1500 express 3.55 gears... Did just fine.

[h2oman]

The 3.55'S are great. I had 4.10's in my Chevy and it couldn't hold a candle to what my Ram 1500 can haul. I don't know what all the fuss is. The 3.55's rock.

 

[pt1655]

me too

My 2012 Ram 1500 tows our Forest River Surveyor 220Sport 25' trailer just fine; it weighs very close to 5000lbs loaded. Use a Husky WD hitch with little sway at all. I tow at 60mph and have gotten as high as 14 mpg, consistant 12 most of the time with a low of 7mpg against a horrendous headwind for hours at a time.
Happy towing!

 

[77olds72455]

Agreed!!! I tow a 24' enclosed with 5' v nose loaded its about 8000lbs. With winter gas 3.55 gears and the hills of Central NY I get about 8.5 MPG barely doing 65MPH. I am thinking about doing the 3.92 gear swap.

The truck will haul with 3.55, no question.

But, 3.92 will be easier on the transmission in the long run.

Lower gear ratio = easier towing.

It is a matter of physics, actually.

 

[Nutshell]

Glad to hear. I have 3:55's as well and really didn't have a choice as I wanted 4wd but they are not easy to come by in Florida.

 

[DannyMK2]

Agreed!!! I tow a 24' enclosed with 5' v nose loaded its about 8000lbs. With winter gas 3.55 gears and the hills of Central NY I get about 8.5 MPG barely doing 65MPH. I am thinking about doing the 3.92 gear swap.

the cost vs gain going from 3.55 to 3.92 isnt worth it. go at least 4.10 if you can.

 

[couleeman23]

I tow my loaded dump trailer a few times a month. I wouldn't go with 3.55's but then I am on the borderline of needing a 3/4 ton and I tow more than the average person.

A lot of people forget reality too. Towing a few time a year with the 3.55's is no big deal. The truck will handle it just fine, and for the majority of people that is all that will ever be needed. Nothing wrong with the 3.55's. It will handle what most guys need out of a half ton any day of the week.


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[PippinAin'tEasy]

i have the same truck and pulled 7000lb haul thru WV in the hills did awesome.
im sure 4.10 gears are better for pulling but hands down happy w/ 3.55.

Were you guys running stock tires at these highway speeds and hill grades?

 

[cc rider]

Ive got 3.92 on my 2014 big horn which is rated to tow 10k. I was pulling my toy hauler which is 7000 pounds in the WV hills . Its an 05 roadmaster 28' toy hauler. I had to floor it here and there. That's with the hemi. That's with 2 adults in the cab and maybe a couple hundred extra pounds in the trailer. that's why Im thinking I should have bought bigger. I have hauled it over a thousand miles now. In the flats , it does fine. On hills the hemi is working hard. I think Ill be ok cause im not towing everyday. Realistically, im probably going to use it no more than 5-10 times per year. I didn't plan on getting a camper(toy hauler) that big though when I bought the truck. The worst thing about it is the payload. I have tried airlift bags and timbren which help.

i have the same truck and pulled 7000lb haul thru WV in the hills did awesome.
im sure 4.10 gears are better for pulling but hands down happy w/ 3.55.

 

[fireguard]

Good news, I'm thinking of trading my Jeep for a 13 1500.
I believe it has the 3:55 gears.
What gear options did a 13 have and how can I tell?

 

[05christj]

I'm sure the hemi helps out a lot too.. If it was me I might struggle some since I have a 4.7

I also have the 3:55 gears and a 4.7l, I just spent the weekend pulling a 12' uhaul trailer that weighs in at 1,950 lbs, even when it was empty I could tell it was there. The trailer loaded got to just over 3,000 lbs (estimated) and was a freaking slug , constant downshifts sometimes all the way to 3rd at the slightest incline just trying to maintain 55mph. This was while keeping it in 5th as I am not aware of a tow/haul button on my truck.

This was the weekend that made me decide I am definitely not keeping this truck. As soon as I have the oppritunity I will be trading it for a 2500 Cummins crew cab short bed 4x4 for a couple reasons.

1. I have always wanted a Cummins

2. I would like to buy a boat soon and if I have to go through that a couple times a month I will cuss the truck every time.


Edit: this averaged 10-11 mpg

 

[14hemiexpress]

My truck tows fine with 3.55. The average person doesn't need 3.92. Now the misconception of it tows like nothing back there. It's a term I use and most people use. In my mind it is that I can still get on the highway with out any problems I can get to 65-70 acceleration fairly normal. With a jeep on the trailer total weight of 4500-5000 lbs I can get on the highway and cruise at 70 not to many problems, can I drop the hammer and out run the car next to me like normal no but it's easy to pull. Now I have pulled about 8000lbs of lumber and I knew that was back there I had to push it pretty good to get it moving and short on ramps would worry me luckily it was easy roads for me. If you have to have the 3.92 10k towing capacity you really should consider a 3/4ton. I understand the want for 3.92 and the better driving experience of them but 3.55 works just fine.

