RAM 1500 Eco Diesel - 5th Wheel Towing

I currently own a 2014 RAM ECO Diesel truck. I was towing a 34' Jayco travel trailer but it was time for something new. After months of consideration and working the GVWR numbers I just purchased a Sundance XLT 278TS 5th wheel. I will take delivery next week.

My truck is full equipped for towing with a 3.92 rear axle and built in brakes plus HD cooling, etc. The 3 litre diesel now has 22,000 miles on it and I have had no problems. My Jayco weighed 8,700 Lbs and it pulled it with no problems, making about 15 MPG. (28 without it).

I have read the horror stories about 1/2 ton trucks towing a 5th wheel but this is also an unusual truck so I will let you know how everything works out.

Hi ricmartin,

Congratulations on the new Sundance and welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum. There have been some concerns expressed regarding how well matched 1/2 ton trucks are to fifth wheel towing. It'll be interesting to hear about how yours does.

Regardless of how well it pulls the trailer, you might pay special attention to stopping distance, along with handling in less than ideal weather conditions.

And of course, the fiver puts a lot more payload weight on the truck than a bumper-pull. Hope you weight it and let us know the numbers.

The truck can take 1,690 with 2 people on board. The paperwork shows 1,630 on the pin for the new one. Close but should be OK.

//heartlandowners.org/showthread.ph...-Life-Magazine?p=391953&viewfull=1#post391953

//heartlandowners.org/showthread.ph...Specifications?p=410726&viewfull=1#post410726

//heartlandowners.org/showthread.ph...Truck-Payloads?p=386013&viewfull=1#post386013

When I towed with a 1500 my limit was 1100 lbs pin weight.
But a lot of my friends tow similar trailers to the Sundance with gas 1500s.
I can only think that the diesel Ram is a great choice compared to gas.
My 2500 older GM diesel towed the 8600 lbs dry unit well with similar power for 9 years.
Did put the new then unit on the 1500 and the LT load range C rear tires but the tires went to far down for my comfort. Then traded for the 2500 for load range E tires with up to 80psi.

caissiel said:

When I towed with a 1500 my limit was 1100 lbs pin weight.
But a lot of my friends tow similar trailers to the Sundance with gas 1500s.
I can only think that the diesel Ram is a great choice compared to gas.
My 2500 older GM diesel towed the 8600 lbs dry unit well with similar power for 9 years.
Did put the new then unit on the 1500 and the LT load range C rear tires but the tires went to far down for my comfort. Then traded for the 2500 for load range E tires with up to 80psi.

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The EcoDiesel has lower tow rating than the Hemi.

I would recommend you check out the web site fifthwheelst.com for some great information about towing safely. From the figures you supplied, I would imagine you will be a lot heavier on the pin weight after you get the trailer and truck loaded.

Good luck, and no matter what just be sure that you Travel Safe!

If you got your info from the HL web site....the weights that are posted are for a BASE trailer. After all the options added and your stuff packed on board, you most likely be heavier on the pin. You have to figure in fuel, people, animals, weight of the hitch itself (200#) and anything you carry in truck. What is the GVW of the Sundance?? A rule of thumb is...20% of the trailer weight is on the pin. The only way you will ever know what the GVW and the pin weight are is to go to a CAT scale and weigh it. Fuel and water in the tanks weighs 8# a gallon.

9000 GVW X .20 = 1800
Hitch and hardware = 200
Total payload = 2000 minimum

Thanks for all of the replies. According to Heartland and the scales, the 2016 has an empty weight of 7700 Lbs., slightly lighter than the 2015 model. Pin weight now is 1520. I do not plan to fill the tanks prior to towing. I know it will be close but it should work ok. Of course, Murphy is lurking in the background. I did calculate the truck weight with 2 people on board and the fuel tank full.

