tow mode on 09 1500

[elfuerte]

hi!
everyone
I have a 09 1500 Laramie Quad Cap 5.7 hemi i have over 2yrs now I'm second owner
well my question is when I active the "Tow/Haul" mode the transmission shifts manual
and start at number 5
last years I was pulling my pop up camper and I notice the transmission start a 5 so I start to shifts manually with traffic is was crazy
so my question really is do I need to manually shifts or just leave at 5 and don't shifts at all
any help or suggestions I ll appraise
thanks

 

[Wahrsuul]

I'm not sure what you mean by "shifts manually". The Tow/Haul button changes the shift points, adds more engine braking and turns off MDS (according to Dodge). The "5" in the dash indicator is the highest gear it'll go into while in Tow/Haul mode. You can adjust that down if you're hauling something really heavy to keep it out of 5th, or even 4th if you're heavy and doing a lot of hills.

I've pulled about 3-3.5k lbs with Tow/Haul on and still using 5th with no issues and trans temps staying down.

 

[elfuerte]

thanks for you reply
well mean move it from 5 to 4,3,2,1
so you're said to keep it in 5 all the time no move to 4 or 3

 

[Wahrsuul]

You don't have to manually shift the trans, and where you set the gear is up to you; I towed a 94 Accord on a car trailer in T/H mode and left it in 5 the whole tow. I watched the trans temps and they stayed pretty stable the whole time, but it was also pretty flat area I was driving in. Now if I was in a hilly or mountainous area, I probably would have set it to 4.

So it's a judgement call depending on load and terrain your driving in. All the number on the dash is for is limiting the highest gear the trans will go into when using T/H mode.

Do you know what gears you have? Go here: https://fcacommunity.force.com/RAM/s/equipment-listing and put in your VIN. It'll give you a build sheet for your truck.