FishOnOne
The Great State of Texas
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Here's our 05 3500 pulling probably a little more than 15k combined trailer and tank in bed. Obviously we pull at slower speeds but it does it. On it's second or third mopar rebuilt transmission.
![[image]](https://i.imgur.com/GWr1kkzl.jpg)
'12 Ford Super Duty FX4 ELD CC 6.7 PSD 400HP 800ft/lbs "270k Miles"
'16 Sprinter 319MKS "Wide Body"
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FishOnOne
The Great State of Texas
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FishOnOne wrote:duplicate post
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Cummins12V98
on the road
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mkirsch wrote:Wouldn't be the first time a rig like that has hit the road with a family happily singing campfire songs all the way there and back again...
Assuming that your truck is in best possible mechanical condition with good tires that aren't too old, You'll be more than happy with it on the flat. Iowa's pretty flat isn't it?
The trailer shouldn't weigh 15,500lbs, that's just the GVWR, the capacity of the two 7000lb axles plus 1500lbs of it on the pin. Odds are it will have closer to 3000lbs on the pin just because of the way these things tend to be balanced, but a 3500 SRW should easily have 4000lbs of capacity before hitting the tire limit. It'll squat but you can get airbags for that.
Far far far more likely that you will simply be unhappy with how things handle LONG before the rig is "unsafe." With half a brain you should know it's unsafe within a few miles of your first drive. Nurse it home and address the issues.
My DRV is "Rated" at 21k. It actually weighs 24k with a 25% 6k pin weight. The 15,500# GVWR can EASILY be obtained and more!!! Many tandem axle 5er's have a 25% pin. NOT a smart choice to use this SRW with that RV.
2015 RAM LongHorn 3500 Dually CrewCab 4X4 CUMMINS/AISIN RearAir 385HP/865TQ 4:10's
37,800# GCVWR "Towing Beast"
"HeavyWeight" B&W RVK3600
2016 MobileSuites 39TKSB3 highly "Elited" In the stable
2007.5 Mobile Suites 36 SB3 29,000# Combined SOLD
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Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
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JIMNLIN wrote:If I remember right the older 3500 srw Dodge trucks had 6200-6500 rawr (tire/wheel/rear spring pack). Your trucks drivers side door post certification sticker has the trucks fawr/rawr.
Drop by a set of CAT scales and weigh your truck front and rear axles separately.
Subtract the CAT scale number from your trucks rawr will give you how much in the bed payload you have to work with.
Those older trucks rear axle may weigh in the 3200-3400 lbs ...subtracted from 6200 rawr = approx 3000-3300 lbs before exceeding a tire/wheel or rear suspension.
This trucks rawr will more likely be overloaded.
The '05 truck has the AAM 11.5" rear axle good for over 10k lbs so its not a concern.
And of course if its the 5.9 Cummins it won't have any issues pulling that size trailer.
Many older 350/3500 srw truck owners with heavy truck campers...heavy 5th wheel trailer hitch loads upgraded to 19.5" tires/wheels...air bags of some type of rear suspension help
Don’t go spewing the over axle rated capacity bs. That is literally the last thing to be worried aboot as long as the tires are rated for the load, on good wheels and the truck ain’t a rust bucket.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
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Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
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Even 12V is a weight cop now? Lol
OP, here’s the short list of why your truck is fine, or isn’t fine for that weight. Although how and where you tow also plays into it. (Namely pulling big grades in the mountains or just across flatlandistan with no nasty headwind.)
Assuming truck is in top overall mechanical condition.
Chassis in general, zero issues. Hell, I drag 14k bumper pull flatbeds up n down the cascades with a half ton, reliably.
Engine, zero issue except low on power by todays standards. Doesn’t give up anything in practical application to a 6.7. Actually it’s the other way around unless you delete the 6.7. That is easily fixed for about $500 plug n play some mild tunes. And an exhaust brake is a major luxury, I’d say an almost necessity in the mountains.
Transmission? That’s the issue. If you have a 6speed with a good clutch in it, no issues there. Hook n book.
If it’s an auto, it’s the single largest drawback of the early 3rd gens, period.
A 1980s era 4 speed with too tall of first gear and not enough gear splits is half the problem. The other half is that, unless you have it built right, it is likely not up to the task of those kind of loads, for very long. Again that’s less of an issue in Kansas with a tailwind. And a huge issue going over the Rockies or any other big grades, especially in the dead of summer.
Bottom line, auto w built trans, I’d do it, begrudgingly. 6 speed, I’d be east bound n down without a care in the world.
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Me Again
AZ - Summer in NW WA
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Redeeming things: Trailer is a tripe axle, which tend to have lighter pin weights.
Negative things: 17" wheels and tires, the unwanted step child of truck tires in modern times.
Tow it once and see if you want to spend money to upgrade suspension, wheels and tires, or invest in a new truck. Tranny will be on the list also. The 48RE can be rebuilt to be strong, just another 4-6K. If it was me, I would look for a 2015-16 SRW Aisin tranny 3500 ram. You get a 7K rear axle rating, exhaust brake and lots of power to tow the trailer. I towed a 39'+ 16k fifth wheel with a 2015 SRW 3500 4x4 and it did great.
* This post was
edited 08/06/23 09:03pm by Me Again *
2021 F150 2.7 Ecoboost - Summer Home 2017 Bighorn 3575el. Can Am Spyder RT-L Chrome, Kawasaki KRX1000. Retired and enjoying it! RIP DW 07-05-2021
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Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
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As strong as a 48re can be, or even a 47 for that matter…you can build either to handle truck pulls and 10 second quarter miles easily…they are HORRIBLE for towing heavy. By not only todays standards but by every GM diesel built after 2001, every Ford built after 2003? I think, and every Dodge built after 2007.5.
Running one of them is like having to take a piss but only lowering your zipper 1/2”. You can get the job done, but why? (Unless your zipper is stuck…lol)
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Cummins12V98
on the road
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Me Again made a good point, it's a triple axle so that should lower the pin to 15% maybe a bit more. Best to weigh, like we mentioned the 17" tires are a potential problem.
"Even 12V is a weight cop now? Lol" NAW, just pointing out potential issues.
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FishOnOne
The Great State of Texas
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Grit dog wrote:As strong as a 48re can be, or even a 47 for that matter…you can build either to handle truck pulls and 10 second quarter miles easily…they are HORRIBLE for towing heavy. By not only todays standards but by every GM diesel built after 2001, every Ford built after 2003? I think, and every Dodge built after 2007.5.
Running one of them is like having to take a piss but only lowering your zipper 1/2”. You can get the job done, but why? (Unless your zipper is stuck…lol)
I hate it when that happens ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/biggrin.gif "biggrin")
I disagree on the 48re and 47... I don't think you can go back far enough to compare it to an equivalent GM or Ford transmission.
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Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
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^Lol. I agree with you to a point. The “4 series” Chrysler transmissions were never my favorite. But all in all they were comparable to and as durable as other 80s/90s transmissions IMO, just a bit more finicky.
Now considering we are over 2 decades into the 21st century, and they have been bottom of the barrel for the same amount of time, I would find it even harder than I did 15 years ago to own one, especially for towing and certainly not for big boy towing.
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