2005 DODGE POWER WAGON weight

CAUTION!
•During the first 500 miles (805 km) your new
vehicle is driven, do not tow a trailer. Doing so
may damage your vehicle.
•When first towing a trailer, limit your speed to 50
mph (80 km/h) during the first 500 miles (805 km)
of towing.
Consider the following items when computing the
weight on the rear axle:
•the tongue weight of the trailer
•the weight of any other type of cargo or equipment put
in or on your vehicleNOTE:Remember that everything put into or on the
trailer adds to the load on your vehicle. Also, additional
factory-installed options, or dealer-installed options,
must be considered as part of the total load on your
vehicle. Refer to the Certification label located at the
driver’s door for the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
WARNING!
Improper towing can lead to an injury accident.
Follow these guidelines to make your trailer towing
as safe as possible:
Perform the maintenance listed in the“Maintenance
Schedules”section of this manual (Section 8). When
towing a trailer, never exceed the Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR), or Gross Combined Vehicle Weight
(GCVW).
STARTING AND OPERATING 319
5

•Use an approved wiring harness connector on the
trailer. Standard equipment on all RAM pickup mod-
els provides a 4-way trailer tow connector located
under the bumper. This connector contains the follow-
ing vehicle circuits: park/tail lamps, left stop/turn
lamp, right stop/turn lamp, and ground. With the
optional Trailer Tow Prep package a 7-way connector
is provided with the following additional circuits:
backup lamp, trailer battery and electric brake.
NOTE:Connect trailer lighting and brakes using factory
harnesses only. Do not cut or splice wiring to the brake
circuits.
•Be sure the trailer is loaded heavier in front, with 60%
to 65% of the weight in front of the axle(s). Loads
balanced over the wheels or heavier in the rear can
cause the trailer to sway severely side to side whichwill cause loss of control of vehicle and trailer. Failure
to load trailers heavier in front is the cause of many
trailer accidents.
•Make certain that the load is secured in the trailer and
will not shift during travel. When towing cargo such
as livestock, dynamic load shifts can occur that require
the driver to maintain attention.
Trailer Towing—Hitches
With a Class I Hitch, your vehicle can be equipped to tow
trailers with a Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) of 2,000 lbs
(907 kg) maximum.
With a Class II Hitch, your vehicle can be equipped to
tow trailers with a Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) of 3,500
lbs (1 587 kg ) maximum. Tongue weight must be equal to
at least 10% of GTW, but no more than 15% of GTW.
STARTING AND OPERATING 321
5

With a Class III Hitch, your vehicle can be equipped to
tow trailers with a Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) of 5,000
lbs (2 268 kg) maximum. Factory-installed rear step
bumpers are rated a Class III hitch.
A frame mounted hitch of up to Class IV rating, as rated
by the hitch manufacturer, may also be installed. With a
Class IV Hitch, you can tow a trailer with a Gross Trailer
Weight of up to 12,000 lbs (5 443 kg) maximum depend-
ing on your vehicle equipment.
Connecting Trailer Lighting And Electric Trailer
Brakes
NOTE:A 4-way trailer tow connector, located behind
the bumper, is standard equipment on all Ram pickup
models. This connector contains the following vehicle
circuits: park/tail lamps, left stop/turn lamp, right stop/
turn lamp, and ground. With the optional Trailer TowPrep package a 7-way connector is also provided with the
following additional circuits: backup lamp, trailer battery
and electric brake.
NOTE:There is also a 4–way connector located under
the instrument panel, located to the left of the brake
pedal that is used for the electric brake. This connector
contains the following vehicle circuits; power ground,
battery, stop lamp switch and electric brake feed. The
4–way is optional with the trailer tow prep package.
322 STARTING AND OPERATING

