Towing 6,200 lb travel trailer with 3.6 V6 Pentastar?

[reek]

hehe, ISWYDT. :

I had to google that. geez I feel old. now if I could only figure out how to program my VCR....

 

[xrsman]

I had to google that. geez I feel old. now if I could only figure out how to program my VCR....

Lol, I had to google it too!

 

[yogiyoda]

Well the trailer was rated for only 2200, and you could tell with how it handled.

Thanks. Can you fill in more details about the trip. Distance, terrain, engine strain etc.?

 

[SitKneelBend]

There is a thread on the "z" forum with information regarding exactly what you're looking for. The OP (I think?) Talks about why he went back to the 3.6 and how he tows with it regularly. I would give a direct link, but I think that is frowned upon. It's in the 3.6L specific section and should be easy to find (not very active)...

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[gofishn]

Thank you all, I appreciate everyone’s posts and they have all been helpful. But just to clarify. Yes, I still hope for more posts that are “what I want to hear”. But what I want to hear is not “go for it dude, Pentastar will tow that load without safety or longevity issues”. What I want to hear is from people who have actually towed heavier loads with the Ram 1500 V6 Pentastar with tow package. I said that in the original post …”this post is to anyone with first hand towing experience with the Pentastar.”

In this whole 5 page thread there is only post that is really what I want to hear. That is Crusder99 on the first page. Not because it is the most positive review of the V6 Pentastar w 8/speed, but because he’s actually towed with the setup!

The other two V6 Pentastar posters drove a completely different vehicle, or had a huge lift kit. I appreciate their input, but they are not as useful as Crusder99’s post.

So if there are anymore Crusder99’s out there, please post! Especially someone who has towed 6,000+ lbs. If there are none, no big deal. I’m not really expecting it. The Ram 1500’s are really nice trucks, but for my personal needs I’ll most likely get the Ford f150 2.7 ecoboost.

I am very interested in seeing how both "tiny" Diesels work out.
Fords and Rams. So far, not impressed, with either.

 

[Sowardcustoms]

I realize this guy is probably cruising in a Ford now unfortunately. but i wanted to give my input on the subject for anyone else that might want to know. I just traded in a 2014 Ram crew cab 2wd 3.6 3.55 8 speed. I occasionally towed cars back and forth from central oklahoma to Ft worth with it and I loved it great gas millage 70 mph ran and towed great. My truck was lowered quite a bit but had full air ride in the back. I recently bought a new 2016 sport crew hemi 8 speed 3.92 gears and have towed a car once to oklahoma and back and yes the hemi is better at acceleration but the 3.6 done it with ease and better towing gas millage. Now I wasnt towing a big box either. My two cents....

 

[SitKneelBend]

There's a picture so it happened!

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[Kris1983]

Okay, thanks for all the replies everyone!

Just to clarify a few things. I know on paper that a v6 with 269 torque doesn’t sound like the right vehicle for this load and from the responses so far it looks like it probably isn't. But as Ramzaq showed with his link there are some positive towing reviews for this vehicle. And no that is not just flat ground in his video. They towed on the Davis Dam Grade.

Here is another positive video. This guy claims he’s towing a 7,900 lb fifth-wheel with the V6 Pentastar with 3.21 gear ratio. He doesn’t start talking till about 1:28 into the video:


On the other hand this video from TFL truck is not so positive, but unfortunately it doesn’t specify the gear ratio or transmission:


Also, I don’t have the the trailer or the truck yet. I was forced to put something in my profile when I signed up. I’m looking to purchase both. The Quad Cab Pentastar configuration is my favorite RAM 1500’s because it has the highest payload capacity, low initial price and great mpg when not towing. If it won’t work, I’ll probably get the new Ford f150 2.7 Ecoboost instead. I’m not really interested in a Hemi or Ecodiesel because of the lower payload capacities.

I will be pulling on mostly flat ground and rolling hills; although I will occasionally encounter mountains.

I’m really hoping to hear from more people who have actually towed with the V6 Pentastar with 3.55 ratio. Can anyone recommend another section of this forum or another forum to possibly get more views from Pentastar owners?

 

[Kris1983]

I k is this may be a little late but I just towed my 5300lb camper through some decent terrain hills turns etc. it did well. I could have wanted more power rpms stayed in the 3000-3300 range occasionally needing to get to 4100. I never went below 45 mph. The grades on he hill were probably 5-6%. Pretty steep grades but maybe half a mile to a mile long. The trucks temps stayed at normal. It’s a peppy little motor. I dont know how long it can last pulling this kind of weight but I will find out hahaha. Pilulling on flat land my rpms were at 2500. Overall I give it a 7.5 out of 10.

 

[Kris1983]

Thanks. Glad to hear from someone who's actually towed with this configuration! Hopefully, some other 1500 8-speed Pentastar owners will chime in too. ...especially someone who has towed 6,000+.

 

[mlaugh]

I have a Ram 1500 v6 pentastar too. The engine is peppy and I have enjoyed my time with it. I tow a 4500 lb travel trailer and load the bed up with about 300 lbs of crap. It does pretty well. In fact I think it does as well as the 2007 f150 5.4 v8 I traded in. I get MUCH better fuel mileage too.

 

[Random_Walk]

I drag around maybe 3500 lbs max on occasion, but with 3.21 gearing, I'm pretty close to maximum (4400lbs) by doing that, but I've never experienced any massive slowdowns. Yeah, I gotta up the RPMs a little, but otherwise it's quite doable and works just fine for me.

 

[Marine Les]

I have the 3.6/3.55 and have been towing 4000 in the mountains and it does fine however I am patient and use my tranny to not get bogged down climbing. If I see a grade I will down shift and get the rpm up in 4000 range for the speed I think the truck and load is possible on a given grade. I see you will be pulling about every other weekend and if it were me towing that often I would opt for the 5.7/3.92 rig and make towing easier.

 

[PoMansRam]

Oldie thread here, but like probably mentioned above, the issue with the Pentastar powered Ram (and it's not really an issue) is they have the 'lighter duty' 8HP45 transmission as opposed to the higher torque capacity handling 8HP70 that the 5.7's have. A lower ****-end ratio just reduces the torque loading across the transmission, thus why a 3.6L with the 3.55s can handle more weight than the 3.21.

In terms of longevity, I don't see the Pentastar being negatively effected by towing any more than any V8 would. It's built for it. The blocks and cranks are strong, they hold lots of oil and have large cooling systems.

The coolest thing I found out recently when shopping new Ram classics with a family member, the 3.55 gear option will only set you back a massive $95. It's kind of silly not to get a 3.55 if you can find one in a 3.6L you like. Kinda hard to find because they don't come specific with an option package. You have to put "3.55" into the dealers website search bar to find'em.

 

[Marine Les]

I agree with PoMans and think the 3.55 is a no brainer option with the 3.6 and it should be standard. From mpg reports there appears to be little or no difference between the 3.21 and 3.55 gearing so for $95 it makes total sense. When I shopped for my 3.6 I would only look for one with 3.55s because I do tow.

 

[GrumpyOleMan]

Power is a strange thing in a motor. My little 3.6 V6 has 305 horsepower. I used to pull a 10,000 pound fifth wheel with a 1996 F250 with the 7.5 V8. That engine is listed at 245 HP. But it had torque up the yazoo. Yes the 3.6 tows within its ratings just fine. But a larger engine with more torque will do it with less effort. That is why diesels are commonly used to tow.