Ok I looked at my truck and teh camper. My truck has 3.55 axle and the max gross weight is 5k. I checked out the camper it says it is 3348 GVWR. So that means I should be doing ok right??

 

Im confused
I currently have a Nissan navara 2.5ltr turbo diesel, i have it chipped which gives me 210bhp and 470nm torque = 350ft lb and i can tow the fifth wheel ok, only on hilly roads do i struggle. are you telling me that a big american truck the ram 1500 with 4.7 V8 cant do a better job than that!

Cheers

 

I dont know where I got my original numbers from. Could I really just be doing bad because I dont have teh camper level? I just need to get another ball mount to raise it up some so it doesnt weigh the truck down.. will that make a difference you think?

 

A gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is the maximum allowable total mass of a road vehicle or trailer when loaded - i.e including the weight of the vehicle itself plus fuel, passengers, cargo, and trailer tongue weight.

You are WAY overtaxing that truck! Your main problem is the 3.55s reduce towing capacity by over 1000# from what 3.92s would give you and you could add about another 1000# if you stepped up to 4.56 gears.

I have NO IDEA what your tonque weight is, but if you are sagging badly it must be pretty high. Again, bagging that truck would significantly reduce the tongue weight!

 

No gasser can haul like a diesel. Hauling is ALL about torque, you have double the torque as a 4.7L V8. Now a 5.9L CTD will pull your Nissan all over the planet with you hooked up in the opposite direction and with the throttle floored!

 

Raising the ball will not reduce the tongue weight, if the mass of the camper is pulling the truck down now, it will do so even if the ball is higher. If it's simply a matter of the ball being too low, but not a weight issue, that's another story, but if it were that, you'd not be struggling to pull it.

You need bags, spend the lousy $200 and bag the truck and go from there. It will be MUCH safer and probably pull a little better, but in the end, I bet you'll still have to re-gear...

 

So 3388 GVWR is to much for my truck? It says 5000 on the step? What do you mean by bagging the truck? Shocks or something?

 

Air bags...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PvjcuFBsBA

 

So by simply buying this you think it would help? I may level it out with a better mount and do this. Then see how it goes from there! Thanks for the help.

 

What it says on the step, is what the Bumper is rated for, not your truck. Fully equipped 4.7L 1500's with the tow package and a weight distributing hitch (and of course the equalizer bars as mentioned by someone else) will tow just over 7000lbs (7800 if I recall). Now, you've got the 3.55 gears (tow pack is 3.92)... so even if you have the heavy duty cooling systems you'll be less. Your trailer sounds fairly light and small, so you should theoretically be ok. Limiting to 5000lbs is smart in your case... gives you wiggle room.

If you have that much drop, I'd suggest the distributing hitch. Makes life easier and better control over the trailer. Is this trailer a pop up tent type trailer or a regular travel trailer? You must remember, the regular type trailers, no matter the weight, is a giant parachute behind you. The air flow over your truck cab smacks flat into that trailer front. That's a lot of wind drag. This is a bit better with a canopy, but still there.

I have an 04 1500, with factory tow pack. 3.92 gears... 4x4 quad cab. I tow a 23ft travel trailer. Scale weight when loaded 4400lbs on the trailer. I can maintain speed, but hills and wind slow me down. There is no such thing as acceleration with this setup. I don't pass much, including the gas stations! I also run with a 700lb atv in the back sometimes. Flat highways, I can go 100-110 km/hr (so 60mph). With lots of revs, I can get up to 120 (70mph) for passing. Hills, lots of revs.... 3500 rpm or more, lower gears and going slow. Mind you these are mountain hills (Vancouver BC and inland). But it does OK for what it is... a 235hp 6600lb truck pulling another 4400lbs and probably 1000 lbs of cargo on board.

I usually sit around 90-95km/hr... (55mph) and things run smoother and the truck works less. I start to notice wind drag just after 80km (45-50mph). But that is too slow for highway travel. I do have the weight distributing hitch.

You won't win races, but you should be able to tow when properly equipped. It'll be slow going is all.
Your best value for performance would be gears. Other than that, a lot of internals on the engine would need upgrding. Tuners, cold air intakes and such are not going to net much when towing. They help a bit, but not a lot with the 4.7L. I have a tuner, it helps, but it does more for me when not towing.