Towing differences from 3rd gen to 4th

[PowerWagonP]

Just came back from towing our travel trailer 500 miles each way. Went through scales and trailer was 6600lb. Towed not bad on I5, pretty flat but hills were a bit annoying shifting into 2nd. I know lots of guys on the board have gone from a 3rd gen to 4th. Wondering how much better they tow with the extra 40 horses and 6spd. Considering getting a 2012 or 2013 down the road, I like the 6spd gearing alot better than the 5spd but wish the ratios were a bit better in the 6spd.

[PowerWagonP]

Anyone, got my eye on a 2013 close by, and it's black.......

[olyelr]

My first pw is a '16, so i cant really do a compariosn (although i did have a regular '06 2500).

It tows just fine. We have a 7000 pound (when empty) travel trailer i drag around with it and it does just fine. Its not a diesel, but it works.

I dont think you will experience/feel much more power with the new motor, mainly because of the 4.10 gearing instead of the 4.56 you are used to.

Or wait, its a '13? Those do have the 4.56 gears, dont they. Hell, they have the 5.7 too, no?

You will love the newer interior and bigger rear cab.

[TwinStick]

Sorry, I am of no help here. I have 4.56's & the G-56. No problems towing here---ever. Just can't pass a gas station.

I have really contemplated removing the spare permanently & having a fuel tank put there. I guess it's all about the Benjamin's $$$$ & Legality in this state.

[Stickman]

Haven't towed anything that heavy with my '12, I think the heaviest I towed was around 4500 or so with a loaded 18+2 car trailer. But I didn't have any complaints, fuel mileage depends on your speed with the 4:56s and if you're on hilly terrain or flat. I was able to get 13-15mpg average without tow/haul on flat interstate at 65mph. Once it got hilly though and I turned on tow/haul it was around 10 average like usual. Didn't have any problems pulling it though, Hemis love ths RPMs like most know so as long as you're not shy with your right foot and have the wallet to feed the thirst it doesn't break a sweat when passing, going up hills or into a headwind, or everything together. Just put it to the floor, let it downshift once or twice and listen to it roar like a lion and take off.

[adeluca73]

Goodbye OH, hello VA.

Towed my commuter car along with all my "unmentionables" (the entire bed & back seat packed with ammo & firearms ). Hit the scales in Dayton, 15,858lbs, so pretty heavy, more than I thought. You can see some definite sagging, airbags would've helped a lot, but I don't tow much anymore, so I wasn't even really thinking about the sag till I drove the car up on the trailer. I put the Firestone bags on my F250 and they helped a lot when going to and from AK with 8k LBs, anyway, drove 6+ Hrs of the 9 hr trip in a driving miserable rain, at night, though the mountains, and it sucked. The trucked averaged 11.1mpg with 4.88's & my new 37" Nittos aired to the tire max of 50psi cold. Truck rode as well as expected, had to see 6k RPM at times, and it was struggling slowing down hill. Tow/haul mode helps slot, but I still was heavily involved on the +- stick ...

[OffroadTreks]

Just to explain for the 100th time, airbags would not have helped. Your truck is sagging because the excessive weight on the rear is lifting the front. Scale ticket with the trailer unhitched would highlight that your front axle most likely weighted less hitched than unhitched. I know because your weight there is very close to my full setup and my truck doesn't sag, and I don't use air bags. And I've done the, 3 pass weigh in's. Truck solo, truck hitched with no w/d and truck hitched with w/d.

It's really a non-problem in your case, you can't use WD with those uhaul trailers. But I just want to mention that airbags don't solve weight issues, they just hide the problem by preventing your springs from compressing. It just improves appearances, that's it.

Otherwise, great report.

[TommyG]

We just picked up a 30 foot travel trailer that is 5600 and change dry. I added weight distribution/sway control hitch to there is no issue with sag, etc. It will go as fast as I feel safe towing in the mountains (foothills to you folks in the west) of PA. No issues pulling out from behind a slower vehicle and accelerating to pass even pulling a hill.

