Will It Tow?
2024 Ram 3500 (6.4L HEMI V8) with the 2027 Keystone Cougar 316RLS at its full GVWR of 12,900 lb, two adults and a dog aboard and a weight-distribution hitch.
Closest: payload, at 98% of its limit. Pack light and weigh it when you can.
- Tow rating: 1,490 lb to spare (12,900 lb camper, rating 14,390 to 17,670 lb)
- Payload: 95 lb to spare (3,142 to 4,045 lb used, payload 4,140 to 4,640 lb)
- Truck and trailer together: Not sure yet (at least 19,777 lb, GCWR 22,000 to 24,200 lb)
To settle it for your own truck: measure your pin weight.
Check it with your own numbers- Fifth wheel hitch (needed): Rated for at least your camper's weight (12,900 lb) and about 3,300 lb of pin weight. That points to a 16K-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 2,322 to 3,225 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.