2014 First Tow WOW!

[Dieselnerd]

I left my house this morning in the cold and snow and headed for Arizona. Not cold enough to be concerned about the fuel filter heater. I'll have it checked in AZ.

The towing power is just amazing compared to my '05 3500 SRW 4x4 towing the same 15K 5th wheel. The Aisin shifts so smooth and rarely shifts out of 6th gear. Hard to tell I have the same heavy trailer behind me, it feels like it lost a lot of weight.

I was concerned with how the brake control would work as well as how stable the whole package would be since I only tested it in a long driveway before my trip. I was also concerned about making it to the same truck stops I get fuel at every year on this same trip. I could squeeze almost 38 gallons in my '05 and the '14 only holds 32 and doesn't allow squeezing. Trying to get in extra fuel just makes it burp. (Ask me how I discovered that.)

Well I made it to the same truck stops and the only difference is it took less fuel! New truck, cold weather, DRW instead of SRW, strong winds, same trailer and I took less fuel. These new ones really do get better mileage. After it's all broken in it should be even better. I couldn't be happier. And, in the strong crosswinds it was much more stable than my old SRW.

I was grinning all day. My wife said "too bad you didn't get a truck you like". She likes it too.:-laf

 

[Cummins12V98]

My 11 HO is amazing with 28K combined. I will be even more impressed when I get a 14 or 15 with rear air suspension. Winds really are no big deal.

Glad you are happy! My wife loves ours also.

 

[Gonzo 1066]

Same deal with my switch from the 04 (Lots of modifications) to the 13 (bone stock), Both of them duallys the 04 a manual trans the 13 the automatic.. I am stunned at how good the new truck handles the same load, stunned at how good towing mileage is. And it keeps on getting better.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

Pics or it didn't happen.

 

[TCDiesel]

OK,I just pulled My 4 Place Snowmobile Trailer form Blaine MN to West Yellowstone MT, I make this trip(same trip) same time of year 17 of the last 18, some years pulled to west 3 times same road, pull the same trailer behind my 97,2000,01,03,05. I have had the same Trailer form 2003 to current form 96 to 2002 I had only 2 place enclosed, My 2003 enclosed weights in with Machines and gear 7000LBS

This year with the 13,We left with it snowing form Home Blaine MN to Jamestown ND the Speed was 65 most of the way we did have some NW/W winds 10-20 HC 9.6MPG, Now form Jamestown to Dickinson ND we lost the snow but pickup SW winds 15-25MPH drove 70MPH 8MPG, After Dickinson to Miles City MT same winds speed 70/75 8MPG, spent the night in Miles City MT, Left the next Morning to Billings we hit winds 20-30 SW/S speed 65-70 it was warm 45* 8MPG, Left Billings and hit winds SW/S 30-40 speed 65-70MPH, hit SW winds at just before Columbus MT 40-60MPH Drop speed to 60MPH went thru Livingston MT at 50MPH made it to Bozeman MT HC form Billings to Bozemen MT 6MPG HC.

The 13 cruises Much better then MY 03, the 03 will easily out pull the 13 in the hills, My 03 would just sing up the hills the 13 struggles, Keep in mind that the 03 is modded and DD at 425HP.

No doubt that the 13 will reach the caliber of the 03 in the future, all in all for the factory Power the 13 is Awesome.

 

[dloughrey]

What year and model truck did you pull the snowmobile trailer with?

 

[TCDiesel]

2013 SRW Ram 3500 Laramie with every option except RamBox, 385/Aisin/3:42

 

[Dieselnerd]

Pics or it didn't happen.

Here you go. My last stop before Tucson where I'll be for the winter.

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[jaird]

Beautiful rig.

 

[jjdiesel]

Very nice!

 

[Wingate]

OK,I just pulled My 4 Place Snowmobile Trailer form Blaine MN to West Yellowstone MT, I make this trip(same trip) same time of year 17 of the last 18, some years pulled to west 3 times same road, pull the same trailer behind my 97,2000,01,03,05. I have had the same Trailer form 2003 to current form 96 to 2002 I had only 2 place enclosed, My 2003 enclosed weights in with Machines and gear 7000LBS

This year with the 13,We left with it snowing form Home Blaine MN to Jamestown ND the Speed was 65 most of the way we did have some NW/W winds 10-20 HC 9.6MPG, Now form Jamestown to Dickinson ND we lost the snow but pickup SW winds 15-25MPH drove 70MPH 8MPG, After Dickinson to Miles City MT same winds speed 70/75 8MPG, spent the night in Miles City MT, Left the next Morning to Billings we hit winds 20-30 SW/S speed 65-70 it was warm 45* 8MPG, Left Billings and hit winds SW/S 30-40 speed 65-70MPH, hit SW winds at just before Columbus MT 40-60MPH Drop speed to 60MPH went thru Livingston MT at 50MPH made it to Bozeman MT HC form Billings to Bozemen MT 6MPG HC.

The 13 cruises Much better then MY 03, the 03 will easily out pull the 13 in the hills, My 03 would just sing up the hills the 13 struggles, Keep in mind that the 03 is modded and DD at 425HP.

No doubt that the 13 will reach the caliber of the 03 in the future, all in all for the factory Power the 13 is Awesome.

