Tow Package Contents

[teh603]

Anyone know what the differences are between "tow package" and regular 3rd Gen 1500s?

I know for some vehicles you can do everything aftermarket- trans coolers, bigger radiators, mechanical fans & HD shrouds, and all that. But there's also some where you have to have tow/haul button on the shifter or different ECU programming, where you can't.

 

[HemiLonestar]

Tow/Haul instead of just OD off
Larger trans cooler
Hitch/receiver
7 pin

Clutch fan was standard. All 3rd gen 1500's got the same radiator & shroud except for the SRT's.

 

[teh603]

Tow/Haul instead of just OD off

So having Tow/Haul mode wasn't standard? Or just not on all of them?

I got kinda curious and looked at the '08 owner's manual, and it's written like Tow/Haul was standard for that model year.

 

[HemiLonestar]

So having Tow/Haul mode wasn't standard? Or just not on all of them?

I got kinda curious and looked at the '08 owner's manual, and it's written like Tow/Haul was standard for that model year.

So I went digging through the 2002-2008 factory service manuals. Up through 2003 it's 'OD off', then in 2004 it became 'tow/haul', most likely coinciding with the change from separate TCM to combined PCM/TCM.

 

[teh603]

So it looks like the only thing that don't come stock are the brake controller (unless it's already there and just needs some wires strung to the 7-pin) hitch, and trans cooler?

 

[HemiLonestar]

So it looks like the only thing that don't come stock are the brake controller (unless it's already there and just needs some wires strung to the 7-pin) hitch, and trans cooler?

Brake controller wasn't available from the factory until well into the 4th gen run. There is a connector under the dash in 3rd gens and tow package trucks came with a pigtail in the glovebox for it. All 1500's come with a trans cooler but there were 3 different sizes. The standard 1500 non-tow is relatively small, then there's a medium size larger one followed by the gigantic 1 ton cooler.
Standard non-tow 1500 trans cooler:


1 ton cooler:


The mid size is halfway between the two.

 

[teh603]

Dayum. That's one huge trans cooler. At that size, does it affect the radiator's cooling?

 

[Drivunn]

07 sales sheet also says upgraded to 750 A battery on 1500s.
To get max tow capacity of 8500lbs in hemi quad cab 4x4 we get trucks with the 3.92 gears. 3.55s are only rated 7500 lbs in same combo.

 

[HemiLonestar]

Dayum. That's one huge trans cooler. At that size, does it affect the radiator's cooling?

Nope, just affects how well the trans gets cooled. Especially helpful if you have a higher stall converter (I did at the time).

 

[CorDog009]

My trans cooler is the mid size. It has 15 rows.