Getting 8-9 in the hills with tow haul. Down on the flats once we get closer to the beach I was able to get 10-12 in tow haul as long as the wind is not too bad. I felt like the truck would pull faster than I was willing to go pretty much everywhere.

[gone2]

I switched from a 2007 to 2015 mid vacation pulling my 34ft travel trailer and the difference was drastic. I ended up pulling it back home in the rain, and the traction control was relaxing. I went from a 1st gen 5.7 w/ 345hp to the 410hp 6.4L so my increase in power was drastic, not to mention the extra TQ down low. All in all, towing the same trailer with the '15 is much less fatiguing on long trips.

** The '07's steering was getting a little worn and surely required more steering input than when new.

[adeluca73]

Just to explain for the 100th time, airbags would not have helped. Your truck is sagging because the excessive weight on the rear is lifting the front. Scale ticket with the trailer unhitched would highlight that your front axle most likely weighted less hitched than unhitched. I know because your weight there is very close to my full setup and my truck doesn't sag, and I don't use air bags. And I've done the, 3 pass weigh in's. Truck solo, truck hitched with no w/d and truck hitched with w/d.

It's really a non-problem in your case, you can't use WD with those uhaul trailers. But I just want to mention that airbags don't solve weight issues, they just hide the problem by preventing your springs from compressing. It just improves appearances, that's it.

Otherwise, great report.

Yeah man, I know bags don't reduce tounge weight. I drove over CAT scales and have both axle weights, trailer weight, and tongue weight & got weighed empty (military move, need both). But the car hauler can't accommodate a WD hitch & even if it could, I wasn't going to drop $$ on one for a single trip. Bags would help alleviate the spring compression by exerting an upward force on the rear axle equal to that of the down force created by the very front heavy trailer tongue weight, thereby reducing compressive stress on the springs and restore damping travel, reduce fluid heat build up, but would not put more weight on the front axle however .

[olyelr]

Does a set of bags work the same as a wd hitch, well hell no. But they most definitely help the situation.

[nts007]

Also loading the heaviest part of the car that far past the trailer axles puts that much more on the tongue. Just balance your load better and you don't put as much direct weight on tongue

[adeluca73]

Also loading the heaviest part of the car that far past the trailer axles puts that much more on the tongue. Just balance your load better and you don't put as much direct weight on tongue

Yeah in most cases yes, but UHaul's direction is to front load the trailer to prevent "whipping", something they were all kinds of worried about for liability. The car has to rest completely against the forward stops to properly cinch the front wheels down with their ratcheting tire web, which attaches to the front of the trailer, no way to avoid the front load with that trailer, plus that trailer is solid steel, so it's a heavy ass mother empty.

[04Ram2500Hemi]

My first pw is a '16, so i cant really do a compariosn (although i did have a regular '06 2500).

It tows just fine. We have a 7000 pound (when empty) travel trailer i drag around with it and it does just fine. Its not a diesel, but it works.

I dont think you will experience/feel much more power with the new motor, mainly because of the 4.10 gearing instead of the 4.56 you are used to.

Or wait, its a '13? Those do have the 4.56 gears, dont they. Hell, they have the 5.7 too, no?

You will love the newer interior and bigger rear cab.

2013's are the last year for the 5.7L Hemi and the 4.56 Gears. 2013 was also the first year of the upgraded interior like you'll find in the current 2016 Power Wagon's. To me the 2013 is the best year of the 4th Gen Power Wagon. I like the gearing and the "older" suspension versus what you find under the 2014's.

[PowerWagonP]

My first pw is a '16, so i cant really do a compariosn (although i did have a regular '06 2500).

It tows just fine. We have a 7000 pound (when empty) travel trailer i drag around with it and it does just fine. Its not a diesel, but it works.

I dont think you will experience/feel much more power with the new motor, mainly because of the 4.10 gearing instead of the 4.56 you are used to.

Or wait, its a '13? Those do have the 4.56 gears, dont they. Hell, they have the 5.7 too, no?

You will love the newer interior and bigger rear cab.

