Hello everyone. The wife and I just purchased our first 5th wheel a few weeks back. It's a 2012 Forest River Sierra 345RET. It weights about 11,000lb dry. For a tow vehicle I'm looking at a 2013 Dodge 3500 Mega Cab DRW. My question has to do with gear ratios. Should I go with the 3.73 or 4.10? The majority of our towing will be done on Highways across Eastern Canada and I will also be using this as an everyday vehicle when not pulling the 5th. We are going out west this year for the honeymoon but that's just one trip in the mountains. I'm leaning towards the 3.73 but thought I would ask around first. I don't see us going any bigger than this trailer we have now. Thanks in advance.

Having had three Rams with the 3.73 it will do well unless at a later time you might want to go to a larger/heavier coach. JMHO

That would be my choice based on the possibility of future larger trailer. The 3.73 are good to 24K trailer. 4:10 take you to 29K+Chris

Me Again wrote:That would be my choice based on the possibility of future larger trailer. The 3.73 are good to 24K trailer. 4:10 take you to 29K+Chris24,000 lbs? Really? In that case I have zero need for the 4.10 because I will never be towing that much weight.

I have the 3.73 any my 5er is at 14K. I have no problem at all pulling it anywhere and even though it is minimal the mileage is better without the coach being on the back.

LvOpnRd wrote:Me Again wrote:That would be my choice based on the possibility of future larger trailer. The 3.73 are good to 24K trailer. 4:10 take you to 29K+Chris24,000 lbs? Really? In that case I have zero need for the 4.10 because I will never be towing that much weight.The key word is trailer. Things change when you talk a fifth wheel. A 3:73 is good for most situations.

2013 Dodge 3500 DRW Gear Ratios | Good Sam Community

42 Replies

cummins2014
Explorer
Mar 25, 2014
Cummins12V98 wrote:
up2nogood wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
up2nogood

Maybe I missed it but did you post a pic of your truck?

Flat ground to hilly terrain I tow in 6th but 5th is where it goes if there is anything with a slight grade coming up. 4th is for moderate grades and 3rd is for 5-6% grades with my combo.

No pictures, but its a white Laramie 3500 Mega Cab

You concur what I have been hearing. Im not towing the weight you are, depends how I am loaded, I am 12500-13000.

If you did the B&W I would be seriously worried about you!

Heck after getting this Ram I may go B&W :B Just kidding old hitch still working well ,but may go Superglide if this shorter bed on the mega cab is an issue

There is no doubt my next hitch would be B&W, if I was in the market for a fixed hitch. I presently have a manual slider, and if I did change I would go automatic, that takes B&W out of the picture. It will be Pullrite Superglide
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Mar 24, 2014
up2nogood wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
up2nogood

Maybe I missed it but did you post a pic of your truck?

Flat ground to hilly terrain I tow in 6th but 5th is where it goes if there is anything with a slight grade coming up. 4th is for moderate grades and 3rd is for 5-6% grades with my combo.

No pictures, but its a white Laramie 3500 Mega Cab

You concur what I have been hearing. Im not towing the weight you are, depends how I am loaded, I am 12500-13000.

If you did the B&W I would be seriously worried about you!

Heck after getting this Ram I may go B&W :B Just kidding old hitch still working well ,but may go Superglide if this shorter bed on the mega cab is an issue
cummins2014
Explorer
Mar 23, 2014
Cummins12V98 wrote:
up2nogood

Maybe I missed it but did you post a pic of your truck?

Flat ground to hilly terrain I tow in 6th but 5th is where it goes if there is anything with a slight grade coming up. 4th is for moderate grades and 3rd is for 5-6% grades with my combo.

No pictures, but its a white Laramie 3500 Mega Cab

You concur what I have been hearing. Im not towing the weight you are, depends how I am loaded, I am 12500-13000.

Heck after getting this Ram I may go B&W :B Just kidding old hitch still working well ,but may go Superglide if this shorter bed on the mega cab is an issue
John_Bridge
Explorer
Mar 23, 2014
3.73. I would really like the 3.55, but they don't put them in dually's. :)
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Mar 23, 2014
up2nogood

Maybe I missed it but did you post a pic of your truck?

Flat ground to hilly terrain I tow in 6th but 5th is where it goes if there is anything with a slight grade coming up. 4th is for moderate grades and 3rd is for 5-6% grades with my combo.
cummins2014
Explorer
Mar 23, 2014
NC Hauler wrote:
Don't know much about Dodge since I never owned a Dodge truck until 2010. What I do know, comparing the 07.5'Chevy D/A Dually, the 2010 Dodge dually I had with 4:10 and the 2012 Ram dually I had with 4:10 and HO Cummings..all towing this 5er, this truck with it's 6 speed Aisin auto and 4:10 with 385HP and 850ftlb of TQ is the only one that has gotten me up to speed, like going onto interstate from on ramp, faster than any truck I've towed this 5er with. I've hit 70 and didn't realize it going UP the mountain on I40 from on ramp in Candler NC..

