Recommended Fifth Wheel Hitch for 2014 Ram 1500 Long Bed and is Payload Part of Towing Capacity

Question:

Hi, i have a 2014 ram 1500 laramie longhorn 5.7L 4x4 crew cab with 8foot bed. According to what Ive found online my max towing capacity is 10,350 and payload 1060. GVW is 6,800. So my question is can i pull a 5th wheel safely? And what is my max weight for a 5th wheel? Is it my towing capacity or is that only for a pull trailer? Also, if my max towing capacity is 10,350, do i need to subtract payload from that or add payload to it for passengers? Thank you

asked by: Meryl

Expert Reply:

Some vehicle manufacturers differentiate between towing capacity for pull trailers and fifth wheel trailers but there was nothing I could find for a 2014 Ram 1500 which stated there was a difference in towing capacity depending on the type of trailer.

Additionally I took a look at an online copy of your 2014 Ram 1500 and it stated that a 4x4 Laramie with a 5.7L V8 and automatic transmission had a max towing capacity of 10,050 lbs and max payload capacity of 1,390 lbs. Payload is essentially tongue weight and you do not subtract it from the towing capacity; they are independent of one another. What that means is you will need a fifth wheel trailer that has a GVWR of 10,050 lbs or less - the GVWR will be the most the trailer can weigh when it is fully loaded.

To pull a fifth wheel trailer with your '14 Ram 1500 I highly recommend checking out the Curt A16 # C16120 because it has a dual-jaw system which interlocks to give you optimum security between the hitch and king pin, and it also has a handy indicator system which will let you know if the jaws on the hitch are ready to couple, uncouple or tow. This system will make hooking up and disconnecting your fifth wheel trailer a much simpler process.

Additionally, the A16 # C16120 has a fully articulating head which will help ease the coupling process and give you a quieter ride than other fifth wheel hitches. It has a 4 inch height adjustment to help you tow level and has a 16,000 lb capacity, which is more than enough for your truck.

To mount this hitch you will need to install base rails and I recommend the Reese Quick-Install Custom Installation Kit w/ Base Rails # RP50142-58 because it will not require drilling into your Ram's frame to install. Finally, for wiring you can use the 5th Wheel/Gooseneck 90-Degree Wiring Harness w/ 7-Pole Plug # 50-97-410 which fits a '14 Ram 1500 with the factory 7-way and gives you a wiring harness that will easily connect to your fifth wheel.

I have added links to video reviews and installs for you to check out on these products, as well as a link to a general help article on fifth wheel towing which you may find useful.