Here is a pic of about 8000lbs of lumber and trailer.

 

[dmullen]

If you have to have the 3.92 10k towing capacity you really should consider a 3/4ton. I understand the want for 3.92 and the better driving experience of them but 3.55 works just fine.

I don't understand this statement. I wanted a much cheaper and better riding daily driver so I got a 1500. I wanted lots of towing headroom so I got the Express with Quad Cab, HEMI, 8-spd auto, and 3.92 gears. Why should I really consider a 3/4 ton?

 

[loveracing1988]

If you have to have the 3.92 10k towing capacity you really should consider a 3/4ton. I understand the want for 3.92 and the better driving experience of them but 3.55 works just fine.

I don't understand this statement. I wanted a much cheaper and better riding daily driver so I got a 1500. I wanted lots of towing headroom so I got the Express with Quad Cab, HEMI, 8-spd auto, and 3.92 gears. Why should I really consider a 3/4 ton?

Probably because if you are towing 10000 pounds you should have invested in a truck that is more capable of towing such a load. Can a 1/2 ton truck tow it? Sure, but if your doing it on a constant basis you will be hating life and so will your truck.

 

[14hemiexpress]

If you have to have the 3.92 10k towing capacity you really should consider a 3/4ton. I understand the want for 3.92 and the better driving experience of them but 3.55 works just fine.

Probably because if you are towing 10000 pounds you should have invested in a truck that is more capable of towing such a load. Can a 1/2 ton truck tow it? Sure, but if your doing it on a constant basis you will be hating life and so will your truck.

^^ he understands me.

 

[smurfs_of_war]

so it's all loaded. 6200lbs empty add 100 gallons of water and food clothes bedding I'm thinkin 7100 also have a cord of wood in the bed and a case of beer... Only a little sag and is hauling great

This thread is hellishly old, but I was reviewing some older threads I subscribed to. Did I read this correct? You had a *cord* of wood in the bed with beer, tongue weight of the trailer, and bodies in the cab? A cord being roughly 2000lbs plus depending on species and moisture? Where in hell did you put 100 gallons (834lbs) of water in that thing?

 

[PippinAin'tEasy]

A cord of wood measures (approx.) 4x4x8 ft. coming in @ a volume of 128 cubic feet. Add 100 gal. of fresh h20 and methinks OP misspoke or is a Time Lord with Tardis technology.

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[NYCruiser]

I think the 100 gallons of water is in the tank inside the trailer along with the food, clothes and bedding he mentions.

 

[PippinAin'tEasy]

I think the 100 gallons of water is in the tank inside the trailer along with the food, clothes and bedding he mentions.

Since we're playing the Lazarus game with this thread all Coachman models I've found have a 46 gal. fresh water tank. I suppose OP could have 5 10 gal. Water tanks in the trailer but, with the wood, you now have ~2500 lbs in a unit with a cargo capacity of 1600 lbs. Still rooting for the Time Lord theory

 

[electricme]

Holy old posts to an old thread with an even older reply... I did exagerate i guess, it wasnt a cord of wood it was a bed full I didnt really know what a cord was to be honest (eek) and I guessed on the water tank since it was under the queen bed and was about 12 inches deep i just figured 100 gallons.

Regardless of my exageration I had it as loaded as its ever gonna get and it did just fine. and Im gonna do it again in a few months

 

[DiggerDerrik]

Thanks

I found this thread after making what I thought might be a huge mistake. I'll try to keep it brief. When my grandfather passed away a few years ago I inherited his 04 Ram 1500 5.7 4x4 QC only has 85,000 miles. I've been planning on getting a travel trailer for it for awhile. I did added an auxiliary tranny cooler and a temp gauge in prep for this. Yesterday I went to an RV show and fell in love with a heavy girl in the form of a 25' Wilderness TT. Dry weight is 5996. I finally got around to checking the glovebox this morning and discovered the truck has 3.55 gears. I sorta panicked as I realized I'd just lost 1000lbs in tow capacity. I sorta figured a truck that came with the tow package (like the window sticker says) would automatically come with 3.92.

I live in Western Washington which has no shortage of hills and we are planning a trip to Yellowstone next summer which means crossing the Cascade and Rocky Mountain ranges. After reading this thread I feel a bit better. I was already cautious about the dry weight on the TT but now I guess what I'll do is pack light and take it easy up the mountains. Most of the other camping I'll do with it wont involve crossing the mountains. It's pretty flat on the roads to the ocean. Thanks for the thread and the 3 year old info guys. I can sleep again