Redwood 31SL and Dodge

[ambrownstein]

We have a 2006 Dodge 2500 with the 5.9 Cummings Diesel, and we are considering purchasing a Redwood 31SL. Our current RV's dry weight is around 2,000 lbs less than the Redwood and the Dodge has no problem pulling it. Does anyone have experience with the Redwood/Dodge combo and can you tell me how the Dodge does - especially on grades. Any info would be appreciated.

[Flyfisher]

We are waiting on delivery of our 36RE. I traded my Ford F250 6 ltr diesel SW for an F350 6.7 ltr diesel DRW for my tow vehicle. My research on towing units led me to making the trade. While the 250 had plenty of power It was marginal on towing capacity overall. I would recommend that you check the manufacturers stated towing capacity and tongue weights of your Dodge against your new fifth wheel GVW and tongue weight to make sure you can safely tow the new coach.
Flyfisher

[Thumper7]

ambrownstein, I know the payload for your Dodge will be overloaded and I'm almost certain the towing capacity will be exceeded. The 31SL has a GVWR of 16,000 lbs, that's more than your truck is rated to tow. We have a 2009 Dodge 3500 SRW and are going to buy a 36RL. The 36RL has the same 16,000GVWR as the 31SL. Even on our 3500 SRW, the payload and tow ratingwill be over the published numbers. I have 3.73 gears in my truck and it's rated to tow a FW up to 13,500 lbs. If I change the gears to 4.10, the rating goes up to 16,500 but does not increase the payload which is only 3,100 lbs. I spent all yesterday afternoon looking at the numbers. If we want to stay within the manufacturers numbers, We will have to get a Ram 3500 dually or we can buy a Ford or GM in a SRW or dually. The Ford and GM have significantly higher payloads than the Ram. Not trying to start a truck war here about what a certain truck can do or not. I'm only going off the numbers each of the manufacturers post for their product. I hope this helps some.

[Bo Dually]

Originally Posted by ambrownstein

We have a 2006 Dodge 2500 with the 5.9 Cummings Diesel, and we are considering purchasing a Redwood 31SL. Our current RV's dry weight is around 2,000 lbs less than the Redwood and the Dodge has no problem pulling it. Does anyone have experience with the Redwood/Dodge combo and can you tell me how the Dodge does - especially on grades. Any info would be appreciated.

Hello ambrownstein,



Just wondering if you made a decision to go with the 31SL? I tried to find an update on the forum but I am not sure if I am looking in the wrong spot but I can't find anything indicating that you placed your order.

We are going to the factory tomorrow in hopes to make a decision between this unit and the 36RE.We shall see!

[Happy Camper]

I, too, have 2006 Dodge diesel and am pulling the 36RE. I had in the Hill COuntry of south Texas over the weekend. The Dodge pulled up some nice grades from a start without issue. I do have the 10K airbag system on the trucks rear axles which is a definite help. You can adjust the ride from the driver's seat if the road becomes bumpy or level. I have been pulling popups, travel trailers and fifth wheels for several years now and the airbags was the best investment for a smooth ride even when not pulling a trailer. Good luck in your decision. We are really enjoying the 36RE.

[hoosierguy]

Originally Posted by ambrownstein

We have a 2006 Dodge 2500 with the 5.9 Cummings Diesel, and we are considering purchasing a Redwood 31SL. Our current RV's dry weight is around 2,000 lbs less than the Redwood and the Dodge has no problem pulling it. Does anyone have experience with the Redwood/Dodge combo and can you tell me how the Dodge does - especially on grades. Any info would be appreciated.

As you can see in my signature, I am towing a Redwood 36RL, so far only here in the mid-west flat lands. If you go by the published specifications that Dodge puts out, even my 3500, SRW is marginal at best at 2700 lbs payload rating and maximum trailer weight of 13,600 lbs.Our coach weight as measured at the factory was 13,416 lbs. So, far my unit tows very nicely...........you hardly know it is behind you. I have thought after I try towing in the mountains, that if the truck seems stressed, I might have the rear end differential ratio changed to the 4.10 to 1. That is supposed to increas the maximum trailer weight to 16,800 lbs.

