries you will be at a 3500-3600 pin weight. That will put you at your truck's max payload before you add the hitch and usual junk in the bed and people in the cab. That's a dually trailer for sure.

[xrated]

You are looking at a trailer that is right at 16,000 lbs.......EMPTY. That will equate to 3200+ lbs of pin weight when you tow it home, before you load even one item in the trailer. The GVWR of the trailer is 20,000 lbs, so potentially you could be seeing pin weights North of 4000 lbs. No one hauls an empty trailer around (except to tow it home or to trade it in), so plan on the pin weight never being less than 3200+ lbs. So the very first thing I would do is to look at the payload sticker on the driver side door post and see what the truck has for the payload or Cargo Carrying Capacity (CCC). Even if it is the 3700 lbs that you listed above, that would put you at only 500 lbs or LESS of available payload. But wait, there's more. You're 5th wheel hitch, if it is a traditional style hitch is going to weigh in the neighborhood of 200 lbs...give or take a few pound. Then you need to consider several things.....we are still talking about a totally empty trailer and a 5ver hitch.......and only 300 lbs left for everything else.........1. The increased pin weight of the trailer when you get it loaded. 2. Anything and Everything that goes in/on the truck.....like a passenger or passenger, toolbox with tools, extra fuel, firewood, etc. I could quite easily see the total weight of "payload" in the truck as over 4000 lbs pretty quickly.

My philosophy, as well as many, many others is to always calculate for the worst case scenario. In other words, use the GVWR of the trailer, multiply that weight (20,000 lbs) time .20 or even .22 and see what you have. Obviously .20 of that weight is 4000 lbs. .22 of that weight is 4400 lbs. Again, check the actual payload capacity of your truck on that door sticker.

In my opinion, you will simply NOT have enough truck to carry the weight of that trailer safely. And many of us concur that towing safely always involves never going over any of the truck's rated capacities.....Payload, GVWR, GCVWR, RAWR, FAWR, and the Tire load capacity rating of the tires on the truck.

I concur with what others have said, that trailer should only be towed with a 1 Ton Dually......which will have payload numbers in the 5200 - 5700 lbs range, depending on the configuration of the truck, CrewCab...4x4, top of the line trim vs. base level trim, etc.

And as a side note.......I have a Momentum 394M that has the same GVWR as the 376THS does, 20,000 lbs and I would never consider towing it with a SRW truck as the payload capacity is simply just not enough.

[vonzoog]

I’ll get straight to the question and the answer is.......No.

Also, something you will not understand until you have experience it. You will diffidently need the stability that DRW offers while towing a trailer of this size. Ask me how I know. See my signature.

[RVRunners]

I agree best to tow that with a DRW. Will give you the payload rating, RAWR you need to do the job right.

[W_A_B_M_W_I]

Thanks to all for the experience and honesty and advice. We have some soul-searching to do and start looking at other designs.

[FT4NOW]

I have a 399 which is similar in weight to the 376. I weighed my truck and trailer completely empty, even without propane bottles and my TV rear axle (drive axle) weight was 7700lbs. That exceeds the axle rating on a SRW one ton truck, you'll need a dually for sure. Not to mention you'll exceed tire loading as well on a SRW with that trailer.

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[D2Reid]

I am kind of with everyone else, not quite enough truck. You will be fine down in the valley, but think about Snoqualmie and Stevenson Pass. Your 17k trailor will probably reach it's max 20k some day soon. If you are pulling only 100 miles twice a year it will work. But if you plan on tackling the rest of the Rockies, the hills of Virginia, North Carolina or other challenging landscapes you really should have more truck. To kind of put the justification of such a huge expenditure into perspective, think about coming down off of a pass and as you round a corner the traffic is stopped and you have to make an emergency brake. What are the consequences of not having enough truck vs having enough truck.

I got an F450 and upgraded my Momentum brakes, hubs, and springs. We had just crossed the border into Ontario Canada. Stressed from the border crossing we are on a 4 lane street, tractor trailer in the far right lane I am in the middle left lane, approaching a gas station were he is going to fill their tanks with petrol. I am about 1/4 vehicle length behind and left of the tractor trailer (TT). Then entry into the gas station is tight, the TT has slowed with his blinker on but must wait for a car to clear the intersection, the car see's the TT and is making a left turn across the lanes. So he darts out in front of the almost stopped TT and right in front of me, who he could not possibly have seen. Without my upgrades I would have killed that idiot. As it was, I have a couple of broken dishes but no other damage.

If you travel enough, you are going to need the bigger truck.

[xrated]

Thanks to all for the experience and honesty and advice. We have some soul-searching to do and start looking at other designs.

Good to hear. Not everyone is open to advice/suggestions on truck/trailer towing advice. I've given advice many, many times and some folks heed the advice of others that have been though the same situations, and some don't. I'm not by myself then I can truthfully say that I've experienced having a truck that wasn't big enough for a trailer that I had, and it was not fun. After that experience, I spent many hours of research, asking questions, and reading, in order to educate myself about towing heavy campers.....many of us here have done the same thing. That is why when someone comes on a forum like this and asks about towing this or towing that and which truck will work, I try to help, as many of us do, in order to keep others from making the same mistakes that some or many of us have in the past. Good luck on your searching and certain, if you have other questions, please don't hesitate to ask. All of of have been newbies at one time or another and we are all wanting to see others join in the fun called camping, and offer help if we can.