Thinking of buying 31sl with pin weight of 2265 lbs. which is right on with pin weight I can haul. My truck is
equipped with Timbrens it is 2015 Ram Mega Cab 3/4 ton Diesel. Does anybody out there tow with similar
arrangement. Also, is everybody happy with the quality of their Redwood Rv's
Ken Graham
We are very happy with our 38RL. This is our second Redwood. Cannot help you with TV. As I tow with. GMC Dually.
Yes, very happy with our RW and the customer service from the company. We have a 36FL with 3,000lb pin weight and towed about 20,000 miles with a F350 SRW. This was right at the trucks limit and we experienced no issues.
Now use a F350 dually for extra level of comfort with risk.
Thank you for your input.
We tow a 2012 RW 31SL. The measured pin weight with gear aboard and 25 gal of water is 2900 lbs. The gross weight is 14100 lbs. We do not have washer/dryer, generator or dish washer. We tow with a 2013 GMC with Timbrens and SRW. Tows like a dream. The truck is a 2500HD diesel with crew cab and 6 1/2 ft bed.
Thank you, for information that was exactly what I needed to know, I guess the Timbrens would help a lot.
Ken,
A word of caution. I once relied on specs. When I did the calculations, I though I might have been about 200 pounds or so over.
Once I weighed the rig and truck, I was almost 2,000 over the payload capacity of my Dodge. Not believing it at first, I filled the truck with fuel, removed the hitch and went to the scales to check the actual weight of the truck. Then I added the hitch, tools I carry and the weight of the two of us. After that, I only had 1200 pounds of payload capacity. I was very surprised, but the numbers don't lie.
Needless to say, I no longer rely on specs....they are just a starting point and can be misleading depending on the OEM equipment that is added and not figured into the overall weight.
Ken
BTW, this was on a previous 5er, not the Redwood. I had Timbrens on the Dodge and still have them on my F450. They help the ride but do not add to the payload capacity of the truck
Thinking of buying 31sl with pin weight of 2265 lbs. which is right on with pin weight I can haul. My truck is
equipped with Timbrens it is 2015 Ram Mega Cab 3/4 ton Diesel. Does anybody out there tow with similar
arrangement. Also, is everybody happy with the quality of their Redwood Rv'sKen Graham
Think about a couple of things...
1) If you're "at" your pin weight, is that really a good idea? Let's say that a boat can stay afloat in the water at full capacity and it places the deck at the water line. Then, as you drive the boat, you're hitting waves. What happens? The boat floods and sinks. So, by having your truck "at" you full capacity, you really are putting more stresses on your truck than you may think.
2) Now, with this at full capacity, what happens if you blow a tire? I can't tell from your description, but I think all 3/4 ton vehicles are single axle and not dually. With a dually, if you blow a rear tire (or get a flat), you can still safely come to a stop with damage to your vehicle. Not to mention that it will provide a whole lot more traction.
3) With a full load on the truck, I also wonder how far your back end will squat? Your headlights will be shining up at the sky instead of ahead of you while driving down the road.
4) IF you are set on staying with this vehicle, consider having a spring shop take a look and offer you an opinion. You may find that you don't have enough spring to support the load. You may need to beef them up and then add the Timbrens.
What is the total empty weight of your 31 SL? How about with water and grey or black tanks filled? How much "stuff" will you be putting on board? You would be surprised how quickly it will add up.
Consider contacting Escapees and see when they might be able to meet you for a "smart-weigh". You'll get accurate readings from each tire on the truck and RV.
Going back to the truck, you state you have a diesel...Which diesel do you have? Which transmission package? Which rear-end ratio are you using? "Where" will you drive? To the mountains? Off-road? They all make a difference as well.
I too drive a Ram. But after factoring EVERYTHING...I decided it was best to use the 3500 Dually, the 6.7 Diesel and the Aisin Transmission. We do have a heavier 38GK. But after factoring everything, we feel much safer with the added margins affecting the tow capacity.
Just be sure you're safe!
Happy trails.
Greg,
As a mariner, I got a good chuckle from # 1. However, I'm afraid your analogy is rather flawed, as from experience I have commanded many vessels at max displacement in some horrendous seas and haven't lost one yet. With "Factors of Safety" they have sufficient reserve buoyancy and hull strength to ensure survival. Even the smaller lifeboats can be filled inside entirely to the top with water and they will still float. I suspect, the truck specifications have similar reserves.
For the first 3 years we did about 20,000 miles with our F350 SRW, which was loaded to just below the limit. This included multiple trips across the Rockies, both on Trans-Canada and I-90, without any issues. Did I have concerns with risk, most definitely yes, so I drove accordingly.
We have now upgraded to a F350 dually, as a result of a risk analysis, not because the old truck couldn't handle the coach. Yes, being risk adverse, I will be more comfortable knowing we now have some additional reserve.
Getting back to the OP, provided your truck is not overloaded on any criteria and you are accepting of higher risk, your existing truck should do you OK, provided you drive accordingly to mitigate the risks.
Just another couple of comments:
You may want to consider how you are going to use the RW. If you are going from full service to full service campgrounds with virtually empty tanks and a reasonable amount of "stuff" then you should be OK. If you plan some primitive camping then it's another issue, I recall traveling the Alaska Highway years ago with almost full waste and water tanks because services were few and far between. In those situations you may be overloaded as some of the tanks are in front of the trailer axles.
I installed Timbrens on our F-450 as our pin heavy 36RL caused substantial undulations going over bridges, putting in air bags would also be helpful. Air bags require de-airing to get a good unloaded ride, Timbrens don't but they give a bit harsher ride unloaded when you hit bumps. Neither legally increase the carrying capacity of the truck.
