Re: Towing capacity of Ram 1500, yes i'm bring it back...

From: Jason Bleazard (dml@bleazard.net)
Date: Mon Mar 20 2006 - 15:20:50 EST


On Mon, March 20, 2006 1:34 pm, Mr. Plow said:
>
> Ok, so now i have started looking at leasing a 1500 and i'm trying to find a
> definitive answer to it's towing capacity.

They used to put a lot of effort in to advertising this information, even
putting the charts in the sales brochures. After the R/T towing fiasco, they
started keeping it a secret.

For our 2001, the charts are in the owner's manual. See if the salesdroids at
the dealer will let you borrow an owner's manual out of one of the trucks on
the lot for 5-10 minutes. Unless, of course, they can provide an official tow
ratings chart for you to take home. Or, tell them you need time to study the
information at home and see if they'll photocopy the owner's manual for you.
If they know you're serious about a purchase, they shouldn't have a problem
giving you the information you need.

> First, i "built" a 4x4 SLT with Quad cab and the 5.7 engine, then i "built"
> a reg. cab 4x2 with the 4.7 and they are both rated to tow the same
> amount...

I know a 2wd truck will almost always have a higher rating than a similar 4x4,
but I wouldn't have expected it to be that much. There's a pretty serious
weight difference between the two models you describe. In our Dakota, I think
there is actually a configuration where the 4.7 was rated slightly higher than
the 5.9. There are several things that can limit the towing capacity.
Braking, frame loading, suspension loading, etc. Many times the trailer
rating ends up being the combined rating minus the weight of the truck. If
something other than the engine is the limiting factor, that might explain it.

-- 
Jason Bleazard  http://drazaelb.blogspot.com  Burlington, Ontario
his:  '95 Dakota Sport 4x4, 3.9 V6, 5spd, Reg. Cab, white
hers: '01 Dakota Sport 4x4, 4.7 V8, Auto, Quad Cab, black

. . .------------------------------------------------------------------. | Make your plans NOW to attend the National DML Meet in Colorado! | | Date: July 15-23, 2006 - More info: http://meet.dakota-truck.net | `------------------------------------------------------------------'



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