5.9 Cummins Diesel Towing capacity

[billy1davis]

We are looking very seriously at a 5vr that total GVWR is 15,000 pounds.
My dodge dually is 2001 dually. JUst had the tranny completely rebuilt and it has been chipped. Not sure about being able to pull such a load over a mountain pass. Please advise asap???
Thanks so much

[ferndaleflyer]

Poor ol Durb. So we haul a little extra weight. My truck is a 15 year old DRW and I don't know what weight is where but it runs level and has about 165,000 mi on it towing. Total weight is right at 23,000lbs. This thing tows sweet at 70 or up the grades. 4.10 gears and automatic.

[rjsurfer]

What would you guys call a safe max EGT temperature?

My 03 Cummins 5.9 is equipped with heavy duty (triple disc/solid billit shaft) 47RE tranny, 4" exhaust, modified air intake and tuner.

Thanks

Ron W

[noteven]

The cooling system in a pickup truck ginerally limits the engine to full power output for a 20% ish duty cycle at stock output settings.

If you have an old school manual trans you want to settle in and pull long grades in a gear at a rpm the engine will accelerate from part throttle, not cane it for all its worth then try grabbing a gear then nope downshift and cane it some more...

A modern pickup with auto trans should protect itself from unskilled drivers that don't know how to get a heavy vehicle up a long grade with analog controls.

vs a class 8 truck which has a 100% throttle on the rug duty cycle if you want.

[94-D2]

Had my 99 2500 over a 7 mile 3500’ pass (6% I think). Trailer is a 16k bighorn. 5.9 had a power puck, 100 hp injectors, 4” turbo back, upgraded cooling, pack brake, And built 47re and 4:10’s.

55 mph, l/o overdrive, 1900 rpm 1ooo-1100* f on egt’s. 1/4 throttle all the way over. Never even bogged down. On flat ground tow at 65, 16 mpg. Ran really good.

[Cummins12V98]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
I know bags technically don’t add capacity. BUT as an example my 15 RAM only has two thin full leaf springs with two short ones to control axle wrap. My rear axle weight is at least 9,750# with 6k pin. Truck is rock solid.

So take it for what it’s worth!

2000-2002 it’s easy to upgrade to 2003-2009 3rd gen front brakes. Insane braking difference!!!

Above with 4.10’s and exhaust brake good to go IMHO.

[Cummins12V98]

I know bags technically don’t add capacity. BUT as an example my 15 RAM only has two thin full leaf springs with two short ones to control axle wrap. My rear axle weight is at least 9,750# with 6k pin. Truck is rock solid.

So take it for what it’s worth!

2000-2002 it’s easy to upgrade to 2003-2009 3rd gen front brakes. Insane braking difference!!!

[fj12ryder]

You should definitely do what you feel is safe.

[Durb]

We know nothing about the OP's truck except it is chipped and the transmission is rebuilt. What if it is heavily optioned which adds weight? What if it has an aftermarket front bumper with winch or heavy running boards? What if he has an auxiliary fuel tank in the bed or he has a penchant for taking firewood. Worse yet, what if he is hauling precious cargo; namely 3 children in the back seat?

I don't think it is prudent to recommend someone to overload their truck by possibly up to 3,000 pounds because they have done so in the past. I won't do it. The OP should consider a lighter trailer.

[noteven]

You guys know those Kenworth trucks you see pulling a yuge construction machine, drilling rig or transformer aren’t door sticker rated for 348,000 lbs GCW right?

[rhagfo]

Durb wrote:
Let's see.....

We'll comply with the rear axle rating. The axle manufacturer knows what they are doing.

Well Dana the axle manufacture rated the Dana 80 at around 10,000#

We'll comply with the tire loading specs, those guys have their act together.

I believe the tires on a 2001 Ram DRW were 17" rated at 3,042# each so 12,168# of tire capacity.

We'll comply with the GVWR, Dodge knows what they are doing.

Well the 2001 Ram 3500 DRW had a GVWR of 11,500#, so should be within that spec.

The gross combined vehicle rating is idiocy and we will just ignore that one.

