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  1. #1
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    Towing with 2018 Ram 2500 6.4 hemi

    Hello all-
    I’m brand new to the forum and to RVing. I have a 2018 Ram 2500 6.4 Hemi with 3.73 and a short bed. Based on my VIN it says I have a max towing capacity of 12,684 lbs and max payload capacity of 2,884 lbs. I’m looking at Grand Design fifth wheels and having a hard time figuring out what’s the heaviest fifth wheel I could pull safely with my truck. Any insight/help in understanding how I can figure this out? My wife and I really like the GD Reflection 311BHS, but I have a feeling it’s too much fifth wheel for my truck.

    Thanks in advance!

  2. #2
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    Towing with 2018 Ram 2500 6.4 hemi

    Quote Originally Posted by Redsjr View Post
    Hello all-
    I’m brand new to the forum and to RVing. I have a 2018 Ram 2500 6.4 Hemi with 3.73 and a short bed. Based on my VIN it says I have a max towing capacity of 12,684 lbs and max payload capacity of 2,884 lbs. I’m looking at Grand Design fifth wheels and having a hard time figuring out what’s the heaviest fifth wheel I could pull safely with my truck. Any insight/help in understanding how I can figure this out? My wife and I really like the GD Reflection 311BHS, but I have a feeling it’s too much fifth wheel for my truck.

    Thanks in advance!
    Welcome red.

    Great questions and you will want to search the forum as lots of conversations around this topic. Lots of opinions also.

    The keys for you to look at are all on your door panel and unique to your individual truck. Don’t get stuck on what’s advertised on the internet.

    I think of these things when talking about towing. I’ll start with the one nobody thinks about (usually) until it’s too late and they already bought the rig. Payload capacity.

    If your door sticker reads 2884 then you need to subtract a full tank of fuel, your 5th wheel hitch, the people you carry in the truck while towing and anything else that’s not bolted down. Once you have that number, compare it to the advertised pin weight of the trailer. If you haven’t used up all that 2884, then that truck will most likely pull it based on payload. You may not like the gas mileage when you consider the weight but if payload is good, I find that usually the other numbers all fall in line.

    You then should look at gvwr and combined gcwr. But again, if payload is good, those are probably good also


    Axle weight is another item to check. Same thing applies. It’s written inside the door frame and associated with the psi of your tires. My ram 2500 diesel has a 6000lb front and 6500lb back axle limit. I am well within those limits. I am over my payload so am operating outside the recommendations, but I am ok with that. I am sure I may get shredded here.

    But that rig (I just looked) is 11185 empty. I would say it’s too much 5th wheel for your truck. Even if you had a diesel 2500 which will drop your payload capacity down because that Diesel engine weighs so much, you might not want to risk it I would argue that 5th wheel requires a 1 ton truck.

    Good luck!!!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Last edited by Rgkeaney; 07-20-2020 at 08:02 PM.
    2020 Reflection 31MB
    2016 Ram 2500 Cummins

  3. #3
    Seasoned Camper Big Blue's Avatar
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    Some interesting reading...https://www.generalspringkc.com/incr...uck_s/3143.htm... You are some what limited by Fiat's decision to install coil springs...
    2019 230RL Reflection ..... 1996 Dodge 2500 Cummins still pulling just as hard as the day I brought her home November 1995...3.6 Onan. 2 battleborns 300 watts solar, 1500 watt aims inverter....(Convictions are a far greater foe of truth than lies) {Nietztche}

  4. #4
    Seasoned Camper larry0071's Avatar
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    The 311BHS has a gross of 14,900 or so.... The empty weight is about at your trucks engineering limit. At this point, you have to decide if you want to be within the engineering limits, if you don't mind being slightly above them and potentially some degree of illegal.... or if you don't care and have the "if it fits, it ships" mentality. None of that is up to us to determine, but I will say that your going to exceed the trucks manufacturers limits.
    2020.5 Reflection 311BHS Dual AC, 2019 Ram 2500 Bighorn Level 2, 3.73 / 392 Hemi 14,404.34 lb towing and 3,004.34 payload, 2019 F-150 King Ranch 3.5EB CC/LB, 2016 Cherokee Trailhawk, 2014 Wrangler Willys Edition, 2019 Iron Bull 14K 22' Equipment Trailer, 2019 Quality Trailers 7K 18' Utility Trailer

  5. #5
    Rolling Along Spartacus's Avatar
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    I would want a little more truck, I been there done that I had a 2016 2500 6.4L with the 4.10 gears and though it tow great I didn't like it because I was towing about that weight it did it but the thing is that I like in the PNW and towing up and down hills was a job at times.

  6. #6
    Seasoned Camper frank4711's Avatar
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    Any of the Reflection 150 5ver's would be easy pull and well within capacities. later Frank
    Frank & Cindy --- S Class Solitude 2930RL-R ---2019 Ram 3500 Cummins 6.7 SRW 4x4 8' bed---Remi & Sage traveling Pomskies ---TST 507 TPMS ... B&W Patriot 18K---3.73 axle ... Predator 3500--Backflip MX4---48 days 2019---51 days camped 2020---***Payload 4394***

  7. #7
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    As was stated before, the make-or-break number is the available payload of your truck. Payload includes everything which has not come with the truck when you purchased it. You may want to weigh your fully loaded truck to see, how much king pin weight it can take. You have a bit of leeway in the numbers, means, the engineers of the car builders are not stupid and calculate some slack in, but not terribly much as they want to sell their higher rated vehicles, too. Take the difference between payload loaded and max payload. Then look at the GVWR of the desired fifth wheel times 20% which gives you estimated pin weight. Add that to your actual payload number and you see, whether it fits or not.

    You may find that 2500 or 250 trucks can pull a lot as a bumper trailer but not with a fifth wheel. The limit may be 8000lbs Unloaded weight trailers.

  8. #8
    Seasoned Camper frank4711's Avatar
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    The Reflection 150 5ver's have less than 10,995 GVWR that's max you may load to less than that, the pin weights show 1225-1350 that's brochure so real world more likely 16-19% with that your 2884 payload would be fine. Example Reflection 150 Series 295RL the largest of the 150 series with a max GVWR of 10995 x 17% = 1869 less payload your truck 2884 leaves 1015 lbs for hitch family and cargo.... also they come with turning point which means no slider needed . later Frank
    Frank & Cindy --- S Class Solitude 2930RL-R ---2019 Ram 3500 Cummins 6.7 SRW 4x4 8' bed---Remi & Sage traveling Pomskies ---TST 507 TPMS ... B&W Patriot 18K---3.73 axle ... Predator 3500--Backflip MX4---48 days 2019---51 days camped 2020---***Payload 4394***

  9. #9
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    Thank you everyone for all the info! I went and looked at the 290BH and have decided that is the 5er we like and should have no issues towing with my truck. Just working on negotiations...

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Redsjr View Post
    Thank you everyone for all the info! I went and looked at the 290BH and have decided that is the 5er we like and should have no issues towing with my truck. Just working on negotiations...
    Your Ram Hemi won’t have any issues pulling that Reflection. Gas mileage will suck but thats the nature of the beast.
    Hope you stick around, lots of good info to be had here.
    2022 Imagine XLS 22MLE
    Sold: 2015 27RL
    2016 Ram 3500 Crewcab Cummins SRW

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