Can I pull my PU

[mhenon]

We're getting ready to up-grade from a travel trailer to a diesel pusher coach. I'll need to tow my '02 Dodge (6 speed transmission/2WD) behind the coach if I make this trade. Will I need to un-hook the drive line on the Dodge or will it tow as is?

How about running lights? Is there a quick (easy) way to rig up the tail lights or will the truck need to go into a shop for wiring?

Tow bars..... any reccomendations???

Any help would be appriciated. If this deal goes through it's going to happen fast. I wasn't really ready to make a trade. . but it looks too good to pass up.

Thanks... . Mike

 

[klenger]

The owner's manual should have a section on "recreational towing" that might help answer this.

 

[TowPro]

there is a company called Remco that makes driveshaft disconnects that do this for you. I have installed one on my Dads s10, its a nice setup, but the cable that works it could be a better design. You get a replacment driveshaft with a collar on the back that slides to disconnect front driveshaft from the rear yoke.



Anyway, there Application sheet show 2wd needs to disconnect, but 4wd can be towed without disconnecting driveshaft.

 

[wtfd6]

Anyway, there Application sheet show 2wd needs to disconnect, but 4wd can be towed without disconnecting driveshaft.

i wonder why that is. a manual trans will be lubricated by the turning driveshaft, wouldnt it? just wondering.

 

[PatrickCampbell]

Personally I would disconnect it. It takes 5 minutes and you won't have to wonder if it is destroying your 3000$ transmission.

 

[wtfd6]

good point

 

[keimmmo]

I have tow-bared a number of vehicles cross country... and have seen many others do the same. I always drop the drive shaft to be sure I am not hurting anything expensive. I have seen others with major problems more than once. Some transmissions DO NOT lubricate when only the output shaft is being turned!!! I have seen ones with major transmission dammage from not dropping the drive shaft. I saw one once with the drive shaft wrapped under the rear end!!! MAJOR carnage!!!



With a one piece drive shaft, when you pull the shaft it leaves the back of the transmission open to dirt and water. Besides, where do you put the drive shaft? Persoanlly, I just unhook the rear of the shaft and wrap the u-jount with tape so the bearing caps do not fall off. I wire the shaft up to the frame... using several pieces of wire so that if one fails, there are still others to do the job. I then wire the front u-joint to the tail of the transmission so it can not fall out while going down the road. Just make sure you have the end of the drive shaft away from the front yoke of the rear end so things will not get tangled up when you hit a bump!



Steve Keim

 

[TowPro]

i wonder why that is. a manual trans will be lubricated by the turning driveshaft, wouldnt it? just wondering.

I have not been inside this type transmission, but I think the input shaft turns the second shaft, which picks up oil and splashes it into the bearings. When in Neutral and engine shut off, only the output shaft turns and you do not get oil splash.



This remco shaft is pretty nice looking. There is a collar on the back that slides locking the driveshaft to the rear yoke. There is a sealed bearing inside the driveshaft so when it is disconnected the yoke can spin free. The thing I did not like was the activation cable is a wound metal cable like on your lawn mower. When you pull the cable to disengage the driveshaft, it works fine, but when you push the cable to re-engage it the able jacket stretches and it might not be fully engaged. Once my Dad had it disengaged while he was driving and he had to get under the truck to engage it by hand. Now he has not moved it for around 3 years and it’s stuck. This spring he will bring it up and we will check it out so see what is stuck. Maybe re-engineer it with a longer leaver at the driveshaft so it takes less pressure to engage it. It would work much better if there was an electro server to engage the driveshaft, but that adds cost. As far as I know, Remco is the only one that makes something like this.