Re: Need a better truck.(diesel) to pull my 5th wheel

Posted by ScottyHOMEy on November 12, 2010 at 08:52:51 from (71.241.195.234):

In Reply to: Need a better truck.(diesel) to pull my 5th wheel posted by Tractorhank on November 11, 2010 at 17:23:38:

I run an '03 1-ton, single rear (3.73), 4WD, Ram, 5.9 Cummins, NV 6-speed, long cab, long bed. Rated for 9900 GVW, it scales about 4800 front and 3200 on the rears, total 8K with me, a full tank, and the stuff that always travels in the truck, which leaves me about 1900# for hitch weight. The 8K is heavier than the curb weight in the book, but the only weight that's been added is the B&W hitch and it's frame, another 200# or so. You could cut down the weight of the vehicle some and still keep the capacity (i.e, increase the available hitch weight) by going with a short bed and/or short cab -- just make sure with a short bed your hitch is mounted or of the slide-back type so that you have room to kink the whole rig without the corners of the camper becoming "close friends" with your cab. That's more an issue with the MegaCab than the regular extended cab, but it's worth noting.

Running around bareback, I get 19-20 mpg. About the heaviest I've hauled with it is 14K, the rated limit on my gooseneck tractor hauler. With that load on the 3.73 rear, I generally run a gear lower than I would with something lighter and get about 9 mpg. A 4.10 rear would hurt your mileage on the light end but can actually help on the heavier loads.

Campers (read "wind resistance") are mileage killers. I don't notice any change in mileage pulling my empty car hauler (2K). I hauled a 3500# car on it from Maine to Virginia (total 5500#) and the mileage only dropped to 18. But . . . put my empty (2900#) box trailer on behind and mileage drops to 14 with the wind resistance. Load that same trailer up to the full 7K and I'll still get 12. Point being wind drag will kill your mileage real quicklike. There are gadgets and gizmos (foils, spoilers, fins . . .) that claim to help but there's no escaping the effect of drag.

I've been real happy with the Ram. It's stock, and has done everything I've asked of it, no argument. The only thing I've added is the exhaust brake. It does its best work with the motor at 2000 rpm and above, but I wouldn't be without it. The torque on the Cummins is super, and there are plenty of hosses for all I've ever asked of the truck.

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