Towing with a 03 4.7 ???

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.

I'd consider borrowing or renting a heavier truck. Open car trailer would be OK, especially with decent gears. A 28' enclosed is a lot for a 1500 considering safety and the well being of your truck.

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.

Pull your trailer across a scales and see how far off the max load your 1500 is rated at. if your close, you probably can get by for a short time if you take it easy. If your a ways past the limit, I wouldn't even try it. Emergency situations is what will get you into trouble. Once you have been in an overload situation that goes bad, you grow a whole different perspective on over loads. I suspect the ones responding negatively have been there before. Gene

curb weight is right at 4000lbs+- empty. + the 3500lbs of car = 7500lbs.
the truck is 6000lbs+- tuck should tow 6000lbs with 3.2 or 3.5 gears and 7000lbs with 4.10... your above what the truck can tow safely.

Sail factor... head wind with trailer add 2000lbs to 3000lbs to what your towing.

lift bag just keep the back end level, they do nothing to help move or stop anything...

Think safety first... it not only your safety but those who share the road with you...

I towed my 3,300 lbs car on a heavy u-haul trailer a few times about 90 miles one way in flat northern Il. 4 wheel disc brakes worked fine, engine had enough power to pull it no problem. I would add some leafs or load levelers on the rear, and make sure the OD is off.

The trailer should have its own brakes, right?

Does it have a load leveler hitch?

I have towed a Toyota Landcruiser fj40 with my D100 with drum brakes over the mountains. Brakes were never an issue. Spending 5 1/2 miles uphill in Second gear was a bummer, but I made it. Last tow was in a '95 or so F150 with the trailer tow package, we used the stock bumper rated at 5000lb and towed my D100 through Flagstaff.

Seems like you're going to do it. My advice to you is "low and slow". At some speed your truck is going to feel like the trailer is steering it. That'd be your maximum speed. Leave plenty of room ahead of you, keep to the right lane as much as possible.

I'd agree, don't use overdrive. At the speeds you'll be going you won't need it.

I'm sure your 4.7 has as much or more power than my 318, and that's not part of the difficulty anyway. You could do it with a Slant 6. Just take you longer to accelerate.

If you were going to do this weekly my advice would be different. I'd say get a stouter truck. But for once in a while towing relatively short distances it'll work. And the extra fuel won't be nearly as expensive as renting a 3/4 ton truck for a few days.

R.

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.

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!

I towed a 2500lb boat/trailer with a 97 ram 1500 4x4 club cab auto 5.2. Was fine on the flats but in the hills that thing was sure dogging it with the trailer. If you have any hilly terrain, you're not going to like it!

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..

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.

I just installed the weight distribution hitch on the trailer. What a difference in the ride height !!!

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

I've got a quadcab Hemi 4X4 with the towing package (3.91 gear and LT rated tires). It tows my open car trailer fine, without bars.

When we moved to the UP. I bought a 24' enclosed and made the 450 mile (one way) trip from Chicago, through central Wisconsin a couple of times.

The first trip was without sway bars, and was a little shaky at times.

Adding sway bars really helped for subsequent trips.

My truck has air bags. I wouldn't try towing a heavy trailer without them, and LT rated tires are a must.

That's going to be a very long 120 miles..............

Rickster

I just traded in my 2002 Ram quad cab and I towed about 5500#'s. My '02 was a 4.7 A/T and 3.55's.I would suggest not using the OD on the trans towing that much trailer.I pulled a open trailer with my 71 Demon on it and it did just fine. I think you are at 6700#'s max tow weight.Use a weight distributing hitch and plan on going slow.

Go for it, make sure your brakes are good but you'll be O.K. Everyone seems to forget that probably millions of guys up until 8-10 years ago towed with crappy sup-250HP trucks and everyone survived. Sure it'll be slow and use a bunch of gas but really, heavy trailers aren't some "new" thing people have been towing more weigh with less power for a very very long time. Sure, a 600HP 1000ft-lb diesel would be a better way but it for sure ain't the only way.

Thanks guy's

and when something does go wrong, it can go very wrong......can it be done (sure).....should it be done (NO)

Rickster