weight Ram 4500 Chassis Cab 2018 Owner's Guide

Consider the following items when computing the weight
on the rear axle of the vehicle:
•The tongue weight of the trailer.
• The weight of any other type of cargo or equipment put
in or on your vehicle.
• The weight of the driver and all passengers.
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 the “Tire And Loading Information” placard for
the maximum combined weight of occupants and cargo for
your vehicle.
Towing Requirements
To promote proper break-in of your new vehicle drivetrain
components, the following guidelines are recommended.
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.
(Continued)
CAUTION! (Continued)
•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.
Perform the maintenance listed in the “Scheduled Servic-
ing”. Refer to “Scheduled Servicing” in “Servicing And
Maintenance” for the proper maintenance intervals. When
towing a trailer, never exceed the GAWR or GCWR ratings.
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
(Continued)
300 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!(Continued)
cause a loss of control, poor performance or damage
to brakes, axle, engine, transmission, steering, sus-
pension, chassis structure or tires.
•
Safety chains must always be used between your ve-
hicle 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 cor-
ners.
• 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
chock the trailer wheels.
• GCWR must not be exceeded.
• 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 utilized.
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” in “Servicing And Maintenance” for proper tire
inflation procedures.
• Check the trailer tires for proper tire inflation pressures
before trailer usage.
• Check for signs of tire wear or visible tire damage before
towing a trailer. Refer to “Tires” in “Servicing And
Maintenance” for the proper inspection procedure.
• When replacing tires, refer to “Tires” in “Servicing And
Maintenance” for the proper tire replacement proce-
dures. Replacing tires with a higher load carrying capac-
ity will not increase the vehicle’s GVWR and GAWR
limits.
Towing Requirements — Trailer Brakes
• 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 per-
sonal injury.
6
STARTING AND OPERATING 301

3. Cargo capacity will be reduced by the addition ofoptions or passengers, etc.
The loaded vehicle weight, including the snowplow sys-
tem, all aftermarket accessories, driver, passengers, op-
tions, and cargo, must not exceed either the Gross Vehicle
Weight (GVWR) or Gross Axle Weight (GAWR) ratings.
These weights are specified on the Safety Compliance
Certification Label on the driver’s side door opening.
NOTE: Detach the snowplow when transporting passen-
gers.
Vehicle front end wheel alignment was set to specifications
at the factory without consideration for the weight of the
plow. Front end toe-in should be checked and reset if
necessary at the beginning and end of the snowplow
season. This will help prevent uneven tire wear.
The blade should be lowered whenever the vehicle is
parked.
Maintain and operate your vehicle and snowplow equip-
ment following the recommendations provided by the
specific snowplow manufacturer.Over The Road Operation With Snowplow Attached
The blade restricts air flow to the radiator and causes the
engine to operate at higher than normal temperatures.
Therefore, when transporting the plow, angle the blade
completely and position it as low as road or surface
conditions permit. Do not exceed 40 mph (64 km/h). The
operator should always maintain a safe stopping distance
and allow adequate passing clearance.
Operating Tips
Under ideal snow plowing conditions, 20 mph (32 km/h)
should be maximum operating speed. The operator should
be familiar with the area and surface to be cleaned. Reduce
speed and use extreme caution when plowing unfamiliar
areas or under poor visibility.
General Maintenance
Snowplows should be maintained in accordance with the
plow manufacturer’s instructions.
Keep all snowplow electrical connections and battery ter-
minals clean and free of corrosion.
310 STARTING AND OPERATING

Tire And Loading Information Placard
This placard tells you important information about the:
1. Number of people that can be carried in the vehicle.
2. Total weight your vehicle can carry.
3. Tire size designed for your vehicle.
4. Cold tire inflation pressures for the front, rear, and sparetires.Loading
The vehicle maximum load on the tire must not exceed the
load carrying capacity of the tire on your vehicle. You will
not exceed the tire’s load carrying capacity if you adhere to
the loading conditions, tire size, and cold tire inflation
pressures specified on the Tire and Loading Information
placard in “Vehicle Loading” in the “Starting And Operat-
ing” section of this manual.
NOTE: Under a maximum loaded vehicle condition, gross
axle weight ratings (GAWRs) for the front and rear axles
must not be exceeded.
For further information on GAWRs, vehicle loading, and
trailer towing, refer to “Vehicle Loading” in the “Starting
And Operating” section of this manual.
To determine the maximum loading conditions of your
vehicle, locate the statement “The combined weight of
occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX kg or
XXX lbs” on the Tire and Loading Information placard. The
combined weight of occupants, cargo/luggage and trailer
tongue weight (if applicable) should never exceed the
weight referenced here.
Tire And Loading Information Placard
8
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE 401

