Can I haul a 50hp tractor with a Ram 1500?

[Egon]

Your truck definitely has the pulling power to pull the load. In fact, a 5.7 hemi is putting out about 200 more hp and about 130 more ft/lbs of torque more than the diesel engines in the 1 ton pickups of the late 80's early 90's. Granted this is no where near what todays diesels can do but it's to serve a point that the power you have available was once the norm for heavy hauling.

With that being said. Could your truck haul the load you are planning on pulling. I would say yes but only under these criteria. 1. Got to have have E1 rated tires on your vehicle. You are going to need stiffer sidewalls for the increased load. 2. I would beef the rear suspension with something like the firestone Ride Rite air springs. These will help your vehicle in a normal stance so to speak and keep the suspension from going to the overload springs or stops from hitting a pothole or something similar. Also a rear sway bar might be a consideration 3. A good trailer with dual trailer trailer brakes. A balanced trailer with a good set of trailer brakes actually stops quite reasonably.

The brake pads can also be upgraded to ones that grab much better. They will also be harder on the rotors.

 

[Ken45101]

First of all, trailer brakes are not an option, they are an absolute requirement, on both axles, LEGALLY.

With that kind of weight, you wouldn't stop even with a 1 ton truck.

I did occasionally tow a 45hp Kubota with a FEL and bush hog on a car haul with a half ton Chevy (with trailer brakes). It was nerve wracking. I hated it. So much better when I upgraded to a 3/4 ton truck.

While very true "it's not what you can pull, it's what you can stop", with good trailer brakes you will be able to stop much better. However, what you cannot do is maneuver in an emergency. Try that with an inadequate truck and you will be all over the road, maybe on your side or top. Or jackknifed.

If you are going to upgrade the truck, I would seriously suggest looking at a truck that can handle a gooseneck trailer. Towing with a gooseneck is much more stable. I can haul 14K and barely know it's back there (although I am doing it with a 1 ton dually).

 

[Gary Fowler]

Mechanically your truck should have no problem with that tractor. A 20 foot trailer is a must in order to balance the load. Load equalizer hitch is likely needed to get the max tow capacity. I see the Chevy 1500 trucks advertised to tow 11600 GVW so perhaps Dodge would be just as good. Trailer brakes on both axles and a good controller would be a must.
You aren't going to gain anything in towing capacity with a 3/4 ton, just some stronger springs on the truck, so if you think you need to upgrade, you will have to get a 1 ton dually to gain any significant tow capacity. I think a properly equipped 1/2 ton truck should handle your load easily and will be much cheaper than trading in a good truck. Transmission wise, if you have the tow package, you aren't going to hurt the truck or engine. Just take it slow, gear it down on hills (both up and downhill) set the brake controller to take most of the stopping on the trailer and you will be good to go.
I tow my 70 HP with FEL with my 1/2 ton Chevy Z71 occasionally and it handle it easily and the double axle brakes stop it almost as well as the empty truck. It does strain a bit going up a slope and will shift to second gear but easily tows at freeway speeds on flat ground but does drop the MPG to about 10 on average.

 

[Renze]

First thing is to check is if you'll be actually exceeding the manufacturers tow rating, and if so, check with your insurance. Will it cover when exceeding the combined GVW of your tow vehicle ? and in case of an accident, would exceeding the GCVW automatically make you to blame, or would you just get a ticket for being overweight ?

Most people here that tow professionally will tell you an 18 wheeler is the safest for the occasional weekend tow, however its YOUR money to be spent, not theirs.
However, low capacity versions of a large frame light commercial vehicle often tow poor, because half ton vehicles (in Europe at least) often are 3/4 ton frames with stripped down suspension, also for a smoother empty ride. A Firestone RideRite kit is a great improvement to any half ton pickup: RIDE-RITE Air Helper Spring Information
At my previous employer we had a customer who had several US built pickup trucks here in Holland, we put a RideRite kit on all of them because it would track better when loaded, and when the air bags were inflated to lift the vehicle an inch out of the leaf springs so just the air bags were carrying the weight, it rode much smoother with no load in the bed, less vibrations.
These guys were pulling a 5 ton trailer all day, they were in the graffiti removal business and carried a diesel powered pressure washer, a water tank, blasting grit and lots of other stuff around. 5 metric tons is 11000 pounds, which they pulled day in day out, quite more than the 8500 you intend to tow occasionally with a half ton...