I towed with manuals for years, just got tired up heading to 64 yrs. old. I like drinking my coffeew while computer does a perfect job of changing gears if and when needed:)

ON EDIT: When I check my mpg...I use hand calc...lie-o-meter is closer in these new trucks, but still off a tad....I drove to Sevierville TN from Asheville NC, running 60-75 mph and got 17 mpg, hand calc..not bad for a 1 ton crew cab, long bed, 4X4 with the heavier Aisin tranny in Laramie Longhorn trim....I also got a little over 11 towing my 5er down here, but at a little over 16,000#, isn't that heavy. Tomorrow, it'll be more "up hill" so we'll check that mpg out too, just like I do every tank.

Jim, I have had a chance to talk to a couple locals towing with the newer Rams, and they pretty much echo what you are saying, one with the 3:42 gears like mine told me that he sees 5th gear on some of the lesser mountain grades around here, and 4th on the steeper grades. Example of the grade, not sure of the %, but a couple of grades he was talking about, it was second gear 30-35 in the old 7.3 of mine, he told me he pretty much ran them what he wanted towing a fifth wheel. Out here not a lot of real winding roads, but one that comes to mind is fairview canyon, 25-30 mph steep ,and winding, but a lot of them I travel is just fairly long, and some steep grades.

Looking forward to towing with this new cummins, after so long towing with the old 7.3.
NC_Hauler
Explorer
Mar 23, 2014
Don't know much about Dodge since I never owned a Dodge truck until 2010. What I do know, comparing the 07.5'Chevy D/A Dually, the 2010 Dodge dually I had with 4:10 and the 2012 Ram dually I had with 4:10 and HO Cummings..all towing this 5er, this truck with it's 6 speed Aisin auto and 4:10 with 385HP and 850ftlb of TQ is the only one that has gotten me up to speed, like going onto interstate from on ramp, faster than any truck I've towed this 5er with. I've hit 70 and didn't realize it going UP the mountain on I40 from on ramp in Candler NC..

I towed with manuals for years, just got tired up heading to 64 yrs. old. I like drinking my coffeew while computer does a perfect job of changing gears if and when needed:)

ON EDIT: When I check my mpg...I use hand calc...lie-o-meter is closer in these new trucks, but still off a tad....I drove to Sevierville TN from Asheville NC, running 60-75 mph and got 17 mpg, hand calc..not bad for a 1 ton crew cab, long bed, 4X4 with the heavier Aisin tranny in Laramie Longhorn trim....I also got a little over 11 towing my 5er down here, but at a little over 16,000#, isn't that heavy. Tomorrow, it'll be more "up hill" so we'll check that mpg out too, just like I do every tank.
AH64ID
Explorer
Mar 22, 2014
okiejoe wrote:
That's good news to hear about my 06 & my 6 speed stick, That would explain my great fuel mileage towing my 34ft'r I usually average 13 MPG and in good flat conditions with no head wind have gotten as much as 15 MPG. I definitely wouldn't trade it for a newer one even if they do have more power & torque, Mine does just fine. Around town I get 22 MPG empty. Its also so completely stock, no chips or anything.

Thanks for the info.

I'm not ditching my 3rd gen anytime soon.

I hope I am not bursting a bubble, but don't trust the overhead computer. It's called a lie-o-meter for a reason, 20% error isn't uncommon and it's never on the low side.
okiejoe
Explorer
Mar 22, 2014
That's good news to hear about my 06 & my 6 speed stick, That would explain my great fuel mileage towing my 34ft'r I usually average 13 MPG and in good flat conditions with no head wind have gotten as much as 15 MPG. I definitely wouldn't trade it for a newer one even if they do have more power & torque, Mine does just fine. Around town I get 22 MPG empty. Its also so completely stock, no chips or anything.

Thanks for the info.
AH64ID
Explorer
Mar 22, 2014
okiejoe wrote:
I have a 2006 with 3.73 and 6 speed stick and had a 36ft 5er and now have a 34ft 5er and have never had any problems anywhere, Mountains or flats. With the 6 speed stick I have a very low first gear if I need it.

This is not a real comparison (auto vs manual); however, your 2006 G56 has a very low gear set. Each gear, other than 5th, is lower than the NV5600 or the 2007.4+ G56. Compared to a NV5600 1st is 11% lower, 2 and 3 are 3% lower, 4th is nearly the same, 5th is identical, and 6th is 8% lower. That's low enough that your final drive in OD is only 1.5% taller than a NV5600 truck with 4.10's.

The 2005.5-2007.4 G56 has the best ratio's for towing of any manual in a Dodge/CTD but not for empty cruising so they dropped 1-4 and 6 about 6% just prior to the 6.7 being released.

If you where to put a newer G56 in your truck you would lose a bit of pulling power in 2,3 and 6. 1st is a big change, but too low for continued use in most places.

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2013 Dodge 3500 DRW Gear Ratios

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