Hi Guys

i have a 05 2500 ctd with a 3.73 or the 3:92 cant remeber. i am taking a trip that is 22 hrs in northern ontario. i am looking at purchasing a 5th wheel trailer to transport a 8000lb bobcat plus a 1000lb generator and i would say possible 2-3000lb more of materials. so to be safe with trailer and all id be around 13000-15000lbs. Can my truck do this? is it safe? is it to much weight? please let me know before i spend allot of money for nothing.

 

5th wheel? Yeah, you'll be fine. Do you have airbags or helper springs in the back? The only difference between 2500 and 3500 these days is that the 3500s have heavy duty overload springs, and obviously the choice of dual wheels.

I towed 14,000+ pounds from the Seattle area to the Tampa area, going through Yellowstone, Rushmore, and several other mountain ranges, and I didn't have a problem (except for overloaded trailer tires), and that was a bumper pull, not 5th wheel. I had my load leveling springs cranked up, but if you're running a 5th wheel then it should be a bit more reasonable.

Hopefully you've got the 3.92, but even with 3.73 you'll make it ok, just keep your RPMs up and lock it out of overdrive.

 

if ya happen to have a 6sp, cog it down into 5th goin up the hills--sometimes 4th--to keep the rpm's up and take it easy

 

Yes, that, definitely.

My friend's Iveco box truck is his service rig for racing, and towing to events we've found it's much easier on the truck to do 35 mph in 3rd gear up the pass instead of flat-footing the throttle in 5th trying to maintain 55. Dropping the speed and gears multiplies torque a lot more and instead of stopping at the top so his truck can puke coolant for 10 minutes, we keep driving, making up the lost time due to going slow.