[lillyputz]

Hoosierguy,



On a 4x4. If you change the rear differentialratio. you have to change the front ratio to match. if not, all hell willbrakeloose, when you put it in four wheel drive.



Lillyputz

[hoosierguy]

You are absolutely correct. This is not a modification that I would try to do myself. That is why I have a very good relationship with my Dodge dealer's service department.



Thanks,



Guy

[Bo Dually]

Originally Posted by Happy Camper

I, too, have 2006 Dodge diesel and am pulling the 36RE. I had in the Hill COuntry of south Texas over the weekend. The Dodge pulled up some nice grades from a start without issue. I do have the 10K airbag system on the trucks rear axles which is a definite help. You can adjust the ride from the driver's seat if the road becomes bumpy or level. I have been pulling popups, travel trailers and fifth wheels for several years now and the airbags was the best investment for a smooth ride even when not pulling a trailer. Good luck in your decision. We are really enjoying the 36RE.

Thanks for the feed back Happy Camper!

We are going to the factory today to check things out and we are trying to decide between the 31SL and the 36RE only because we are not sure we will need the extra length. I feel confident that the 3500 can pull and mainly stop the 36 however not sure we will need the extra space. I love the 36 and really would like the front load washer and dryer and I am not sure the 31 can handle the front load stackable. These are questions I hope the folks at the factory will be able to help with today.

Glad to hear that your 36 performed up to your expectations and many more safe, happy trails!

[lillyputz]

Bo Dually



We went with the disk brake option as all indications point to safer stopping ability. as most trucks will towabout anything, untill you need to stop quickly. then your in trouble.



Lillyputz

[Happy Camper]

We had a couple of quick shut downs while driving in San Antonio and Austin. The coach brakes worked very well and we stopped well short of any issues and everything inside the coach stayed put. I have had similar experiences with other coaches and furniture as well as foods were all over the place. The important key is not to overdrive your rig and put you and it in harms way. I usually pull at highway speeds of 60 to 65 MPH and give myself plenty of reaction space.

[Dave&Ginny]

The truck and trailer balance is a difficult one sometimes. I was all set to by a F250 until I figured out that it didn't have enough cargo capacity. Then I found a Dodge diesel SRW that could have saved me around 10 grand until I found out that it too couldn't do what I needed although the dealer swore it would. I ended up with a new F350 SRW diesel that ended up fitting my needs.

This ended up being a big puzzle. It was interesting to learn that the F250 and F350 have the exact same brakes, transmission and frame. The only differences were the tires and springs, which means that if someone has an F250 they could beef up the springs and switch out the tires to have the same towing capacity as an F350. I wonder if that would also work on the Chevy and Dodge?

[Hunter11]

The next time you are going to have to go through Austin towing, do yourself a favor and take the toll road around it. It will cost you a few bucks but your experience will be a lot less stressful.

[lillyputz]

Dave&Ginny,



You could do the changes. but even if you change the rims, tires, springs and rear endgear ratio. you can still only tow "legally" what the stock truck was rated for. does not make sense, but that is the law.



Lillyputz

[Thumper7]

hoosierguy, you are correct with your numbers and the fact that 4.10 increases the FW towing capacity about 3,000 lbs. The problem is the 2800 lb payload does not increase. With a properly loaded trailer (15 -20% pin weight) you get over that payload real quick.When I had my 3500 SRW Dodge, I was not as much concerned about the tow numbers as I was with exceeding the tire and axle ratings. The 3500 SRWGAWR for the rear axles is 6200 lbs. As a comparison to RW, my current FW has a loaded weight of 13,600 lbs (weighed on Cat Scales)and when hooked to my truck, the weight on my rear axles was 6,060 lbs. Iwas only 140 lbs under the maximum weight rating for the rear axles. The "E" rated tires are rated for 3195 lbs each. So at 6,390 lb maximum ratings for the tires, I was330 lbs under the tires maximum weight ratings.My pin weight is 2680 lbs so I'm just under the 20% of my total trailer weight for my pin weight. With a Redwood FW the tire and axle ratings will be exceeded real quick and that's why I no longer have my Dodge 3500 SRW. Of course people exceed these all the time. It's just a matter if a person wants to chance it or not and it also matters to DOT if they ever weigh you.

