Help with towing. New to owning a dodge

[Ksand2020]

I recently purchased a 2020 dodge ram tradesman 6.4 hemi with a gas engine. The reason I purchased this vehicle was to tow an 8000 lb travel trailer. My trips will be from California to Montana twice a year. As I have never owned a Dodge truck, I’m new to the electronics in gear ratios. This specific truck has a thing called gear limit on the steering wheel and negative and a positive. What should that be in when I am towing this vehicle? even though it’s a 2500 it still feels kind of hard or slow on pulling.what is typical RPM and speed should I be in for flat highways and then what should it look like going up the hill to Reno from Sacramento on those grades? Where should I be with RPM and speed? Do I need to adjust the gear limiter as I drive?

 

[mtnrider]

Don't worry abut the gear selector, it will down shift if it needs to. Hard and slow pulling is because you have a gas engine in a heavy HD truck, it's not going to win any races.

Don't over think it, just drive....

.

 

[SniperDroid]

Dittos to mtnrider! Just put it in Tow/Haul and let the engine do the work. Watch the coolant and tranny temp going up long steep grades as you would in any other truck. Enjoy the ride, the 6.4 is a beast!

 

[Tulecreeper]

I recently purchased a 2020 dodge ram tradesman 6.4 hemi with a gas engine. The reason I purchased this vehicle was to tow an 8000 lb travel trailer. My trips will be from California to Montana twice a year. As I have never owned a Dodge truck, I’m new to the electronics in gear ratios. This specific truck has a thing called gear limit on the steering wheel and negative and a positive. What should that be in when I am towing this vehicle? even though it’s a 2500 it still feels kind of hard or slow on pulling.what is typical RPM and speed should I be in for flat highways and then what should it look like going up the hill to Reno from Sacramento on those grades? Where should I be with RPM and speed? Do I need to adjust the gear limiter as I drive?

Before anyone else pings on you for it, it's not a Dodge anymore...hasn't been since 2010. It's just RAM now.

 

[diymirage]

Before anyone else pings on you for it, it's not a Dodge anymore...hasn't been since 2010. It's just RAM now.

Mine will always been a dodge, I don't care what Tony over at Fiat says

 

[Jim S]

All my Rams have been Dodges. My 1984 D150, My 2005 Quad Cab 1500, my 2013 Quad Cab 1500, and my current 2021 Laramie Sport Crew Cab. ******* Frogs and Guineas are screwing up our trucks by trying to turn them into Eye-Talian vehicles!

 

[dhay13]

Like said above, just put it in tow/haul and let the truck work. 8000lbs is nothing for that truck. I tow a 9000lb boat and my son towed an 8100lb TT with his almost 10,000 miles and never an issue.

 

[Randy Grant]

I recently purchased a 2020 dodge ram tradesman 6.4 hemi with a gas engine. The reason I purchased this vehicle was to tow an 8000 lb travel trailer. My trips will be from California to Montana twice a year. As I have never owned a Dodge truck, I’m new to the electronics in gear ratios. This specific truck has a thing called gear limit on the steering wheel and negative and a positive. What should that be in when I am towing this vehicle? even though it’s a 2500 it still feels kind of hard or slow on pulling.what is typical RPM and speed should I be in for flat highways and then what should it look like going up the hill to Reno from Sacramento on those grades? Where should I be with RPM and speed? Do I need to adjust the gear limiter as I drive?

And Pandoras box is again opened.

 

[Choupique]

Just click the tow haul button and drive. Modern trucks have dramatically reduced the stress associated with towing heavy. Just click the button, set the brakes and enjoy the scenery.

 

[Ratman6161]

I just put it in tow/haul and let the transmission edo what it wants. Sometimes I'll push the - button to turn on the limiter then press the + button until 8 is displayed. This is actually completely unnecessary, but I like that it let's me see what gear its in.

 

[2003F350]

Agree with most of the above - set your brake gain, set up your WDH and sway control properly, put it in Tow/Haul, and drive at a speed you're comfortable. The truck isn't going to 'struggle' in the mountains, but you aren't going to be the first one to the top either. The 6.4 is a capable motor.

