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Ram with 4.7 for towing #1650331
07/24/14 02:29 AM
07/24/14 02:29 AM
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 710
Harrisburg Pa. 17112
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moparmikethree Offline OP
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Harrisburg Pa. 17112
Interested in getting a ram truck for hauling a trailer with a car. How are the trucks with the 4.7? Do they have enough power, and do they hold up?

Re: Ram with 4.7 for towing [Re: moparmikethree] #1650332
07/24/14 03:39 AM
07/24/14 03:39 AM
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Harrisburg Pa. 17112
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moparmikethree Offline OP
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Anybody have any opinions on the 4.7 good or bad

Re: Ram with 4.7 for towing [Re: moparmikethree] #1650333
07/24/14 03:44 AM
07/24/14 03:44 AM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 21,318
Manitoba, Canada
DaytonaTurbo Offline
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I would do it. But around here the roads are long, level, straight and flat. If it were hilly and curvy, that 4.7 would do a lot of gear shifting. I know it was like that trying to tow a 5.2 ram. That or stay with a stick shift.

Re: Ram with 4.7 for towing [Re: DaytonaTurbo] #1650334
07/24/14 03:46 AM
07/24/14 03:46 AM
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IL, Aurora
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ademon Offline
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my 03 Dakota quad towed fine the few times i tried, but flat here also.

Re: Ram with 4.7 for towing [Re: ademon] #1650335
07/24/14 04:29 AM
07/24/14 04:29 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,179
Park Forest, IL
slantzilla Offline
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I had an '06 AWD Dakota with a 4.7 H.O. It towed my open trailer pretty well, but it wasn't nearly as good as my 5.9 Dakota was. If it were me, I would hold out for a 5.7 or 5.9 truck.


"Everybody funny, now you funny too."
Re: Ram with 4.7 for towing [Re: moparmikethree] #1650336
07/24/14 05:23 AM
07/24/14 05:23 AM
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,399
Aurora, Colorado
451Mopar Offline
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I had a 2000 Ram 4.7L and it was ok unloaded, but even unloaded it was lucky to get 14 MPG. With a open car trailer, it would tow it, but the transmission would search for a gear quite a bit when going up hill. I wouldn't recommend the 4.7 for towing. If you can't get a diesel, at least get the 5.7L Hemi

Re: Ram with 4.7 for towing [Re: 451Mopar] #1650337
07/24/14 08:02 AM
07/24/14 08:02 AM
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Temperance, MI
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prochargedhemi Offline
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I wouldn't recommend the 4.7 period. to many engine issues.

Re: Ram with 4.7 for towing [Re: moparmikethree] #1650338
07/24/14 11:06 AM
07/24/14 11:06 AM
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Benton, IL.
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DaveRS23 Offline
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I buy cars in St. Louis which is about 2 hours away with a mix of flat and rolling hills. I use a small 16' tandem trailer. I have probably pulled this trailer with a couple of dozen different trucks, mostly Dodges.

The 4.7 won't cut it. It will drop out of OD on any small hill or with a little head wind. And that is when the trailer is empty.

At 287 cubic inch, I consider the 2.7 a lite duty engine in full sized trucks.


Master, again and still
Re: Ram with 4.7 for towing [Re: DaveRS23] #1650339
07/24/14 11:16 AM
07/24/14 11:16 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,490
Minnesota
Hemi_Joel Offline
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I had a 2004 with a 4.7 and I am another one does not recommend a 4.7 for any purpose. They don't have any torque, and they get crappy gas mileage. you have to drop two or three gears for hills, and you got the gas pedal on the floor almost the whole time.Go with the Hemi it gets better mileage and will pull any trailer you put behind it.


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Re: Ram with 4.7 for towing [Re: Hemi_Joel] #1650340
07/24/14 11:21 AM
07/24/14 11:21 AM
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Ontario, Canada
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Stanton Offline
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Ontario, Canada
I tow a heavy trailer with a '99 5.2 ram. I does a very good job but I sure wouldn't want any less motor.

Re: Ram with 4.7 for towing [Re: DaveRS23] #1650341
07/24/14 12:08 PM
07/24/14 12:08 PM
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Posts: 25,200
Upper Midwest
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MoparforLife Offline
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Quote:

I buy cars in St. Louis which is about 2 hours away with a mix of flat and rolling hills. I use a small 16' tandem trailer. I have probably pulled this trailer with a couple of dozen different trucks, mostly Dodges.

The 4.7 won't cut it. It will drop out of OD on any small hill or with a little head wind. And that is when the trailer is empty.

At 287 cubic inch, I consider the 2.7 a lite duty engine in full sized trucks.



You don't tow in OD.

Re: Ram with 4.7 for towing [Re: MoparforLife] #1650342
07/24/14 12:49 PM
07/24/14 12:49 PM
Joined: Apr 2005
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Kelowna, B.C. Canada
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DPelletier Offline
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I cringe when I have to tow my car trailer with the Hemi powered truck instead of one of my diesels....a 4.7? wouldn't even consider it.


A small open trailer with an A body....maybe just a roller....just across town....with a tailwind = maybe.


