Low tow ratings for 2016?

[Badunit]

I use to think the same thing, before I bought one. The long legs on the freeway are really nice. 1750 RPM's at 80 and getting 18 MPG with less that 1K on the clock!!! 21 MPG at 65, what is not to like about the 3.42 gears. SNOKING

I am a little mixed on this. In my old truck with 3.73 (and the 5600) used to feel like I was above the engine's sweet spot when I got above 70 mph. With my new truck, I feel like I am barely getting into it at 80 mph. If I downshift to 5th it resembles the top gear in my old truck. When below 60 mph I sometimes force 5th as the top gear so it isn't rattling and isn't downshifting when I hit hills. The legs are too tall for 55-60 mph, great at 70+.

 

[crispyboy]

I think that we worry too much about driving in the highest gear possible going down the highway. Auto manufacturers now are giving us multi-speed transmissions and we should use them as such. When I drive our farm tractor I select the best gear for the job which is typically dependent upon the load, terrain and speed I want to travel.
It would seem to me that it is now the same when your driving a truck with 3:42 gears. If you want to operate the most efficiently at a certain speed then limit what gear the transmission to into: ex. towing a load - limit the transmission to 5th gear and leave 6th gear for unloaded economy work on the highway.

The manufacturers could help us out by either programming the tow/haul mode to lock out 6th gear or maybe they should have a paragraph in the owners manual that when towing a heavy load to limit the gear selection to the speed one wants to travel etc.... They could also do it in chart form.
Now that the 3:42 gears are standard a smart operator shouldn't just put the transmission in "drive" and push the go pedal - more thinking may be needed.

At our last travel trailer rally a couple of us guys were sitting around the campfire chewing the fat talking about our trucks etc...... I listened to the guys who drive the Duramax/Allison trucks. Some of them were saying that they often take the truck out of the "tow/haul" so the truck will shift into 6th gear when on the Interstate. Many of these guys only travel at 60 mph which seems to be the 5th/6th gear shift point in the tow/haul mode. I would assume GM/Allison did this to keep the engine rpm range in the sweet spot before allowing the next gear to become available. From the conversation I felt pretty good that the 68RFE transmission and 3:73 axle ratio was doing just fine while in the tow/haul mode towing our travel trailer.

 

[RustyJC]

The manufacturers could help us out by either programming the tow/haul mode to lock out 6th gear...

That won't work for those of us with 4.10s who use all 6 gears when towing. If you want 6th gear locked out, select "5" using the toggle switch on the gearshift and let it rip.

Rusty

 

[Newsa]

G56 doesn't have tow/haul. The only reason you would need T/H with the Aisin is for mountain driving and exhaust brake engagement.

 

[kthaxton]

G56 doesn't have tow/haul. The only reason you would need T/H with the Aisin is for mountain driving and exhaust brake engagement.

The 68RFE has it too.......it's not just for those two reasons.

 

[cmills]

Like I said, I'm not saying the 3.42's are bad, I think we should just have the option to choose the ratio that WE WANT. Not necessarily what the manufacturer thinks we should have.

 

[Newsa]

The 68RFE has it too.......it's not just for those two reasons.

Yes, 68RFE needs tow haul every time you tow. Aisin doesn't need it 100% of the time when towing.

G56 doesn't have it

 

[DCrabbs]

Just got back from my first long pull (about 3500 miles) with my '14 Limited with the Aisin and 3.42's. We have a living quarters horse trailer and it weighs in at about 16,000 with horses, hay and water. The truck is a towing beast! I typically tow in cruise at 66 mph and found that I liked to lock it into 5th to keep the RPM's a 1750. We pulled several 6% grades and with only a couple of exceptions it stayed in 5th. When it did down shift it only went into 4th (direct drive). Averaged between 9 and 10 mpg. We upgraded from an '08 (which currently has 215,000 miles on the clock) which we still have for local driving/towing. The '14 is just sooo much more truck. It is loaded and the convenience features make driving it so much more pleasurable and I really like the ability to program the screen to show the reading I want to monitor - Trans temp, engine temp, trailer brake and oil temp (even though it is computer generated). The one thing that really impressed me is how much more quiet it is compared with the '08. I am a little concerned about all of the electronics/computer components and am currently looking to buy an extended warrantee (something I rarely do). All in all I love it and think the 3.42's are just fine if you take "crispy boys" comments to heart and use the transmission to it's full potential.

Later,
Dean

 

[DCrabbs]

Just noticed my signature block is WAY out of date! The '14 is my 4th Ram TD (the first was a "95 and if I remember correctly it was rated at 165 hp) and drove the previous 3 all in excess of 200,000 miles. Switched from manual transmissions with the '08 and have not been sorry.

Later,
Dean

 

[kthaxton]

Yes, 68RFE needs tow haul every time you tow.

No, it doesn't need it, it's just works better with it. Even the owners manual says you can choose.

G56 doesn't have it

Well of course not, it's not an auto. That's like saying "68RFE doesn't have synchros".

 

[DCrabbs]

Absolutely agree on T/H being an integral part of proper use of the Aisin. It is the second switch I hit when towing. The first is the EB switch. Use both empty most of the time too - just a carryover from downshifting with my previous manual transmissions.

Dean

 

[Newsa]

Just got back from my first long pull (about 3500 miles) with my '14 Limited with the Aisin and 3.42's. We have a living quarters horse trailer and it weighs in at about 16,000 with horses, hay and water. The truck is a towing beast! I typically tow in cruise at 66 mph and found that I liked to lock it into 5th to keep the RPM's a 1750. We pulled several 6% grades and with only a couple of exceptions it stayed in 5th. When it did down shift it only went into 4th (direct drive). Averaged between 9 and 10 mpg. We upgraded from an '08 (which currently has 215,000 miles on the clock) which we still have for local driving/towing. The '14 is just sooo much more truck. It is loaded and the convenience features make driving it so much more pleasurable and I really like the ability to program the screen to show the reading I want to monitor - Trans temp, engine temp, trailer brake and oil temp (even though it is computer generated). The one thing that really impressed me is how much more quiet it is compared with the '08. I am a little concerned about all of the electronics/computer components and am currently looking to buy an extended warrantee (something I rarely do). All in all I love it and think the 3.42's are just fine if you take "crispy boys" comments to heart and use the transmission to it's full potential.

Later,
Dean

Can you post pics of the live in horse trailer? I hear more state parks are allowing horses trailered in.
They appear to be built very sturdy. Just curious what it looks like