AndyLyyc
Calgary
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Joined: 06/15/2008
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OK so I screwed up... new TV - 2012 ram 1500... new RV - 1986 scamper 19' 5th...
so in hindsight, RTFM would have been smrt - manual says no 5th wheel hitches... but brain says 2480lb fifth wheel with a 400lb tongue weight shouldn't be an issue...
is this just dodge covering their arse? Or should I assume they really believe the new ram can't handle any 5th wheel? I'm well below weight ratings, scaled it last night fully overloaded to be sure, but...
We have no intention of upgrading the 5th, we like this one as its a low profile and size unit, and being tc'ers at heart we really prefer the bed in the overhang...
what do you guys think?
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ScottG
Bothell Wa.
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Joined: 02/25/2005
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I'm having a hard time understanding your post but if the fiver only weighs 2480 pounds with a 400 tongue load then I'd say you'll be fine.
Scott, Grace and Wesly
2003 Dodge 3500 4x4, 6 speed Cummins (lightly bombed),
2004 Forest River 25RKS many, many mods.
H0NDA eu2000i
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keatonb16
New Brunswick Canada
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Joined: 07/28/2012
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huh?.....there are a ton of them on the road
likely with the 5.5' box they say no simply because some trailers would likely hit the cab. That was the way GM was when I sold them anyway..but you can just install a sliding 5th wheel hitch to keep away from cab when parking it.
Don't know if this is the case with dodge but I am sure you have a 6.5' anyway so no worries IMHO
2007 flagstaff 208
2010 Rav4 V6
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JRS & B
Florida/Michigan
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The Dodge website says never pull a fifth wheel with a "light duty" truck. There are no footnotes, no exceptions, and no mention of engine size or rear end gearing. So Dodge has said no, point blank and period.
There are fifth wheel hitches to fit your truck. But, if you should end up with a problem with early failure of brakes or the transmission, you had better take the hitch out and plug the holes before going back to the dealer for warranty work.
Also, remember to include the weight of the hitch in the payload number, especially if it happens to be a heavy slider.
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AndyLyyc
Calgary
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2480lbs came from the scale last night, full water, grey black, all our normal gear... weighed with and without trailer... so 400lbs tongue (combined front and rear weight changes) + 2080 on the trailer itself...
I'm just befuddled because we told the salesman our plans - he didn't say anything about no 5ths, the hitch shop didn't say anything... wasn't until I wanted to figure out how to program the integrated brake controller that I found that. 'No 5th wheels to be installed in light duty' note...
guess I should have sat down with the manual first, not just eyeballing the ratings on the door jamb...
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keatonb16
New Brunswick Canada
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I worked at a Dodge store for 3 years and never heard of any warranty issues...had a ton of customers with 5th wheel plates installed
try to remember people...we didn't care how or why the part failed only that it was a covered part that we were going to get paid by Chrysler for...rule #1 in the car business...never deny business...we got paid well from Chrysler.
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keatonb16
New Brunswick Canada
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I just downloaded the entire "Canadian" manual and did not see a single mention of "no 5th wheel trailering". US maybe different
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coolbreeze01
Redding, Ca
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Joined: 08/24/2006
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I think I would get a hitch and start having fun. If something goes wrong, I sure wouldn't remove it in an attempt to defraud. Good luck.
2008 Dodge 3500 With a Really Strong Tractor Motor...........
LB, SRW, 4X4, 6-Speed Auto, 3.73, Prodigy P3, Blue Ox Sway Pro........
2007 Komfort 212 on 225 75R 15E Maxxis 8008 Tires.........
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skipnchar
Topeka or somewhere else
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Joined: 12/17/2003
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I'd contact your Dodge dealer and ask what the problem is with mounting a hitch in the bed. It MAY be a genuine concern or it may not but BEFORE doing it would be a great time to find out from the source. I would think that for a trailer that small you could get by with a hitch mounted only to the bed itself without going clear to the frame. In times past there were LOTS of 5ers towed that way and they were a whole lot larger than yours.
Good luck / Skip
2011 F-150 HD Ecoboost 3.5 V6. 2550 payload, 17,100 GCVWR -
2004 F-150 HD (Traded after 80,000 towing miles)
2007 Rockwood 8314SS 34' travel trailer
US Govt survey shows three out of four people make up 75% of the total population
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BenK
SF BayArea
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Joined: 04/18/2002
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First ask who is going to pay for any warranty claim?
The ask if any adviser here will pay?
Yes, go ask the dealer what they think of the glove box manual instructions and if
they will cover warranty work if you don't follow that manual
Lots and lots of folks do and also advise to defraud the OEMs by
not telling them chipped/modified/etc, but with a Fiver hitch, there
are going to be holes in the bed and wonder how one would defraud
the dealer telling them those holes came with the truck or some such...
-Ben Picture of my rig
1996 GMC SLT Suburban 3/4 ton K3500/7.4L/4:1/+150Kmiles orig owner...
1980 Chevy Silverado C10/long bed/"BUILT" 5.7L/3:73/1 ton helper springs/+329Kmiles, bought it from dad...
1998 Mazda B2500 (1/2 ton) pickup, 2nd owner...
Praise Dyno Brake equiped and all have "nose bleed" braking!
Previous trucks/offroaders: 40's Jeep restored in mid 60's / 69 DuneBuggy (approx +1K lb: VW pan/200hpCorvair: eng, cam, dual carb'w velocity stacks'n 18" runners, 4spd transaxle) made myself from ground up / 1970 Toyota FJ40 / 1973 K5 Blazer (2dr Tahoe, 1 ton axles front/rear, +255K miles when sold it)...
Sold the boat (looking for another): Trophy with twin 150's...
51 cylinders in household, what's yours?...
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