Can a 2013 Ram 1500 Handle the Pin Weight from a 10,000 Pound 5th Wheel Trailer

Question:

I have a 2013 Ram 1500, 5.7 hemi, 6'4" box, 3.92 axle rating, GVWR of 6800 lbs actual all-inclusive weight of 6200 lbs, rear axle rating of 3900 lbs and actual weight, including hitch, of 2365 lbs. Max GCWR is 15650 and max trailer weight is 10,100 lbs. I would like to tow a 5th wheel with a loaded weight of 7600 lbs. While the ratios seem to work, as best as I can figure, I am concerned whether the tongue weight , which at 20 would be about 1520 lbs, if that is figured correctly, is okay for the rear axle rating. Any comments would be greatly appreciated!

asked by: Ken

Expert Reply:

Basically for a 5th wheel trailer pin weight you are looking at the payload of the truck. For the 2013 Ram 1500 with a short bed the payload is going to depend on some additional factors. What is the cab style and is it 2- or 4-Wheel drive? Most of the payload figures are going to work out fine for a pin weight of 1,520 pounds but to be sure I would need a little more information.

In the mean time we can look at 5th wheel trailer hitches and installation kits. I recommend a custom installation kit, # RP50142-58, because they require less drilling and don't take as long to install compared to universal kits. The included rails will accept any hitch that is designed for industry standard above the bed rails including # RP30928.

But since you have a short bed truck you will need a slider hitch (unless the trailer has a Sidewinder or Revolution pin box or is designed with a tapered front end for short bed trucks). For a slider hitch I recommend the Demco hijacker # DM8550034. It slides 14 inches and it does it automatically!

expert reply by: Michael H