3.21 gear ratio - anyone actually towing with it?

[loveracing1988]

After reading this I guess I will never be pulling a TT. Lol. Pentastar v6 here with 3:21. Ugghh. Guess nothing bigger than two jetskis here. Or maybe a pop up camper ? [emoji23][emoji23]

This right here is why you do research. Not singling you out one of my co workers bought a truck with the same setup and he is now kicking himself because the tow rating is hilariously low for a truck.

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[BiGMERF]

This right here is why you do research. Not singling you out one of my co workers bought a truck with the same setup and he is now kicking himself because the tow rating is hilariously low for a truck.

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yup i will fully admit to that

but will also defend my self with i just wanted a pickup that would bring something home from home depot, pull at the most 2 jetskis and was easier on the gas side... I almost bought a frontier.. until my wife said it looked like a toy truck
oh and had to be 4x4 fr some slight offroad fun

 

[Markcuda]

I almost bought a frontier.. until my wife said it looked like a toy truck

Careful now, I owned one for ten years till the Ram came along)))))

 

[prt49ers]

I tow 7500 pounds with my 5.7, but I have the 8speed and 3.21 gears, you're going to have more of an issue with that 5 speed IMO. On the plus side, the fact your dog weighs more than your GF made me laugh

What issues do you think I will have with the transmission? Just curious.

One last question, if I found a different trailer that is 1,000 lbs. lighter and almost 300 lbs. lighter on the hitch weight, do you think I will still have any tranny issues then? New trailer I am eyeing is 4,010 lbs. dry weight and 350 lbs. on my hitch weight. All numbers say good to go. Thanks again!!

 

[loveracing1988]

What issues do you think I will have with the transmission? Just curious.

One last question, if I found a different trailer that is 1,000 lbs. lighter and almost 300 lbs. lighter on the hitch weight, do you think I will still have any tranny issues then? New trailer I am eyeing is 4,010 lbs. dry weight and 350 lbs. on my hitch weight. All numbers say good to go. Thanks again!!

You won't have transmission issues, what he meant was the 8 speed is a night and day difference. The 1st gear on the 65rfe is horrendous, couple that with the 3.21 gears and getting going is going to be a pain if you tow heavy. If you stay within your limits though you'll be fine.

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[AFMoulton]

My truck toes this just fine. Has 3.21 and 4x4. I'm not in a hurry when I tow so I am good with this set up. Anyone who wants to tow a 7000lb trailer down the road at 80 MPH is an idiot.





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[911ems]

Looks like a nice set up! I like hearing from people w 3.21 that are actually towing a TT. The one I'm looking at is 6200 dry. Can wait to see how it performs!

 

[AFMoulton]

Looks like a nice set up! I like hearing from people w 3.21 that are actually towing a TT. The one I'm looking at is 6200 dry. Can wait to see how it performs!

Loaded up it sits at 7258 or so.


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[Mustangmike66]

I tow our Grand Design Imagine 2600RB is UVW 5625, GVW 6995 lbs, 29' 8" long and has a hitch weight of 594 lbs with my 2014 RAM 1500, with 5.7L Hemi and 3:21 gears. The truck handles is great. After reading through these posts I have no worries about the capability of this truck.


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[huff2462]

No clue how much the loaded trailer weighed, but it was heavy. Towed from Baltimore to Ashville, NC... About 8 hours total.

Going through the mountains definitely made me wish I had 3.92's (and Airlift 1000's to help with the squat). Gas mileage was ROUGH!

All in all, it did well though.

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[69GWC]

Its funny how each truck is so much different.

I just pulled from Connecticut to Kansas and got a average of 13.4 mph, 6x12 fully loaded as well as the bed and back seat and I have TTC-1211S and 1" spacers in the rear.
3:21s and never missed a beat even in the mountains in Pennsylvania.

 

[patchelect]

Just spent the time to read all 12 pages on trailer towing and feel much better about my 3.21 diff. I did spend a fair amount of time on this forum

RV.Net RV and Camping Forum ? RV, Trailer, Camper, Motorhome, Camping and Campground Information

They can be very cruel to Rams there and scare away the weak of heart. I originally planned on towing with my '01 Dakota 4X4 with 3.9 and Auto. I was practically thrown off the forum! And further reading I determined that there was a general dislike for a Ram due to "over-rated" tow capacities. That crowd seems bent on Chevy and Ford. When I realized my Ram had 3.21 in the rear I was disappointed (My fault for not looking further) However after reading all 12 pages I feel WAY more comfortable with my choice. I am planning on keeping the Dakota anyway but the Ram is looking like a very good choice for a tow vehicle for what we have planned, a small, 16-18 foot travel trailer, nothing more. Two old folks, no ancillary appendages like pets or offspring. Just us and a cooler full of adult beverage and food!