CAUTION!
Adding lights or electrical devices to the headlamp/
park lamp circuit can be accomplished by connecting
to the standard 4-way trailer tow connector located
behind the rear bumper. The maximum current ca-
pacity for the park lamp circuit should not exceed 15
amps total (a typical park lamp bulb can draw from
0.5 to 1.0 amperes of current).
No connections can be made to the headlamp switch
itself, because it is not designed for high current
applications. Connections to the headlamp switch
will cause the exterior lights to malfunction.
CAUTION!
Connect trailer lighting and brakes using factory
harnesses only. Do not cut or splice wiring to the
brake circuits. Use an approved wiring harness con-
nector on the trailer.
Trailer Weight and Trailer Tongue Weight
Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) means the weight of the
trailer plus the weight of all cargo, consumables and
equipment loaded on the trailer when in actual under-
way towing condition. The recommended way to mea-
sure GTW is to put your fully loaded trailer on a vehicle
scale. The entire weight of the trailer must be supported
by the scale.
STARTING AND OPERATING 323
5

Tongue Weight is the weight placed on the vehicle’s
trailer hitch by the trailer. Always load a trailer with 60%
to 65% of the weight in the front of the trailer. This places
10% to 15% of the GTW on the tow hitch of your vehicle.
Trailer sway control and equalizing hitch are required for
Class III or IV trailer hitches and tongue weights above
350 lbs (159 kg).Tongue weight must be equal to at least 10% of GTW, but
no more than 15% of GTW.
Also, there are maximum tongue weight ratings that are
not to be exceeded, as follows:
•Class III (the bumper ball type) 500 lbs (227 kg)
•Class IV (the receiver hitch type) 1200 lbs (544 kg)
NOTE: When towing a trailer, the following require-
ments must be adhered to:
•GCWR must not be exceeded
324 STARTING AND OPERATING

•Total weight must be distributed between the tow
vehicle and the trailer such that the following four
(4) ratings are not exceeded:
1.GVWR
2.GTW
3.Tongue weight rating for the trailer hitch utilized
(This requirement may limit the ability to always
achieve the 10% to 15% range of tongue weight as a
percentage of total trailer weight.)
4.GAWR ratingsTrailer Towing Information (Maximum Trailer
Weight Ratings)
Trailer Towing Guide
NOTE:For trailer towing information (maximum trailer
weight ratings) refer to the following website address:
http:// www.dodge.com/towing.
In Canada, refer to the following website address:http://
www.dodge.ca.
NOTE:For additional general trailer towing informa-
tion refer to the following National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) website address:http://
www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/Equipment/towing/
index.htm.
STARTING AND OPERATING 325
5

quality level available and when combined as shown can
be used for both wheel bearing and chassis lubrication.
Use only those greases that have the NLGI symbol on the
container along with the proper quality level for your
application.
Noise Control System Required Maintenance &
Warranty
All vehicles built over 10,000 lbs (4 535 kg) Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating and manufactured for sale and use in the
United States are required to comply with the Federal
Government’s Exterior Noise Regulations. These vehicles
can be identified by the Noise Emission Control Label
located in the operator’s compartment.
384 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

Inflation Pressures..................... 296
Jacking............................. 338
Load Capacity.....................291,292
Off-Road............................. 82
Radial.............................. 299
Replacement......................... 302
Rotation............................. 306
Safety...........................286,295
Sizes............................... 287
Snow Tires........................... 305
Spare Tire........................... 337
Spinning............................ 301
Tread Wear Indicators................... 302
Wheel Mounting....................... 338
Wheel Nut Torque..................... 341
Tongue Weight/Trailer Weight.............. 323
Torque Converter Clutch.................. 274
Tow Hooks, Emergency................... 347Towing
Disabled Vehicle....................... 348
Guide.............................. 325
Recreational.......................... 329
Trailering............................ 319
Weight.............................. 325
Traction.............................. 331
Trailer Towing.......................... 318
Hitches............................. 321
Mirrors...........................88,326
Tips ................................ 326
Trailer and Tongue Weight................ 323
Trailer Towing Guide..................... 325
Trailer Weight.......................... 325
Transfer Case........................... 379
Fluid............................... 408
Transmission
Automatic........................270,380
Fluid............................... 408
INDEX 453
10