3500 vs 4500 vs 5500

Looking at the Rams the 3500 has a higher rated towing capacity than either the 4500 or 5500 - why is this? The 4500 and 5500 have higher payload capacities and axle ratings.

If I want to tow heavy does it make sense to get the 45 or 55 as they have higher axle and tire ratings which is what the DOT will check or does the 3500 seem better because it is rated higher?

I could be wrong but anytime I have been stopped the DOT doesn't care or even look at the GVWR or rated tow capacity they check that you are not over registered weight, not over any axle weight ratings, and not over tire ratings.

It seems the 5500 could "legally" tow a heck of a lot more than a 3500 and be safer doing it with the larger axles, larger brakes, and heavier frame but for some reason ram rates the 3500 to be capable of towing more.

 

If I am understanding you correctly that is kind of the whole point of my question.

The 5500 has GVWR of 19,500 and a GCVWR of 37,500. Max trailer rating is 28,760.
The 3500 has a GVWR of 14,000 and a GCVWR of 39,100. Max trailer rating is 30,120.

GCVWR and tow ratings are not things that appear on stickers on the truck. I think these are more along the lines of manufacturer suggestions and are not legally enforced. What are enforced is axle and tire weight ratings. Dodge seems to think their 3500 can tow more and rates the GCVWR higher for it than the 5500. I don't understand it.

 

I agree with this 100% but still the 5500 has almost twice the rear axle rating of the 3500. Why is rated to tow less?

I guess my question really boils down to I have a load of my equipment that I take to job sites that is about 24k. A trailer that can haul that much is going to weigh around 9k making the gross load 33k. Currently I am hauling this around with a semi and a 53' flat bed and putting my pickup on the back of the trailer so I have something to drive around when I get there. I don't haul this everyday maybe 4-6 days a month just when moving from job site to job site. The jobs sites are usually 2-500 miles away from home.

I am looking at getting rid of the semi and getting maybe a 4500 or 5500 and a heavy duty gooseneck to haul my load and then use the truck as my daily driver while on the job. When I first looked at the specs on a 3500 and saw it could tow 32k I figured a 4500 or 5500 could handle the 33k no problem but now I am confused.

From past experience I know you don't want to be at the max capacity of anything or things will wear out prematurely. You would think a 5500 could handle it no problem but I can't figure out why it is rated so low in towing. It makes no sense a 5500 with a 13k rear axle and 19.5 wheels has a lower GCVWR than a regular 1 ton dually. Why do people even buy them?

 

I know the semi will last longer and that is my dilemma. If I was hauling this everyday I would for sure stick with it. A single screw doesn't help much because it is really still bigger than what I want to drive around on a daily basis to the motel, resaurants, etc. We normally are at each job for a week or two. I don't think a single screw would even handle the weight with my pickup on the trailer as I am grossing around 65k now.

Some times are busier than others but so far this year I have hauled the equipment with a semi to 6 jobs all year. That is 12 trips when you figure there and back and they ranged between 200 and 500 miles each way. The rest of the time the semi sits unless I get bored and go haul a load for someone else but I have not even done that in a couple months.

Right now I have a 50k semi, a 25k 53' trailer, and a 50k pickup -125k of stuff to get the job done and am paying insurance on all of it. If I sold it all and bought a 5500 for 50k, and a heavy gooseneck for 15-20k I could accomplish the same job with roughly half the dollars invested as well as lower insurance costs. I would not mind trading the 5500 in every year or two on a new one to keep it in warranty either.

Another reason for wanting something smaller is the places I go are not designed for semis. So far I have found a way to make it work but it is a pain sometimes getting into jobs with the big truck and a pickup with a 30' gooseneck would be so much easier.