This is a power and gear ratio rating, comfort of towing.


Who decides which ratings to ignore and which to follow? Does chipping an engine improve the cooling capacity, shock damping, frame strength or any of a number of other factors Dodge considered when designing the truck and assigning capacity numbers? I choose to stay within the factory specs.

I towed a 32' 5er with a 2001 Ram 2500 Camper Special GVWR 8,800#. That 5er grew from about 11,800# to at last scaling 13,600#, last time I towed it with the 2500 it likely weighed in at 13,000# with a 2,700# pin. I was over GVWR by about 1,700# considering the 3.55's I was over GCWR of 16,000# by about 4,500#, still pulled hills at the speed limit (small chip and RV275 injectors) I also has an PacBrake.
NOT something I encourage others to do, but worked fine for me for six years. We now tow the same trailer with a 2016 Ram 3500 DRW 6.7 CTD and 3.73's, power wise far better, handling much also better, but the old TV never scared me.

[Durb]

Let's see.....

We'll comply with the rear axle rating. The axle manufacturer knows what they are doing.

We'll comply with the tire loading specs, those guys have their act together.

We'll comply with the GVWR, Dodge knows what they are doing.

The gross combined vehicle rating is idiocy and we will just ignore that one.

Who decides which ratings to ignore and which to follow? Does chipping an engine improve the cooling capacity, shock damping, frame strength or any of a number of other factors Dodge considered when designing the truck and assigning capacity numbers? I choose to stay within the factory specs.

[rhagfo]

JIMNLIN wrote:
The Cummins will have no issues towing that kind of weight however the weak link is the 47RE auto tranny. The 47RE can be rebuilt to stand up to heavy towing duties. Now if the tranny is the 5 speed manual NV4500 or the 6 speed manual NV5600 then no problems.
You have the truck so like all truckers drop by a set of scales and get the trucks front and rear separate empty axle weights. That way you know how much payload the truck can carry.

On my 2001 all the door tag had was GVWR....FAWR...RAWR numbers. No payload numbers on the older trucks....eliminates confusion.

I agree that the trans is the weak link. We towed a 5er at about 13,000# with a 2001 Ram 2500 small chip and exhaust brake.

[fj12ryder]

Durb wrote:
That truck with a 3.55 rear axle has a gross combined weight rating of 20,000#, with a 4.10 axle 21,000#. The empty truck weighs 6,700# if 2WD, 7,000# if 4WD. Toss in a couple of passengers and a hitch, maybe 700#. This leaves you with an "in spec" trailer weight of 12,300# to 13,600#. The truck may do it but I think it would be poor advice to tell you to go for it. You will see a bunch of anecdotal advice telling you otherwise and contrary to the manufacturer's numbers.

Yeah, I kind of agree with most of what you're saying, but I just don't think it's as black and white. If you increase the HP and change the gear ratio, can you pull more load than what the GVCWR says you can? If not, why not?

I pull more weight than what is stated as my GCVWR, but I've increased the HP, and I'm right at my GVWR, and under my RAWR. Personally I'm more concerned with the GVWR and RAWR than the combined weight rating. The truck and trailer goes, stops, and handles with no issues. I wouldn't want to haul much more than what I have, unlike hotshotters, but I don't have an issue with what I am hauling.

[Durb]

That truck with a 3.55 rear axle has a gross combined weight rating of 20,000#, with a 4.10 axle 21,000#. The empty truck weighs 6,700# if 2WD, 7,000# if 4WD. Toss in a couple of passengers and a hitch, maybe 700#. This leaves you with an "in spec" trailer weight of 12,300# to 13,600#. The truck may do it but I think it would be poor advice to tell you to go for it. You will see a bunch of anecdotal advice telling you otherwise and contrary to the manufacturer's numbers.

[Second_Chance]

Allworth wrote:
You probably don't have the rear axle capacity to carry that pin weight, even with a dually (2001).

The engine will handle it fine. Maybe not at 70mph, but at any reasonable speed.

He says he has a dual rear wheel truck. Why do you think he doesn't have the payload for a 15K fiver (3,500 lbs. pin weight)?

Rob