2021 Ram 3500 Crewcab

[Dustoff35]

Back in June of 2021, I drove my 2018 Tundra from Northern Kentucky to Green Bay Wisconsin to pick up a new Ram 3500.  Prior to that, I conducted some deep-dive research on towing capacities, GVWR, tongue weight, payload and other towing considerations.  Although the Tundra was an excellent truck it just wasn't an ideal vehicle for towing a loaded 25 foot toy hauler across the country and into the mountains.

[Dustoff35]

It was a pleasant drive home, learning how to use all of the features and enjoying the best audio system I have had the pleasure of owning. I was surprised at the fuel economy indicated, so I made a mental note to verify accuracy of the on-board system.

[Dustoff35]

One of the primary duties of this truck will be towing. With that in mind, I bought a good receiver hitch. This hitch can tow by pintle, 2 inch ball and 2-5/16 inch ball and is adjustable to seven different heights for any trailer configuration.

[Dustoff35]

We put it to use right away, picking up several pallets of retaining wall block.

[Dustoff35]

When my family and I go west for summer vacations, we always bring a lot of gear. Mountain bikes, kayaks, paddle boards, backpacks, tents and as much food as we can haul. Now that we had a 3500 with substantial payload capability, we could safely load up the truck as well as the toy hauler. In the past, due to payload limitations, the toy hauler would be packed full and the truck bed would be almost empty so as to not exceed payload capacity. So often you will see a 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton truck with a full bed, cab loaded with pax and a trailer with 800-1000lbs of tongue weight. Many pickup owners are unaware of payload capacity and exceed it, placing their family and others at risk.

[Dustoff35]

Here is a comparison of the difference in payload capacity between the Tundra and the Ram 3500.  A quick review of what payload is: Weight of driver, passengers and cargo in the cab + weight of cargo in the bed + tongue weight of trailer.

It doesn’t take much to exceed payload capacity. Manufacturers are all too eager to boast regarding towing capacity of their 1/2 ton trucks. They fail to point out that once you attach that 8,000 lb trailer with  tongue weight of 700lbs, driver and one or two pax, you have exceeded a critical limit, even with nothing in the bed of the truck.

When I was researching for an upgrade in towing, I found that most 3/4 ton trucks were better, but not by much. Most were less than 2000lb payload.

[Atkinsmatt]

Too bad more folks don't read those.

[stlaser]

Many pickup owners are unaware of payload capacity and exceed it, placing their family and others at risk.

I’m aware 

I’m also aware of engineered safety factors built in to those numbers. The bigger issue in all of that knowing you’re stepping into a grey area and when driving error to the side of caution always. I’d recon with todays advanced trucks and systems (Jake brake) it’s much safer than doing it 30 years ago.

[Dustoff35]

You are correct, a safety margin above the listed spec is likely there. But how much? What is the failure mode? Is it reduced service life or potential catastrophic component failure? Many of the engineering safety factors are meant to be transitioned into and out of fairly quickly, not a standard operating procedure.

I do know that if you are involved in an accident and you are operating outside of the listed performance specifications, your insurance may not pay, or represent you if there is a lawsuit.

My oldest daughter worked as a paralegal at a Chicago law firm that specializes in insurance while she was at Loyola School of law. Discussions with her regarding this situation made me re-evaluate.

It’s nice when you can learn from your kids. Perhaps I did something right.

[stlaser]

Copy on the legal. As far as components in reference to ford, & dodge is completely different as 3/4 tons run that independent rear now so we’re both right. However, on the fords it’s same drive train unless you go to Dually then different rear and adapters up front plus 2 extra tires. Pretty sure it’s same chassis too. Only difference is suspension which can be addressed (mine is bagged).

[BobbyB]

Back in June of 2021, I drove my 2018 Tundra from Northern Kentucky to Green Bay Wisconsin to pick up a new Ram 3500. 

 You probably drive past me at some point.

[Bob Smith]

When my family and I go west for summer vacations, we always bring a lot of gear. Mountain bikes, kayaks, paddle boards, backpacks, tents and as much food as we can haul. Now that we had a 3500 with substantial payload capability, we could safely load up the truck as well as the toy hauler. In the past, due to payload limitations, the toy hauler would be packed full and the truck bed would be almost empty so as to not exceed payload capacity. So often you will see a 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton truck with a full bed, cab loaded with pax and a trailer with 800-1000lbs of tongue weight. Many pickup owners are unaware of payload capacity and exceed it, placing their family and others at risk.