Dave


1970 Super Bee 440 Six Pack 1974 'Cuda 2008 Ram 3500 Diesel 2006 Ram 3500 Diesel 2004.5 Ram 2500 Diesel 2003 Ram 3500 Diesel 2006 Durango Limited [url] http://1970superbee.piczo.com [/url]
Re: Ram with 4.7 for towing [Re: moparmikethree] #1650343
07/24/14 02:47 PM
07/24/14 02:47 PM
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 221
New Mexico, USA
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attaboy Offline
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New Mexico, USA
I have a 2010 Ram w/4.7. I've towed my 71 Charger R/T only once for about 100 miles. It does OK but uphill is a little frustrating. I don't think it would be good for a lot of towing. The motor doesn't have much reserve, however I was towing @ 5000 ft elevation. It did fine on level ground once it got going.
attaboy

Re: Ram with 4.7 for towing [Re: attaboy] #1650344
07/24/14 03:35 PM
07/24/14 03:35 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 25,200
Upper Midwest
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MoparforLife Offline
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Have been towing been towing everything from 16 foot horse trailers, to enclosed race trailers, to hauling big bales and for the last 20 years with 318 or 4.7. Best is use a 3.92 gear.. If you have a 3.55 use a shorter tire to use the gear better. Still not as good as a 3.92 with a shorter tire but will work as long as not to windy or hilly. I just towed through 4 states with a 3 horse with dressing room using a 4.7 and 3.55 gear. Windy and hilly was tough with the 3.55 but --. In all the years have never had what is called a white knuckle ride and have pulled many thousand miles. Get the load balanced right(60/40 front to rear) and the trailer brakes set right. Drive accordingly. Just because the speed limit is 75 doesn't mean that you have to drive that.

Re: Ram with 4.7 for towing [Re: MoparforLife] #1650345
07/24/14 04:13 PM
07/24/14 04:13 PM
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312
Cincinnati, Ohio
Challenger 1 Offline
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Quote:

Have been towing been towing everything from 16 foot horse trailers, to enclosed race trailers, to hauling big bales and for the last 20 years with 318 or 4.7. Best is use a 3.92 gear.. If you have a 3.55 use a shorter tire to use the gear better. Still not as good as a 3.92 with a shorter tire but will work as long as not to windy or hilly. I just towed through 4 states with a 3 horse with dressing room using a 4.7 and 3.55 gear. Windy and hilly was tough with the 3.55 but --. In all the years have never had what is called a white knuckle ride and have pulled many thousand miles. Get the load balanced right(60/40 front to rear) and the trailer brakes set right. Drive accordingly. Just because the speed limit is 75 doesn't mean that you have to drive that.






And I was complaining about my 454" motor and 4:56 gears in my old truck.

Re: Ram with 4.7 for towing [Re: moparmikethree] #1650346
07/24/14 06:18 PM
07/24/14 06:18 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,531
Jacksonville, FL
Chris2581 Offline
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Jacksonville, FL
I have a 2002 Ram with 4.7 A/T and 3.55's....I tow a 5000# car/trailer combo,and have had no problems towing with it.I get 13.5 mpg towing the car/trailer. My Ram has 196,000 on it and I've had ZERO problems with it,just normal maintenance.I do not tow the car with OD. I do use OD when pulling our pop up camper.


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Re: Ram with 4.7 for towing [Re: Challenger 1] #1650347
07/24/14 06:19 PM
07/24/14 06:19 PM
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,505
God's Country Maryland
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Looks like you're in PA. Many hills means you're going to want a 5.9 or 6.7 Cummins. That 4.7 will be eaten alive by the mountains there. If you do go with the 5.7 Hemi be sure to get a 2500 Ram for towing. This way you'll be sure not to get the MDS Hemi (Multi Displacement System). They're not designed to tow a lot, that's the reason the MDS is not used in the 2500 Rams.


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Re: Ram with 4.7 for towing [Re: MoparforLife] #1650348
07/24/14 08:43 PM
07/24/14 08:43 PM
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Posts: 12,080
Benton, IL.
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DaveRS23 Offline
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Quote:

Quote:

I buy cars in St. Louis which is about 2 hours away with a mix of flat and rolling hills. I use a small 16' tandem trailer. I have probably pulled this trailer with a couple of dozen different trucks, mostly Dodges.

The 4.7 won't cut it. It will drop out of OD on any small hill or with a little head wind. And that is when the trailer is empty.

At 287 cubic inch, I consider the 2.7 a lite duty engine in full sized trucks.



You don't tow in OD.




Did you miss the part about the trailer being EMPTY?

I wouldn't own a truck that couldn't pull a small empty trailer on OD. I don't even consider that "towing". But thanks for your opinion.


Master, again and still
Re: Ram with 4.7 for towing [Re: DaveRS23] #1650349
07/24/14 08:50 PM
07/24/14 08:50 PM
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 6,906
IL, Aurora
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ademon Offline
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To the OP how often do you plan to tow?

Re: Ram with 4.7 for towing [Re: DaveRS23] #1650350
07/24/14 10:37 PM
07/24/14 10:37 PM
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Posts: 25,200
Upper Midwest
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MoparforLife Offline
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Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

I buy cars in St. Louis which is about 2 hours away with a mix of flat and rolling hills. I use a small 16' tandem trailer. I have probably pulled this trailer with a couple of dozen different trucks, mostly Dodges.

The 4.7 won't cut it. It will drop out of OD on any small hill or with a little head wind. And that is when the trailer is empty.

At 287 cubic inch, I consider the 2.7 a lite duty engine in full sized trucks.



You don't tow in OD.




Did you miss the part about the trailer being EMPTY?

I wouldn't own a truck that couldn't pull a small empty trailer on OD. I don't even consider that "towing". But thanks for your opinion.


Nothing there stating empty. By the way what is a 2.7???? PS I wouldn't tow anything bigger than a small utility trailer or light boat without it being locked out of OD, Maybe that is why I have never hurt an engine or transmission.

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