[Dave&Ginny]

Originally Posted by Thumper7

hoosierguy, you are correct with your numbers and the fact that 4.10 increases the FW towing capacity about 3,000 lbs. The problem is the 2800 lb payload does not increase. With a properly loaded trailer (15 -20% pin weight) you get over that payload real quick.When I had my 3500 SRW Dodge, I was not as much concerned about the tow numbers as I was with exceeding the tire and axle ratings. The 3500 SRWGAWR for the rear axles is 6200 lbs. As a comparison to RW, my current FW has a loaded weight of 13,600 lbs (weighed on Cat Scales)and when hooked to my truck, the weight on my rear axles was 6,060 lbs. Iwas only 140 lbs under the maximum weight rating for the rear axles. The "E" rated tires are rated for 3195 lbs each. So at 6,390 lb maximum ratings for the tires, I was330 lbs under the tires maximum weight ratings.My pin weight is 2680 lbs so I'm just under the 20% of my total trailer weight for my pin weight. With a Redwood FW the tire and axle ratings will be exceeded real quick and that's why I no longer have my Dodge 3500 SRW. Of course people exceed these all the time. It's just a matter if a person wants to chance it or not and it also matters to DOT if they ever weigh you.

I wanted the Dodge with the Cummins diesel but I had to switch to the Ford SRW F350 because of this. My payload is #3960, and fifth wheel towing max of #15800 with a 355 rear axle. Now that I have the Ford I'm very happy with it.

[hoosierguy]

I bought my Dodge about 5 months beforewe took delivery of our 36RL. I had planned not to get quite as big of a FW as the 36RL but when we found the Redwood, we really could not resist. We want to do some extended travel and stays in our Redwood in the upcoming years.



Dual tires were out of the question for me. Just to big of a truck. I agree that by published specifications, my 3500 SRW is marginal in tow/payload ratings. But, I am also suspicious of the way these ratings are established since there seems to be no standards established within the industry. Every companyseems to come up withtheir own way of deciding what they make their ratings. I have had a very good relationship with my Dodge dealer for several years which is one of the main reasons I have the 3500.



Having said all of that, I expect when I have to replace my tires on the truck, I will try to find tires with weight ratings greater than my current Michelins which are 3195 lbs. I have been told that there are tires available with weight ratings in the range 3700 to 4000 lbs which will help give my truck some additional payload safety margin.



I am anengineer myself so I don't plan to do anything too silly here. I plan to keep my king pin weight no higher than 3000 lbs. and the trailer weight no more than 15000 lbs.

[KR2011]

Dave you made a good choice in the ford I had a 2010 dodge with the cummins motor and I did not have a good experience with it, we hooked to our Montana and headed for Arkansas I averaged 7.8 MPG and the transmission shifed so much that my wife even asked if something was wrong with the truck. The transmission did this all the time even unloaded in slight hills. I am sure glad I traded back to a ford.

[Dave&Ginny]

Originally Posted by KR2011

Dave you made a good choice in the ford I had a 2010 dodge with the cummins motor and I did not have a good experience with it, we hooked to our Montana and headed for Arkansas I averaged 7.8 MPG and the transmission shifed so much that my wife even asked if something was wrong with the truck. The transmission did this all the time even unloaded in slight hills. I am sure glad I traded back to a ford.

I have friends that LOVE their dodges so they must be good too. I've already told my wife that the next truck I buy will be a dually, I just can't get one now because it wouldn't work in my buisness. I might go for a F450 with a tow-bed.

[KR2011]

I'm not saying it was a bad truck it just didn't work the way I needed it to, it was a nice looking and riding truck.