Towing enhancements

[joseph gardner]

I’ve got a 2018 ram 5.7 I’m towing a 20’ jayco trailer. I’ve got and exhaust and Intake already but I’m looking for more options to help it tow better. My
Problem, the truck will not hold 6th gear traveling at 60mph or better and in 5th gear I’m running at around 2400-2600 rpm. I’m running 20x12 rims which I know does not help. Beside going to a small whee and tire set up which I plan on doing what are other things that people have to done to give it a little extra help?

 

[LeesEvoX]

I mean, get it tuned to make more power?

Change the gears in the rear end to something more suitable to towing

supercharge it?

Nitrous

hellcat swap?

you didnt really give us much information on your truck. is it crew cab? short bed? 2wd? gears?

 

[joseph gardner]

Yes it is a crew cab 4x4 the 6’3” bed and it’s leveled with bilstein 5100 adjustable front struts.

 

[AFMoulton]

Re-gear is the best option. What gears are in it now? 3.21? If you re-gear a 1500, you have to find a from diff from a 2013 or older, and the 14 and newer front diffs are welded.

Your RPM is about right for what you are doing. In 5th gear, best way to get it to 6th is taller gears. 4.56/4.88/3.92. 3.92 will be the easiest as the trucks already come geared for that.

Best bet is to sell your wheels and tires and go to a stock size.

2018 Ram 2500 6.4L 4x4
Amsoil SS 0W-40

 

[OC455]

Using tow/haul mode, the truck will tend not to shift up to 7th or 8th gear most of the time. Only time my truck went into those gears when towing was when I was going down hill.

 

[crash68]

I’ve got a 2018 ram 5.7 I’m towing a 20’ jayco trailer. I’ve got and exhaust and Intake already but I’m looking for more options to help it tow better. My
Problem, the truck will not hold 6th gear traveling at 60mph or better and in 5th gear I’m running at around 2400-2600 rpm.

The problem is your spark plugs, you have them. If you want to tow at 2K rpms the sell your Hemi and buy a diesel.
A little overlooked information about towing, horsepower is how fast you go, torque is what tows the load. Your Hemi torque peak(410 ft/lbs) is 4K rpms, the engine is going rev upwards to that range to move the load.
Now in comparison I tow a 28' trailer that tips the scales around 8K lbs and waltz down the freeway 65 mph at less rpms then you do in 5th at 60 mph. The difference is my torque peak(420 ft/lbs) is at 2K rpms. The transmission ratios in both trucks(Hemi/EcoDiesel) are identical.
Your not going to hurt the Hemi with the rpms upwards of 4K, turn the Tow/Haul mode on, fill the tank up with 89 octane and make sure your WDH is set correctly.

 

[CamperMike]

There is nothing wrong with those rpm. I tow a 23' box trailer (27' long) and just let it do it's thing. In fact if you put on a louder exhaust you may regret it as it will still run at the same rpm but make a lot more noise...

 

[MADDOG]

Threads merged.

 

[ramffml]

Depending on how comfortable you are with towing, you can try increase your speed from 60 to 65, might just be enough to put you into 6th for flat towing.

I tow a similar load, 20 foot Salem about 4000 pounds empty, 3.21 gears. The vast majority of the time I'm in 6th just above 60 mph, 2100 - 2300 rpms or so. In a long slight downwards slope it will upshift to 7 for the length of the hill, but it does sit in 6th and then drop to 5th for climbing longer hills.

 

[tron67j]

There is still some information missing to understand your true problem (s). What is the weight of your trailer fully loaded, and what is the weight of your truck fully loaded when towing. With bigger tires and rims, you have more weight in truck, less available for towing. Where are you towing; flat road like 80 in Ohio or hills like Pennsylvania? Have you properly maintained the truck with correct weight oil, serviced other fluids if needed?

It may be that even though your trailer is 20 feet you may be at or over your payload and GCWR. Before spending money on things, you first need all facts to ensure you spend the right money in the right place. If you are within specs for vehicle towing allowance, then maybe there is a mechanical issue that is amiss. But if you are exceeding your ratings then maybe the right sized truck is the way to go. You shouldn't need performance enhancements for a properly sized load, which includes taking into account aftermarket additions which may adversely impact performance.

Good luck

 

[Bldrinker]

Sounds like you don’t have a problem.

 

[Firetruck41]

Sounds like you don’t have a problem.

x2

 

[NH RAM]

I’ve got a 2018 ram 5.7 I’m towing a 20’ jayco trailer. I’ve got and exhaust and Intake already but I’m looking for more options to help it tow better. My
Problem, the truck will not hold 6th gear traveling at 60mph or better and in 5th gear I’m running at around 2400-2600 rpm. I’m running 20x12 rims which I know does not help. Beside going to a small whee and tire set up which I plan on doing what are other things that people have to done to give it a little extra help?

On a 1500, you're where you should expect to be.
Is your concern the rpms or the time it takes to get the truck and trailer moving? Issues pulling hills?
I swapped out of my 2016 1500 WITH 3.21 GEARS that I used to tow a Coleman 2855BH, which is about 7500# loaded. I had 34" E-rated tires and a 2.1" Bilstein front level. The truck pulled good for what it was and handled most small hills without too much drama, but it didn't hesitate to jump into 4th gear on big hills. 3000 rpms were not uncommon on gradual grades while 3500+ on hills was not uncommon. I would occasionally hold 6th gear on flats and sometimes downhill I could engage 7th for a very short time.

You just need to understand that the truck needs the rpm's to pull because of the hp/torque curve. Run stock size highway tires and you should be good; I'd opt for D rated if you can for a better handling sidewall while towing. I drove a smaller 26' travel trailer from NH to CO and back with no drama and no issues pulling up Wolf Creek Pass on my 2016 Ram 1500 with stock tires. Depending on your intake, you may just be pulling hot air from the engine bay rather than the cooler outside air from the stock airbox, so that doesn't help.

 

[CaptOchs]

RPM seems normal for a 6 speed. I have a 5.7 w/ 3.92 gears. My trailer is 7000# empty. I generally keep tow-haul mode on and I am in the 2400-2600 RPM range. Your truck keeps RPMs higher to keep you in a higher power band. That's less shifting and higher HP. It's better for your drivetrain. If you're looking to tow at 1500 RPM you'd have to go diesel. I can't tow easily with O/D because it bogs down.

 

[Marshall]

pulling a trailer, gear ratio is way more important than aftermarket ad on's

 

[TOTALCHAOS69]

x2

Word!