I dont know how it is with the Ram 1500 and 2500, but the Merc Sprinter we worked with mostly, had exactly the same frame in 1500 and 2500 execution, just the 2500 had a 2nd leaf in each spring... In fact we had a 2500 which was sagging too much with a 5th wheel and felt uncomfortable on the highway: We installed a 3-leaf spring set from the 3500 under it (home made SRW 3500 ) making it the nicest driving vehicle of our rentals...
Even with the same tow vehicle mass, beefing up the suspension made a day and night difference in the roll stability and towing ease. If RAM 1500 and 2500 also use the same frame, perhaps a RideRite kit could turn your 1500 into a 2500 too ?

Suspension is important, but good brakes on both axles are the best investment you can make.

 

[azkubotaguy]

I have a Toyota Tundra with a factory tow package, it is rated around 10,000 Lb's, I have a 20Ft Equipment Trailer with brakes on both axles, the trailer weighs about 2700 Lb's, my Kubota with implements weighs just over 5000, so I am towing about 7700 Lb's. Tundra's are known for great brakes, I have a brake controller as well, towing this set-up I can tell you the Tundra gets the job done with 380 HP & 410 Ft Lb's of Torque, but I can tell I have a heavy load behind me and stopping does take longer, even with the the trailer brakes, so I tend to drive slower, keep plenty of distance from vehicles in front of me, etc. I will probably get a larger diesel down the road.

 

[Reg]

Hey Renze,
As I recall Holland doesn't have many (what might generally be described as) HILLS ?

Just kidding, though it is quite possible that the OP is in a hilly area - Texas ain't ALL flat.

Brakes are not just important for safety they are REQUIRED in this weight category - even in Texas.

 

[Egon]

I'm thinking there is a difference between 1/2 and 3/4 tons. Like stiffer frames and heavier grade axles&differentials and suspension components.

 

[Reg]

Hauling it is not a problem.


stopping it in a hurry is a problem

THAT is why he NEEDS;
1) Trailer brakes on BOTH axles
2) To distribute the load properly
3) To drive within the terms dictated by the load and road - and limitations of the whole rig.

I know we can't always do it, but wherever possible just avoid the need for quick stops (panic stops).
Following too close and too fast, not anticipating traffic light changes far enough ahead, not anticipating "what that other driver might do", etc.
All the conservative/defensive driving stuff we all know but all too often forget

 

[kenmac]

If this is his truck


http://www.dodge.com/towing/D/vehic...+Engine%5E5-Spd+Automatic+545RFE+Transmission

 

[country2thesoul]

I don't mean to be rude, but if you have to ask the question, you probably shouldnt be risking your life and the life of others on the road with your lack of knowledge.

It can be done! But I don't recommend it!

 

[Renze]

Hey Renze,
As I recall Holland doesn't have many (what might generally be described as) HILLS ?

nope indeed. Yet we have more legislation, anything above 750kg must have its own license plate and brakes (on all axles) no matter what pulls it, any trailer over 3500kg axle weight must have ABS. I find it quite amusing to read people write here about deciding between brakes on one axle or on two axles... regardless of law, having brakes on both axles would be a no-brainer for us here, because traffic is much more hectic so you need your braking capacity more, and more often...

Another thing that i see from reading TBN, is that many Americans think they are underpowered for towing if they have to let passenger cars pass going uphill, and ride up with the big rigs. Do you guys all drive the fast lane at 70mph with 12.000 pound behind you ? When there is a lot of traffic i prefer to stay behind a truck in the trucking lane, passenger cars in the fast lane can step on the brake out of nothing, they drive much more dynamic, which is tiresome to follow when towing because you have to stay on high alert the whole time. When theres no traffic i tow 5000 pounds behind my Volvo in the fast lane at 70mph, but during rush hour i follow the trucks because their driving is far more predictable and less ad hoc.

 

[Code54]

I'm thinking there is a difference between 1/2 and 3/4 tons. Like stiffer frames and heavier grade axles&differentials and suspension components.

