For the towing newbies...

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nlambert182

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One thing that I never see anyone mention is the trailer tires.... A LOT of trailers come with el-cheapo tires that are rated for 65 mph max. For those who are towing at speeds higher than that, what do your trailer tires say? I upgraded the tires on my fifth wheel (confirming that my rims supported the added PSI they needed) from 10 ply to 14 ply G rated tires that would allow me 75mph speeds (though I never tow that fast). I'm surprised that few mention this. Even if you load it properly, a blowout could be the end of the game.

I'd also suggest confirming the PSI that your stock Ram wheels are rated for. I know my 3500 dually rims were rated for 85psi, but I'd be curious to know if 1500 rims are rated for even 60 psi, but I honestly don't tow heavy enough any longer to ever look.
 

62Blazer

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One thing that I never see anyone mention is the trailer tires.... A LOT of trailers come with el-cheapo tires that are rated for 65 mph max. For those who are towing at speeds higher than that, what do your trailer tires say? I upgraded the tires on my fifth wheel (confirming that my rims supported the added PSI they needed) from 10 ply to 14 ply G rated tires that would allow me 75mph speeds (though I never tow that fast). I'm surprised that few mention this. Even if you load it properly, a blowout could be the end of the game.

I'd also suggest confirming the PSI that your stock Ram wheels are rated for. I know my 3500 dually rims were rated for 85psi, but I'd be curious to know if 1500 rims are rated for even 60 psi, but I honestly don't tow heavy enough any longer to ever look.
The max speed rating of the trailer tires is something you should look at, including the load rating. However even the cheapest ones out there are usually rated for at least 75 mph nowadays, this is simply to accommodate the higher speed limits and the ability of trucks to pull at faster speed. The max speed rating is also at the max load on the tire. The lower the load on the tire the less of an issue speed is.........again, not saying that aspect is not important. But if a tire is rated at a max speed of 75 mph that is at max load, which will cause the most stress (heat build up, etc...). If you are only running the tires at 70% of the load capacity you generally have a little more room for speed........and of course not saying you should be towing your 15k lb. travel trailer at 90 mph down the freeway...........
 

gwilburn

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My brand new D-Rated Carlisle said it didn't like a bolt laying on the turnpike (guessing a bolt based on hole). I didn't even feel this. Someone flagged me to pull over. These are radial trailer tires (ST) - rating exceeds the 3500 pound rating of the torsion axle (2 x 3500 = 7000 lbs).
And you should always calculate snow load in GCVW lol.
*Added a pic of a typical drive dragging the trailer in the UP of Michigan. For those that have asked about Falken Wild Peak AT3 - I highly recommend them. They are wearing better than any tire I've had and bite well on this stuff. However, they ride a bit stiffer.
 

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nlambert182

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The max speed rating of the trailer tires is something you should look at, including the load rating. However even the cheapest ones out there are usually rated for at least 75 mph nowadays, this is simply to accommodate the higher speed limits and the ability of trucks to pull at faster speed. The max speed rating is also at the max load on the tire. The lower the load on the tire the less of an issue speed is.........again, not saying that aspect is not important. But if a tire is rated at a max speed of 75 mph that is at max load, which will cause the most stress (heat build up, etc...). If you are only running the tires at 70% of the load capacity you generally have a little more room for speed........and of course not saying you should be towing your 15k lb. travel trailer at 90 mph down the freeway...........
Eh I don't know.... .... every fifth wheel camper I've owned in the past 10 years has had a 65 mph speed rating from the factory. Even the larger fifth wheels. This is something that a lot of folks assume without actually taking the time to look at it.
 
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JJEH

JJEH

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One thing that I never see anyone mention is the trailer tires.... A LOT of trailers come with el-cheapo tires that are rated for 65 mph max. For those who are towing at speeds higher than that, what do your trailer tires say? I upgraded the tires on my fifth wheel (confirming that my rims supported the added PSI they needed) from 10 ply to 14 ply G rated tires that would allow me 75mph speeds (though I never tow that fast). I'm surprised that few mention this. Even if you load it properly, a blowout could be the end of the game.

