Will It Tow?
2023 Ram 3500 (6.4L HEMI V8, dually) with the 2027 Heartland Bighorn 38RE at its full GVWR of 17,995 lb, two adults and a dog aboard and a weight-distribution hitch.
To know for sure, enter your exact tow rating from your owner's manual or the maker's towing chart.
- Tow rating: Not sure yet (17,995 lb camper, rating 13,660 to 18,210 lb)
- Payload: 1,311 lb to spare (4,059 to 5,319 lb used, payload 6,630 to 7,680 lb)
- Truck and trailer together: Not sure yet (25,455 lb, GCWR up to 25,000 lb)
To settle it for your own truck: enter your exact tow rating from your owner's manual or the maker's towing chart; measure your pin weight.
Check it with your own numbers- Fifth wheel hitch (needed): Rated for at least your camper's weight (17,995 lb) and about 4,500 lb of pin weight. That points to a 18K-class hitch or bigger. It mounts in the bed over the rear axle.
- Weight distribution and sway control (not needed): Fifth wheels ride on a hitch over the truck's rear axle, which makes them much more stable than a bumper-pull. These are for travel trailers.
- Short bed? (check): With a bed under 8 ft, use a slider hitch or a pin box made for short beds so the camper clears your cab on tight turns.
- Brake controller (needed): Your camper has electric brakes, and the controller in your cab runs them. Many newer trucks have one built in.
- Measure your pin weight (tip): We're estimating 3,239 to 4,499 lb. A CAT scale weigh, hitched and unhitched, gives you the real number. Enter it in step 2.
Hitches make towing steadier, but none of them raise your tow rating or payload. The hitch itself counts against payload.
Ratings come from manufacturer towing guides and spec sheets. These are planning estimates, not a safety guarantee. Your truck and camper stickers, your owner's manual and a scale always win.