2005 1 ton Ram diesel

[2freelife]

In 2005 my husband & I went fulltime with a large 5th wheel & our new from the factory Ram. We fulltimed for almost 8 years. The truck now has 160,000 miles on it. It seems to run great. Have had very little trouble with it. Now I'm on my own, & would like to go back out on the road using this truck. A new one would be out of my price range. This truck did not have the pac brake installed. It does have tow mode. It always did great, but I would feel more secure with the pac brake. That's the one the truck dealer recommended. I would love advise from any of you with experience with these trucks if it would be a good idea for me to add the extra accessory brake? It will cost $2500. Do you believe my Ram will last? I could afford a used 1/2 ton if it failed, but nothing new. I will be pulling a 24ft camper. I don't want to go with a large one at this point

[Grit_dog]

Why resurrecting a bunch of 6 month old threads today?

[Diesel_Camper]

The 2004-2007 5.9 Cummins trucks can all run an exhaust brake with the factory ecm. The 04-05 trucks need custom tuning to make it work right and the 06-07 trucks already have the tuning from the factory to run the brake.

Also the lockup and shift schedules can be modified to greatly improved the 48re towing performance. My truck will lock in manual 2nd at 25mph. Also in drive it will now lock in 3rd and hold lockup shifting to 4th. The 4th gear shift has also been remapped to happen at a far better road speed than stock. My tow haul button has been changed to an overdrive off button which is perfect for long steep climbs in locked 3rd and the lockup stays locked now even when coasting in 3rd.
Anyone interested in getting this tuning get hold of https://www.mm3tuning.com

[Grit_dog]

^I am too. Love cheese curds and Tombstone pizzas. Still have a place up in Park Falls.
I agree with you, just trying to add that middlemof the road levity to discussions that so quickly become so one sided that potentially uninformed members really don’t get to consider both sides of the coin.
In this case, the flip side of the coin being we and likely she, have no idea what major repairs or PMs have been done to the truck or are pending AND at the same time, I thought the OP made it pretty clear that her BUDGET was of concern.
Hence I’ve attempted to keep both of those things in mind in my responses.
What good is a diesel hauler with a shiny new exhaust brake when it needs $5000 in other repairs and is beached because the owner does not have the funds to carry out the necessary repairs?

Do I use the heck out of the exhaust brake on my truck, even empty or with lightweight trailers? You betcha (in my best WI accent). Do I know that given a finite amount of budget to have a capable trailer hauler, in the context of the OPs query, does not necessarily require an exhaust brake?
Yes I know that as well.

[zcookiemonstar]

Grit dog wrote:
So, Ebrake, new converter and VB, injectors, cause those WILL be going out soon....
Plus add a little more $ for the other unknowns, and now the experts have her sinking a min of $8k into her rig just to make it "roadworthy."
Yes, I know about most/all of the upgrades to make a 3rd gen more capable. Have half of them myself on my truck, but this isn't a cheap venture if the lady follows advice that has her doing all this "stuff" to pull a little trailer.
Guessing she's not as mechanically inclined as, say, burningman, so warm up the checkbook, it'll get a workout.

Again, I'm not minimizing the usefulness of an exhaust brake, but it's not the doom n gloom portrayed here. Unless the hills got steeper in the southwest since we left CO, NM, AZ, I've got several hundred thousand miles driving those states in everything from a 6 banger F150 to a Dmax/Cummins. And I really don't recall the "oh shoot" moments that are portrayed as fact here. I also knew better than to come down Wolf Creek Pass in a F250 gasser with a 10k trailer behind it. I went through Alamosa. Was cheaper than buying a diesel with an exhaust brake!

The OP is from Wisconsin. The midwest is very flat we don't really have any steep grades. What seems like no big deal to some one from mountain areas can be a little challenging if not scary for someone that is not use to it.

[Grit_dog]

Good points Charles. I was attempting to get that message across as well, through the crossfire of “must have an eb to tow a little trailer” posts.

[CharlesinGA]

The OP should spend some money on the truck doing "out of the ordinary" maintenance. Brakes. They may not be worn out, but Rams like many vehicles, have brake calipers with phenolic pistons in them, and about 150K or so is the point where they will begin seizing up. Co-worker has a '04 3500 Ram CTD. He had one rear caliper begin seizing, we replaced it and bled all of the brakes till we had fresh fluid throughout. A couple of weeks later, heading for Florida he calls me (he was between his house and mine and I was closer) and sure enough, the other rear caliper was starting to seize. I went and got a caliper, and when I got home he had it jacked up and the rear wheels off that side. We installed the new caliper and again bled the rear. (the front calipers on my little '91 Ranger do this seizing up bit at about 100K, had it happen twice now, yes, its a problem)

Where I am going with this is for the OP to go ahead and replace all of the calipers and have the system thoroughly bled with fresh fluid coming out at all four corners, including the ABS pump)

Rear axle calls for routine fluid replacement and many people do not do this, use a good synthetic fluid such as Mobil 1 or Amsoil 75W-90

Have the suspension looked over good. I'll bet the upstop bumpers (if a 2wd) on the front are totally missing. They are not rubber, but a dense foam material that ages and crumbles ($33 each from Dodge or Genos). There is a real good chance the front ball joints (again if 2wd) are shot, and I'm betting all of the shocks are done for too. (front suspension has always been Dodge truck's weak point since the 1960's)

Unless the OP's husband was super attentive to maintenance, and I mean real overzealous, I'm willing to bet at least some of the above mentioned items are in need of doing.

