Will It Tow?
2024 Ram 3500 (6.4L HEMI V8, dually) with the 2027 Heartland Milestone 39TB at its full GVWR of 17,700 lb, two adults and a dog aboard and a weight-distribution hitch.
To know for sure, pick your exact build (cab, bed, drive and axle ratio).
- Tow rating: Not sure yet (17,700 lb camper, rating 14,700 to 18,210 lb)
- Payload: 1,385 lb to spare (4,006 to 5,245 lb used, payload 6,630 to 7,680 lb)
- Truck and trailer together: Not sure yet (at least 24,839 lb, GCWR 22,600 to 25,000 lb)
To settle it for your own truck: pick your exact build (cab, bed, drive and axle ratio).
Check it with your own numbers- Fifth wheel hitch (needed): Rated for at least your camper's weight (17,700 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 3,186 to 4,425 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.