Towing modifications 2014 1500 5.7

Zeitg · Sep 6, 2021

Hi All,

Thanks everyone for posting your mods/issues/experiences it has helped me a lot over the summer. We bought a Jayco travel trailer 31 ft 6000 lbs dry. I was new to "camping" and never towed anything before. This forum helped me prioritize my modifications and their order of installation.

When I picked up the camper I couldn't help but be nervous the first time I felt some sway. Getting a 3500 dually is not in the cards for me right now so I sought out some modifications to help with the load.

This is just my personal experience, I know nothing I learn from youtube.

I have a 2014 1500 5.7 with the 8 speed transmission. I installed in this order: Powerstop rotors and pads, TuftTrucks 1211 rear coils, Bilstein 4600 rear shocks, Hellwig rear sway bar, and a pair towing mirrors.

Powerstop: made a massive difference in stopping power and braking distance
TuftTrucks 1211: 1/4 inch improvement on rear sag, some improvement when towing
Bilstein/Hellwig: I installed the shocks and rear sway bar at the same time. This made a massive improvement on my towing experience. The trailer felt more attached to the truck and the whole experience was much more pleasant.
Towing mirrors made a significant vision improvement, absolute must have.

Right now I have a recurve r3 hitch, I don't love it. I will probably update for next season.

I started with some short 60-90 minute trips and by the end of the summer I made it from CT -SC and back. I monitor temps throughout the drive.

On the highway (about 65 MPH) my coolant would hover between 215-218, if I hit 220 I would slow down. Oil temps varied between 235-248, trans temp would stay in the 190s. I use PUP 5w20 and did a drain and fill with Chrysler coolant.

We travel light nothing in the bed and with about 385lbs of passenger weight.

Potential plans for next year are: upgrade WDH, rims/tires, front shock/struts, maybe a tune, maybe headers, maybe CAI.

Thanks for all the posts you guys have put up and looking forward to hearing what mods work best for you guys.

Randy Grant · Sep 6, 2021

Zeitg said:
Hi All,

Thanks everyone for posting your mods/issues/experiences it has helped me a lot over the summer. We bought a Jayco travel trailer 31 ft 6000 lbs dry. I was new to "camping" and never towed anything before. This forum helped me prioritize my modifications and their order of installation.

When I picked up the camper I couldn't help but be nervous the first time I felt some sway. Getting a 3500 dually is not in the cards for me right now so I sought out some modifications to help with the load.

This is just my personal experience, I know nothing I learn from youtube.

I have a 2014 1500 5.7 with the 8 speed transmission. I installed in this order: Powerstop rotors and pads, TuftTrucks 1211 rear coils, Bilstein 4600 rear shocks, Hellwig rear sway bar, and a pair towing mirrors.

Powerstop: made a massive difference in stopping power and braking distance
TuftTrucks 1211: 1/4 inch improvement on rear sag, some improvement when towing
Bilstein/Hellwig: I installed the shocks and rear sway bar at the same time. This made a massive improvement on my towing experience. The trailer felt more attached to the truck and the whole experience was much more pleasant.
Towing mirrors made a significant vision improvement, absolute must have.

Right now I have a recurve r3 hitch, I don't love it. I will probably update for next season.

I started with some short 60-90 minute trips and by the end of the summer I made it from CT -SC and back. I monitor temps throughout the drive.

On the highway (about 65 MPH) my coolant would hover between 215-218, if I hit 220 I would slow down. Oil temps varied between 235-248, trans temp would stay in the 190s. I use PUP 5w20 and did a drain and fill with Chrysler coolant.

We travel light nothing in the bed and with about 385lbs of passenger weight.

Potential plans for next year are: upgrade WDH, rims/tires, front shock/struts, maybe a tune, maybe headers, maybe CAI.

Thanks for all the posts you guys have put up and looking forward to hearing what mods work best for you guys.

While the upgrades/mods on the truck and hitch are great ideas, don't forget the trailer. Take a look at the trailer tires and you will most likely see that they are barely adequate for the dry trailer weight, and made in China. You might want to think seriously about going to a higher weight rating and a better grade of tire. Those china bombs are notorious for blowouts. Had several myself and luckily no body damage that wasn't easily repaired. worst case it takes out the pluming/sewer dump.