I'd also suggest confirming the PSI that your stock Ram wheels are rated for. I know my 3500 dually rims were rated for 85psi, but I'd be curious to know if 1500 rims are rated for even 60 psi, but I honestly don't tow heavy enough any longer to ever look.
I agree on the trailer tires. With them I did rely on Uhaul, and I did not specifically check for speed/weight rating, just overall condition. I'm getting a car hauler so I assume it's ready and up to spec.! Even if it was just a J tire (up to 62mph), I think 65-70 is still okay. The 55mph sticker they put on is just for liability reasons, as they also say on their website that it's the recommended speed.

Not sure about the rim psi rating though. We used to stamp the data on the rims, true...

The GAWR is 3,900lbs front/rear, which is a minimum load of 1,950lbs for each wheel. I don't remember having ever seen 1,950lbs rated wheels, but still waiting on confirmation from RAM since there's nothing on the rim itself from what I could see. Either way, that weight is perfectly fine with a 800lb tongue weight and some other stuff in the bed.

My tires are 10ply, so they'll do 80psi, and Discount Tire has assured me that the valves they use also go to 80. The valve seems to be the weakest link here...

The factory RAM tires did only go to 44psi I think. But they are junk and getting LT tires is worth the money in my opinion.
 

nascar72

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Let's talk about the "Tow/ Haul" mode. Why is it there?

As a former automatic transmission specialist for GM and Ford, I'll happily share with you the training I got from world-class gurus at those factory training facilities.

Automatic transmissions with integral "overdrive" have a great advantage over non overdrive units in their abilities to reduce high speed cruising engine RPM, thus improving both fuel economy and engine life! Problem is, for every advantage, there are usually one or multiple disadvantages.

In the good old days, transmissions didn't have lock up torque converters, AND the final drive ratio OF the transmission was always 1 to 1. So, as my late grandfather would do, he would back his 455 powered Pontiac Grandville with the venerable TH400 tranny to his heavy boat trailer, hook said boat and trailer to the receiver, and put the shifter into "D", and go. No problem.

Enter the more modern 3-speed trannies of the early 80's that incorporated lock up torque converters, and the problems began. The twinky-noodle clutch in the converter for lock up was good only for cruise speeds at light throttle to maintain cruise conditions, NOT for towing of heavy loads. Period.
Add in the internal overdrive system of, oh, say the MD8 (TH 700R4) introduced in 1981. This combined both the overdrive WITH the TCC (Torque Converter Clutch) locking up. This was/ is a recipe for disaster when one tows a load or lades down a truck/van/ SUV and drives high speeds in overdrive. Why?

Enter that ancient dead dude, Archimedes. The laws of leverage and "mechanical advantage". See, most modern transmissions operate at anywhere between .69 to .75 to 1 ratio for overdrive. This means one is using the short end of a lever straddling a fulcrum to provide power to move a car/ truck. This is known as "Mechanical disadvantage". Add a load, and the stresses on the gear train of the O/D planetary set under overdrive conditions, and their longevity goes into the toilet, simply because the strain on them rises exponentially.

Add the twinky-noodle converter clutch into the equation, and what we have here in an unscheduled Bar-B-Que due to a combination of naturally lower line pressure and the mechanical disadvantage of overdrive AND NOW Ladies and Gentlemen!, We add WAY more heat into the equation! And "Whizz-Bang" go components!

Through much trial end error on the Big3 companies' R&D departments, they figured all these dynamics out! Upgrades over 40 + years have developed into a "Tow/Haul" mode which in many cases disables the overdrive, increases line pressures for the added stresses to the drive components IN the transmission, and in some cases turns off TCC. You ever notice, too, that Tow package equipped vehicles have larger radiators and external transmission oil coolers? Yup.

Some light trucks come equipped with transmissions originally designed for medium duty trucks... e.g. Allisons in GM's. This enables use of overdrive AND TCC in some instances, but let's talk overkill! ;)
Eversince I started towing an RV trailer , I knew right from the start not to put the tanny in OD when I had my Chevy Blazer S.U.V.s over 20 years ago. I would just put it in D or 3rd. Now I have an '08 Dodge Ram 2500 5.7 with the 5-45RFE tranny. I do have the Tow/Haul mode and how it works, besides delaying the 2nd-3rd gear shifts, it will lock up TCC in 3rd (as opposed to locking up in 4th in normal drive mode) and if vehicle speed becomes stable it will eventually shift in 4th but 5ft would be canceled.

