I need some towing advice

[sidewinder2]

We recently bought a 2023 Cougar 27 foot travel trailer and we will be towing with a 2023 Ram 1500 with a trailer towing package. We will be going up/down 6% grades with this 6000# trailer. The Ram has a 5.7 Hemi and a 8 speed automatic transmission. Now the question: The Ram allows you to determine the max/min gears the transmission can use. I’m trying to get some input from veterans with this setup as to what gear you should restrict it to going down these 6% grades. Any assistance would sincerely be appreciated.
Thanks, Joe

[kdauto]

Why bother with an automatic if you're going to be making all the decisions? Set it to tow/haul mode and let it eat.

I'd be more concerned with other factors for that size and weight of trailer, especially on a RAM.

[tuffr2]

Not Ram specific but the best advice about going down hill is to start to slow down on the up hill side.

Sent from my moto z4 using iRV2 - RV Forum mobile app

[Garyp4951]

J2807 specs on a 2023 Ram 1500, 5.7 with max tow package show 12,750# using a WD hitch.
I would assume 6k is your dry weight and will be more when loaded to camp.

[Wire4money]

Originally Posted by Garyp4951

J2807 specs on a 2023 Ram 1500, 5.7 with max tow package show 12,750# using a WD hitch.
I would assume 6k is your dry weight and will be more when loaded to camp.

Depends on the rear end ratio, weight of truck, etc. my Bighorn Hemi 3.92 is a little over 11k. The 3.21 trucks are considerably less, as well as loaded out trucks.

[Old-Biscuit]

Use Tow/Haul Mode

When descending do NOT ride the brakes
Gear down if needed to maintain/control downhill speed
*Stab brakes to decrease speed by 10mph then get off the brakes
Repeat and gear down again if needed

[sidewinder2]

Thanks for the responses. The dry weight is actually 5780# dry. It sounds like I should set the cruise on 55 mph going up & down grades and not worry about it. That’s what I did on our 25 foot MH and the engine/ transmission automatically went into higher rpm’s to keep the speed constant.
Joe

[traveldawg]

In hilly or rolling hill conditions I disengage from cruise control. I let things speed up a bit going down hills if they aren't steep or long and let the truck slow a bit going up. I suppose all that is to maximize MPG without screwing up the traffic.

Going up steep or long grades if the transmission 'hunts' I manually set it in the lower 'hunting' gear; I prefer the higher RPMs going up. I usually find a speed that is fitting for the grade and traffic conditions as well as temps of the tranny, water and oil.

Going down steep grades I usually slow well before the grade and set a gear I think will maintain the proper speed for the grade. A rule of thumb is to use the same gear going down that you used going up. But I usually find that I use one gear lower.

I don't know how RAM's trannys work. On a newer Ford you can pretty much just leave things in tow mode, "exhaust' brake on, and can use cruise control and the computers will manage the speed using gear changes, exhaust braking, and automatically braking. Lots of times though I manage a lot of that myself.

[JIMNLIN]

I’m trying to get some input from veterans with this setup as to what gear you should restrict it to going down these 6% grades. Any assistance would sincerely be appreciated.
Thanks, Joe

All auto trannies don't use the same downshift parameters for down hill braking so advise from some one that doesn't have that particular tranny won't work the best....or not at all.
I'm sure someone will be along that has the same truck/tranny with their input.
Check out some of the Ram 1500 forums/websites as those folks with the same truck/tranny.

[DR60]

Originally Posted by sidewinder2

We recently bought a 2023 Cougar 27 foot travel trailer and we will be towing with a 2023 Ram 1500 with a trailer towing package. We will be going up/down 6% grades with this 6000# trailer. The Ram has a 5.7 Hemi and a 8 speed automatic transmission. Now the question: The Ram allows you to determine the max/min gears the transmission can use. I’m trying to get some input from veterans with this setup as to what gear you should restrict it to going down these 6% grades. Any assistance would sincerely be appreciated.
Thanks, Joe

I recently had a rental 2020 1500 and on a steep grade pulling a load I was in 4th gear at 50 miles an hour to get the engine to hold my speed on a steep decline. and about the same pulling the load on an incline. This PU did not have a tow mode option. This was with the bed and a trailer full of firewood.
In my older Dodge I lock out the Overdrive to get the same effect. Good Luck DR

[Tomahawk]

Originally Posted by JIMNLIN

... Check out some of the Ram 1500 forums/websites as those folks with the same truck/tranny.

I have the 2017 with the 5.7 and 8 speed tranny. The cruise control uses engine braking. Not sure if it does that all the time or just in tow/haul mode. It works great on long down hill runs you can do at 40 or 50 MPH. Near my home, the grapevine on I5 is like that. I can go down it and never touch the brakes. Where I am unhappy is on steep grades with lot of turns where I want to hold 25 MPH or less. I can manually put the tranny in second and there is not enough engine braking to help a lot. This is where I really wish I had the 3/4 ton for the larger brakes. My Trailer GVWR is 5000 and I travel at about 4500. The OPs trailer is quite a bit bigger. I don't use the cruise control going up hill, not sure why, but I don't.

[john1981]

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

Use Tow/Haul Mode

When descending do NOT ride the brakes
Gear down if needed to maintain/control downhill speed
*Stab brakes to decrease speed by 10mph then get off the brakes
Repeat and gear down again if needed

snub not stab.

[NevadaNick]

It is stab braking to snub speed.

[john1981]

Originally Posted by NevadaNick

It is stab braking to snub speed.

no it isnt. stab breaking is where you pretty much lock them up. snub breaking is scrubbing off speed.

https://www.google.com/search?q=snub...obile&ie=UTF-8

https://www.google.com/search?q=stab...obile&ie=UTF-8

sorry, its snub braking.