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Old 04-21-2015, 02:24 PM   #1
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2X2 vs. 4X4 hitch height

Going out this coming weekend for the first time with new truck. Went from Ram 2500 2X2 to 3500 4X4. Will I need to adjust anything on pin box (TrailAir Tri-Glide) or hitch (Pullrite SuperGlide 18K)? I hooked up to see if sag would be a problem, but forgot to check the clearance between bed rail and bottom of overhang. Will check tomorrow before leaving Thursday. Sag looked good, truck still had slight forward rake.
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Old 04-21-2015, 05:16 PM   #2
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kent you should be fine. your trailer me be nose high if the height difference when hooked up is higher. There are adjustments on the hitch and pin box depending where they are set now.
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Old 04-21-2015, 06:09 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by 4happyfeet View Post
Going out this coming weekend for the first time with new truck. Went from Ram 2500 2X2 to 3500 4X4. Will I need to adjust anything on pin box (TrailAir Tri-Glide) or hitch (Pullrite SuperGlide 18K)? I hooked up to see if sag would be a problem, but forgot to check the clearance between bed rail and bottom of overhang. Will check tomorrow before leaving Thursday. Sag looked good, truck still had slight forward rake.
I have a 2013 Ram 3500 4X4. Bed clearance was never a problem as it is likely 7 to 8 inches. It was a little nose high. The local dealer recommended I let a little air out of the TrailAir hitch which worked! I do have the B&W with everything at the lowest setting.
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Old 04-22-2015, 12:11 PM   #4
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Good to know. I had air bags on my 2012 2500 and got a lot of bucking. The dealer told me that the air bags were fighting the air bag on the hitch, causing the bucking to be exaggerated. Made a big difference in ride when TrailAir bag was full, or even slightly over the line. As the new truck rides better than the old, without air bags, I'm hoping that I won't need the bags on the new 3500. Pullrite makes accessory feet that lower the hitch 1 1/2", so I think I'll try those if the clearance allows. Is adjusting the pin box a dealer job? I can turn a nut, but always concerned about voiding warranties by doing something myself. Having said that, it is quite clear from reading these blogs that to be a successful rver, one is forced to learn to fix others mistakes! LOL!
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Old 04-22-2015, 12:32 PM   #5
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I had to lower our Curt Q24 Hitch on our 3500HD 4x4 to its lowest setting to get our RW level due to the height of the Trail Air Pin Box
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Old 04-22-2015, 02:30 PM   #6
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Good to know. I had air bags on my 2012 2500 and got a lot of bucking. The dealer told me that the air bags were fighting the air bag on the hitch, causing the bucking to be exaggerated. Made a big difference in ride when TrailAir bag was full, or even slightly over the line. As the new truck rides better than the old, without air bags, I'm hoping that I won't need the bags on the new 3500. Pullrite makes accessory feet that lower the hitch 1 1/2", so I think I'll try those if the clearance allows. Is adjusting the pin box a dealer job? I can turn a nut, but always concerned about voiding warranties by doing something myself. Having said that, it is quite clear from reading these blogs that to be a successful rver, one is forced to learn to fix others mistakes! LOL!
Kent let me know how you like your ride. I was worried about my set-up last year when I got my RW. Everybody was telling me to add air bags, etc. I pull my RW with my Ram 3500 stock with no aftermarket accessories. I only get a slight surge over bridge joints but other than that it is smooth as silk pulling with my Ram.
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Old 04-22-2015, 03:01 PM   #7
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Will do Dean. Where do you fill the pin box air to? I'm going to start at the line, but I've been reading that that is not always necessary to have it that full. I suspect that pin weight has a lot to do with it. Full-timers are more likely to have max pin weight than weekenders (which we are now). Just due to nature of the beast, I'm sure that there will always be some surge at bridges, etc.

Robert - Looking at the Pull Rite Superglide, it doesn't have adjustments that I can see. Solid construction with no holes for adjustment. Maybe because it is an auto-slider it needs to be stouter, with no movement? I'm going to get the shorter mounting feet that Pull Rite makes for this hitch. That is only a 1 1/2" lowering, though. Will see what the pin box looks like tomorrow.