 

[69GWC]

It will pull the small trailer with zero problems.


edit: I will ad that everyone has their own opinions on what to use to tow with and how it will do it.
I came out of a Cummins with close to 600hp and I feel this 5.7 with the 8sp tows just fine even with 3:21s, yeah it might not be the best set up for pulling but if your not pulling heavy every day its going to do it just fine.
I have found reading anything about towing allways brings out every expert and that your doing it wrong..lol
Common sense goes along way with towing or hauling.

 

[capsfloyd]

2009 ram crewcab, hemi, rambox. 3.21 rear end . 351,200
On the clock. Towed a 6500 travel trailer . Best milage 6-8 mpg. If heavy winds a lot less.
It would grunt starting off, once on high way i would use tow/haul mode. Pull it in 4th or 5th. Sometimes it would shift back and forth 5-4 .
Going up hill grade , that hemi would kick in and once over the hill i would say " Take a breath " . I drive it everyday, but I Bought a 2015 longhorn ecodiesel, 3.92. Pulls heavier trailer a LOT EASIER.

 

[69GWC]

What transmission does your 09 have.
Because you cant compare a truck with a 6sp to one with a 8sp imo.

 

[VernDiesel]

Sure he knows he has both the transmission advantage & the mechanical advantage of the gear between his two trucks. Plus the diesel brings in the torque a lot lower which has a different feel & sound to it.

 

[zogg]

I have the 3.21 gears and have almost the same experience towing as with my previous truck with 3.92 gears. The difference is the gear it rides in, and the rpms run a bit higher, but it seems to pull fine.

 

[smiley]

Just spent the time to read all 12 pages on trailer towing and feel much better about my 3.21 diff. I did spend a fair amount of time on this forum

RV.Net RV and Camping Forum ? RV, Trailer, Camper, Motorhome, Camping and Campground Information

They can be very cruel to Rams there and scare away the weak of heart. I originally planned on towing with my '01 Dakota 4X4 with 3.9 and Auto. I was practically thrown off the forum! And further reading I determined that there was a general dislike for a Ram due to "over-rated" tow capacities. That crowd seems bent on Chevy and Ford. When I realized my Ram had 3.21 in the rear I was disappointed (My fault for not looking further) However after reading all 12 pages I feel WAY more comfortable with my choice. I am planning on keeping the Dakota anyway but the Ram is looking like a very good choice for a tow vehicle for what we have planned, a small, 16-18 foot travel trailer, nothing more. Two old folks, no ancillary appendages like pets or offspring. Just us and a cooler full of adult beverage and food!

Once they pull with a Ram they would realize they are rated just fine. I know mine being an 09 is underrated. I also don't care much about the rating since I regeared and changed out rear coils although legally it doesn't change ability wise it does. The only thing they can whine about is the coils but even with a saggy ass the Ram can out pull most Chevy and Ford 1500's I have driven. We all know the Cummins on the HD's is the best puller and has least amount of fudging on the test I just watched with each on the dyno. Btw Ford is known for cheating on towing ratings by removing things like jacks, spares, etc which the owner will certainly have with them. RV site is full of chicken littles stating the sky is falling at every pass. You guys with a 8 speed will be fine with any gear set but 3.92 and 8 speed is a beast.

 

[ColdCase]

I currently have a 2016 RCSB V8 with standard 3.21s and 8 speed. This is an example of round trip tow from Boston to Lexington KY pulling a tall 8x14 box with 36inchV aluminum trailer close to its 6000 capacity west, empty east. The bed was also full under the Tonneau cover. I put air bag 1000s in and ran them near their max pressure to correct for squat. Most of the trip was about 65mph and on interstates. The V8 would wind out to 4-5K in some of the mountains of West Virginia, otherwise it just kept me awake correcting for wind and passing semis which is related to wheelbase not gears. 3.92s may me more fun, better off road and very low speed maneuvers, but for cross country the axle ratio seems to make little difference other than mpg.

Oh, I drove through several monsoons and not a drop of water in the bed. The MOPAR hard folding cover seals up nicely.

When towing the trailer with my old 2500 cummins mega cab, I'd have to check the mirrors once in awhile just to make sure that trailer hadn't fallen of . Otherwise I couldn't tell it was there

 

[omnisap]

So with axle ratio 3.21 will my mileage change with and without towing.