And the more you load in the rear area of the toy hauler, the less tongue weight you have to worry about. That is the only problem most have with a toy hauler, lots of tongue weight because they don’t have any toys back there.

[Bigdave_185]

When my family and I go west for summer vacations, we always bring a lot of gear. Mountain bikes, kayaks, paddle boards, backpacks, tents and as much food as we can haul. Now that we had a 3500 with substantial payload capability, we could safely load up the truck as well as the toy hauler. In the past, due to payload limitations, the toy hauler would be packed full and the truck bed would be almost empty so as to not exceed payload capacity. So often you will see a 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton truck with a full bed, cab loaded with pax and a trailer with 800-1000lbs of tongue weight. Many pickup owners are unaware of payload capacity and exceed it, placing their family and others at risk.

And the more you load in the rear area of the toy hauler, the less tongue weight you have to worry about. That is the only problem most have with a toy hauler, lots of tongue weight because they don’t have any toys back there.

Iv found this to be false in my case, the amount of tongue weight in mine, empty or loaded is not even in the 100’s of pounds different. Granted I have a three axle not two.

Shawn. What do you mean 3/4 ton, ford and dodge independent rears?


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[Dustoff35]

I did put Firestone airbags on the truck almost immediately. Not because I was concerned about overloading but to ensure I could keep the truck level when towing. I’ll admit to being a little OCD when it comes to optimizing the towing setup. I find that keeping the truck and trailer/camper level makes for a much more enjoyable drive. Braking is more consistent and predictable as is steering. I imagine it improves tire and component wear also. No pictures of the airbag installation, it’s basically the same as my last three trucks…

[Dustoff35]

The truck does have the Rambox bed. I had Ramboxes on my 1500 ecodiesel and I absolutely love the Rambox setup. They are rare on a 3500 truck, that’s why I had to go all the way to Green Bay to pick this one up. The drawback on a truck with Ramboxes is attaching a bed cap or rack. I wanted a rack to carry the kayaks on the truck rather than inside the toy hauler. There are a few companies that make a rack for the Ramboxes but they were ridiculously expensive.

I decided to order a Smittybilt ladder rack and set out to make that work. The challenge is that ladder racks require about 16 inches of continuous bed rail on each corner for a secure mount. We only had about 4 inches in front and 6 inches in back for attachment. My friend Dan and I devised a mounting system that ties into the bed rail and still allows for full opening and functionality of the Rambox doors.

[Dustoff35]

We fabricated mounts that will bolt in through the top of the bed corner and tie into the rail that attaches inside the top of the bed.

[Dustoff35]

The next operation involved cutting apart the smittybilt bed mounts and preparing the tabs for welding to our new adapter plates.

[Dustoff35]

Hoisting the assembled rack into place for test fitting is easier with a jib crane and a couple of teenagers to guide it in.

[stlaser]

When my family and I go west for summer vacations, we always bring a lot of gear. Mountain bikes, kayaks, paddle boards, backpacks, tents and as much food as we can haul. Now that we had a 3500 with substantial payload capability, we could safely load up the truck as well as the toy hauler. In the past, due to payload limitations, the toy hauler would be packed full and the truck bed would be almost empty so as to not exceed payload capacity. So often you will see a 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton truck with a full bed, cab loaded with pax and a trailer with 800-1000lbs of tongue weight. Many pickup owners are unaware of payload capacity and exceed it, placing their family and others at risk.

And the more you load in the rear area of the toy hauler, the less tongue weight you have to worry about. That is the only problem most have with a toy hauler, lots of tongue weight because they don’t have any toys back there.

Iv found this to be false in my case, the amount of tongue weight in mine, empty or loaded is not even in the 100’s of pounds different. Granted I have a three axle not two.

Shawn. What do you mean 3/4 ton, ford and dodge independent rears?


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Dave, 3/4 ton Ford is straight rear and same axle as 1 ton. The newer dodge 3/4 ton are independent rear. The 1 ton dodge I assume are still straight axle.

Friend of mine has independent 3/4 ton Cummins shirt bed he pulls fifth wheel with. It’s not ideal, I probably wouldn’t do it and I push things obviously.

[stlaser]

Nice work on the rack mounts 

[Flyin6]

3500 Ram has the 11.5 AAM straight axle in the rear, and that AAM 9.25 solid front axle...At least I think it is the 9.25...Anybody?

