Newbie!!! Please Help! Thinking of buying Elk Ridge 35DSRL, but can my truck tow?

Hi!

We saw the Elk Ridge 35DSRL and absolutely fell in love with it! The problem is, I am not sure if our truck can tow. We are going 6 months rving, and will be towing it twice an year(north 3 months to south 3 months and vice versa)....about 500 mile each way....

Our current truck is Doge Ram 2500 Quad Cab Cummins HO Diesel 4x2 Long Bed 3.73 auto. Dodge only posts the trailer weight limit of 13400 lb for this vehicle, but it doesn't specify it for fifth wheel towing like Ford does. Will it have a higher limit for fifth wheel towing? The posted curb weight for the truck is 6448lb. It's going to be just the two of us when driving, and we are 250 lbs total.

Factory post weight of 35DSRL is 10714lb and hitch weight of 2315lb. The options that we are thinking of adding are electric awning, dual pane windows, and electric rear stabilizer jack, and combo washer and dryer(150lbs). I don't know how much weight these options will add.

We have storages at both locations, so when towing, it's just going to be just clothings and personal belongings less than 200lbs total.

I am guessing it's going to be fairly close to overweight. Will it help if we pull using Hensley air ride hitch?

Is it still possible for us to tow this safely? Or should we give up and just find a smaller rig? Are there less expensive options that we can do to our truck other than upgrading it? If we must upgrade, can we upgrade to a 2500 HD, or must we upgrade to 3500HD?

Thank you in advance for all input!

The 2 main weight factors to worry about are your trucks GVWR & GCVWR. These should be posted on a sticker somewhere in the truck. If you can't find them, call Dodge with your vin.. They will give you these weight ratings for your specific vehicle.
The GVWR is all the weight you are putting ON the trucks axles, including the weight of the truck, fuel, passengers, cargo,pin weight,etc.
The GCVWR is the weight of the truck and contents including fuel, passengers,cargo, etc+the weight of the trailer and all the contents.
If your decision is based on these two factors, the max trailer weight becomes kind of a ficticious number anyway. It can only be the difference between these two numbers.
This is a post from a similar thread a while back with trailering guides for trucks. //heartlandowners.org/showthread.php/9004-Links-to-Ford-GM-and-Dodge-Trailiering-Guides
Whatever you decide to do, I recommend putting air bags, such as Firestone ride-rites on any tow vehicle. They really help to stabilize a load.(although they don't legally increase your weight ratings.) Also, please drive cautiously and safely.
Good luck, Trace

ps; Don't ever give up. As for myself, I absolutely hate to admit defeat.

Hello and welcome to the forum! I sent you a PM with some information that may help! Feel free to PM back with any questions you may have. Best of luck with your Elk Ridge quest. They are a very fine rig.

Thank you for all your reply!!

Just to clarify.....

The GVWR is 9,000lb, and GCWR is 20,000 lb. Does this mean for GVWR

GVWR = 9,000lb >= 6448(curb weight) + 100(passenger weight) + 2215(hitch weight) + 155(actual hitch weight) = 8918 lb total

GCWR = 20,000lb >= 10714(dry weight) + 6448(curb weight) + 100(passenger weight) +200 (cargo weight) + 500 (washer and dryer, hitch and other extras) = 17952 lb

Does that mean if I keep the cargo weight as specified above, then my truck should be fine? Also, would I still need ride-rite airbags if I get BD3 air ridge hitch? The trailer comes with Trailair Equaflex.

Thank you so much!

All the Rams 2500 in this Rv Resort that I am in, tow similar trailers as you are planning to buy. I don't guaranty its right but they are happy with their rams pulling their units.

Go ahead and run with it, you should be fine. We pulled our Big Country 3250 with a 05 dodge 2500 diesel for 3 years without any problems (traveling from Tn to states like WY, FL, PA, CO and SC). Just remember common sense in towing is a must. Oh by the way Welcome to the forum.

It is time for us to answer some more of your detailed questions. Many of the posts are correct - but please use common sense. It has always been frustrating that truck manufacturers only post the towing ability of "bumper pulls" not 5th wheels. Please keep in mind that trucks are capable of pulling more in a 5th wheel than a bumper pull.

The options you mentioned will add some weight - electric awning actually is a little less weight (few pounds - doesnt really count), electric rear stabs (again just a few pounds), dual pane windows are about twice the weight of single pane windows - overall increase is estimated at 150lbs per coach. It sounds like you have a good idea of the added washer dryer weight.

As far as reccomended accessories, this is mostly personal preference.

The best advice we can give is to feel comfortable with your local dealer who can give you the best HANDS ON information.

Thank you for your post.

Could and should are always two different things. The first thing that pops out as suspicious is that curb weight. It seems awfully low for a diesel crew cab. It may not include things like fluids and fuel which will certainly add a few hundred pounds to your weight. With a 3/4 ton truck, you almost never exceed the GCWR, it is always the GVWR of the truck. The hitch weight always exceeds the capacity of the truck before the combined weight overloads the rig. The only way to really tell is to pull on a CAT scale. I will caution this, stuff adds up A LOT faster than you think. Here is what I had and my weights.
2011 F350 6.7 4x4
2010 Cougar 36' (Now traded in for Road Warrior) - listed 10K dry weight and 1500 hitch weight
2 adults
2 kids
1 Lab with very small brain (not much weight)
full take of fuel and all of our normal gear, nothing special

Total CAT weight - 19,800 pounds. I was floored at how quickly things add up. I think there are two areas I would look extra carefully. First, is the dry weight of the truck. I would expect that truck to beover 7000 pounds. When I rolled my 2001 F250 longbox 7.3 4x4 on a scale, it was over 7400. Second is the weight of your gear. I think you might be a little light. You have to factor in towels, sheets, food, clothes, firewood, fishing gear, etc etc. You get the picture. I have heard that a good number to use for gear weight is 1500 pounds, which is about where i came in. Is your truck going to turn into dust? No, but "technically" you would probably be unloaded. Only way to know for sure if hook it up and go on a scale. Good luck!

Thank you everyone! It's a relief to know that there's someone who we can ask for advice! We will certainly look into the suggestions and comments! Thank you all again!