Ok guys I'm sure this has been beat to death but I need some advice.

I bought a 2001 Quad Cab 2500 4x4 w/ 5.9V8 automatic about a year ago real clean 2 owner truck with only 90,xxx miles on it. I have put about 5k miles on the truck and it runs real smooth nothing really to complain about. (I dont drive it much obviously 5k in a year)

This past week I bought a side by side and some friends wanted to go riding, so we loaded my side by side on a 14' light weight single axle utility trailer, atv in the bed and with 3 guys in the truck its wouldn't hardly pull itself down the highway. I had to run 3/4 plus throttle to maintain 60 on flat ground and when we hit a hill i'd hold it to the floor and we usually couldn't maintain 60. Overdrive off. Not sure what gears the truck has but at 60mph with overdrive off its was running 3k rpm.

I really feel like this truck should have alot more power then this????

Below I will break down an estimate of the weight of total cargo:

Full tank of fuel in truck: 24 gallon I think? : 144
3 Passangers: 500
Misc. Gear: 50
SXS on trailer: 1700
ATV in bed: 750
Trailer weight: 1500

Total: 4,644lb

Those number should be fairly close.

Now for your input... How should the truck handle this load?

To me it just felt way underpowered, so what can I do about it? What modifications will get me the best bang for my $$$? Not gonna spend big money here I would just put that towards a new truck....

Also this is about the max I would ever really be towing and the truck got us there and home just fine but it sure had to work for it....

Thanks for any input in advance...

James

 

Read the plenum sticky and check your plenum.

 

that and a tune up and checking out the cat


then fun stuff like 1.7 rollers rocker 50/52mm tb exhaust sct tuner..ect

 

Ok thanks for the input, does this sound right for a stock truck? Or does it sound underpowered to you all aswell? I don't smell anything like you usually can if the cat was stopped up but will check into it.


Just feels like to me it should be much stronger, maybe its the plenum. Cold outside right now and have no room in the garage, as soon as I can clear some space I will check it.