towing Ram 1500 2014 Service Manual

WARNING!
•An improperly adjusted Weight Distributing Hitch
system may reduce handling, stability, braking
performance, and could result in a collision.
• Weight Distributing Systems may not be compat-
ible with Surge Brake Couplers. Consult with your
hitch and trailer manufacturer or a reputable Rec-
reational Vehicle dealer for additional information.
Fifth-Wheel Hitch
The fifth-wheel hitch is a special high platform with a
coupling that mounts over the rear axle of the tow vehicle
in the truck bed. It connects a vehicle and fifth-wheel
trailer with a coupling king pin.
Gooseneck Hitch
The gooseneck hitch employs a pivoted coupling arm
which attaches to a ball mounted in the bed of a pickup
truck. The coupling arm connects to the hitch mounted
over the rear axle in the truck bed.
Trailer Hitch Type and Maximum Trailer Weight
The following chart provides the maximum trailer
weight a given factory equipped trailer hitch type can
tow and should be used to assist you in selecting the
correct trailer hitch for your intended towing condition.
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Trailer Hitch Type and Maximum Trailer WeightHitch Type Max. Trailer Hitch Max. Trailer Weight
Class III Bumper
Hitch - 1500 Model 5,000 lbs (2 268 kg)
Class IV - 1500 Model 10,450 lbs (4 740 kg)
Class V - 2500/3500 Models 17,000 lbs (7 711 kg)
Fifth Wheel - 2500/ 3500 Models 25,000 lbs (11 339 kg)
Gooseneck - 2500 Model 20,000 lbs (9 071 kg)
Gooseneck - 3500 Model 30,000 lbs (13 636 kg)
Refer to the “Trailer Towing Weights (Maximum Trailer
Weight Ratings)” for the Maximum Gross Trailer
Weight (GTW) towable for your given drivetrain.
All trailer hitches should be professionally installed on
your vehicle.
Trailer Towing Weights (Maximum Trailer Weight
Ratings)
The rear bumper is intended to tow trailers up to a
5,000 lbs (2 268 kg) without added equipment or altera-
tions to the standard equipment.
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Ram 1500 4x2
STSLT/Outdoorsman Sport/Laramie
3.6L V-6 8–Speed Auto-
matic Transmission Standard Towing:
5,000 lbs (2 268 kg)
Max Towing: 7,400 lbs (3 379 kg)
Max Payload: 1,920 lbs (871 kg) Standard Towing:
5,000 lbs (2 268 kg)
Max Towing: 7,400 lbs (3 357 kg)
Max Payload: 1,900 lbs (862 kg) –
5.7L HEMI® V-8 6–Speed Automatic Transmission Standard Towing:
5,000 lbs (2 268 kg)
Max Towing: 10,450 lbs (4 740 kg)
Max Payload: 1,730 lbs (785 kg) Standard Towing:
5,000 lbs (2 268 kg)
Max Towing: 10,450 lbs (4 740 kg)
Max Payload: 1,700 lbs (771 kg) Standard Towing:
5,000 lbs (2 268 kg)
Max Towing: 10,250 lbs (4 649 kg)
Max Payload: 1,600 lbs (726 kg)
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Ram 1500 4x4
STSLT/Outdoorsman Sport/Laramie
3.6L V-6 8–Speed Auto-
matic Transmission Standard Towing:
5,000 lbs (2 268 kg)
Max Towing: 7,250 lbs
(3 289 kg)
Max Payload: 1,930 lbs
(875 kg)Standard Towing:
5,000 lbs (2 268 kg)
Max Towing: 7,200 lbs
(3 266 kg)
Max Payload: 1,900 lbs
(861 kg) –
5.7L HEMI® V-8 6–Speed Automatic Transmission Standard Towing:
5,000 lbs (2 268 kg)
Max Towing: 10,350 lbs (4 695 kg)
Max Payload: 1,500 lbs (680 kg) Standard Towing:
5,000 lbs (2 268 kg)
Max Towing: 10,350 lbs (4 695 kg)
Max Payload: 1,480 lbs (671 kg) Standard Towing:
5,000 lbs (2 268 kg)
Max Towing: 10,050 lbs (4 558 kg)
Max Payload: 1,390 lbs (630 kg)
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Ram 2500 And 3500
STSLT/Outdoorsman/Sport Laramie
5.7L HEMI® V-8 6–Speed
Automatic Transmission Max Towing: 13,850 lbs
(6 282 kg)
Max Payload: 4,480 lbs
(2 032 kg)Max Towing: 13,810 lbs
(6 282 kg)
Max Payload: 4,440 lbs
(2 014 kg) Max Towing: 13,350 lbs
(6 055 kg)
Max Payload: 4,410 lbs (2 000 kg)
6.4L HEMI® V-8 6–Speed Automatic Transmission Max Towing: 16,450 lbs
(7 462 kg)
Max Payload: 7,220 lbs (3 275 kg) Max Towing: 16,400 lbs
(7 439 kg)
Max Payload: 7,170 lbs (3 252 kg) Max Towing: 15,810 lbs
(7 171 kg)
Max Payload: 6,950 lbs (3 152 kg)
NOTE: For additional trailer towing information (maxi-
mum trailer weight ratings) refer to the following website
addresses:
• http://www.ramtrucks.com
• http://www.ramtruck.ca (Canada)
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NOTE:Remember that everything put into or on the
trailer adds to the load on your vehicle. Also, additional
factory-installed options or dealer-installed options must
be considered as part of the total load on your vehicle.