Charles

[Grit_dog]

And this is all to tow a TT that any milquetoast 1/2 ton could do laps around the country with....

[Grit_dog]

So, Ebrake, new converter and VB, injectors, cause those WILL be going out soon....
Plus add a little more $ for the other unknowns, and now the experts have her sinking a min of $8k into her rig just to make it "roadworthy."
Yes, I know about most/all of the upgrades to make a 3rd gen more capable. Have half of them myself on my truck, but this isn't a cheap venture if the lady follows advice that has her doing all this "stuff" to pull a little trailer.
Guessing she's not as mechanically inclined as, say, burningman, so warm up the checkbook, it'll get a workout.

Again, I'm not minimizing the usefulness of an exhaust brake, but it's not the doom n gloom portrayed here. Unless the hills got steeper in the southwest since we left CO, NM, AZ, I've got several hundred thousand miles driving those states in everything from a 6 banger F150 to a Dmax/Cummins. And I really don't recall the "oh shoot" moments that are portrayed as fact here. I also knew better than to come down Wolf Creek Pass in a F250 gasser with a 10k trailer behind it. I went through Alamosa. Was cheaper than buying a diesel with an exhaust brake!

[Cummins12V98]

I actually had a 120V light switch taped to my shifter as a "lockup switch". Only bad thing was if I forgot to turn it off when coming to a stop!

[Me_Again]

burningman wrote:
I have decades of experience with trucks of all sizes, professionally.
And lots with Dodge 5.9 diesels.
They have almost zero engine braking. It’s possible to drive with a load down hills just using the service brakes but I consider it foolish. I wouldn’t have one without an exhaust brake.

You can also tow a large trailer safely with a Toyota pickup, IF you drive it carefully enough. That doesn’t make it a good idea, but if I HAD to get a trailer across the country with one I could.

As for the assumption that since the truck has a tow rating high enough for the load in stock form, it’s fine- that’s not necessarily so.

The “electronics” needed to make the exhaust brake work on the Dodge automatic are as simple as a $3 switch that grounds a wire going to the ECM, to signal it to lock the torque converter. I use a floor mounted headlamp dimmer style switch on mine.
Or you can buy a setup that automates it more. I like to be able to lock my converter whenever I see fit. The older Dodges have irritating stock transmission programming that unlocks the converter every time you let off the throttle.

Having an exhaust brake lets you descend most grades with a load without riding or even using your brakes. That’s a very, very good thing. That way they’re cool and ready to handle anything unexpected, rather than hot and already at their limits.

The modified valve body for second gear lockup isn’t really needed, if the truck has 4.10 gears. Third gear with the exhaust brake is usually fine.
You can modify your existing valve body for second gear torque converter lockup, all that modification is is a glob of epoxy glue to block one of the passages.

However, I very highly recommend an aftermarket valve body and triple disc torque converter for any 47/48re Dodge transmission used to tow anything at all. They’re well known as the truck’s weakest point, but are rock solid when properly built.

This has been settled, the truck is getting an exhaust brake, and I feel I’m well qualified to say that was the wise choice. Can you drive an early model 5.9/auto with a trailer without an exhaust brake? Sure. I’ve done it lots. Would I do it ever again if I had the choice? Absolutely not.

I used 2nd gear locked up on exhaust brake many times at a combined weight of 20-21K with my 2001.5 RAM with 47RE and 4.10's. Washington Pass East bound on highway 20 in the North Cascades in Washington is one example. There where many others, 101 in the Red Woods in Northern California, steep but short and with sharp curves. Salt River Canyon in Arizona, on and on.

I believe I said earlier in this thread that I would never tow with a Cummins diesel RAM without an exhaust brake. For some reason the I-6 free wheels more than the V-8's. I say that having traveled with friends with both Duramax's and Powerstrokes with grade braking only.

[SweetLou]

burningman wrote:
I have decades of experience with trucks of all sizes, professionally.
And lots with Dodge 5.9 diesels.
They have almost zero engine braking. It’s possible to drive with a load down hills just using the service brakes but I consider it foolish. I wouldn’t have one without an exhaust brake.