2010_Laramie · Sep 6, 2021

I'd recommend a class 4 hitch, class 3 is for light towing and class 5 is for heavy duty towing. Class 5 will work on the 1500, but their towing weight capacity is going to exceed the gross towing capacity of the truck.
For front struts I'd recommend Monroe Expert Series Part #172292. It is the full strut assembly, so just a drop-in replacement. For rear shocks, I used Monroe Expert series 550060 and both are working great so far. I checked the fitment for the Monroe products, and they fit your Ram.
Hope this helped.

TiPo235 · Oct 4, 2021

Better save some money for a transmission. I tow a 30’ Jayco 6500 dry and am looking at a replacement.

Randy Grant · Oct 6, 2021

TiPo235 said:
Better save some money for a transmission. I tow a 30’ Jayco 6500 dry and am looking at a replacement.

Towing 10000 and never a problem. Guess I got a good one.

crash68 · Oct 6, 2021

Zeitg said:
Potential plans for next year are: upgrade WDH, rims/tires, front shock/struts, maybe a tune, maybe headers, maybe CAI.

If your thinking of going with a CAI, buy the lower part of an EcoDiesel air filter box, it has a larger air inlet opening. This mod is posted on the forum (somewhere). You and also use the air filter from and EcoDiesel, it's thicker, has more pleats and is also the same filter used in the HD truck 6.4 Hemi

2010_Laramie said:
I'd recommend a class 4 hitch, class 3 is for light towing and class 5 is for heavy duty towing. Class 5 will work on the 1500, but their towing weight capacity is going to exceed the gross towing capacity of the truck.

His truck already has a Class 4 which technically exceeds the capacity of the truck. The OP mentioned replacing his WDH, you buy those based on the weight of trailer your going to use it on. The tension bars will have different spring rates and having one rated for too much can cause adjustment and/or handling issues.

Jughed · Oct 11, 2021

Randy Grant said:
While the upgrades/mods on the truck and hitch are great ideas, don't forget the trailer. Take a look at the trailer tires and you will most likely see that they are barely adequate for the dry trailer weight, and made in China. You might want to think seriously about going to a higher weight rating and a better grade of tire. Those china bombs are notorious for blowouts. Had several myself and luckily no body damage that wasn't easily repaired. worst case it takes out the pluming/sewer dump.

I'm not sure about his Jayco - mine (a lower end model) came stock with Goodyear Endurance tires that were rated for the load + some. Over 25k on them with no issues.

RichieW13 · Jun 14, 2022

Zeitg said:
Powerstop: made a massive difference in stopping power and braking distance

Have you towed down steep, winding roads?

I also put Powerstops on the front of my truck. I recently went down a steep, winding road with my trailer and I could feel the brakes start to fade a little and I could smell them cooking. I pulled over and let them cool halfway down the hill.

I was hoping the Powerstop upgrade would prevent that.

2003F350 · Jun 15, 2022

TiPo235 said:
Better save some money for a transmission. I tow a 30’ Jayco 6500 dry and am looking at a replacement.

Randy Grant said:
Towing 10000 and never a problem. Guess I got a good one.

A LOT of transmission life has to do with how you drive it. If you're trying to run 70+ with a 6.5k camper behind you, you're putting a LOT more stress on that transmission than if you're running 65 and under. If you're hammering it from stoplight to stoplight empty, you're going to go through transmissions. But if you're taking it easy and not trying to win a race every time you drive, it'll last a LONG time.

I don't have a 1500, but I drive like a grandpa 90% of the time. I don't speed, and when I'm towing basically anything the most I'll run is 65. At 65 I'm getting about 11mpg with my PW pulling our 7k-ish travel trailer, I really don't want to see it going any lower. I also want to get where I'm going safely, and if time is a concern I leave earlier.

I'm not trying to say anything about anyone, but unless it's a widely known issue like pre-2017 6.4 lifters, it's bad form to assume everyone else has the same issue as you.

runamuck · Aug 29, 2022

sounds like maybe the trailer brakes arent doing their share. my trailer has 4 wheel brakes and I have controller set at 5.5. I always seem to have plenty of stopping power. I think the '19 models may have larger rotors. I recently did a trip from DFW to woodland park co. which is west of co. springs at 8500". had no trouble coming down from there or going up and over Raton pass.

Towing modifications 2014 1500 5.7

Zeitg

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Randy Grant

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2010_Laramie

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TiPo235

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Randy Grant

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crash68

ACME product engineer

Jughed

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RichieW13

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2003F350

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runamuck

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