I enslaved the RAM for bike hauling duties this past weekend, part of what's becoming a post L.A. Auto Show dirtbiking tradition. Last time, I squeezed two dirtbikes into the narrowed bed between the two RAM Boxes. Though they fit with a little bar wrangling, this time I decided to use the 3-rail trailer instead.
This is a sub-400 pound single axle trailer with no electric brakes, and I suspected our burly RAM would hardly notice it hanging on. The RAM very conveniently provides both 4-pole and 7-pole connectors as part of our tow-package equipped 1500, and having both means no need for an adaptor. The connectors are mounted a fair ways above the receiver hitch, each with their own spring mounted cover. Their position helps keep them out of harm's way, but made the stretch to the 4-pole connector pretty much at the limit of my trailer's wiring.
As suspected, the maybe 900 pounds of trailer and bikes could hardly be felt by the RAM and its Hemi V8, which hauled us up over El Cajon pass on I-15 towards Victorville with no drop in the freeway pace and zero movement of the temp gauge. Reaching the trailhead involves a few miles of washboard fireroad, and the RAM's coil-sprung rear suspension continues to impress: The dirt-road portion felt smooth enough to be mistaken for tarmac. The dirtbike ride [below] was epic, and we'll have to find something harder for the RAM to haul...
Paul Seredynski, Executive Editor @ 15,811 miles
hybris says:
01:21 PM, 12/ 8/09
I think this is the first trailer pic you guys have posted that the Ram is not sagging in anyway.
Of course if any pickup started sagging under this load I'd question its classification.
cr_driver says:
01:39 PM, 12/ 8/09
Exactly hybris.
uncanny_man says:
02:33 PM, 12/ 8/09
Sweet picture!
fundango says:
02:35 PM, 12/ 8/09
Beautiful shot with the bikes.
clarkma5 says:
08:48 PM, 12/ 8/09
When we got our 2001 GMC Sierra 2500HD 6.0 V8, our 4000 pound boat and trailer felt like nothing behind it...it's almost a joke to even talk about this bike trailer like it was a test of the Ram's towing ability, even if it is just a half-ton truck.
bodyblue says:
08:25 AM, 12/ 9/09
Its a great truck for what it is being used for.......noting too heavy duty...it is the reason why trucks sell so well when gas is cheap.....lets hope for the Rams sake it stays cheap.
wobbly_ears says:
12:11 PM, 12/ 9/09
Beautiful picture..... Sigh.. (Quickly checks available vacation time & Orbitz for plane ticket prices....)
firstwagon says:
07:48 PM, 12/ 9/09
It's nice your Hemi powered Ram didn't notice the weight of the little trailer but last weekend I towed my utililty trailer to the dump (total weight .. about 1200 lbs) with my old 95 Grand Cherokee and it didn't notice the trailer either... and the 4.0 straight six has about about 200 less HP (or it did when new).
I've been towing my travel trailer through the mountain passes of British Columbia for years with the Jeep. How about IL pick up a trailer trailer and do some trips around California to test the big vehicles in a way they might be used?
(Track testing is fun but to be honest... who drives on the track in anything but a sportscar or muscle car?)