Towing Grand Design Imagine 2600RB

[Stealth13777]

Glad you found a combination that works to your satisfaction. Sit back and enjoy traveling now!

[Redapple63]

Hello, original poster here if anyone is still subscribed. Here’s an update on my tow vehicle situation. I had a Ram 2500 gas in order since March. As of the beginning of June it still wasn’t being assembled and it was right at that time I found a used 2022 GMC Sierra HD 2500 Crew Cab SB Diesel with an Allison 10 speed. After some negotiations I bought it, cancelled my Ram order and we took a trip this past week. Talk about night and day difference between the half ton Ram and the 3/4 ton GMC with the diesel. No strain, no sway, no grunting uphill and no high RPM’s. I don’t know what I was thinking by trying to stay with a gas. And the 10 speed Allison shifted smooth and kept us at 1300 RPM’s at 65mph. I had a little problem with the 7pin connection but that’s a story for a different post. Thanks for all of your input.
Hank

Glad you found a solution that works for you. Hope you like your new ride. Love to see some pics.

Bill

[goducks14]

Hard to beat an HD truck for towing let alone an HD diesel.
Great choice.

[moonshoxx]

I know I am dredging up old thread. I am looking at used 2600rb and have a new 1500 slt. Did you ever find need to upgrade. Mine is rated for 8900 and 890 tw woth 1600 payload

[Digger1222]

Our 2021 2600RB has a tongue weight of 1050 lbs loaded for travel. And that is empty tanks. The 2600 RB is pretty heavy on the tongue. Just FYI.

[bricknhank]

I know I am dredging up old thread. I am looking at used 2600rb and have a new 1500 slt. Did you ever find need to upgrade. Mine is rated for 8900 and 890 tw woth 1600 payload

Your SLT is rated just a tad better than my RAM 1500 was and I felt that it was quite borderline and that was in flatland IL. I knew immediately the first time that I towed out 2600rb that we were going to need a bigger, better truck and I’m glad that we upgraded to both a 3/4 ton and a diesel.

[uwskier]

I know I am dredging up old thread. I am looking at used 2600rb and have a new 1500 slt. Did you ever find need to upgrade. Mine is rated for 8900 and 890 tw woth 1600 payload

I have 9100 tow weight with 910 tongue. You can more or less disregard the tongue weight rating since they're just taking the towing weight and dividing by 10. Your hitch will be rated for more than that. My hitch is rated for 1200 lbs. The 1600 payload is going to limit you more than anything probably. How do you usually travel? I have 1600 lb payload and we keep the truck light and just make it on payload with our 2022 2600RB. This is with a heavy ProPride, which does add weight overall, but also subtracts tongue weight due to the longer lever arm. What it adds in GCW, it more than makes up for in towing performance.

Would I like a heavier truck? Yep. Will my next truck be a 3/4 ton or heavier? Certainly. Can my half ton do the job until then, definitely. I've added LT tires, Roadmaster Active Suspension, and never go over 65 MPH and I'm content until prices become more sane. I've had panic stops and several mile 7% downhill grades with it and have found the horror stories about half tons being incapable you read on these sites largely unfounded with the newer crop of trucks.

[ExNihilo]

I know I am dredging up old thread. I am looking at used 2600rb and have a new 1500 slt. Did you ever find need to upgrade. Mine is rated for 8900 and 890 tw woth 1600 payload

I upgraded the Joust stops on my 1500 and honestly it just did not cut it. I like to camp in the mountains and I pulled the 2600RB up a short grade and it just failed miserably. I upgraded to a Ram 2500 Cummins. So as my tag line suggests I then upgraded to a 2970RL and have more power and stability than I could ever ask for.

Short answer not enough truck ( and I loved my 1500!)
Long Answer: With enough truck having a little more space in the trailer made a really big difference.

Hope it helps- Now if you stay in the flat lands it could work (but you are pushing it).
Humble tip- Be more concerned about stopping it than pulling it.

[uwskier]

I upgraded the Joust stops on my 1500 and honestly it just did not cut it. I like to camp in the mountains and I pulled the 2600RB up a short grade and it just failed miserably. I upgraded to a Ram 2500 Cummins. So as my tag line suggests I then upgraded to a 2970RL and have more power and stability than I could ever ask for.

Short answer not enough truck ( and I loved my 1500!)
Long Answer: With enough truck having a little more space in the trailer made a really big difference.

Hope it helps- Now if you stay in the flat lands it could work (but you are pushing it).
Humble tip- Be more concerned about stopping it than pulling it.

Curious what sort of elevation you were pulling? My GM 5.3L has surprised the heck out of me climbing 6 and 7% grades in AZ and CA, but never anything over 5k' yet. We did the drive from AZ to San Diego on I-8 last month in 30 MPH headwinds at 108F and my temps never budged doing 55 MPH on the climbs. I was shocked it did that well. Yes, it revved, but we run these same blocks in ski boats and wakesurf boats at 4000 RPM for hours on end, so the RPMs don't scare me a bit as long as the temps look good.

[bricknhank]

There’s another component that has been mentioned before but I thought that I would mention it again, and that’s the liability issue. If you are over specified capacity and get into an accident the potential for legal consequences is there.