Re: General 99 Ram thread
Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2019 3:44 pm
Finally towed with the truck today. Wanted to post in this thread since it is truck thoughts/experience.
I towed this trailer:
https://www.uhaul.com/Trailers/6x12-Uti ... Rental/HO/
Empty weight: 2,290 lbs. I mistakenly thought these were aluminum. Obviously it is just galvanized steel as that is quite heavy. I would say I had 1,100 lbs or so of weight bringing the total to around 3,350 lbs, which is less than half the truck's towing capacity but 2/3ds of the capacity without a weight distributing hitch.
The truck didn't squat too much and rode decently when the trailer was full. Empty it banged around on bumps and was kind of annoying. In the power department, it was pretty taxing to the 318 (Magnum 5.2). It is rated at 230 hp and 300 lb-ft but that is honestly not enough. Nothing about the power delivery is good. It doesn't have a ton of low end. The torque converter doesn't multiply efficiently. The 3.55 axle is too tall, and as a result I ended up towing in 3rd lockup for a lot of it at around 2500-2800 rpm which actually worked out fine. The shift points are terrible. The 2-3 shift feels crappy. But it did get the job done with no issues. Not even a check engine light (STILL!). It cruised down the highway just fine, with no sketch.
I do want to say something about the trailer brakes. They were surge brakes which basically means the trailer tongue has a master cylinder pushrod built in and as the truck slows, the trailer exerts force on the master cylinder as it slides forward, and this engages the trailer brakes mechanically. I had never really experienced surge brakes but they seemed to work really well! They worked better loaded than empty. Pretty impressed.
The truck felt quite sprightly after I dropped the trailer off (West Warwick). In fact I got a decent burnout going off a light on Bald Hill Rd (it was wet). So sporty.
All in all it was satisfying and it was nice to use the truck for a job like this. The Ranger could not have handled this.
For the record my trailer backing skills are adequate. Not pro level but sufficient. My dad was impressed - I backed the trailer right into its spot when I returned it.
I towed this trailer:
https://www.uhaul.com/Trailers/6x12-Uti ... Rental/HO/
Empty weight: 2,290 lbs. I mistakenly thought these were aluminum. Obviously it is just galvanized steel as that is quite heavy. I would say I had 1,100 lbs or so of weight bringing the total to around 3,350 lbs, which is less than half the truck's towing capacity but 2/3ds of the capacity without a weight distributing hitch.
The truck didn't squat too much and rode decently when the trailer was full. Empty it banged around on bumps and was kind of annoying. In the power department, it was pretty taxing to the 318 (Magnum 5.2). It is rated at 230 hp and 300 lb-ft but that is honestly not enough. Nothing about the power delivery is good. It doesn't have a ton of low end. The torque converter doesn't multiply efficiently. The 3.55 axle is too tall, and as a result I ended up towing in 3rd lockup for a lot of it at around 2500-2800 rpm which actually worked out fine. The shift points are terrible. The 2-3 shift feels crappy. But it did get the job done with no issues. Not even a check engine light (STILL!). It cruised down the highway just fine, with no sketch.
I do want to say something about the trailer brakes. They were surge brakes which basically means the trailer tongue has a master cylinder pushrod built in and as the truck slows, the trailer exerts force on the master cylinder as it slides forward, and this engages the trailer brakes mechanically. I had never really experienced surge brakes but they seemed to work really well! They worked better loaded than empty. Pretty impressed.
The truck felt quite sprightly after I dropped the trailer off (West Warwick). In fact I got a decent burnout going off a light on Bald Hill Rd (it was wet). So sporty.
All in all it was satisfying and it was nice to use the truck for a job like this. The Ranger could not have handled this.
For the record my trailer backing skills are adequate. Not pro level but sufficient. My dad was impressed - I backed the trailer right into its spot when I returned it.