Towing with no Gauges

[JCasper]

Next weekend I will be helping my sister move from the Portland area up to Kennewick WA. I am going to use my friends four horse trailer. The trailer is all steel and a bumper pull. I'm guessing around 4,000 pounds maybe. I don't imagine I will put more then a couple thousand pounds of stuff in it. So maybe around 6-7,000 lbs. Heading out the interstate is there much of a chance of me running to high of EGT's. I plan on installing gauges but that is still something that is in the future. Thanks for your help.

 

[Sarge]

If you are not running a box, you have no worries. Towing stock will not be a problem for the Ram. It's only when you turn up the power that you run the chance of excessive EGT's. The stock truck will de-fuel if it gets too hot under load. That much weight will just be a nice little leg strecher for the Cummins... ..... Sarge

 

[Matt400]

The stock truck will de-fuel if it gets too hot under load.

With no EGT probe you must mean defuel based on coolant temp.

 

[JCasper]

Defueling

My dad has been a diesel mechanic for about 30 years and in his fleet he had about 50 cummins motors. He was asking me if mine would defuel if it got too hot or if something else went wrong. The motors in their school buses would defuel if they started to get too warm. I assume that is based on coolant temp.

 

[Sarge]

Nope, I mean an over boost condition. The 04. 5 would hit hard (until I had the TSB done) and run to about 32# of boost, then defuel. Ever since the TSB, I couldn't get over about 28# boost. That's why I added the EZ. Now it's about where it was prior to the TSB.

 

[klenger]

I've been towing my 10k for 4 years all over Colorado and Arizona with no gauges and no problems (yet).

 

[LesStallings]

My `04 when stock, would exceed 1,250°F EGT when I was heavy (15,000+ pounds) and downshifted into 5th. gear on steep, long climbs.



This experience shows me that if you stay in high gear, no problem other than running slower than desired. If you downshift (or your automatic downshifts), all bets are off. I believe you may be runing close to maximum temps under those conditions.



But then again, with 7,000 pounds, you may be fine. I would not be "overly concerned". With no EGT gage, ignorance can be bliss - but sometimes inquiring minds just want to know!

 

[AggieJustin]

And when you think about it... . there are plenty of Ram drivers out there towing in stock configuration that have never heard of TDR and aren't running gauges (and probably haven't heard of them either).

 

[LesStallings]

The very fact that Jcasper is on TDR and asking a great question puts him way above the masses!!!

 

[Bertram65]

My `04 when stock, would exceed 1,250°F EGT when I was heavy (15,000+ pounds) and downshifted into 5th. gear on steep, long climbs.



This experience shows me that if you stay in high gear, no problem other than running slower than desired. If you downshift (or your automatic downshifts), all bets are off. I believe you may be runing close to maximum temps under those conditions.



But then again, with 7,000 pounds, you may be fine. I would not be "overly concerned". With no EGT gage, ignorance can be bliss - but sometimes inquiring minds just want to know!

My truck does the oposite of what I think you are describing, if I am in OD and get below 2000 rpms the EGTs start to rise, if I then drop out of OD into 3rd and run 2600-2700 rpms the EGTs drop back down and I have plenty of power.

 

[JCasper]

going tomorrow with 8,300lbs

I loaded the trailer today and will be heading up to kennewick in the morning. The trailer weighs in at just about 8,300 lbs. I took it across the scale on my way home today. Thank you all for your input.

 

[tschwab]

You have nothing to worry about at that weight and being stock. I have chosen to leave this truck 100% stock and am NOT putting gauges in. If something goes and its stock, my 7/100K warranty will cover it. There was an article in the TDR several years ago, titled "the factory knows best", there is some truth to that.

 

[Snellville-Dave]

I'd be more concerned about having a gauge on Mt. St. Helen to know when it was going off again than worrying about the Ram.

 

[CPG]

Quite sure that when Cummins designed our engine, it was taken into consideration if any gauges were needed. If the engine is stock, this is probably considered not needed. If one feels more security, go with the gauges.

I had a pretty fancy first gener with all the bells & whistles on it. With our new 04. 5 I chose to " leave the sleeping dog lie". Its up to you, but as an ageing senior, I need to pay attention to what is in front of me driveing.



Chuck

 

[RJOL]

I've been towing my 10k for 4 years all over Colorado and Arizona with no gauges and no problems (yet).

Ken... How do you know???

 

[JBlock]

I towed my Kubota from San Francisco to Portland, before i had guages, as I recall the temperature climbed a liitle coming out of Califonia with 9,000 pound plus in tow and the truck bed full too. It was 100 plus degree weather going down empty on the factory engine oil, and it lost a little pressure, So I had it changed out to Delo 15-40 and never looked back, came through the passes at night, and fan did come on, its sounds like a jet engine. SInce then the truck got 50,000 more miles at RV275 and EZ, runs hard.



Check that your raditor is clean and dust up with oil from the breather bottle on the front of the engine.



Joe