Greg,
As a mariner, I got a good chuckle from # 1. However, I'm afraid your analogy is rather flawed, as from experience I have commanded many vessels at max displacement in some horrendous seas and haven't lost one yet. With "Factors of Safety" they have sufficient reserve buoyancy and hull strength to ensure survival. Even the smaller lifeboats can be filled inside entirely to the top with water and they will still float. I suspect, the truck specifications have similar reserves.
For the first 3 years we did about 20,000 miles with our F350 SRW, which was loaded to just below the limit. This included multiple trips across the Rockies, both on Trans-Canada and I-90, without any issues. Did I have concerns with risk, most definitely yes, so I drove accordingly.
We have now upgraded to a F350 dually, as a result of a risk analysis, not because the old truck couldn't handle the coach. Yes, being risk adverse, I will be more comfortable knowing we now have some additional reserve.
Getting back to the OP, provided your truck is not overloaded on any criteria and you are accepting of higher risk, your existing truck should do you OK, provided you drive accordingly to mitigate the risks.
OK...So the analogy is a bit crude, but the principal is reasonably accurate. You buy a truck that is not designed for the load, you're very likely to sink your ship (remember the unsinkable Titanic?)...777 was a little light on his details...It was to make a point. Is an accident (which may prove fatal) worth the risk? You chose a Dually for the very point being made...So did I...
We had a 2008 Dodge 3500 Ram dually, with air bags, standard transmission with 3:73 rear. We made 2 cross country trips, and trip into Canada as well as many shorter trips, and towed our 2012 36FL over 50K miles. During those trips we had a double blowout (marathon tires) and the truck performed outstandingly, allowed us to move safely to the side of the road. We had a suspension weld break, again, the truck allowed safe stopping. Our truck's transmission failed and we had it rebuilt, at our local Dodge dealership, back to factory specs. However, after multiple trips back for service, the truck would not pull the coach without the transmission failing to shift. We were then told the truck was only built to pull 13,300lbs. Our Redwood consistently weighs, with our stuff and some water in the fresh water tank, about 15-15,200lbs. We purchased a new 2015 Dodge Ram Laramie Laredo, dually, with the upgraded Ainsin transmission and the 4:10 rear and the truck is certified to pull 28,700lbs. It tows the coach like a dream, very comfortable and above all, safe and provides the security we need when we and our GrandChildren are in the vehicle. I would error on the side of safety and purchase a heavier vehicle with dual rear tires.
I've talked with many folks who confuse POWER to tow versus CAPACITY to tow. My advice is simple...do the math. If you are under your vehicle's (truck and trailer) maximum capacities, then go for it! Of course any time you are towing,
regardless of your vehicle's weights, handling and driving techniques change. Just my thoughts on the subject. 🙂
Bob
I've talked with many folks who confuse POWER to tow versus CAPACITY to tow. My advice is simple...do the math. If you are under your vehicle's (truck and trailer) maximum capacities, then go for it! Of course any time you are towing,
regardless of your vehicle's weights, handling and driving techniques change. Just my thoughts on the subject. 🙂Bob
Well said...
We had a 2008 Dodge 3500 Ram dually, with air bags, standard transmission with 3:73 rear. We made 2 cross country trips, and trip into Canada as well as many shorter trips, and towed our 2012 36FL over 50K miles. During those trips we had a double blowout (marathon tires) and the truck performed outstandingly, allowed us to move safely to the side of the road. We had a suspension weld break, again, the truck allowed safe stopping. Our truck's transmission failed and we had it rebuilt, at our local Dodge dealership, back to factory specs. However, after multiple trips back for service, the truck would not pull the coach without the transmission failing to shift. We were then told the truck was only built to pull 13,300lbs. Our Redwood consistently weighs, with our stuff and some water in the fresh water tank, about 15-15,200lbs. We purchased a new 2015 Dodge Ram Laramie Laredo, dually, with the upgraded Ainsin transmission and the 4:10 rear and the truck is certified to pull 28,700lbs. It tows the coach like a dream, very comfortable and above all, safe and provides the security we need when we and our GrandChildren are in the vehicle. I would error on the side of safety and purchase a heavier vehicle with dual rear tires.
Also well said...I opted for the 3:73 rear end for a little better fuel mileage. It was a trade off from the "power" (not to be confused with "capacity"). So far, it seems to bode well. I can see your points for the 4:10 rear though.
I looked up specs for the 2016 Ram 2500. Depending on model, the towing capacity (GCWR) ranged from 11,700 - 17,600. GVWR (truck carry capacity) of the truck is 9,000 with an optional 10,000 rating.
By comparison, my particular 3500 is rated for 32,000 gross combined towing (GCWR) and 14,000 GVWR (truck carry capacity).
I went to the Redwood website to look up ratings for the 2016 31SL...
12,120 lbs empty
16,500 lbs GVWR
2,265 lbs Pin Weight (empty)
Unless the 2500 is fully decked out, I'd have serious reservations about a Ram 2500 when comparing ratings of the RV to truck.
The Ram 2500 has a base weight of 6300-7400 depending on model. If your GVWR is 9,000, that only leaves you with 2700 at best case scenario. Put fuel, 2 passengers, a hitch, maybe a tool box and some "goodies" on, and you're going to be severely overloaded quickly when you add the RV. (SS Titanic - It will sink quickly!). With a Ram 2500, verify your capacity. A well equipped unit will still be very borderline.
Tire ratings will also be a factor to consider (regardless of the tow vehicle)...
