I've seen lots of Class A motor homes going down the highways towing small vehicles behind them to run around in once they reach their camping designation. Nothing unusual, right?

Well, today during lunch I had to swing by the local Bass Pro Shop to pick something up. Parked in the parking lot was a big Class A motorhome with a vehicle in tow behind it. Normally I wouldn't give this a second look, but the vehicle in tow was a Dodge Ram 3500 dually....complete with CTD, extended cab, long bed and a camper topper on the bed.

Now, I've never towed a vehicle with the type of tow bars that they typically use behind these motorhomes (little A shaped type), but I assume that like everything else they have certain ratings. I could be wrong, but the tow bars they had hooked up between these two beasts sure looked wimpy to be dragging and stopping an 8,000+ lb. vehicle. The tow bar said "Black Hawk" on the sides and the bars looked to be about an inch in diameter.

Seemed a bit unusual to be dragging around such a truck anyway (would have made more sense to let the Ram drag the Class A ), but I have to wonder just how safe that setup was.

 

Was it a 4x4? Did you notice if the RAMS brakes were able to be activated?

 

The Black Hawk is made by Roadmaster and has an 8000 lb. tow rating.

Like Hoss, my worry would be stopping the thing.

 

No, it was two wheel drive. I don't know how they could have activated the brakes, but if they could I don't think they were. The only wiring I saw was going from the plug on the back of the Class A to the front of the truck somewhere.

 

Seems like they'd be pushing the limits if it's rated for 8,000 pounds. I'd guess the truck weighs that empty, and it had the fiberglass topper on the bed and who knows what inside of the bed. I guess it's working for them though.

 

That truck would not weigh 8,000 pounds empty.

 

Durn close, close enough for it to be an issue - - I'm over 8K with aux tank full.

 

I see many on the road here and have seen quite a few with the Hummers on the back. Ya gotta be rollin in dough to be towing a 100k+ vehicle with a 200k+ one
The brakes are controlled by some sort of device that is electrically applied and hits the brake pedal. Buddy of mine has a Class A (with a 5.9CTD/Allison of course) and he pulls a 2003 Durango 4x4 behind it. Dunno what his tow bar is but I know he loads tons of crap in the Durango and has never had a problem. Probably puts 60k a year on both rigs.

 

You don't think?? The truck listed in my sig below weighs 7400 pounds with me, my wife and a full tank of fuel. All stock. Empty. And it's not a long bed OR a dually NOR does it have a topper on the bed. I'd bet 8,000 pounds MINIMUM.

 

How does that work? Wouldn't the vehicle being towed have to be running in order for the brakes to work?

 

I'm not sure about this, but I've heard somewhere that it's wise to disconnect the drive shaft on a vehicle you're towing like that so you don't prematurely wear out the parts. Is that true?

 

There is a driveshaft disconnect that you can install. The Ram is definitely not a "tow on the ground" vehicle without disconnecting the driveshaft. I do not know of a disconnect that would be tough enough to handle that much torque. Some 4x4's cannot be towed four down.

 

Bob,

You might want to take a look at your owner's manual. I don't have my truck at work today, so I can't check mine, but I recall a "Recreational Towing" topic in the Towing area of the owner's manual. Since I don't tow my 3500 dually , I can't remember the specifics, but at least Dodge seemed to acknowledge that some people might want to use the truck as a toad.

A number of auxiliary braking devices are available for towed vehicles. Some don't require brake assist - they are powered by an electric motor, sit in the floorboard, rest against the seat and push on the brake pedal with their actuator. They take their power from the +12V feed on the 7-pin connector, if they don't have an auxiliary cable. Having said that, I can only guess how much force they would have to develop to stop one of our trucks without the hydroboost working!

Rusty

 

I must agree with RUSTY
My truck is setup for Recreational Towing by DC. It's just a matter pushing a button while in nuteural and letting the computer disengage the drive shafts from the tranny.
Oh yeah I guess I should say that mine is a 4X4 with electronic shift 03

 

I'm sorry. I did not qualify my statement. A 2WD Ram cannot be towed without alteration. And, as stated, "many" 4x4's do not allow for towing four on the ground. This is a misconception with many people who feel "ALL" 4x4's can be towed. This is incorrect. Only a few manual shifts can be towed. When I say towed, I mean many miles, day after day - - not towed 5 miles to the dealer for repair. Some autos can be towed if you follow directions, such as start the car, drop it in gear for 2 minutes, then back to neutral and shut off- - you are then good to go for another 100 (or whatever) miles. Point in case, a tow truck always picks up a vehicle from the business end (where the drive wheels are) and are extremely careful how they pick up a 4x4. Many times they have to put in on a flat bed.

I see nothing in my manual that states my manual 2WD can be towed 4 on the ground as a daily toad.