I Have No Exhaust Brake

[Big Rig]

I bought my 04. 5 Dodge with the 48RE transmission thinking I would put a Jacobs exhaust brake on it when DC approved it. It hasn't happened yet & may not happen.

Next week I am having a 3100 lb slide-in camper put on my truck. The question is... ... Will I be able to safely go down the steep mountain roads with that much weight on the truck without screwing something up on the truck(transmission, brakes, ect. ) or ending up in the ditch?

The 04. 5 has no TC lockup in the lower gears.



Big Rig

 

[klenger]

I have a 6 speed, so I can't speak to how the auto will behave, but I have towed our 10K 5er down some pretty steap but short hills w/o an exhaust brake. While it was not as comfortable as towing with an exhaust brake, I did OK. With a 3100 lb slide-in, your weight is considerably less than mine, although I did have trailer brakes to assist. I think you'll be fine, but drive carefully and have your speed under control before you start the decent. BTW, I installed my exhaust brake last weekend .

 

[Turbo600]

I believe 04. 5 does have 2nd gear t/c lock-up, Maybe all you need is the reflash I believe it is part of it .

GOOD LUCK

 

[SRadke]

You'll be fine. Just don't ride your brakes and get them hot. Cresting the hill at lower speeds helps the most but after you do a little bombing that becomes more difficult.



-Scott

 

[MHalberstadt]

I have a 97 2500HD V10 that we had a Fleetwood Caribou camper that weighed about the same as yours for many years. On the steepest hills we barely needed the brakes or engine braking as the camper had so much frontal area it would slow itself down from the wind resistance. I think you'll do fine without an exhaust brake.



Now when we switched to a 31 foot fifth wheel that weighed 12,000 lbs different story.



I've got a 04. 5 HO on order by the way before you oil burners start getting jealous of my V10.



To pull our fifth wheel I'll put an exhaust brake on my 48E regardless of what DC says about the warranty.



Mike

 

[Dean Upson]

I think you will be just fine without the exhaust brake with the weight you are talking about. Personally, I wouldn't worry much before I got over 10k trailer weight.



Dean

 

[Bill Stockard]

I have about the same rig(see signature) as you except my camper is an '03 Lance 1121 with a slide out, which is longer and heavier. I've had an exhaust brake and the 6-speed manual transmission on a previous '00 Dodge CTD 3500, but don't miss it or need it at all in this truck hauling the camper. If we still had our heavy 31' Hitchhiker double slide out 5th wheel, that would be another story. With the camper, we are over 10,000 lbs. lighter! We don't travel the Interstates, but travel on the scenic roads denoted by the green dots on the Rand-McNally Road Atlas. We've been to Colorado, Wyoming, and parts of Montana last summer and to the hills/mountains of east Tennessee and North Carolina last fall traveling down hill grades up to 10%... no problem. Just use a little common sense.



If you switch off the Overdrive, the torque converter stays locked up down to about 40 MPH and if you manually shift to second gear, the torque converter stays locked down about 20 MPH. The 3rd gen Dodge has the largest capacity disc brakes of any 1-ton truck on the market today and they work very well!



Load the camper and enjoy your travels!!



Bill

 

[CPG]

Hi Big Rig, I have a friend with a 32' travel trailer with no exhaust brake. He easily maintains his speed down the grapevine here in Ca. with the loc/up converter at 45 mph. Remember, you can always shift down and he has no problem. These new trucks are a far cry from my old "93".



Chuck Goode

 

[Fastang]

According to the new issue of tdr the brake is now available... . I have the jacobs e-brake on mine towing around 15k constantly and I love the thing... Best money I've ever spent...

 

[Gonzo 1066]

Originally posted by Big Rig

I bought my 04. 5 Dodge with the 48RE transmission thinking I would put a Jacobs exhaust brake on it when DC approved it. It hasn't happened yet & may not happen.

Next week I am having a 3100 lb slide-in camper put on my truck. The question is... ... Will I be able to safely go down the steep mountain roads with that much weight on the truck without screwing something up on the truck(transmission, brakes, ect. ) or ending up in the ditch?

The 04. 5 has no TC lockup in the lower gears.



Big Rig

Pac Brake has been reccomending the brake thay make for Dodge Cummins autos. They have been working VERY GOOD.

My Pac's have been slowing me down on 13 miles of 10% (in Wyoming) while the rig weighs 20. 000#. WITHOUT USING THE BRAKES!!!