Woo Hoo! Just upgraded from my trusty old '97 Ram 2500 with the gas 5.9 magnum to a shiny new (well, almost new) 2004 Ram 2500 shortbed with the Cummins in front of a 6-speed manual. So, here's my question: With the automatic trans on the old truck (a 46RE), it was a given that you DON'T tow in overdrive. (I tow a 24ft. fifth wheel RV.)

Since 6th gear on the six-speed manual is, in fact, an overdrive ratio, does this mean that I should tow my 5th wheel RV in fifth gear? I hope this isn't viewed as a dumb question, I don't intend it as such. The Cummins sure feels like it could pull my RV in any damned gear it wants to!

What say you guys?

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You can use OD when ever you want to. I pull my camper (8500lbs) in OD from about 55 mph on up. I have not yet found a hill that required a down shift.Watermelon should chime in here soon. He pulls....well let's just say a watermelon loaded goose neck trailer from the flat lands in SC to the foot hills and he runs in 6th all the way too. The only exception would be if you are running any power adders ( chips, programmers) you will want to watch your EGT and down shift if it gets too high. But in stock form let her rip.

 

dont know what to tell ya about towing.... i would assume she'd pull anything you tell her to in any gear thats a nice rig ya got there!

 

I say nice truck... I have an auto so I cant offer much.

 

If you try to tow with that truck at any speed higher that 50 mph you will have to put it into 6th gear. I have a 6 speed also and always tow in 6th, wether its my boat or a 12k gooseneck.

 

My auto shifts into OD when pulling a trailer, have no way of shutting it off, the TOW/HAUL just adjust shift points and down shifts quicker to help with braking.

I was hauling 7000 pounds or better and it never bogged and would only shift out of OD for a hill if needed

 

put her in 6th and let her fly. . .the only problem you may have is suddenly remembering you are towing a trailer

 

this may appear apples and oranges, but i did my first sorta large tow the other day, 5000 k plus, '07 with the 48 auto, didn't even know it was there, but i did what the other knowledgeable members suggested and put it in tow/haul. i have all four after market gauges and nothing changed from just the truck and i, hope this can help a bit.

 

Yeah put it in 6th and floor it! I just weighed my entiretruck and trailerat a truck stop last weekend. 22,060 pounds. Then went up a 5% grade for four miles and never took it out of 6th. I started at 75MPH at the bottom of the hill and by the time we got to the top68 MPH. The water temp got a little on the warm side and the EGTs were almost to high, but I thought it was coolthat I couldleave it in 6th and go up, up, up.

 

New to the forum here actually its my first post , but I have pulled a 42ft 5th wheel camper with my truck that weighs in around 18,000, (wasnt an issue) and I drove mine in 6th gear and it was like theres nothing back there. and this was before the programmer and exhaust.

Brad