Towing with a 03 4.7 ???
#1791959
03/30/15 08:29 PM
03/30/15 08:29 PM
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,927 Seaford, Va
Kindafast
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Hey Guys I just picked up a 2003 , 1500 quad cab 6' bed dodge with a 4.7 and auto. I know it's on the light side to tow my enclosed trailer with but it is what I have to work with. LOL Anyway I have a 28' Pace toy hauler and a 3500lb car.I used to pull this with a Ford Diesel but the truck died. I have no choice this year but to pull it with my Dodge. Any good advise ? Any tips on making the little engine last ? I don't plan on many 70 mph trips but 55 to 60 I need. Closest track is about 60 miles from my home. No bashing please just advise.
Last edited by Kindafast; 03/30/15 08:38 PM.
6.50 @105.26
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Re: Towing with a 03 4.7 ???
[Re: Kindafast]
#1791960
03/30/15 08:39 PM
03/30/15 08:39 PM
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 5,947 Greenville, PA
redraptor
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Quote:
Any good advise ? Any tips on making the little engine last ?
Sure buy another HD truck. I had my buddy tow a Ranger on 2k# trailer with his 4.7 Dakota to a local mud hole and back. Truck runs great but was his first trip into single digit mileage.
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Re: Towing with a 03 4.7 ???
[Re: redraptor]
#1791961
03/30/15 08:45 PM
03/30/15 08:45 PM
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,927 Seaford, Va
Kindafast
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I know the mileage will be horrible but this year I have no choice. We use the trailer to camp and race out of. Won't be doing a lot of racing so the car will be home most weekends but a lot of camping. Trailer is pretty heavy but I towed it a while ago and it felt ok.
6.50 @105.26
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Re: Towing with a 03 4.7 ???
[Re: ahy]
#1791963
03/30/15 10:27 PM
03/30/15 10:27 PM
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,927 Seaford, Va
Kindafast
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Thanks but that is not a option , I know the 1500 is a little light but I plan on putting lift bags on the rear. The engine seems to have enough power to pull. I won't be on very hilly roads mostly flatland. It has the good tow package , electric brakes and a trans cooler on it now.
6.50 @105.26
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Re: Towing with a 03 4.7 ???
[Re: Kindafast]
#1791966
03/31/15 10:27 AM
03/31/15 10:27 AM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312 Cincinnati, Ohio
Challenger 1
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Quote:
Hey Guys I just picked up a 2003 , 1500 quad cab 6' bed dodge with a 4.7 and auto. I know it's on the light side to tow my enclosed trailer with but it is what I have to work with. LOL Anyway I have a 28' Pace toy hauler and a 3500lb car.I used to pull this with a Ford Diesel but the truck died. I have no choice this year but to pull it with my Dodge. Any good advise ? Any tips on making the little engine last ? I don't plan on many 70 mph trips but 55 to 60 I need. Closest track is about 60 miles from my home. No bashing please just advise.
Like others have said, "your pissing into the wind."
A 28' enclosed? no way I would do it and campers are not light either. \
Plus that truck has highway gears in it to help with fuel mileage I bet?. It's not going to do well at all pulling a 28' trailer will most likely fry the transmission.
Ask Rhino about that.
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Re: Towing with a 03 4.7 ???
[Re: Challenger 1]
#1791969
03/31/15 05:14 PM
03/31/15 05:14 PM
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,927 Seaford, Va
Kindafast
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Thanks guy's I appreciate the advice from everyone. I know better than most this is not optimal towing but it is all I have for the time being. The trailer tows pretty easy without the car and hopefully it won't be terrible once I try it loaded. I have towed many miles with other 1500 trucks in the past. 2500 is the way to go but $$$$ is crazy for one nowadays.
6.50 @105.26
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Re: Towing with a 03 4.7 ???
[Re: Kindafast]
#1791970
04/01/15 02:29 PM
04/01/15 02:29 PM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 18,582 Rust Belt, SW PA
Silver70
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I used a 2wd 318 95 ram sport to haul a dodge stealth twin turbo which weighs 3900lbs on a 2000lbs trailer plus I had 2 engines in the bed. There was also much more in the car/bed, easily 7000 lbs. From Detroit to sw PA. I had no problem at all and actually got around 11mpgs, it was flat and all highway.
I'm sure the mpg's are going to be bad though with the enclosed trailer!
68 Road Runner, 69 Belvedere, 71 Challenger Vert 340 barracuda, 01 Ram CTD, 95 Ram, 04 Ram, 85 Daytona turbo Z 66 GTO, 06 Magnum RT AWD. 07 Ram CTD, 07 Ram
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Re: Towing with a 03 4.7 ???
[Re: Kindafast]
#1800578
04/10/15 08:33 PM
04/10/15 08:33 PM
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,927 Seaford, Va
Kindafast
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Pretty flat around here . " The Coast " I am planning on a trip next weekend. Just camping so the trailer will be empty except for the golf cart. Wish me luck..
6.50 @105.26
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Re: Towing with a 03 4.7 ???
[Re: buildanother]
#1800941
04/11/15 11:04 AM
04/11/15 11:04 AM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312 Cincinnati, Ohio
Challenger 1
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I'd put that cart all the way to front of trailer. I towed an enclosed 26 footer with a 4x4 ramcharger w/out sway control or weight distrib and it towed much better with some load and some tongue weight, than it towed empty. Not ideal tow vehicle. I towed this 26' enclosed one time with my lifted 87 360 ramcharger with 4:11 gears in it. I towed it about 4 miles each way from my shop to the race track when I first bought my trailer. I usually used a 86 dodge 360 2500 pickup at the time but it was not available this night, so I tried my ramcharger. It was a white knuckle ride and I never even got close to the interstate with it. That would have been very dangerous. Only did it one time and that was it. I used weight distribution bars too, see how level my ram is sitting. IMO it's crazy not to use them. The problem is the ram has a very short wheelbase which makes towing anything big dicey. I did pull a 21' boat with a V 8 in it, back and forth to Cumberland Ky for 8 years with it and 80K miles before I sold the truck. But the 26' enclosed was like pulling 2 boat trailers. It was a good truck setup for the 33.5" tires on it. Anyone comparing a open trailer with anything on it, does not comprehend whats it like to pulling a enclosed trailer because of aerodynamics, imo. Kindafast have a good time.
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Re: Towing with a 03 4.7 ???
[Re: Kindafast]
#1800974
04/11/15 11:47 AM
04/11/15 11:47 AM
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,927 Seaford, Va
Kindafast
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I just installed the weight distribution hitch on the trailer. What a difference in the ride height !!!
6.50 @105.26
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Re: Towing with a 03 4.7 ???
[Re: Twostick]
#1801824
04/12/15 06:13 PM
04/12/15 06:13 PM
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 9,366 Lehigh Acres, Florida
rickstershemi
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The engine will be just fine. It doesn't make enough power to hurt itself anyway provided the cooling system is in good shape. Lots of those trucks came with 3.92 gears and the rest of them had 3.54's.
Make sure you have a GOOD equalizer hitch and tires with the appropriate load rating and inflated to the max rating on the sidewall.
Load the trailer correctly, and keep right and do the best you can on the hills.
Would a 2500 or 3500 be better? Of course. But you aren't towing 100's of miles a day every day, you're making 120 miles on the weekend.
Kevin
That's going to be a very long 120 miles.............. Rickster
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