Refer to “Tire Safety Information/Tire and Loading In-
formation Placard” in “Starting and Operating” for fur-
ther information.Towing Requirements
To promote proper break-in of your new vehicle drive-
train components the following guidelines are recom-
mended:
CAUTION!
• Do not tow a trailer at all during the first 500 miles
(805 km) the new vehicle is driven. The engine, axle
or other parts could be damaged.
• Then, during the first 500 miles (805 km) that a
trailer is towed, do not drive over 50 mph (80 km/h)
and do not make starts at full throttle. This helps
the engine and other parts of the vehicle wear in at
the heavier loads.
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WARNING!
Improper towing can lead to a collision. Follow these
guidelines to make your trailer towing as safe as
possible:
•Make certain that the load is secured in the trailer
and will not shift during travel. When trailering
cargo that is not fully secured, dynamic load shifts
can occur that may be difficult for the driver to
control. You could lose control of your vehicle and
have a collision.
• When hauling cargo or towing a trailer, do not
overload your vehicle or trailer. Overloading can
cause a loss of control, poor performance or dam-
age to brakes, axle, engine, transmission, steering,
suspension, chassis structure or tires.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Safety chains must always be used between your
vehicle and trailer. Always connect the chains to
the hook retainers of the vehicle hitch. Cross the
chains under the trailer tongue and allow enough
slack for turning corners.
• Vehicles with trailers should not be parked on a
grade. When parking, apply the parking brake on
the tow vehicle. Put the tow vehicle transmission in
PARK. For four-wheel drive vehicles, make sure
the transfer case is not in NEUTRAL. Always,
block or chockthe trailer wheels.
• GCWR must not be exceeded.
(Continued)
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WARNING!(Continued)
•Total weight must be distributed between the tow
vehicle and the trailer such that the following four
ratings are not exceeded:
1. GVWR
2. GTW
3. GAWR
4. Tongue weight rating for the trailer hitch uti-
lized.
Towing Requirements — Tires
• Do not attempt to tow a trailer while using a compact
spare tire.
• Proper tire inflation pressures are essential to the safe
and satisfactory operation of your vehicle. Refer to
“Tires – General Information” in “Starting and Oper-
ating” for proper tire inflation procedures.
• Check the trailer tires for proper tire inflation pres-
sures before trailer usage.
• Check for signs of tire wear or visible tire damage
before towing a trailer. Refer to “Tires – General
Information” in “Starting and Operating” for the
proper inspection procedure.
• When replacing tires, refer to “Tires – General Infor-
mation” in “Starting and Operating” for proper tire
replacement procedures. Replacing tires with a higher
load carrying capacity will not increase the vehicle’s
GVWR and GAWR limits.
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Towing Requirements — Trailer Brakes
WARNING!
•Do not connect trailer brakes to your vehicle’s
hydraulic brake lines. It can overload your brake
system and cause it to fail. You might not have
brakes when you need them and could have an
accident.
• Towing any trailer will increase your stopping
distance. When towing you should allow for addi-
tional space between your vehicle and the vehicle
in front of you. Failure to do so could result in an
accident.
CAUTION!
If the trailer weighs more than 1,000 lbs (454 kg)
loaded, it should have its own brakes and they
should be of adequate capacity. Failure to do this
could lead to accelerated brake lining wear, higher
brake pedal effort, and longer stopping distances.
• Do not interconnect the hydraulic brake system or
vacuum system of your vehicle with that of the trailer.
This could cause inadequate braking and possible
personal injury.
• An electronically actuated trailer brake controller is
required when towing a trailer with electronically
actuated brakes. When towing a trailer equipped with
a hydraulic surge actuated brake system, an electronic
brake controller is not required.
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The user interface consists of the following:
Manual Brake Control Lever
Slide the manual brake control lever to the right to
activate power to the trailer’s electric brakes independent
of the tow vehicle’s brakes. If the manual brake control
lever is activated while the brake is also applied, the
greater of the two inputs determines the power sent to
the trailer brakes.
The trailer and the vehicle’s brake lamps will come on
when either vehicle braking or manual trailer brakes are
applied.
Trailer Brake Status Indicator Light
This light indicates the trailer electrical connection status.
If no electrical connection is detected after the ignition is
turned on, pressing the GAIN adjustment button orsliding the manual brake control lever will display the
GAIN setting for 10 seconds and the “Trailer Brake Status
Indicator Light” will not be displayed.
If a fault is detected in the trailer wiring or the Integrated
Trailer Brake Module (ITBM), the “Trailer Brake Status
Indicator Light” will flash.
GAIN Adjustment Buttons (+/-)
Pressing these buttons will adjust the brake control
power output to the trailer brakes in 0.5 increments. The
GAIN setting can be increased to a maximum of 10 or
decreased to a minimum of 0 (no trailer braking).
GAIN
The GAIN setting is used to set the trailer brake control
for the specific towing condition and should be changed
as towing conditions change. Changes to towing condi-
tions include trailer load, vehicle load, road conditions
and weather.
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