I have the 02 Dodge Ram 1500 4.7l Auto with towing package. I have a camper thats around 6k lbs and my truck struggles to pull it around 50-60. My question is are there upgrades to increase my horsepower? I can only pull in the last gear sometimes going downhill but even then it don't want to reach the gear. I think that if I can increase my horsepower I can reach the last gear which in turn makes my MPG go from 8 to 12! Also I dont have to pull it at a very high RPM which will kill my engine! Currently my truck wants me to pull the camper at 4500 rpms non stop and I dont like to pull like that.

Suggestions please. Chip upgrades? Cold air intake? I am up for anything! Money is not that big of a deal but then again nothing ridiculous. If I run seafoam will that help anything? The truck has 98k miles.

 

That's a LOT of weight for the 4.7 to pull. There is no magic HP mod that will significantly raise the HP (or more importantly the Torque) short of a few grand in headwork, cams, headers, etc.
You can get the HP up 30-40 with a grand or so in tuner & bolt ons, but from the way you are talking that's not gonna make a very noticeable difference.

What gears are you running, if it's the 3.55s there is your problem in a nutshell!!! Re-gearing to at least 4.10s and preferrably 4.56s would be your best bang for the buck for towing...

 

How can I find out? I think I have 4.10s. Also right now I tow the camper leaning on the truck by about 4 inches. I am going to buy another hitch that is 2" up and install the ball to level it out. Could that be majority of my problem? Since its not level its causing the truck to weigh down (cause the rear of the truck does drop down quite a bit)?

I am not new to towing anything lighter, but I am very new to towing anything over 2k lbs.

 

So i guess theres no point buying the 4.7 V8 to tow a 7250lb fifth wheel trailer then?

 

You would ONLY have 4.10 gears IF someone added them aftermarket, 3.55 and 3.92 were the only choices from the factory. A tag in your glove box or on the rear axle will tell you.

Sounds like you also need to bag this truck, from what you are describing you are running in a very dangerous situation right now! Are you using a weight distributing hitch?

 

yep, that wouldnt be smart.... if ur going to be towing a 7250lb fifth wheel trailer than u need a bigger truck to support the weight like a 2500 and more power, hemi or CTD... just my opinion

 

It was factory and I read that my max was like 5000 lbs for this truck. My campers gross weight is like 3348 lbs. Not for sure if it is a weight distribution hitch like I said I am rather new to towing. I am not new to cars or trucks just towing. If i level it out do you think it will make a difference? I am running e rated tires for extra protection on the truck and the trailer tires are great, tire pressures are good, and when we load the camper we spread it out from front to back and left to right evenly.

I am pissed off because I just paid off the truck 6 months ago.

 

I pull a 7700# tractor about 28 miles from my buddy's grandparents farm to my 38 acre hunting land about four times a year to rough cut. I have a good 75 HP or so over stock in mods, 4.56 gears, full tow package and I would hesitate to pull that thing over any real distance.
That kind of weight over any real distance or with any real regularity calls for a 3/4 ton truck and realistically a diesel!!!



7600 lb. rating is for a truck WITH EVERY AVAILABLE OPTION FOR TOWING. Be forewarned that this is the rating with a Weight Distributing Hitch installed, and if you were to have an accident towing more weight than your installed options dictate, your insurance company can (and will) refuse coverage!

Proper load leveling is VERY important to safe towing and can significantly effect how you pull that weight. You really need to bag that truck and get a WD hitch. That said, if I was gonna tow that weight with that truck, I'd re-gear to 4.56s, or you'll be replacing that relatively weak 45rfe soon as well...

 

Ok you bought a toy poodle to guard your junkyard, so to speak. Too much trailer, not enough truck.


If you've got the HD towing package from the factory, you probably have 3.92 gears. It sounds like you need to go quite a bit higher.

Also, what does your truck say about towing? I know my 2500 says if the trailer is heavier than 5000 pounds, I need to use a weight distributing hitch. They cost about $300-350 so you'd know if you bought one - they've got torsion bars that you chain up to brackets on the trailer. If you're not using those, you're asking for trouble.

Air bags will help too. You've got a 1/2 ton truck, and you're grossly over-loading the rear end. Get a weight distributing hitch with the correct sprague (I think that's what they call it) so you can set it up to keep your trailer level. Get some air bags on the rear end to help with squat as well.


Neil - You will hate life.

The BEST rule of thumb when buying a vehicle is to buy the biggest engine available.

I towed a flatbed car hauler with a 78 F150 behind my 4.7 Grand Cherokee once, but it was less than ideal and I kept it under 35 mph. Just because you CAN do something, doesn't mean you should.

 

No love for the 4.7 lol My old 4.7 towed my race car on a big dual axle trailer with all my equipment (generator, 4 wheeler, air compressor) and all my friends with no problems. Just get a running start at those hills lol. If you get 4.56 gears that will make all the difference.