Personally I don't like to tow over 65 mph regardless of what I'm pulling, but that's where I'm comfortable at. Even with the brakes on your truck and trailer, that's a LOT of weight to bring to a stop in an emergency. I CAN tow faster, and occasionally I do, but I've got to have a reason to - most of the time I don't, I just want to enjoy my drive and get to my destination safely.

 

[nlambert182]

Everyone nailed it. You'll be just fine with the truck. Let it decide what it needs to do. Hit the tow/haul button, set the gain on the brake controller, and press the right pedal.

 

[Wire4money]

I just put it in tow/haul and let the transmission edo what it wants. Sometimes I'll push the - button to turn on the limiter then press the + button until 8 is displayed. This is actually completely unnecessary, but I like that it lets me see what gear it’s in.

In my 22, there is a setting to display the gear it’s in all the time.

 

[Riccochet]

Tow/Haul and send it. An 8k trailer for that truck should be no problem.

 

[crash68]

Do I need to adjust the gear limiter as I drive?

Most likely not, the Tow/Haul mode will usually keep it in the right gear.
Don't try to force shift the transmission either, in other words don't speed up then intentionally slow down to get the transmission to shift.
Despite a lot of ney sayers, cruise control can be your friend. The engine and transmission will use the speed information to maintain the vehicle speed. You may have to cancel the cruise control depending on how steep of grade your climbing, or just just before creating the peak of the hill. Going down the grade drop the speed setting about 5 mph less than you want to descend and the engine and trans control will make adjustments to bring the vehicle to that speed. How it the CC is set will depend on how heavy the load is and the grade of the hill.

 

[2003F350]

Most likely not, the Tow/Haul mode will usually keep it in the right gear.
Don't try to force shift the transmission either, in other words don't speed up then intentionally slow down to get the transmission to shift.
Despite a lot of ney sayers, cruise control can be your friend. The engine and transmission will use the speed information to maintain the vehicle speed. You may have to cancel the cruise control depending on how steep of grade your climbing, or just just before creating the peak of the hill. Going down the grade drop the speed setting about 5 mph less than you want to descend and the engine and trans control will make adjustments to bring the vehicle to that speed. How it the CC is set will depend on how heavy the load is and the grade of the hill.

I use cruise control frequently, probably most of the time, when towing. I don't see a reason why not to. I don't pull many big grades though.

I don't think I'd use ADAPTIVE cruise control though - I don't know if it is smart enough to recognize that you don't want to get as close to the person in front of you with a trailer behind you.

 

[chaosh1]

I use cruise control frequently, probably most of the time, when towing. I don't see a reason why not to. I don't pull many big grades though.

I don't think I'd use ADAPTIVE cruise control though - I don't know if it is smart enough to recognize that you don't want to get as close to the person in front of you with a trailer behind you.

I'd like to try it out, but here in Los Angeles it seems the moment your towing something the idiots come out the wood works and cut you off left and right. Its not even that im going slow (60-65) but damn... Train horn is on my agenda. i'm pretty sure my 6 year old daughter will like that horn more than i will. She already complains when i don't use my horn when i get cut off... "DAD.. Why didn't you honk your horn!! Did you see that guy?" Its really only cause I muttered some colorful words that she happened to somehow hear

 

[nlambert182]

For whatever reason, more people pull out in front of my 2500s/3500s than anything else we've ever owned and it seems that they like to do it when we have a load behind us.

My wife refuses to drive my trucks for that very reason.

 

[Jim BB]

quick question and not meant to open a can of worms !!! 2019 1500 5.7 hemi 8sp 4x4 crew 5.7 box with factory Trailer brake 3:21 rear gear GVW 6900 Lbs with aftermarket I am looking at air bags added in rear coils ! I am looking at a TT 32 foot long 6283 Lbs dry with WDH as well will i be able to safely tow this trailer?

 

[Tom Davis]

I can drive my wife's car and nobody pulls out in front of me, but in my truck it seems everyone does. Guess no one explained the law of tonnage to them.