Towing ?

[68PowerWagon]

Thank God... someone can read in this thread...lol

Some can read but some can't spell or put a sentence together!

 

[62Blazer]

Most trailer tires now have at least an L (75 mph) speed rating and several companies make M or N rated (81 and 87 mph) in the common 225/75 and 205/75 sizes.

The comment about not supposed to tow in OD is based on really old designs and information and does not pertain to most new vehicles. On most newer vehicles even running in the tow/haul mode allows shifting into overdrive gears...those trans with multiple OD gears it does sometime lock out the top OD gear but generally lets it shift into one of the OD. On my '16 2500 6.4 tow/haul mode does lock out 6th gear but not 5th, which is still an OD. The main reason for the old thought process was that OD often did provide enough power to tow trailers and you would get into an issue with gear hunting where the transmission was constantly shifting between gears and the converter would stay locked up which caused excessive heat build up. Modern computer controlled trans have some intelligence and can keep from getting into a severe gear hunting situation.

 

[Gr8bawana]

Most trailer tires now have at least an L (75 mph) speed rating and several companies make M or N rated (81 and 87 mph) in the common 225/75 and 205/75 sizes.

IMHO the problem is not the tire speed ratings or if your tuck is able to do it. The problem is how are you going to stop all that weight of the truck and trailer combined quickly in an emergency situation? It's just not going to happen.

 

[ramffml]

Brother and I rented jetskis from a guy once, told us a story of him pulling dual jet skis behind his mustang. Hopped on the freeway and got to 180 km/h like there was nothing there, then a car pulled out in front of him in his lane. Tried to brake, and did finally get his speed down, but ended up with brown shorts.

Too many people focus on whether a truck can pull something, while not ever worrying enough about controlling and stopping it.

 

[tron67j]

I might have missed it, but I never saw OP's weight for the trailer being pulled. While everything is important, the weight being pulled and its distribution is the difference between success and failure. One can have trailer tires rated for a NASCAR race but if overloaded that rating doesn't mean a thing. I am a big proponent of safe towing all the way around, no mystery if you have seen me post before. And it comes from being first on scene after a overloaded trailer being pulled too fast behind the tow vehicle. After pulling husband and wife from upside-down vehicle all he kept saying was "I have towed this trailer and load for years, no idea how this happened. ". He had a CDL license and had experience, but that was no match for physics and mother nature. So when I see people towing unsafely I only hope that they get lucky and either make it to their destination without incident or don't take anyone else out when it happens to them. Always want the former to be true. Be safe all.

 

[HDGoose]

I have run 70mph on the interstates pulling my 12k 5th wheel toyhauler/camper with my 2013 RAM 2500 4x4 CC short bed, if traffic allows. As soon as traffic starts to bunch up, I slow to allow me to maintain the best following distance I can. Too many folks will pull in front of me (and heavier tractor trailer trucks) and I will have not choice but to hit them should something occur. I will not roll my rig to avoid you. At 22k rolling down the road with that rig I need space. Too many people do not understand that pulling in front of trucks pulling trailers is putting themselves in danger.

My 2020 RAM 3500 will not change much.

I have many friends who drive tractor trailer trucks, heavily loaded, who tell me stories all the time. One fellow ran over a car (completely over the top of the car) that pulled in front of him on I-95. The lady had to be cut from her car. She told the highway patrol that the trucker was at fault because he could have stopped faster because he had 18 wheels. She knew nothing about the 80,000 pounds of steel on the trailer. And they vote...

 

[Michael Campbell]

Which is better....the factory brake controller or after market like tekonsha p2 or p3? For towing a 6100 lb travel trailer?

 

[Loudram]

Which is better....the factory brake controller or after market like tekonsha p2 or p3? For towing a 6100 lb travel trailer?

You'll get answers both ways on this one. I have a P3 and love it. No flashing, no nothing. Buy the correct wiring harness and it's plug and play. Others swear by the OEM. They are both good choices.

 

[dhay13]

Which is better....the factory brake controller or after market like tekonsha p2 or p3? For towing a 6100 lb travel trailer?

I like the factory one for 2 reasons. One being I won't be banging my knee off of it every time I get in and out and second (at least with my truck and gauge package) I have much more functionality. It can remember my trailer and settings, it will calculate how many miles I have towed the trailer with that setting, etc.

 

[Firetruck41]

Which is better....the factory brake controller or after market like tekonsha p2 or p3? For towing a 6100 lb travel trailer?

If it's an older model like my 2010, the P3 is likely better, I had it on my previous Titan, and have the OEM integrated one on my Ram which is very basic. If you have a 2013+, I would probably go with OEM, I think they have more functionality.

 

[HDGoose]

Which is better....the factory brake controller or after market like tekonsha p2 or p3? For towing a 6100 lb travel trailer?

I can adjust my 33ft 5th wheel 10k+ brakes to stop truck and trailer at 25mph with my stock RAM controler on my 2013 2500 and the new 2020 3500. Better brake controller? I have one that seems to work well.