Steps For Determining Correct Load Limit—
(1) Locate the statement “The combined weight of
occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX kg or
XXX lbs.” on your vehicle’s placard.
(2) Determine the combined weight of the driver and
passengers that will be riding in your vehicle.
(3) Subtract the combined weight of the driver and
passengers from XXX kg or XXX lbs.
(4) The resulting figure equals the available amount of
cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if “XXX”
amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will be five 150 lb
passengers in your vehicle, the amount of available
cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs. (1400-750
(5x150) = 650 lbs.)
(5) Determine the combined weight of luggage and
cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That weight may not
safely exceed the available cargo and luggage load
capacity calculated in Step 4.
(6) If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from
your trailer will be transferred to your vehicle. Consult
this manual to determine how this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load capacity of your vehicle.Metric Example For Load Limit
For example, if “XXX” amount equals 635 kg and there will
be five 68 kg passengers in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity is 295 kg (635-
340 (5x68) = 295 kg) as shown in step 4.
NOTE:
•If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your
trailer will be transferred to your vehicle. The following
table shows examples on how to calculate total load,
cargo/luggage, and towing capacities of your vehicle
with varying seating configurations and number and
size of occupants. This table is for illustration purposes
only and may not be accurate for the seating and load
carry capacity of your vehicle.
• For the following example, the combined weight of
occupants and cargo should never exceed 865 lbs
(392 kg).
402 SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE

General Information........................ .182
Glass Cleaning ........................... .424
Grocery Bag Retainer .........................54
Gross Axle Weight Rating .....................293
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ...................292
Guide, Body Builders .........................7
GVWR ................................. .290
Hazard Driving Through Flowing, Rising, Or Shallow
Standing Water ......................... .317
Hazard Warning Flasher ..................... .320
Headlights .............................. .326
Automatic ..............................72
Cleaning .............................. .420
High Beam ..............................71
High Beam/Low Beam Select Switch ...........71
Passing ................................72
Switch .................................69
Head Restraints ............................55
Heated Mirrors .............................67
High Beam/Low Beam Select (Dimmer) Switch ......71
Hill Descent Control ....................... .174
Hill Descent Control Indicator .................174
Hill Start Assist ........................... .166Hitches
Trailer Towing .......................... .298
Hoisting ................................ .393
HomeLink (Garage Door Opener) ...............102
Hood Prop .............................. .101
Hood Release ............................ .101
Hub Caps ............................... .344
Ignition ..................................27
Key ...................................27
Ignition Key Removal ........................27
Illuminated Entry ...........................78
Immobilizer (Sentry Key) ......................32
Inside Rearview Mirror ...............60, 61, 62, 320
Instrument Cluster ......................... .158
Instrument Panel Lens Cleaning ................423
Integrated Trailer Brake Controls ................302
Interior Appearance Care .....................422
Interior Lights ..............................76
Intermittent

Wipers (Delay Wipers) ...............79
Introduction ................................4
Inverter Outlet (115V) ...................... .127
Jack Operation ........................... .339
12
INDEX 517

Load Capacity...................... .400, 401
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) .............176
Pressure Warning Light ....................155
Quality Grading ........................ .418
Radial ............................... .406
Replacement ........................... .409
Rotation .............................. .416
Safety ............................ .394, 404
Sizes ................................ .396
Snow Tires .............................411
Spare Tire ...........................411,413
Spinning .............................. .407
Trailer Towing .......................... .301
Tread Wear Indicators .....................408
Wheel Nut Torque ....................343, 427
Tire Safety Information ...................... .394
Tongue Weight/Trailer Weight .................299
To Open Hood ........................... .101
Torque Converter Clutch .....................256
Towing ............................. .292, 352
Disabled Vehicle ........................ .352
Guide ................................ .299
Recreational ............................311
Weight ............................... .299
Towing Vehicle Behind A Motorhome ............311Traction
................................ .316
Traction Control .......................... .168
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) ....................173
Trailer Towing ............................ .292
Cooling System Tips ..................... .308
Hitches ............................... .298
Minimum Requirements ....................300
Mirrors ................................67
Tips ................................. .307
Trailer And Tongue Weight ..................299
Wiring ............................... .306
T

railer Towing Guide ....................... .299
Trailer Weight ............................ .299
Transfer Case ............................ .393
Electronically Shifted ..................... .260
Fluid ................................ .437
Transmission Automatic ......................... .248, 389
Fluid ................................ .437
Maintenance ........................... .389
Shifting .............................. .246
Transporting Pets ......................... .233
Tread Wear Indicators ...................... .408
Turn Signals ....................... .75, 158, 326
524 INDEX