Half Ton Towing???

[LumberJakl]

In regards to rear airbags. In my experience they definitely help with towing especially if you have too much tongue weight which causes excessive squat. Technically they do not transfer weight from the rear to the front, but if you do have excessive rear squat it does move the center of gravity back some, which is basically shifting weight rearwards. I'm not saying they work the same as a WDH or transfer anywhere near as much weight, but they do help with weight transfer some. Airbags do not replace WDH, but they do help. Regardless of any weight transfer, having airbags on my truck make it feel much more stable and planted when towing. I don't get nearly as much sway and "porpoising" going down the freeway.

That's pretty much what I was getting at, you can see that I still use WDH with my trailers

 

[13Goat]

Had a 2014 Hemi, 3:21 gears, bone stock on tires, etc.--travel trailer that grossed out about 9500#. Thought I was good to go. Hooked up with a weight distribution hitch and made a trial run of about 30 miles of mixed terrain (flat ground and some hills). I don't think that the tranny ever upshifted to overdrive, and the engine sounded like it was coming out from under the hood. Unless you are going to pull something like a Casita or Scamp, I'd say swap that POS for something with a Cummins in it.

 

[Biggfoot44]

All depends on the quality of lift that was put in. Cheap lift then you are going to lose some capacity but if a good quality lift was put in your capacity should have stayed the same..

Properly done " good " lift will be " less worse " , but won't repeal the Laws of Physics .

It's still changing the Center of Gravity , and the Roll Center .

 

[vetteyog]

I tow a 6500lb (scaled weight) travel trailer with my 1500. tounge weight is 920lbs (scales) It does a fine job, but I wouldn't want to go any bigger than that. My truck is stock ride height with air bags. 5.7l, 6 spd, 3.55 gears. I think the lift is going to make the ride rough. Also, I get around 8.25-9.0 miles per gallon when towing.

 

[ramffml]

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[ramffml]

I tow a 6500lb (scaled weight) travel trailer with my 1500. tounge weight is 920lbs (scales) It does a fine job, but I wouldn't want to go any bigger than that. My truck is stock ride height with air bags. 5.7l, 6 spd, 3.55 gears. I think the lift is going to make the ride rough. Also, I get around 8.25-9.0 miles per gallon when towing.

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Just curious, what are your rpms sitting at when going 60-ish on the freeway?

 

[vetteyog]

Just curious, what are your rpms sitting at when going 60-ish on the freeway?

1500-1800. I always use tow haul mode, which keeps it in 5th gear.

 

[ramffml]

1500-1800. I always use tow haul mode, which keeps it in 5th gear.

Sounds about right; I have 8 speed and 3.21 and it will tow in 7th at around 1800 ish rpms if I let it, but it is really happy at 2100 to 2200 rpms and that's also "direct" drive for me so I lock it down to 6th and it cruises there for hours, lots of power left in reserve even for passing people without needing a downshift. In 7th gear I feel like there is nothing left in reserve, any time you need to dip into the pedal it downshifts.

 

[vetteyog]

Sounds about right; I have 8 speed and 3.21 and it will tow in 7th at around 1800 ish rpms if I let it, but it is really happy at 2100 to 2200 rpms and that's also "direct" drive for me so I lock it down to 6th and it cruises there for hours, lots of power left in reserve even for passing people without needing a downshift. In 7th gear I feel like there is nothing left in reserve, any time you need to dip into the pedal it downshifts.

Mine is a 6 spd, I wish I had an 8. I know what you mean, mine will downshift to 4th anytime I give it some throttle input, or slight grade.

 

[U&A]

OP if it were me, I'd find another tow vehicle or put this one back to stock. Sure, it might physically tow it, but a lift kills towability. You may still be within your numbers but the experience is likely to be uncomfortable and frustrating with anything much larger than an rPod. If you have 3.21 gearing running 37s, forget it. But... if you want to try it, by all means. Sometimes experience is better than anecdote.

Lifted trucks generally aren't very tow friendly (coming from someone who had a lifted truck at one point and that towed with it).

Spot on.

Even my stock height 3500 with 4.88 gears can tell the difference in towing difficulty when going from the stock 33” tall tires to 35” tires.

Even towing under 10,000lbs with a equipment trailer (trailer included) i am often locked out in 4th, sometimes 5th on the easy flat terrain, and let her work at 55-65 mph. With the RFE in the 3500 The trans will run cooler in 4th with higher engine RPM VS 5th with lower engine RPM.

It makes a much bigger difference than most will admit.


IMO form towing experience …… You want to tow anything with a 1/2 ton. Loose the 37’s and lift.