transmission and towing ?'s

[jcarr56506]

hello all

i started this thread because i had some ?'s about my truck and TT.
let me give you all the info i have:

2001 dodge ram
2 wheel drive
318 c.i.d. motor 5.2 L
with towing package
quad cab with a fiberglass cap
gvwr 6400 lbs
actual weight 5660
newly rebuilt trans
motor has 120,000 miles and I've always have used 10w-30 full synthetic Valvoline oil, does not burn any oil
3:92 rear end
gawr rear 3900 lbs
gcwr 12,500 lbs

and the gs272:
total length 30 foot
1- 30 gal. fresh water
1- 30 gal. grey water
1- 30 gal. black water
dry weight 4657 lbs ( i haven't weighed it myself yet for actual weight yet )
1 slide ( middle ) dining room
center kitchen
rear bedroom
2- 30 or 40 lb propane tanks ( cant remember which )
tandem axle aluminum frame


i guess my real question is does anybody think that I'm overloading my truck ?
everything that I've read says that i can pull 7550 LBS.

thanks for any advice

[PumaPro]

Should be OK, just don't go blasting through the mountains or do 80 down the highway in a headwind. In other words, just don't get stupid, and you, your trailer, your truck, and your family should ought to be safe.

[jcarr56506]

thanks, around detroit there arent very many hills and the pot holes are so big i doubt i could go past 60

[08flagvlite]

I have a 95 Ram 1500 club cab 318 with the 46RH overdrive tranny and lock-up converter. My advice to you is at the very least install a transmission cooler. A bigger radiator would also help, but these Dodge tranny's worst enemy is HEAT. My rear diff is a 3:54, good for gas savings/mileage, NOT so good for pulling stuff. 3:73 or 3:91 would certainly be much better for towing. Also use synthetic fluid, and keep up with flush/filter changes, and you'll stay a happy camper. Hope this helps, Randy

[hunt4240dw]

I would also get some kind of trany temp gauge.

David

[jcarr56506]

well Ive got a trans cooler that came with the factory tow package, should i look into a second one ? i have a 3:92 rear end in mine. also Ive heard that you cant switch to syn after you have used standard fluid. i was thinking about that lucas additive for transmissions. what do you think ? as for the temp gauge i hope to be installing that this season, it looks easy enough to do myself.

Ben

[jcarr56506]

i forgot to give the wheelbase of the old girl, i just went out and measured and from center to center of the tires is 140" and i have stock size tires but i put LT's on instead of the standard P series

thanks chap


Ben

[Dodge Guy]

I would forget about any type of additive for anything. your Ram will do just fine pulling an approx. 5900lb readt to travel TT. you can switch back and forth between syn. and conventional oil any time you want. it will not hurt it. the factory trans cooler will be enough for towing.

I used to tow a 6500lb loaded 28ft. TT with a 97 Dodge conv. van with the 5.9L and 3.90 gear. it did a great job of towing it, even through the Rockies on our trip to Glacier National Park! it also had the factory tow pkg. so the factory stuff is good. with the Quad cab you will have a good wheelbase for towing. I too put LT tires on my van, so that is a big plus for you also.

BTW, if it makes you feel better, I`m a Chrysler Jeep Dodge tech so I can say with experience that these trucks are workhorses!!! it sounds like you take very good care of your truck so I don`t see you having any issues with it. you may want to replace the fuel pump just as a precaution to avoid a break down. they were known to go bad on the trucks. also keep an ear out for the rear end making noise. this was another area that failed early towing or non-towing. the pinion bearings would fail and you will hear a growling noise from the rear axle. I`m not trying to scare you, just trying to save you from a breakdown while on a trip.

Good luck!

[TulsaSteve]

A shout out to the Lucas Tranny additive. It's like pouring maple syrup into your tranny, but the stuff works like a dream... Amazing stuff.

[08flagvlite]

Yes, I agree that you should not have a problem with that combo. with the factory tow package and cooler, you already have a good towing setup- although the 318 is a little weak, but the 3:92 gears should take care of that. Also your wheelbase is okay for towing. The Lucas additive is great stuff! Randy

[n8tgc]

One question though... Does the actual weight of the truck include driver, passengers, luggage and fuel?

The tongue weight must also be accommodated for when making sure you do not exceed the GVWR. Using 550 pounds (for example purposes) for the tongue weight and adding that to your actual weight, I come up with 6,210 pounds. That leaves only 190 pounds…

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by n8tgc

One question though... Does the actual weight of the truck include driver, passengers, luggage and fuel?

Yes, that would be your truck gross vehicle weight, which should be lower than your GVWR.

Originally Posted by n8tgc

The tongue weight must also be accommodated for when making sure you do not exceed the GVWR. Using 550 pounds (for example purposes) for the tongue weight and adding that to your actual weight, I come up with 6,210 pounds. That leaves only 190 pounds…

You are correct that the tongue weight will also add to your tow vehicle gross weight. But if you are using a WDH, some of that weight will be put back on the trailer axles, so you can subtract those lbs. In using a WDH, make sure you don't exceed the front axle GAWR.

Tricky little situation, ain't it??

[jcarr56506]

thanks for all the info. i have noticed that every once and awhile when i turn i can hear a slight whine at almost idle speed ( like when i do a u-turn ) but never when i drive straight. as far as the pinion bearings - is that a very involved project or should i let a shop deal with it ?

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by jcarr56506

thanks for all the info. i have noticed that every once and awhile when i turn i can hear a slight whine at almost idle speed ( like when i do a u-turn ) but never when i drive straight. as far as the pinion bearings - is that a very involved project or should i let a shop deal with it ?

If you have a limited slip differential, it could just be that trying to lock up. The limited slip locks up when 1 tire is moving at a different rate than the other......like spinning, or even turning sharp.

[Dodge Guy]

Originally Posted by jcarr56506

thanks for all the info. i have noticed that every once and awhile when i turn i can hear a slight whine at almost idle speed ( like when i do a u-turn ) but never when i drive straight. as far as the pinion bearings - is that a very involved project or should i let a shop deal with it ?

The whine could just be the limited slip doing what it does. and yes just about anything with the rear axle is involved and requires precise measuments and adjustments. you`ll know if there is a problem with the carrier/pinion bearings because it will whine LOUD when they start to go bad.

At this point I wouldn`t worry about anything, just enjoy the trailer!

[jcarr56506]

i checked and the front GAWR is 3650 lbs and the rear is 3900 lbs. i do have the WDH and everything looks straight when the TT is hooked to the truck. the sales guy first hooked it up without the WDH and the truck squatted about 3 inches, but with the WDH everything is nice and straight.
also the truck was weighed with myself and a buddy in it and with a full tank of fuel. i also had some stuff in the bed that i used for mock luggage.

how do you determine how much weight is taken off by using the WDH ?

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by jcarr56506

how do you determine how much weight is taken off by using the WDH ?

The only way that I know of is to weigh either the truck hooked up, both with and without the the WDH hooked up, or the trailer the same way. The trucks weight should go down when the WDH is hooked up, and the trailers weight should go up with the WDH hooked up.

[jcarr56506]

that does make sense, first trip out i will run by the scale and try it both ways