Towing with Pentastar V6 pickup truck

[mr61impala]

Hello, I would like to hear from anyone towing a travel trailer with a Ram 1/2 ton equipped with 305 hp 3.6L Pentastar V6, 8 speed ZF automatic, & 3.21 axle ratio. It appears that the truck is rated to tow approximately #4500 and Jayco says trailer in question weighs #4260 empty, hitch weight of #460. The tow rating of this truck jumps to #7000 if the gear ratios were 3.55.

[WillyQ711]

Well I see that this is an older post, but I now am planning on the same but more modern Pentastar V6 3.6 for towing 5500 lbs GVWR (this is the loaded weight, not dry weight). Loaded tongue weight will be around 800 lbs. What's interesting is that the Pentastar has the higher payload rating from the Ecodiesel and Hemi. My truck will be a 2020 or 2021, same 305 hp / 3.55 axle, but these newer models have a town rating of 7730 lbs (with the 3.55). I'll be towing around FL mostly around 4-6 times a year for 250 - 700 miles for ea trip. The thing is I need the better mpg over the Hemi as it will also be my daily driver. Real world the V6 gets around 18-19 mpg mixed, while the Hemi only gets around 14-15, so that option out. The Ecodiesel is too problematic and expensive. 

[valhalla360]

You might look at the Ford ecoboost line of engines. With the turbo, they don't need to be screaming at 4000-5000rpm to put out decent HP but assuming you go easy on the throttle, they get good MPG running empty.

[VernDiesel]

Use Tow Haul. In state couple times a year you will be fine. But a cross country tour would be asking for trouble.

[ib516]

Two 2013 Ram 1500 V6s Towing trailers. One 3.21 one has 3.55.
VIDEO 5500# trailer, Davis Dam grade.

Another video here, Ram 1500 with the V6 towing an airstream vs a Ford F150 V6 (non-EcoBoost). VIDEO #2

[mr61impala]

jerem0621 wrote:
It will tow until a time that it no longer does

The Pentastar V6 is an exceptional motor. One which I have towed with extensively with our 2014 Chrysler Town & Country. I would recommend the Pentastar for weights up to about 4,000 lbs...after that it’s just not worth tracking a Pentastar Ram down.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

Thanks for your input. We have 2 Pentastars, one in her Grand Caravan and the other in her Ram 1500. My truck is a 2010 Ram with the 4.7L which is rated to tow #6000. I guess we will tow with it, but hers sure cleans up better.

PS, I too have become a big fan of the quick Pentastar as the miles and MPG numbers accumulate.

[jerem0621]

It will tow until a time that it no longer does

The Pentastar V6 is an exceptional motor. One which I have towed with extensively with our 2014 Chrysler Town & Country. I would recommend the Pentastar for weights up to about 4,000 lbs...after that it’s just not worth tracking a Pentastar Ram down.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[Lwiddis]

Won’t be pleasurable towing that weight with that truck.

[Samsonsworld]

Grand Cherokee. Like I said, you'd be turning a lot of rpms. Only 268lbs tq.

[Lessmore]

Samsonsworld wrote:
No way I'd try it with a pentastar. Mine is only 290hp but it's pretty weak. Heck, the 8-speed drops gears with a strong head wind. You'll be going down the road at 4k rpms....and probably at 50mph.

290 hp ? Sounds like you have one in a sedan. Believe all the 3.6 liter V6 installed in newer Dodge pickups are the 305 hp version. Gearing in each individual gear could be different from a truck to a car.

[Samsonsworld]

No way I'd try it with a pentastar. Mine is only 290hp but it's pretty weak. Heck, the 8-speed drops gears with a strong head wind. You'll be going down the road at 4k rpms....and probably at 50mph.

[Lessmore]

The Dodge 3.6 liter V6 has 305 hp, an 8 speed transmission. Yup the hp comes at high rpm, but then the Mopar V6 does have dual overhead cams, 4 valves per cylinder. A few decades ago an engine with features like DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder and 305 hp out of 3.6 liters...would be a very expensive European sports engine.

Back a couple of decades ago...the big OHV...2 valves per cylinder V8 in a Dodge truck was the 360 (5.9 liter) engine...it pumped out 245 hp, 330 ft.,lbs of torque, the Dodge 4.7 liter truck engine was good for 250 hp, but less torque at it's best rating. And they only had 4 speed transmissions!

So you got twice as many gears...over 50 more hp, less torque...probably about 50-60 ft. lbs in the 3.6 liter Dodge truck engine.

I dunno what Mopar rates the Dodge V6 truck engine's tow rating at...but I would assume the 3.6 can handle the rating.

Technology has made a difference.

[j-d]

I question the 4500 rating. Might be "up to" and what that means is this:

Manufacturer builds to a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating or GVWR and a Gross COMBINED Vehicle Weight Rating or GCWR.

Let's say empty truck and empty trailer weigh 5000 each and GCWR is 10000. By specs you're good to go. My experience with rigs that are right at GCWR, is they're pretty doggy, get poor mileage and don't handle well. Now put 500 in the truck. Trailer can only be 4500. Put 500 in trailer and you're 1000 overloaded to the ratings.

Your geographic location reinforces my NO! You won't be happy with it. Flatlands, maybe. Tow it to the Lake and leave it set up for summer then tow it back home, OK. Actually Travel and Camp? Out there with two adults for two weeks and maybe more people or longer trip? Nope.

[TurnThePage]

Obviously the towing platform is very up to the task. The drive train is where it gets a little hairy. I believe you will be perfectly safe if you've taken the standard precautions with maintenance, hitch setup, tire inflation, etc. But you really will be under powered, which will be most noticeable on hills. I bet it could be done just fine, but I wouldn't want to be the one doing it.

[noteven]

For long distance towing 50% of advertised tow capacity works nice with pickup trucks, especially gasohol engines.