Correct -on the Dodge I believe there is over a 1500 lbs difference in the 1500 to the 2500 Hemi trucks, add the Cummins and it is even larger. Makes a BIG difference in towing!

 

[C4Ranch]

What kind of trailer? You have to add that weight as well. Is this a 1 time deal or will you be doing it regularly?

You can do it, but I think the wiser question to ask is should you?

I could do this, but I shouldn't have and will never do it again. Luckily nothing bad happened and I got caught up in rushing out and picking up my new/used tractor and grossly underestimated the wight. Got it home and started looking adding up the weight (loaded tires, FEL, HD Bucket, CAB) before I drug it out to the land and realized I over taxed the trailer by around 4k lbs!! :shocked:

Weight distributing hitch + Good trailer brake helped but I'll be borrowing my BIL's Megacab CTD and HD trailer from now on.

 

[Reg]

I'm thinking there is a difference between 1/2 and 3/4 tons. Like stiffer frames and heavier grade axles&differentials and suspension components.

Not THAT MUCH that is affected by what hangs around on the ball back there, trailer stresses are fairly independent (loosely coupled) to truck stresses.
...ASSUMING... that it is adequately braked, that the limits aren't pushed, etc.

 

[Ken45101]

I'm thinking there is a difference between 1/2 and 3/4 tons. Like stiffer frames and heavier grade axles&differentials and suspension components.

I don't know that the frames are different but you are right about the heavier suspension, probably heavier duty tires (often 1/2 ton trucks today are designed for car type comfort). Gary Fowler was wrong to say there is no difference except an extra spring. I've been there, and there was definitely a difference in handling the identical load between a half ton and a 3/4 ton truck.

That brings up another issue: tires and axle weights. For any kind of safety, weigh the entire rig (each axle) and make sure the tires are not overloaded and you are within the manufacturer's axle ratings. You do not want to have a blow out from an overloaded tire hauling a rig like this. There are plenty of pictures on the net of overturned pickups and trailers when something goes wrong.

Also, check your tire pressures and make sure they are maxed up when heavily loaded.

 

[Renze]

Gary Fowler was wrong to say there is no difference except an extra spring. I've been there, and there was definitely a difference in handling the identical load between a half ton and a 3/4 ton truck.

Between half ton and 3/4 ton, or between half ton -with an extra spring- and a 3/4 ton ? We experienced first had how the handling improved after adding an extra spring, and as an added bonus, the SRW tracked better when driving on wet roads.

 

[Diamondpilot]

My tractor is 5,600# and I tow it all over with my 1/2 ton Nissan Titan. I have a F350 diesel but don't bother getting it out till I am over 10,000#.

Chris

 

[Renze]

Correct -on the Dodge I believe there is over a 1500 lbs difference in the 1500 to the 2500 Hemi trucks, add the Cummins and it is even larger. Makes a BIG difference in towing!

Dodge Towing Guide - By Vehicle Results

Dodge Towing Guide - By Vehicle Results

looks like its only 100 pounds... which sounds about the difference of two additional leaf springs and perhaps a torsion bar... and indeed, THAT makes quite a difference in towing, but nothing more than a 3 to 600 dollar RideRite kit

 

[joshuabardwell]

I think it's worth pointing out that there are two separate questions that we could be discussing here. One is, "What is it reasonably safe to tow with this truck," and the other is, "What has the manufacturer rated this truck to tow." If you change out your torsion springs, add air bags, upgrade the brakes, and so forth, you may increase your truck's functional ability to tow, but you haven't changed the manufacturer's tow rating. And, IMO, it will be the manufacturer's tow rating that your load will be compared to if you end up having an accident while towing. For this reason, I try never to tow over the manufacturer's rating, no matter what upgrades may be on the truck. The upgrades are just gravy to give me a little more comfort and head-room. I heard a story on TBN once of a commercial driver who was towing over-loaded and a lady ran a red light and he T-boned her and she died. The accident was 100% her fault, but because he was over-loaded, he went to prison for manslaughter or something like that. Really stuck with me.

 

[Egon]

No argument from me on those facts.