Your actual empty trailer weight will be printed on a yellow sticker inside the main entrance door jamb. That'll be the actual weight as it left the factory floor. Local changes may add to that weight. On some models, the actual weight may be significantly higher than the published empty weight. The empty weight spec is based on the prototype model. When it goes into production, Heartland often creates "packages" that add weight, along with "forced options" that add weight. And of course, any options the dealer ordered will add weight.

The reason most people advise going by the GVWR rather than empty weight is that by the time you add your stuff on top of the actual empty weight, and are ready to go camping, you'll usually be closer to GVWR than empty weight.

Btw, the Heartland website shows the 278TS with an empty weight of 8,616 and a GVWR of 9,900. The empty pin weight of 1,640 will likely be closer to 2,000 lbs once the trailer is loaded for travel. Add to that the weight of hitch, bed liner, bed cover, tools, firewood, pets, and passengers. You could easily have a total payload of 2,500 lbs. You might want to compare that to the actual payload rating on the door jamb of the truck.

Jim.Allison said:

9000 GVW X .20 = 1800
Hitch and hardware = 200
Total payload = 2000 minimum

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Congrat's on the new camper, I too just upgraded too a 5th wheel, and they installed a 20K slider, and it is a huge piece of hardware (248lbs) you are at the border line according too paper, but the real test will be when you actually tow it. But I would give myself plenty of room for stopping, and don't be in a hurry.

Bohemian said:

//heartlandowners.org/showthread.ph...-Life-Magazine?p=391953&viewfull=1#post391953

//heartlandowners.org/showthread.ph...Specifications?p=410726&viewfull=1#post410726

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I'm new to diesel trucks and I just learned that you now have to add DEF to your cost of traveling. My question is how much of a problem has this been?

Hi jjcrawfish,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum. We have a great bunch of friendly folks here with lots of information. And all willing to share their knowledge when needed.

I'm sure you will get some opinions soon, but myself I do not have a truck that uses the DEF. I don't think it has been a problem for most folks.

Enjoy the forum.

Jim M

It depends on how you drive and how much you tow as to how often you have to add DEF. Usually about every 2000-5000 miles. The truck should indicate when you are less than half and the you add. Be certain to put the DEF in the DEF tank and nowhere else. It could be a very very expensive repair..don't ask how I know.

In terms of cost, it's not really a problem. Let's put it in context. Consider that diesel is currently around $2.50 /gallon depending on location. If you get 10 mpg towing, that's $ 0.25 / mile. A 5 gallon tank of DEF will cost you about $25.00 at Walmart (or $14.00 in bulk at a truck stop) and will get you between 2,000 and 5,000 miles towing. Varies a lot by manufacturer and model. So let's say $25 gets you 2,500 miles. That's about $ 0.01 per mile. A headwind will cost you a lot more.

In terms of keeping the DEF tank full, you do have to stay on top of it and it's a good idea to carry at least a gallon or perhaps a 2.5 gallon jug. Just don't let it get too old.

In terms of things to go wrong, DEF can be a pain. The actual DEF system is fine, but the sensors can create problems. If a sensor goes bad, you'll get a warning and will have a limited time to get it fixed before the truck is put into limp mode. Your owners manual will tell you about DEF warning and limp mode.

ricmartin said:

The truck can take 1,690 with 2 people on board. The paperwork shows 1,630 on the pin for the new one. Close but should be OK.

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Might want to recheck that https://www.ramtrucks.com/assets/towing_guide/pdf/2015_ram_1500_towing_charts.pdf payloads are quoted minus passengers, luggage and fuel.

JanAndBill said:

Might want to recheck that https://www.ramtrucks.com/assets/towing_guide/pdf/2015_ram_1500_towing_charts.pdf payloads are quoted minus passengers, luggage and fuel.

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I have too agree with Jan and Bill. But payloads from manufacturers are not realistic. From the posts your almost at your limit. You might want to consider a bigger truck. I learned the hard way. Braking, stability especially going down hill with a loaded trailer can have some anxious moments.
Good luck
Howard