towing ??? 2010 dodge ram 1500

[seaswirl]

hello all I am a newbe here. we just bought a 2014 jayco jayflight 22FB its 26' and 4500lbs dry. I have a weight distribution hitch, my truck is a 2010 dodge ram 1500 w/4.7L V8 it trailered it good on the flat roads but when we came upon a decent hill it kept dropping into high gear. I put the truck into tow mode which becomes a 5 speed transmission, I am able to down shift it into a lower gear, but will I do any damage by doing so?? just wondering how to use it if I go to the Mts. where there are some big hills?? any info would be greatful

[SkyBound]

I towed a similar trailer with a similar truck, and found the performance to be marginal at best. That being said, I had bigger and heavier tires on the truck and gears not appropriate for towing. It was also older with a 4spd tranny which left 3 for towing. I ended up getting a bigger truck.

That being said, your truck will likely be ok for what you're wanting to use it for but don't expect to be winning any races especially in the mountains. The smaller V8's need lots of RPMs to make their power, so don't be surprised to see it screaming above 4000rpm when climbing hills. The engine will do that happily all day long, you will just need to monitor your transmission temps. Make sure your vehicle is equipped with a transmission cooler. Also don't expect to see fuel mileage above 10mpg. I was getting 7 before.

[Ryetye]

I would strongly recommend towing in tow mode any time you are towing! It can and will cost you a tranny just ask my boss who still doesn't get it after 4 transmissions on his 01 f350

[seaswirl]

oh I did tow it in tow mode, it puts it in 5th gear, and you have 1 thru 5, my question is, can I down shift safely to like 4th gear for the hills??

[LiftedAWDAstro]

If you have a manual mode, select that and manually run it down into 4th or even 3rd if it's a steep incline. While the 4.7 V8 is underpowered, you can still tow your trailer fine. Keep an eye on tranny temps and keep the speeds down. Your biggest enemy is tranny heat. DON'T let the tranny hunt for gears as that will definitely shorten the life. Your engine will be fine running in the 4-5k rpm range to pull hills. Todays gas engines are designed to make the max HP and TQ higher in the RPM range.

[Jmooney]

When was the last time your tranny was serviced?

A proper flush, filter and torque converter flush is a good idea.

A good quality fluid is also a good idea.

If you don't have tranny temp on your current dashboard, then look for a basic gauge that plugs in to the ODBC bus, ( nice after market dash mount kits ) and watch tranny temp, and if you want to go crazy, add a EGT probe as well.

[SmokerBill]

I have a 2011 Ram with the 5.7 hemi engine and whenever I tow it's set to tow-haul mode, plus I drop it down to 4th gear in the flatlands (with the engine running at around 2200 rpm) and wherever there are gentle slopes. Going up grades I drop it into a lower gear as needed, 3rd and sometimes 2nd, with the rpms up at 3000-3500.

I lose about 1 mpg running in 4th compared to being inn 5th, but I'm a firm believer that running a slightly higher engine rmp at the lower gearing decreases wear and tear on the drive line. Plus, if you need to accelerate quickly for some reason, it's much more responsive in 4th than 5th.

edited to add: I've pulled my 26bh with this truck about 30K miles, and average between 10 and 11 mpg when towing.

[seaswirl]

I do have a tranny temp gauge, and I will flush the tranny and put new fluid in, can anyone recommend the best tranny fluid??

[Jmooney]

Lots of options on the internet if your going to do it yourself, or just ask AMCO what they recommend .

They use a full flush method, where they pump new fluid into the lines, and though the torque converter. It's one of the best methods to use to flush and debris out of the system ( no, I don't work there)

[Jmooney]

Dodge power train warranty probably calls for a Mopar approved product as well

[Jagiven]

I am assuming you are talking about an automatic transmission. It is probably the same transmission I have. It is absolutely normal and it is preferred to run in a lower gear with a higher RPM. Shifting back and forth, aka searching for the proper gear is much harder on the drive train. But down shifting a gear or two (maybe more) is absolutely normal. I was out west last summer going through mountain passes pulling some hard grades, for many miles. No issues, just a lot higher RPMs and louder sounds that I am use to.

[LiftedAWDAstro]

Dodge recommends ATF +4. Check the owners manual for sure. Don't do a power flush…washes too much debris around. Just drop the pan and change both filters and add new fluid to refill.