Newbie lol. I have been riding for over 15yrs. I have yet to see a can am with as many miles as one of my machines, 02 sportsman 400, 17,500. I find them comfortable and get they job done well, especially my 455 Diesel for yard work. Plus our can am dealer sucks, which honestly limits most people in Rural states, whatever dealer is good near you.
Not trying to derail this thread, if you want Mopar we can move to the off topic thread if you want. It's always interesting to hear others experiences since they can be so wildly different.

 

Yeah send me a pm man. I'll talk about ATVs lol

 

I am still learning, but remember, those trucks were not made for such high speeds. Those trucks were not made to tow in overdrive. ( I can't drive 55- Sammy Hagger- changed in 1995 or so)The kegger design intake is made for low rpm torque, not 3000plus rpm's. I drive my 1998 60 MPH at about 2400 RPM's with overdrive off. In overdrive, you will burn your torque converter out. The lock out can't handle the tow. I have been told to cancel the overdrive when starting, not once u get up to speed. Get a transmission cooler, especially if it's a 46re. The original one in the radiater is too small. Pull the transmission check valve also, as it can fail. Maybe a lower thermostat with the higher rpm's to keep the engine cool. 75 to 60 is going to save u some big bucks too. Just some suggestions. Good Luck!

 

Well, at 164,000 miles my transmission bit the dust. Haven’t towed with it since I brought my side by side home, and only used it for daily driving. When it failed, I barely made it home with the engine turning 3500 rpm at only 20 mph, whew! But I barely made it...

A friend who owns a garage had it rebuilt and handled the installation. I told him I wanted EVERYTHING replaced and not just the worn parts. He installed a separate transmission cooler that measures 10”x15”, and says I’ll be gtg.

He tells me not to tow in overdrive unless I’m running 70 mph or more, and to use drive if under that speed. I’m kinda gun shy now, and would like some advice from you folks who have more experience with dodge than me.

Im guessing my trailer/UTV weighs less than 3000 pounds.

 

Heat is what kills your trans. Towing in O/D can build a LOT of heat. Best practice is turn O/D off, and keep the speed down, so the engine isn't screaming..... Trans cooler is a great idea, temp gauge is another good idea. Then you can actually SEE what your trans is doing.

 

I've got a 5X10 tilt bed I bought 30+ years ago and it weighs 500 pounds. I weighed it on the scales at work back then. With 3000 pound plates that gives a legal load capacity of 2500 pounds. So your 1600 pound ATV shouldn't be a problem. As for towing, I'm running 3.55 gears in my '96 Ram 1500. OD is for fuel economy only. I never know the trailer is back there loaded. Empty it will bounce like a Pogo stick. As for transmission, my truck got its third one right before I bought it. The PO had tried to do a power burn out in a heavy 4X4 truck with a sur-grip rear. It did not end well. When he replaced the transmission, they put an auxiliary cooler on the truck because the radiator was full of junk from the old unit.

3500 rpm won't hurt a healthy engine. It will slurp fuel like you wouldn't believe. Just slow down a bit. My speedometer reads high so it will read 80 when I'm running 72 (checked by two difference GPS units). I generally run 65 as the wind resistance goes up as you go faster so more fuel is needed to push through the air. If you're pulling your ATV to go wheeling, it's probably vacation time. Take it easy. Put some good music or an audio book on the radio, enjoy the scenery and just cruise. I've got Flowmaster 44's on my truck and the sound is almost erotic to my nearly deaf ears. I also painted it olive drab with a roller so people generally don't mess with me driving slow in the right lane.Add inn that I look like the old man from the mountain and I just enjoy the drive.