First tow with Ram 1500 Ecodiesel

[Padgett]

Can also cure a drop with load levelers or air lifts. Just depends on whether you get any sway or have an issue with adding load to the TM axles.

Aslag: are you still having trouble with your TM, looks like the factory has produced a few '17s. See here.

[RottieMom]

Originally Posted by aslag54

The rear of the truck drops over 3 inches with the trailer attached. I'm not sure how much it raised the front but the short time I towed after dark just about every other approaching vehicle flashed their brights at me.

I also have a Dodge Ram 1500 and didn't have much of a problem until my last trip with the TM. I noticed a pretty significant drop in back and I think it's because I had so much more stuff loaded in TM and truck bed for a two week trip. I started researching WDHs and it looked like most weigh 75+ lbs. I didn't really want to wrestle with that if I didn't have to (I often camp solo) and so I started looking for alternatives. I ended up getting some Air Lifts installed along with a Firestone onboard compressor system. I haven't taken the TM on a trip yet since I had these installed, but did pull it out into the driveway to do some cleaning before storing it for winter. And, I was pretty impressed with how the Air Lifts worked. I also love that I can push a button next to the guage and inflate/deflate the Air Lifts. While I was deciding on which Air Lifts to have installed I learned that Dodge trucks have coil springs where other truck manufacturers typically have leaf springs (which may be a bit stiffer). My Air Lifts are not installed inside the coil springs, but next to them. I think it's really a pretty cool solution to the problem I was having although I suspect there are some folks who may argue that I'm not really distributing weight to the front.

[aslag54]

I've given some thought into air bags, I had them on my old truck and they worked well for leveling but as you stated they don't distribute much if any weight. I'm going to try an Andersen WDH they use chains instead of spring bars and if you have a power tongue jack I've heard they're pretty easy to set up, plus they weight a lot less.

[aslag54]

Originally Posted by Padgett

Can also cure a drop with load levelers or air lifts. Just depends on whether you get any sway or have an issue with adding load to the TM axles.

Aslag: are you still having trouble with your TM, looks like the factory has produced a few '17s. See here.

You know I talked to Bob more than several times during the 2 months they had my trailer and when asked why it was taking so long Bob replied "we are too busy building trailers we actually get money for". So for me that pretty much summed up his priority of warranty service.

[Padgett]

Reminds me what Rick Wagoner (GM Pres) said back in the day of fuel crises. When asked why GM was building so many large cars he said there was more profit in a large car.

I have a set of air lifts for the Jeep and have never bothered to install them. When hitched to the TM the rear drops less than an inch and can't measure the front rise.
Of course the axle to hitch distance is less than a third of the wheelbase so not much of a lever (have never seen that formally mentioned but is why 5th wheels are popular).

Believe it or don't, there were many many factors in my decision to buy outside GM for the first time since 1978, the technical specs for the Jeep were just on the "sweet spot" in nearly every area back in '12.

ps the VIN of the 2017 2720QB at Prosser, 4T9AF2014GN085034, does not bode well. (hint "T9" in 2-3 and "G" in 10.

[gonzo628]

Originally Posted by aslag54

I did return my 2720QD to Custom RV in Ontario, CA on Nov 4th. My Ram Ecodiesel tows great but I do need a WDH. I was able to easily maintain the speed limit on all grades between Seattle and Los Angeles and averaged 20 MPG towing over the 1200 miles. This Ecodiesel 3.0 Liter V6 blows away my Chevy 5.3 Liter V8 which had difficulty maintaining 45 MPH climbing Siskiyou Summit with the TM in tow. I didn't calculate the Chevy's towing MPG but the best I ever got was 19 MPG not towing anything. The Ecodiesel got between 25 and 27 MPG on the return trip with nothing in tow.

I just dropped my 3124Kb (06) at Custom RV to do maintenance and some other stuff (bag seal, etc). I hope they are as great as I've heard...

[aslag54]

Originally Posted by Padgett

ps the VIN of the 2017 2720QB at Prosser, 4T9AF2014GN085034, does not bode well. (hint "T9" in 2-3 and "G" in 10.

Enlightening me, I don't understand the hint.

[Shane826]

First few characters indicate manufacturer and country of origin. Not sure what they SHOULD be on a TM. 10th character indicates model year. Currently A = 2010, B= 2011, and so on. G indicates this is a 2016, not 2017.

[Padgett]

"4T9" TM planned to build less than 500 units. '06 was a high volume year so the first three were "5NZ" (TrailManor) (1,4,5 first digit is US) Note: also have seen third digit "9" mean less than 2,000 units). See here.

ps JD Sanders no longer lists TrailManor.