RAM 3500 srw enough truck for key largo?

[gbagamer]

I was looking for your opinions on a srw ram. Would the truck be enough truck for the Landmark Key Largo?

Stats I found:
2014 3500 ram crew cab long box 4x4 bighorn
12300 gcrw
16820 max trailer
4290 payload
rgawr 7000
gvw 8012
rgaw 3003

2015 key largo
gvwr 16250
empty 12972
3250 pin at 20% gvwr

Is this truck good enough? It will be a daily driver and my wife doesn't fancy the dualies. Are fifth wheels usually close to max carrying capacity? My calculations are showing I will be at 96% capacity for towing and 75% capacity for pin at max load. I'm sure there is a factor of safety with the numbers the engineers and lawyers allow to be advertised.

 

[danemayer]

Hi gbagamer,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum.

In addition to carrying the pin weight, your payload also has to carry the weight of your hitch, the bed liner, the bed cover, tools, passengers, pets and anything else you put in the truck. You'll be close to 100% on payload.

That said, our 2011 CC LB GMC 3500 did a great job towing a heavily loaded 2011 Landmark Rushmore. Our Rushmore has the on-board Onan generator in the front compartment, and the washer/dryer in the front corner.

 

[iawoody2]

Usually you have to add alot to get to the max trailer weight. My Sundance weights 11000 and gross weight of 13500. Loaded and ready to leave Iowa for Florida it weights 12400.

 

[MTPockets]

If your payload number was from that truck doorpost, you will be close. If the number was from a Ram web site spec sheet, it's for a standard 3500 with no options. Actual payload may be lower.

 

[gbagamer]

Here is my truck source: http://www.rambodybuilder.com/2014/docs/ram/rammlup3500.pdf

 

[Nabo]

Our Key Largo weight listed from the factory is 12500 lbs empty. Our 2012 Big Country 3650 was only 600 pounds less which we pulled with a 2009 Ram 3500 srw without any problems. We did add rear air bags to help level the truck bed up which you might also need to do. We sold the 2009 truck and Big Country as a combo set therefore we needed another tow vehicle. Went to order a new srw Ram but couldn't get in time to pick up the new LM so we ended up with a dually. Dually pulls great but is not exciting as a daily driver. Byrd also drove the truck daily to and from work but now with the dually, I drive it daily.

 

[kakampers]

We fulltime so we are usually heavier than most...that said, our pin weight is 4,200 lbs...wouldn't tow this with less than a DRW.

 

[driver311]

huck it and go on.... i cross scales almost daily with a lot more trailer, never have been stoped for weight. QUITE ...................

 

[MTPockets]

Here is my truck source: http://www.rambodybuilder.com/2014/docs/ram/rammlup3500.pdf

I believe the payload ratings shown are before options. The listed payload could be reduced by over 800 lbs with loaded options.

 

[gtsum2]

your actual payload will likely be close to what the ram site said. My 2014 3500 SRW Laramie with almost every option available (wheels, liner, moonroof, wheel to wheel side steps, etc, etc) has a payload sticker on the door of 4076lbs. It was within 100 lbs of what the ram site said (and like I said, I couldnt have ordered any more options on the truck to reduce the actual payload)


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[Bohemian]

Attached: Detailed specs for 2014 Ram 3500

 

[Bohemian]

I was looking for your opinions on a srw ram. Would the truck be enough truck for the Landmark Key Largo?

Stats I found:
2014 3500 ram crew cab long box 4x4 bighorn
12300 gcrw
16820 max trailer
4290 payload
rgawr 7000
gvw 8012
rgaw 3003

2015 key largo
gvwr 16250
empty 12972
3250 pin at 20% gvwr

Is this truck good enough? It will be a daily driver and my wife doesn't fancy the dualies. Are fifth wheels usually close to max carrying capacity? My calculations are showing I will be at 96% capacity for towing and 75% capacity for pin at max load. I'm sure there is a factor of safety with the numbers the engineers and lawyers allow to be advertised.

4290 max payload

as compared to

4,075 lb pin weight @ 25%
50 lb driver weight (200 lb actual - 150 lb as allocated by standard)
150 lb spouse
150 lb 5th heel hitch
20 lb options from Ram chart

equals = 4445 lb payload

plus

snacks, cameras, soda, kids, dog, blanket, bicycle bicycle rack, etc

What do you think?

 

[Jim.Allison]

I dont think I would buy a dually to be able to carry snacks and cameras. The 3500 has the guts in the drivetrain to do the job. You will probably not need any assistance from airbags but if you do it will be only a small amount, I use 20 psi in my airbags to get a little rake in my ride.

IMHO, you can subtract the curb weight of the rear axle from the max load rating of the tires. That is what you can carry as long as you are with in the GCVWR of the truck.