You can also tow a large trailer safely with a Toyota pickup, IF you drive it carefully enough. That doesn’t make it a good idea, but if I HAD to get a trailer across the country with one I could.

As for the assumption that since the truck has a tow rating high enough for the load in stock form, it’s fine- that’s not necessarily so.

The “electronics” needed to make the exhaust brake work on the Dodge automatic are as simple as a $3 switch that grounds a wire going to the ECM, to signal it to lock the torque converter. I use a floor mounted headlamp dimmer style switch on mine.
Or you can buy a setup that automates it more. I like to be able to lock my converter whenever I see fit. The older Dodges have irritating stock transmission programming that unlocks the converter every time you let off the throttle.

Having an exhaust brake lets you descend most grades with a load without riding or even using your brakes. That’s a very, very good thing. That way they’re cool and ready to handle anything unexpected, rather than hot and already at their limits.

The modified valve body for second gear lockup isn’t really needed, if the truck has 4.10 gears. Third gear with the exhaust brake is usually fine.
You can modify your existing valve body for second gear torque converter lockup, all that modification is is a glob of epoxy glue to block one of the passages.

However, I very highly recommend an aftermarket valve body and triple disc torque converter for any 47/48re Dodge transmission used to tow anything at all. They’re well known as the truck’s weakest point, but are rock solid when properly built.

This has been settled, the truck is getting an exhaust brake, and I feel I’m well qualified to say that was the wise choice. Can you drive an early model 5.9/auto with a trailer without an exhaust brake? Sure. I’ve done it lots. Would I do it ever again if I had the choice? Absolutely not.

Second Best statement of the thread

[burningman]

I have decades of experience with trucks of all sizes, professionally.
And lots with Dodge 5.9 diesels.
They have almost zero engine braking. It’s possible to drive with a load down hills just using the service brakes but I consider it foolish. I wouldn’t have one without an exhaust brake.

You can also tow a large trailer safely with a Toyota pickup, IF you drive it carefully enough. That doesn’t make it a good idea, but if I HAD to get a trailer across the country with one I could.

As for the assumption that since the truck has a tow rating high enough for the load in stock form, it’s fine- that’s not necessarily so.

The “electronics” needed to make the exhaust brake work on the Dodge automatic are as simple as a $3 switch that grounds a wire going to the ECM, to signal it to lock the torque converter. I use a floor mounted headlamp dimmer style switch on mine.
Or you can buy a setup that automates it more. I like to be able to lock my converter whenever I see fit. The older Dodges have irritating stock transmission programming that unlocks the converter every time you let off the throttle.

Having an exhaust brake lets you descend most grades with a load without riding or even using your brakes. That’s a very, very good thing. That way they’re cool and ready to handle anything unexpected, rather than hot and already at their limits.

The modified valve body for second gear lockup isn’t really needed, if the truck has 4.10 gears. Third gear with the exhaust brake is usually fine.
You can modify your existing valve body for second gear torque converter lockup, all that modification is is a glob of epoxy glue to block one of the passages.

However, I very highly recommend an aftermarket valve body and triple disc torque converter for any 47/48re Dodge transmission used to tow anything at all. They’re well known as the truck’s weakest point, but are rock solid when properly built.

This has been settled, the truck is getting an exhaust brake, and I feel I’m well qualified to say that was the wise choice. Can you drive an early model 5.9/auto with a trailer without an exhaust brake? Sure. I’ve done it lots. Would I do it ever again if I had the choice? Absolutely not.

[Grit_dog]

Thank you 2freelife fro coming back and stopping the peeing match.
No reason to believe your truck won't have a lot more good miles in it if it's as good of shape as you describe and not rusted out (WI, dontcha know).
A few things to think about though. 05, 150k miles iirc, that is about the time that some of the components start wearing out. Of course every vehicle is different, but in the next 100k miles, the common issues are front unit bearings, u joints all around, power steering pump, injectors and steering components (ball joints, tie rods, etc) and the transmission.
Without overthinking it, it's reasonable to think that you will incur half? of these repairs.
Not trying to scare you off your truck. IMO it's a good platform for long life/high miles. Just a consideration.

[Cummins12V98]

2freelife wrote:
Thanks to all of you for your wonderful replies & advice. I will feel more confident on grades with the exhaust brake installed. I was mainly asking for advice if the truck was worth that expense because it is 14 years old now. My husband kept it up beautifully. It runs great, so I'll just keep my big red beast, & put the exhaust brake on it. It did great pulling the trailer. I barely felt the trailer back there, but I always felt a little nervous mountain driving worrying about being able to slow down on a decline without overheating the brakes. I plan to travel in the west again this summer, & don't want to feel that tension since it's just me & my two dogs. I could do a lot of repairs, if needed for the price of a new truck.

GOOD CALL!!!

You just made a good financial and practical investment.