6-8 mpg pulling 7K lbs???.. is that suppose to be good? or am I misunderstanding something here?

 

[sag2]

With 20-40 mph head winds it was the same as going 100 mph. Wind resistance is the biggest impact on fuel economy.

 

[TCDiesel]

The winds were form the S/SW, if you have ever travel thru (I90) Livingston MT its equal to the Hell Hwy at times, if the winds would have been N/NW we would stopped in Columbus or Big Timber. form a scale of 1-10 this trip out was 7.5 BC of the snow in MN/ND and the winds in MT. I haven't decide if I am going to leave the Trailer with Machines at our place in West Yellowstone or take them back to MN when we leave, I have endoscopic (CTS) surgery schedule for both hands in JAN/FEB ,I may push the left of until Mar.

 

[S.Morris]

TCDiesel

How do you feel the tall 3.42 gears affected the mileage, pulling against the headwinds? Were you running 5th or 6th and what rpm mostly?

 

[TCDiesel]

I drop to 5th, I have never had such a smooth down shift, Ok I watch My RPMs vs engine load Vs speed, when My Rpms drop below 1700 I feather the pedal and the shift was so smooth(Button) You could only tell by the RPMs going to 2000 it takes some practices to get it dead on, it would maintain that RPM at 68MPH easily. I had to drop to 4th in Livingston.
For the very short distance (Without wind) 75MPH was easily maintained at 1950RPMs or so. Yep at that speed I hope to get 10.5MPH, If you slow down to 70MPH you can probably get 10/11 in 6th, drop to 5th at 65/68MPH 11/12 is attainable all speeds no wind level terrain.

All my 4:10s would have weather the Winds/Hill's much better at slower speeds, mileage about the same on this trip, But when its level terrain and NO winds the 3;42 will net the same mileage at higher speeds,when I pull with my 4:10s at 75 it was 8/9MPH same level terrain NO wind, when I dropped to 67/68MPH with the 4:10s 10/12 was attainable

 

[Dieselnerd]

All my 4:10s would have weather the Winds/Hill's much better at slower speeds, mileage about the same on this trip, But when its level terrain and NO winds the 3;42 will net the same mileage at higher speeds,when I pull with my 4:10s at 75 it was 8/9MPH same level terrain NO wind, when I dropped to 67/68MPH with the 4:10s 10/12 was attainable

Todd, I agree on your conclusions about the 4:10's and mileage. I get the best mileage at about 68 mph. I was considering a SRW but for my 15K trailer I think the 3:42's are just a little too tall. The 3:42's are supposed to be OK up to a 16K-17K trailer but that's too close to 15K for me. I learned long ago that you can't have too much towing power and being within the limit but near the limit isn't much fun to drive.

My '14 truck rarely shifted down to 5th gear on any hill on my recent trip to Arizona and almost always stayed in 6th. The RPM's in 5th gear are almost identical to the RPM's in OD in my 2005 SRW 3500 with 4:10 gears and quite a bit lower in 6th. I'm very happy with the Max-Tow package and my towing mileage on a new stiff truck is already slightly better than the '05 was. The 3:42 may be adequate but I still think the real reason they don't offer the lower ratios in the SRW's is the EPA and CAFE standards.

 

[Cummins12V98]

I think I am one of the first on here to tow heavy on here 28K combined with 3:42's and I can pull every pass at 55 or more from Mexico to the Canadian border along I-5. I also get 9.5 mpg hand calc West Coast towing. 6 speeds make this all work.

I will say my 14 or 15 with air bags will have 4:10's.

 

[TCDiesel]

O, I want to add ,when the aftermarket come's out with pressure Box's, it won't help for top end power, these new 13+ engines running pressures 20/24K at times I was running 25/26K for short periods of time factory Rail, I will Re- installed the modded 30K Rail when I return.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

See TDR82, p. 100. For the same size tire, 4.10 is 6th is similar to 3.42 in fifth. 3.73 is right in between, and could be good if your mix of heavy towing vs. solo is about 50-50, I guess. I was initially suspicious of 3.42 but after using it for five months, I really like it with the torque curve of the new 6.7-385 HP. Any time I want to, or the truck decides it needs it, it downshifts to fifth. Otherwise I can enjoy less engine wear and better mpg with sixth. I don't have what you folks would call a heavy trailer, though--not over 8000 lb. I do tow in mountainous terrain, though.

 

[TCDiesel]

On the return Home, it was 650 miles of head wins form 30-50 MPH, I had to run in 5th the MPG 6.6 for the 650 Miles 65-70MPH, for about 300 miles I had a tail win of 5-10MPH the truck ran 75MPH in 6th with ease the MPG 12.1, The return trip winds were the worst I can remember, the winds were stronger on the trip in MT , the length on the return Home and the danger of Driving ND with those winds :--), It could maintain 68-70MPH in 5th with ease @ 2000RPM. This truck does not pull like my modded 5.9s but it will for the next DEC 14 Trip. I will be returning to West Yellowstone In FEB 14, So I may leave the machines & trailer in the Shop (Yellowstone) until we return in DEC 14. For OEM power its Awesome, Both My 5.9s at OEM cannot match the 2013 all around performance.

If I have some time I may post the carnage (Pics) we past in ND/MN.