The 20 inch tires have an incredible load rating. The tire they use is the Firestone Transforce AT or HT and the weight rating of the LT285/60R 20 is 3840 at 80 psi. Thats 7680 at the tire, your bed, fully rigged is about 2700 so you are at about 4900 lbs payload. While it is true you might not be inline with the sticker on the door, all that really means that you are not paying the proper taxes and nothing else. In Texas you can exceed that data plate by 15% lawfully. And if for some reason you do get weighed and they make an issue out of it, they have to allow you to shift your load to come into compliance( in Texas). They can also make you go back and pay the proper tax for the weight you were towing for that year only. But honest to God I have never seen an RV get weighed. And I am not pulling into a state weigh station unless it says Trucks with fifth wheels. And I have never seen one to pull into

The SRW is closing in on the DRW quickly, it is the truck people really want, and the market is responding by providing us truck that can do the job. Ford, Chevy, or RAM, they are performing for us. DRW are less relevant today than they ever have been.

In the off chance that I'm overweight and I do get caught I will happily pay the fine rather than contend with the nature of a DRW truck.

DRW truck are great if you want one, but I don't want one.

 

[Kosanko]

If you have to ask the question if a SRW will pull it you already know the answer? Yes a SRW will pull it, but will it do it safely ? will you be over your payload ? will it stop the trailer on a mountain ? are the real questions that you are really asking. To answer those you need to ask yourself if you are willing to forgo safety to save a few bucks and 6" of width on the overall vehicle. I would go for the dually and not worry about being within 4% of the limits of the truck. You never here dually owners complain about having to much truck to pull their trailer.

 

[Jim.Allison]

I would like to see the rig made by Heartland within the GCVWR of the TV, and the mountain pass that cannot be safely climbed or descended in rain with a Ram 3500 SRW Cummins 6.7, exhaust brake, with 3860 lbs load rated tires on the rear axle.

 

[DW_Gray]

Here's good opportunity to show the Before You Buy RV app. This is using only the base weights (which I caution against) plus 200 pounds for a 5th wheel hitch. The base weight accounts for only the driver at 150 pounds plus all the fluids in the truck.

 

[Bohemian]

I dont think I would buy a dually to be able to carry snacks and cameras. The 3500 has the guts in the drivetrain to do the job. You will probably not need any assistance from airbags but if you do it will be only a small amount, I use 20 psi in my airbags to get a little rake in my ride.

IMHO, you can subtract the curb weight of the rear axle from the max load rating of the tires. That is what you can carry as long as you are with in the GCVWR of the truck.

The 20 inch tires have an incredible load rating. The tire they use is the Firestone Transforce AT or HT and the weight rating of the LT285/60R 20 is 3840 at 80 psi. Thats 7680 at the tire, your bed, fully rigged is about 2700 so you are at about 4900 lbs payload. While it is true you might not be inline with the sticker on the door, all that really means that you are not paying the proper taxes and nothing else. In Texas you can exceed that data plate by 15% lawfully. And if for some reason you do get weighed and they make an issue out of it, they have to allow you to shift your load to come into compliance( in Texas). They can also make you go back and pay the proper tax for the weight you were towing for that year only. But honest to God I have never seen an RV get weighed. And I am not pulling into a state weigh station unless it says Trucks with fifth wheels. And I have never seen one to pull into

The SRW is closing in on the DRW quickly, it is the truck people really want, and the market is responding by providing us truck that can do the job. Ford, Chevy, or RAM, they are performing for us. DRW are less relevant today than they ever have been.

In the off chance that I'm overweight and I do get caught I will happily pay the fine rather than contend with the nature of a DRW truck.

DRW truck are great if you want one, but I don't want one.

Th engineers at Ford, GM, Ram, and the SAE clearly disagree.

 

[Bohemian]

I dont think I would buy a dually to be able to carry snacks and cameras.

But you will carry them. (other other things you planned to not carry because of your tight weight limits).

 

[danemayer]

Just 2 or 3 years ago the frequent argument was over whether a 250/2500 was enough truck to tow a Landmark.

There were basically 2 approaches you could take to answer the question: believe the specs and trust the math, or trust the reports of owners with 250s/2500s who were towing Landmarks.

It wasn't all that unusual to read about tow vehicles that were clearly exceeding payload spec by up to 1000 lbs.

Interesting that we're now seeing exactly the same arguments about 350/3500 SRW vs DRW.

 

[TravelTiger]

If you plan to tow in terrain that includes rolling hills or grades or (gasp) mountains, also realize that physics comes into play. Going up or down an inclined plane, the forces are greater than on level ground, making the work to go up and down those inclines, greater. What about towing in heat? When temps are 100+, is the truck going to struggle and overheat, because it's working at the edge of capacity? Better to be well within the capabilities than barely on the edge.

Another addition many folks consider after they buy a truck and 5ver is adding an auxiliary fuel tank. That's a BUNCH of added payload to consider.

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