Recommendation for Towing 8,000 Pound 5th Wheel Trailer with 2014 Ram 1500
Question:
We have a Doge Ram 1500 short bed. We do have the rear end for towing up to 10,000 lbs. We are looking at a 5th wheel that is 8000 lbs. I am seeing pros and cons of towing this 5th wheel. Mostly that it will be hard on our truck. We only tow about twice a year to Arizona and other places. We have 46 acres that we mostly stay on April through October. What is your suggestions?
asked by: Terri B
Expert Reply:
As long as your 2014 Ram 1500 has a 10,000 pound towing capacity, you will do just fine towing an 8,000 pound fifth wheel trailer. This is comfortably under the truck's limits and you should not have any issues, especially since you only plan on going on a couple trips a year. I just recommend verifying the truck's towing capacity in your copy of the owners manual.
If your Ram has a 6-1/2 foot bed, you will want to go with a sliding fifth wheel hitch if you do not have one already. This is needed to provide cab clearance when making sharp turns with the trailer. I recommend taking a look at the Curt A16 # C16521 along with the Quick-Install Custom Base Rails and Installation Kit # RP50142-58. This is an excellent hitch that features interlocking jaws for a secure king pin connection, 12 inches of front to back slider travel, and a gross towing weight capacity of 16,000 pounds. The custom base rail kit includes mounting brackets specific to your Ram that will use existing holes in its frame for installation.
I have attached a short video demonstration on this product along with the written installation details that you can check out.
Products Referenced in This Question
Curt A16 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch w/ R16 Slider - Dual Jaw - 16,000 lbs
- Fifth Wheel Hitch
- Sliding Fifth Wheel
- Above Bed Rails
- 4000 lbs Vertical Load
- 16000 lbs GTW
- Cushioned Double Pivot
- Standard - Double Jaw
- 17-1/2 - 21-1/2 Inch Tall
- 12 Inch Fore/Aft Travel
- CURT
more information >
Product Page this Question was Asked From
Reese Quick-Install Custom Installation Kit w/ Base Rails for 5th Wheel Trailer Hitches
- Fifth Wheel Installation Kit
- Custom
- Above the Bed
- Reese
more information >
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on Fifth Wheel Installation Kit