The new truck is also nearly a foot shorter in wheelbase, so I'm curious to see if that effects the towing characteristics. I hope I don't regret not getting a dually. About a week after I bought this truck, a thread started up discussing SRW vs DRW, DRW winning hands down. Where was that discussion a week earlier? LOL!
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Old 04-22-2015, 03:27 PM   #8
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Kent I assumed you got the DRW. They are a lot sexier looking than the SRW and it was only a $1,200 option I believe. I assume that you got the short box as well since you have a slider hitch. I know it is a little late but I would have went with the DRW. Everyone I talk to seems to pay a fortune for those slider hitches with most people stating they have over $2K installed with some approaching $3K. My B&W ($1,200) dropped right into the factory holes and I installed it myself. I have the long box which results in a longer wheelbase and a better ride. You will likely have to invest in some aftermarket acessories like the SRW boys do
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Old 04-22-2015, 03:50 PM   #9
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I know I may be opening a can of worms here but look at the table below. You will quickly get an idea as to why people with relatively new SRW trucks go out and get a DRW soon after getting their RW. You give up a heck of a lot in a multitude of categories and in many cases people are definitely over the manufacturers recommendations. I studied tables like these until I got a headache and never could get to a point where buying a SRW made any sense to me.

Assuming the truck is a 4X4 crew cab.

My truck has the 4:10 rear end with the standard 6 speed automatic. GVWR would be 14,000, Payload 5,830, GCWR 30,300, Max Trailer Wt 21,660.

For the same truck with a SRW the ratings would be the following with a 3:42 rear end which appears to be the only option. GVWR would be 12,300, Payload 4,480, GCWR 25,300, Max Trailer Wt 17,010.

Differences between the two:

SRW - GVWR would be -1,700, Payload -1,350, GCWR -5,000, Max Trailer Wt -4,650.

Add the Asin tranny to my configuration and you jump to GCWR 37,800 and Max. Trailer Weight to 29,010!

I know the SRW guys well likely raise cain but the stats are what they are! It was an easy choice for me and one I do not regret. I only thing I wished I had done was got the Aisin tranny but I am good. Gear ratio makes a big difference regardless what people may tell you. An that second set of wheels is invaluable!

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Old 04-28-2015, 11:34 PM   #10
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Hi, Dean Trip went smoothly. Had slight rise in front end, but not too bad. I could feel a little "float" in the front end at times, bumps, hard curves. I am negotiating with my dealer to see if I can get into a dually without loosing my butt. If I keep this truck, I will be adding air bags, but it's not mandatory. What I noticed the most was the 3.42 rear end. 3.73 would be better. Never felt like I didn't have enough power, just took a little longer to get there. I had 4.10 in my 2500-big difference! I had plenty of bed clearance. I think I'll get the PullRite feet that lower the hitch 1 1/2". Didn't have a problem with shorter wheelbase, which came in handy when we went to a nearby town that was having a big ta-do going on and had trouble finding a large parking place. Dually would have never made it.
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Old 05-01-2015, 08:15 PM   #11
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Kent hopefully you will get her under control. I know many pull their RW with SRW and 2500's on top of that. It is amazing on these trucks how most on the dealer lots are the 3:42 rear ends. I noticed that when I was looking. When I found my Plane Jane with the 4:10 it was the only one in the State of Georgia. I did find a used 2012 reg cab 3500 DRW Ram that I was considering. The truck was perplexing to me as they bought it out of Texas and it had been set up to pull a goose neck. It only had 9,000 miles on it. When I finally took the vin# to the ram dealer he informed me the max trailer towing was only 13,500 which was only about a 1,000 pounds more than my 2004 F350 SRW I know why someone unloaded it. I have long ago come to the conclusion it is not just DRW versus SRW but that rear end is critical. I have people make fun of me even on this forum for buying the 4:10 but I have talked to several old timers on the road who have it and love it. It is one pulling machine and smooth doing it.
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Old 05-03-2015, 01:22 AM   #12
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Dean, not to argue with a Dealer, as they are all knowing, but that number on the Ram sounds more like the GVWR of the Truck, not it's towing cap, as most of the newer DRWs run between 13K to 14K for their GVWR.
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Old 05-03-2015, 03:53 PM   #13
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Dean, not to argue with a Dealer, as they are all knowing, but that number on the Ram sounds more like the GVWR of the Truck, not it's towing cap, as most of the newer DRWs run between 13K to 14K for their GVWR.
Yes that is the truck, fuel, passengers, pin weight. That is part of my point. With a SRW 3500 you are pushing max capacities on most all of the ratings. I am not even going there with the 2500's.
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Old 05-03-2015, 07:19 PM   #14
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I added the Aisin to my 2013 DRW for the ability to tow about anything.
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Old 05-05-2015, 06:21 PM   #15
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I added the Aisin to my 2013 DRW for the ability to tow about anything.
You are right about that but I would not want to be pulling what they say you can
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