Can a 2019 Ram 1500 Tow a Rockwood Ultra Lite 2441WS 5th Wheel Trailer
Updated 07/31/2019 | Published 07/30/2019
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Question:
The dealer assures me that my truck can tow a Rockwood Ultra Lite 2441WS fifth wheel, but I would like a more objective opinion, as the only specification he considered is the towing capacity. I have a 2018 RAM 1500 5.7L HEMI 4x2 Quad with a 64inch box. According to the vehicle specs, it has a payload capacity of 1660 lbs and a maximum towing capacity of 10520 lbs. I am a confused by the details showing on the hitch itself, which says 5000 lb max gross trailer weight 500 lb max tongue load. The fifth wheel I am considering specifies a dry weight of 7149 lbs, payload capacity of 2016 lbs, and hitch weight of 1165 lbs. I dont understand how or if these weights correlate with the specs of the truck. If my truck can indeed tow this fifth wheel, I would like your recommendation for a hitch.
asked by: Jackie T
Expert Reply:
Based off of the info you gave me it sounds like you either have the Big Horn or the Harvest 2018 RAM 1500 5.7L HEMI 4x2 Quad Cab with the 6' 4" bed and you have the Class III bumper hitch installed. According to my research the numbers you have are correct and you can safely tow the Rockwood Ultra Lite 2441WS 5th wheel trailer. The lower 5K towing/500 lb tongue weight ratings that you are looking at are only for that specific trailer hitch. It looks like there is also a Class IV bumper hitch available that is rated for 11K towing/1.1K tongue.
For your application I recommend installing the Reese Quick-Install Custom Installation Kit # RP50142-58 and using the Demco Hijacker Autoslide 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch # DM8550034. The Hijacker Autoslide not only gives you great ride quality (due to the single wraparound jaw and cushioning polyurethane dampeners) but it also allows you to remain in the cab of your truck while making tight turns. If you have ever used a manual sliding 5th wheel hitch before you know how annoying it can be to get in and out of your truck just to have enough clearance so you don't hit your cab while turning.
If you happen to have the RamBox installed on your pickup then you will need to have a Sidewinder pin box installed on your 5th wheel trailer. For this option you will use the same base rail kit but then use a stationary 5th wheel hitch. I recommend the Reese 16K # RP30047 which works really well with the Sidewinder. All you need to complete this setup is the Wedge # SWW-03. If you let me know what your pin box number is I can let you know what Sidewinder pin box you need to use for this.
I have attached some review videos for you to check out as well.