2013's are the last year for the 5.7L Hemi and the 4.56 Gears. 2013 was also the first year of the upgraded interior like you'll find in the current 2016 Power Wagon's. To me the 2013 is the best year of the 4th Gen Power Wagon. I like the gearing and the "older" suspension versus what you find under the 2014's.

2013 is my favourite year. I do like the interior and the higher payload then newer ones which I need.
04Ram2500Hemi, you switched from a 04 2500 to your 12 didn't you? Was it a noticeable difference in power and with 6spd

[04Ram2500Hemi]

My first pw is a '16, so i cant really do a compariosn (although i did have a regular '06 2500).

It tows just fine. We have a 7000 pound (when empty) travel trailer i drag around with it and it does just fine. Its not a diesel, but it works.

I dont think you will experience/feel much more power with the new motor, mainly because of the 4.10 gearing instead of the 4.56 you are used to.

Or wait, its a '13? Those do have the 4.56 gears, dont they. Hell, they have the 5.7 too, no?

You will love the newer interior and bigger rear cab.

2013's are the last year for the 5.7L Hemi and the 4.56 Gears. 2013 was also the first year of the upgraded interior like you'll find in the current 2016 Power Wagon's. To me the 2013 is the best year of the 4th Gen Power Wagon. I like the gearing and the "older" suspension versus what you find under the 2014's.

2013 is my favourite year. I do like the interior and the higher payload then newer ones which I need.
04Ram2500Hemi, you switched from a 04 2500 to your 12 didn't you? Was it a noticeable difference in power and with 6spd

The power was noticeable for me, but you have to remember I was running the 5.7L Hemi with 3.73 gears and 35" tires. The new Power Wagon with 4.56 gears feels a lot faster than my older truck. That's not to say my older truck didn't get the job done, it's just that the 2012 does it much better.

[Bill2014]

I switched from a 2007 to 2015 mid vacation pulling my 34ft travel trailer and the difference was drastic. I ended up pulling it back home in the rain, and the traction control was relaxing. I went from a 1st gen 5.7 w/ 345hp to the 410hp 6.4L so my increase in power was drastic, not to mention the extra TQ down low. All in all, towing the same trailer with the '15 is much less fatiguing on long trips.

** The '07's steering was getting a little worn and surely required more steering input than when new.

I agree completely!

(I do realize a '13 is considered a 4th gen - but these are the only related experiences I have)

When I had my '13 PowerWagon, the engine was always racing when I towed anything substantial - and gas mileage was horrible.

With my '14 PowerWagon, the low end torque makes a Huge difference. Even with overloads it does surprisingly well.

24,820 pounds anyone?



I'm sure if I tried this size load with the '13, the sound of the racing engine would have attracted some unwanted attention


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[OffroadTreks]

Also loading the heaviest part of the car that far past the trailer axles puts that much more on the tongue. Just balance your load better and you don't put as much direct weight on tongue

Yeah in most cases yes, but UHaul's direction is to front load the trailer to prevent "whipping", something they were all kinds of worried about for liability. The car has to rest completely against the forward stops to properly cinch the front wheels down with their ratcheting tire web, which attaches to the front of the trailer, no way to avoid the front load with that trailer, plus that trailer is solid steel, so it's a heavy ass mother empty.

UHaul has some of the weirdest freaking "advice" and theories in the industry. I remember trying to rent a call hualer from them and they told me my SUV couldn't handle it, even though it was rated to tow that. They wouldn't budge. Also, those crazy ass hitch setups they use. I can only assume that years of renting to stupid people has lead to liability stupidity in safety.

[nts007]

I rented a uhaul like the one you did to haul a minivan. They told me it wouldn't fit and I couldn't have it. So I told them it was to tow a car and took it. Hauled the minivan no problem. Even if the rear wheels were 6" from the back edge. But yes they rent to a lot of really stupid people.

[Bill2014]

The irony of towing anything U-Haul, is that I would have to remove my tongue with the 2-5/16 - 15,000 ball and use a tongue with a 1-7/8 or 2" ball