[Dustoff35]

Back in June of 2021, I drove my 2018 Tundra from Northern Kentucky to Green Bay Wisconsin to pick up a new Ram 3500. 

 You probably drive past me at some point.

You are in southeast WI?

[Dustoff35]

Nice work on the rack mounts 

Dan did most of the design and fabrication. I am the designated "Hold this" guy.

[Dustoff35]

3500 Ram has the 11.5 AAM straight axle in the rear, and that AAM 9.25 solid front axle...At least I think it is the 9.25...Anybody?

2019 and newer Ram 3500s have the 12" AAM in the rear. I'm not sure regarding the front axle.

[Dustoff35]

Tabs from the original Smittybilt bed rail mount welded to our new Rambox-compatible corner mounts. Then we trimmed about 4 inches from the upright supports and drilled new mounting holes.

[Dustoff35]

Done with the ladder rack install. Now to re-install the Ramboxes.

[Dustoff35]

Less than a week later we were preparing for a 3 week Wyoming trip.

[Dustoff35]

The truck was loaded with two kayaks on the rack, 3 mountain bikes, a generator and several 5 gallon cans of diesel and an additional 5 gallons for the generator. Miscellaneous tools in the Ramboxes and two 16 year olds.

We drove just over 500 miles on day 1, the Newton, Iowa KOA is our usual overnight. The truck pulled exceptionally well and achieved around 13 mpg. Still had less than 3000 miles on it at this point.

At the end of day 2 we overnighted at the Cabelas campground in Sidney, NE. This is another usual stopping point for us.

[Flyin6]

That is one cool setup!

[Dustoff35]

This trip allowed me to dial in and adjust hitch height, air pressure in the airbags and assess the truck’s towing ability.  It did not disappoint.

We towed approximately 3500 miles and put another 800-1000 miles on the truck driving around north western Wyoming, mostly in Sublette and Teton counties. I would say 25% of that was on unpaved forest service roads to trail heads and lakes.

Several areas of improvement were noted regarding the truck:

1. Range while towing: the 32 gallon tank is not sufficient when you have a 30 foot toy hauler attached. Mandatory fuel stops every 250 miles is a hassle.

2. Harsh ride when unloaded: I know this is part of owning a heavy duty 3500 truck. It has a nasty, donkey-kick when passing over expansion joints on the highway or a pothole. My 74 yrs old MIL travels with us a lot and she rides in the back seat. We’ll see what can be done without reducing tow capacity.

3.  Side step. It’s a big first step either into or out of the truck. There are several ways to address this, with either a fixed side step/rail or an automated unit.

4. Bed security: we will install a hard, folding tonneau cover. I have used Bakflips on my two previous trucks and will repeat that on this truck.

Stay tuned. Addressing the fuel range is coming up next.

[TexasRedNeck]

Nice job. Good looking truck.

Safety was one reason I bought the dually when I had the fifth wheel. I even bagged it to keep the undulations down in the highway when I had about 3000# pin weight and a bed full of firewood.

I found that taking air out of the rear tires made for a lot better ride. I routinely ran 32psi in all four rears when empty.

Somewhere here, Steve still has my dually and has played with the turbo a bit. I’d love to hear how that sounds now. I miss that truck.


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[Flyin6]

Nice job. Good looking truck.

Safety was one reason I bought the dually when I had the fifth wheel. I even bagged it to keep the undulations down in the highway when I had about 3000# pin weight and a bed full of firewood.

I found that taking air out of the rear tires made for a lot better ride. I routinely ran 32psi in all four rears when empty.

Somewhere here, Steve still has my dually and has played with the turbo a bit. I’d love to hear how that sounds now. I miss that truck.


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Sorry to Hijack...

Steve shows up at my home every once in a while. I have asked him about that truck. He does like it! Sadly, he is always driving some big company truck thing whenever he is in the A.O.

And

Come on Duane...We wanna see more about the mods you've done on your truck!

[EL TATE]

3500 Ram has the 11.5 AAM straight axle in the rear, and that AAM 9.25 solid front axle...At least I think it is the 9.25...Anybody?

late ram dually w/ the 6.7 now possibly have 12" rear! front is different too, but not much in size, just bearings and seal dimensions, just enough to make it hard to modify... single rear wheel are still 11.5 but again, increased pinion bearing size and seal size. still playing catch-up. looking really good there sir.

[Dustoff35]

Nice job. Good looking truck.

