1st BIG Tow - WOW I am Impressed!!

[tschwab]

Well, just got back from my 1st tow with the '05 CTD and the new 5th wheel. I was a little apprehensive before the tow, due to a lot of the chatter on these boards and I was starting to second guess my decision(s) of #1 - selling my 12V, #2 - Should I have ordered a 6 spd, #3 - Should I have ordered 4. 10's.



This tow, which included towing over three different mountain passes each way calmed all of my fear and apprhensions. The truck never missed a beat, it tows so effortlessly with power to spare. Places where my old (BUILT) 12V would struggle to maintain 45-50, this truck does 60-65 without breaking a sweat.



I love the way the 48RE in the '05 works, I put it in tow/haul for the entire trip and it downshifts only when needed. Fuel economy is on par with what my 12V used to get, I averaged 12. 2 mpg which I thought was outstanding as the truck only has 2,500 miles on it, it was the first tow for the truck, numerous mountain passes (6 round trip) and this 5th wheel weighs in about 1,500 lbs more than my old one.



3G's ROCK

 

[yycguy]

Glad to hear you had a good trip. I too find that towing is where I get the biggest smile on my face, the truck just plain pulls!

 

[gonzo2]

We did about the same thing on the Victoria day weekend (but probably about 300 miles north) and I would have to agree that as much as I enjoy toolin' around in my truck empty, you get a completely different appreciation for these units when you hook up and put them to work.

Glad your set up is working out.

 

[JCrockett]

I agree, on my trip up to AK puling about 7K I was impressed as well. This is my first diesel so it blew me out of the water! 13-14 MPG and lots of pwer to spare, I was passing other people in empty pickups and others towing as well. We did get a few looks

 

[exfuzz01]

towing

Just returned from a week of camping with 2 grandkids and 2 dogs. . (of course my wife was there also)... Towing our new 5er which weighs around 10K was a breeze... . plenty of power to spare !!

 

[DaveHess]

This is also my first diesel. I was very apprehensive about it and the $5000 price tage on top of the new truck. I used to tow with a 1995 Ram with the 5. 9L and unless you were towing flat and level with no wind, it was a white knuckle tow 90% of the time. My 2003 CTD literally makes towing stress free. Actually it has been a bit of a learning curve as I was used to going up mountains in the far right lane with the flashers going and now I am in the left bad mouthing the other vehicles for holding me back. Go figure. Gotta reign her in because she wants to pull! When did Dodge start putting a Tow/Haul feature in? My 2003 doesn't have that.

 

[jackcaptjr]

Pulling one of the boats to San Carlos Mexico this weekend for a week of fishing. This 24' Skipjack is about 12K loaded on the trailer and the truck hauls it like nothing is back there... ... almost. I like the stability of the 1ton and the dual wheels. Hitch weight on a boat trailer is not like a 5er it hangs out past the axel and likes to push you around..... not to mention the "sometimes" surge breaks but the truck works fine even on Mexican roads.



Good luck with your new rig!!!!

 

[CPG]

I sure have to agree with Dave Hess on the difference of these trucks in towing. On my old "93" 1st. gen. truck, I also had to work up the hills in these western Sierras here in Calif.

On the first trip with my 04. 5, I was astounded at the difference in trucks . These HO engines are really something. Mileage is much the same when towing or MT as the old one was. Great! trucks. The Tow/Haul button was on our 04. 5 truck when delivered. Maybe the 05. s are somewhat different.



Chuck Goode

 

[tschwab]

This is also my first diesel. I was very apprehensive about it and the $5000 price tage on top of the new truck. I used to tow with a 1995 Ram with the 5. 9L and unless you were towing flat and level with no wind, it was a white knuckle tow 90% of the time. My 2003 CTD literally makes towing stress free. Actually it has been a bit of a learning curve as I was used to going up mountains in the far right lane with the flashers going and now I am in the left bad mouthing the other vehicles for holding me back. Go figure. Gotta reign her in because she wants to pull! When did Dodge start putting a Tow/Haul feature in? My 2003 doesn't have that.

Thanks for all the replies, I'm still smiling at what an awesome truck it is. I don't think I listed the weight, 5vr is 10K dry, with all our gear, I would "guess" we are close to 12K. I tried to stop at a closed weigh station to check, but they were all open when we passed by.



I will try to explain the difference in the '05 48RE versus previous years. With the '05 you have a tow/haul button at the end of the gear selector, just like the previous models do for OD lockout. The difference with the '05, is that you CANNOT lockout OD like you could on previous models. Now, with that being said, my understanding is that when you put it in tow/haul mode, your torque converter locks-up and stays locked-up... . even when in 4th (OD).



A lot of guys, mainly those who have not driven an '05 have been complaining about this set-up on a pretty regular basis on these boards which made me 2nd guess my decision of getting an automatic. I am happy to report that this new set-up is stellar and worked awesome for me on this 1st big tow! Also - Most almost everyone who has towed with the '05 48RE has reported similar experience to mine. I said I would reserve judgement of this change for '05 UNTIL I had a chance to tow, and man I am so impressed - DODGE, CUMMINS and the '05 48RE got it right!

 

[Bertram65]

The torque converter locks in 3rd and OD, at least on the 48REs with the OD lockout, if I am slowing down and have it out of OD, mine will stay locked in 3rd till about 45MPH then it unlocks, usefull for slowing down on the hills but tough if you want to use it below 45mph.

 

[NLamke]

I took mine on a fishing trip a couple weeks ago. Checked the weight on a scale before I left, and truck and trailer were just over 21,000 pounds. Mountains and hills in Montana can be steep, and the steepest were enough to kick me out of overdrive, but not enough to slow me down from my 75 mph cruising speed. 12 mpg also. That's with 35 inch tires, auto transmission, and 373's. My dad stopped giving me a bad time about my Dodge after that trip.