After trying it a few times towing my 7k lbs 5ftwheel RV, I didn't realy like the 3rd-4th back and forth everytime I would climb up a small incline so I just cancel both 4th and 5ft gears and drive it in 3rd (D) witch is, like you mentionned, 1:1 ratio. The engine spins about 2 500 rpms @ around roughly 60 mph. Got enough torque for the small to moderate inclines without the TCC to disengage and gives me more engine braking going down light to moderate hills.

It's kinda funny listening to people actually being concerned about their tranny not reaching 7th or 8th gear and worrying about burning more fuel than wanting to save their tranny.
 

ranchhopper

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Looks like a nice setup. Give us a little more info please :)
I just bought the truck in January its a 2500 tradesman the tractor is a 44 ford 2N I rebuilt from the ground up I used the truck last month to haul a skidsteer home I bought too.
 

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nascar72

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They are too expensive not to care o_O
Exactly and also much simpler to put more gas than rebuilding or replacing a tranny imo. And, oh btw, I don't even know if there's at leas 1 mpg difference.
 

Sherman Bird

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I don't know about you, but I read my owner's manual. It sure takes all the mystery of how and what to do.
I recently bought an old, high mileage 2002 S/T Blazer to restify (raise from the dead). It sat for 5 years and has 253,000+ miles on it. The FIRST thing I noticed was there was no owner's manual. I promptly ordered and received one off E-bay.

It mystifies me as to why people remove the owner's manuals from vehicles, but they do. My 2004 Ranger was missing it's manual, and, ditto on the E-bay solution with it. My wife's 2007 Sorento seemingly was missing it's owner's manual, but, when I inventoried and scrutinized the vehicle more closely after buying it (Was in a salvage queue for scrap, so I got it filthy cheap)I finally found it after discovering a drawer under the passenger front seat, and a shallow compartment under a false floor in the rear cargo area. It was in that rear hidden compartment. What was it stowed there for? Anybody's guess.

One of my VERY loyal customers brought his 2002 Ranger in for an apparent fuel related issue a few weeks ago. If you're familiar with Ford, the lids to the fuse panels do NOT identify which fuses or relays do what. That information is in the owner's manual. His problem turned out to be the inertia switch, but... where was the doggone thing? I found it's location through my online professional Automotive information system, because I repair cars professionally. His owner's manual was never in the truck (He's owned it for 15 0r so years). Every time it came in, I'd have to refer to my info system and print out details germane to that vehicle's electrical info (relay and fuse details) and for locating things like the inertia switch. The inertia switch is designed to open the fuel pump circuit in the event of impact (accident) to help prevent fuel related fire. So, as a gift to him, I ordered an owner's manual from E-bay and gave it to him as a gift. NOW, he can make heads or tails out of not only fuses and relays, he can figure out all other aspects of that truck's operation.
 

Random_Walk

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It mystifies me as to why people remove the owner's manuals from vehicles, but they do.


My 2017 didn't actually come with one... it did however come with a DVD with the owner's manual on it. To be fair, since I bought the truck used, I have no idea if it was supposed to have a paper manual or not.
 

turkeybird56

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Getting ready for a six hour tow pulling my 3000 pound
tractor out to iowa.
Pulling with a 2500, U not even know it is there, that small weight, LOL.
 

Sherman Bird

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My 2017 didn't actually come with one... it did however come with a DVD with the owner's manual on it. To be fair, since I bought the truck used, I have no idea if it was supposed to have a paper manual or not.
At least it CAME with instructions and references and maintenance guidelines. THAT was my point. A DVD is as of late the format some of the newer vehicles have. One of my customers has a recent Lexus RX SUV. The owner's book is on par with the Bible! :)
 

2003F350

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My 2017 didn't actually come with one... it did however come with a DVD with the owner's manual on it. To be fair, since I bought the truck used, I have no idea if it was supposed to have a paper manual or not.

It should have come with one originally. My '17 has one, it stays in the little slot in the glove box that is, imagine this, the PERFECT size for just the owner's manual!

But I echo the statements, I have bought SO MANY used cars that just...don't have an owner's manual. Both from private party and dealers. I don't know if people just throw them away, or if dealers toss them out when they detail a car, or what...but there's a LOT of important info in those that apparently a wide swath of owners just don't care about.
 
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