Safety was one reason I bought the dually when I had the fifth wheel. I even bagged it to keep the undulations down in the highway when I had about 3000# pin weight and a bed full of firewood.

I found that taking air out of the rear tires made for a lot better ride. I routinely ran 32psi in all four rears when empty.

Somewhere here, Steve still has my dually and has played with the turbo a bit. I’d love to hear how that sounds now. I miss that truck.


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Thanks. I have tried adjusting the psi in the tires and while it helps a bit, it’s still pretty rough for those in the back seat. My truck also has the 20” night edition wheels which perhaps diminishes the effect of lower tire pressure. It’s almost time for new tires so I will make some changes soon.

[Dustoff35]

And

Come on Duane...We wanna see more about the mods you've done on your truck!

Which one? I'm trying to bring this one up to date right now.

[Flyin6]

And

Come on Duane...We wanna see more about the mods you've done on your truck!

Which one? I'm trying to bring this one up to date right now.

Well, this one for sure, 'cause I know what you've done, and of course, there is a ton that you've gotten done on the other project...
Let's see em'

[Dustoff35]

The following January I made another 1000+ mile trip to Anderson, TX to help an old friend I flew with in the Army. He built a house and I was there to help out. Again, a great towing experience with the exception of range.

[Dustoff35]

After some research, I decided to purchase an in-bed auxiliary tank from Titan. I was limited to the 40 gallon tank due to the Rambox bed in the truck. A standard bed can fit their 50 gallon model. The 40 gallon I purchased could also be used in a smaller pickup like a Tacoma or a Colorado. I don’t know if it would fit in a Jeep truck. This tank will bump my fuel capacity to 72 gallons. That equates to an approximate 800+ mile range when towing, almost twice that unloaded. It will all fit under a tonneau cover also, which is important to me for security.

[Dustoff35]

 Out with the Ramboxes one more time, I’m actually getting good at this part, both sides can be removed from the truck in less than 10 minutes. I also removed the fender well liners to make the fuel filler neck more accessible. I had to remove a section of the tank vent and splice in a section with a “Y” fitting. The aux tank pump transfers fuel to the main tank via the vent through this “Y”.

[Dustoff35]

Once the plumbing was complete, wiring was next. I opted to to solder and heat-shrink wrap all connections rather than use the supplied crimp connectors. This cost a few additional hours.

[Bigdave_185]

Does it require a switch to pump into the factory tank or is it gravely fed via a valve or…. Looks like a nice set up


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[Dustoff35]

Does it require a switch to pump into the factory tank or is it gravely fed via a valve or…. Looks like a nice set up


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The controller/switch mounts in the cab. It has a LED display that indicates fuel level in the tank and whether or not the pump is operating. It has an audible beep to let you know when the pump turns either on or off. One press of the button activates the pump for about 5 minutes and transfers 3-4 gallons into the main tank. It shuts off after 5 minutes to prevent over filling. If you press the button twice, it will run continuously until you again press the button to turn it off.

[Dustoff35]

Installation complete. Now I have towing range that will allow me to drive an entire day without a fuel stop. It has been in use for approximately 9 months. And I am happy with it. It has an OEM appearance and is completely hidden under the Bakflip tonneau cover.

[Dustoff35]

When I had the Ramboxes removed to install the auxiliary tank, I also thoroughly cleaned and coated the inner surfaces of the fender and bed with CRC marine rust prevention spray. It dries to a more waxy finish than Fluid Film.

[Flyin6]

Didn't know you did that

I like it

I have always used the 3M product

[Dustoff35]

The truck achieved 24.7 mpg yesterday during a 345 mile round trip to an engine builder in Fairmount, Indiana. Actual maunual calculation was 24.2 mpg so the truck’s computation was off by 1/2 mpg. Headwind on the way, calm winds on the return. Speed was 60-65 for most of the route. This is likely the last “mileage run” before installation of a 2-1/2” Carli suspension.

[Dustoff35]

8 boxes from Randy’s Worldwide arrived this afternoon. I am very excited to install this Carli leveling system. Thank you Tate, for making this happen.

[Dustoff35]

We pulled the truck into the shop in preparation for the Carli suspension system installation. Per the instructions, we started with removal of the passenger side radius arm. Here is a side-by-side comparison of the OEM radius arm and the Carli piece.

[Flyin6]

Nice!
Does the "Kink" in the Carli arm allow for greater tire clearance?

[Dustoff35]

Yes it does. Aft of the axle of course. In front of the axle the new torsion type sway bar provides additional clearance.