Can I pull this, or upgrade needed. Help please.

[kz3912]

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I have a 2007 dodge 3500 Laramie 4x4 6.7 liter cummins swr truck with the 4.10 axel.

I just went out and bought the toy hauler of my dreams even matches the truck in color. Its a KZ Inferno 3912sl about 14k when loaded with its extras. After I put in my rzr4, water, fuel and cargo i'll say i'm 17500#'s.

Figured my truck could handle this puppy. Hauled it 600 km no problem. Then got into some mountains on a old forestry trunk road. Had to climb up a real steep steep climb about 10 km long and up about 600m in elevation. had him shifting between 2nd and 3rd although I am now aware I should of just locked it in 2nd.

Long story short I overheated the tranny right close to the top. puked out some tranny fluid and messed up 2nd and 3rd clutches in my tranny. Not sure if there was a on going issue I was unaware of with the cooling systems or what. Think there was a problem with the tranny to begin with before hauling this thing. Truck has 230k km on it.

My question now is do I put in a new tranny maybe built up a bit, and a better cooling fan, or do I have to trade this thing in. just finished paying it off too, and I really don't want to drop another 77k on a new one.

Help

[larry_barnhart]

kz3912 wrote:
After putting thought into it. Its going to cost me about 10k to get my truck up to snuff. So i'm just upgrading to a 2013 dodge dually long horn asisn tranny crew cab. 29100 max towing. 14 000 max curb. Thanks for all the help guys. Being able to buy new knowing I did't "have too" helped a lot when dealing.

good plan.
chevman

[NC_Hauler]

Yeah, I GOT ONE:B.....385HP, 850ftlb of TQ, 14,000# GVWR and 37,000# GCWR....yeah, you won't be over anything with your KZ.....Let us know how it tows for you....I've got a little over 4800 miles on mine and love it....haven't towed with it yet...got my hitch in about 3 weeks ago and got the 5er matched up with the hitch, just waiting for next chance to tow it....believe you'll love the truck:)

[Grit_dog]

That's a bad @ss new truck! Ram stepped it up big time for 2013. More like a semi in pickup truck clothing!
Shoulda waited for the '14 with air ride rear suspension! j/k

[bmanning]

kz3912 wrote:
After putting thought into it. Its going to cost me about 10k to get my truck up to snuff. So i'm just upgrading to a 2013 dodge dually long horn asisn tranny crew cab. 29100 max towing. 14 000 max curb. Thanks for all the help guys. Being able to buy new knowing I did't "have too" helped a lot when dealing.

I think that's an awesome idea; can't wait to see & hear about your new truck!

[kz3912]

After putting thought into it. Its going to cost me about 10k to get my truck up to snuff. So i'm just upgrading to a 2013 dodge dually long horn asisn tranny crew cab. 29100 max towing. 14 000 max curb. Thanks for all the help guys. Being able to buy new knowing I did't "have too" helped a lot when dealing.

[Rich1961]

With an automatic transmission, the torque converter must be locked when pulling hard or the transmission will get hot quickly. The 68RFE does not lock the torque converter in first gear in stock configuration, and by the OP shifting back and forth between 2nd and third, he didn't give it a chance to lock up in second gear. A lot of people post about overheating their transmissions while backing their trailers or pulling hard at low speeds. It's because the torque converter is unlocked and creating huge amounts of heat in the process. An aftermarket transmission controller would be a big help in this case, enabling the driver to lock the torque converter at low speeds, helping keep the transmission temps in check.
Rich

[Sinecure]

kz3912 wrote:
So my pin weight on the trailer is 2790. My truck can do 3090 without passengers or cargo. I load in a rzr 900 4 seater behind the axels with the majority of the weight ( the engine ) right back at the lift gate. The machine weighs 1400 pounds. This I'm told reduces my pin weight as much as half of the weight of the machine, If I put on some beefy tires I think I will be in my load range as far as my trucks curb weight is concerned. My gross combination will be close. My towing limit will be over weight hopping good tranny fixes this. The trailer itself has drum brakes on all three axels and can stop my truck itself without trouble.

Bring your TH to a scale and get your pin weights with and without the rzr loaded. From what I have read, with a triple axle trailer the majority of the weight of your "toy" will be added to the axles of the toy hauler and not subtracted from the pin. I have yet to bring mine to a scale to verify this, but I will before my next trip out.

[wmoses]

amxpress wrote:
According the Dodge towing guide, your truck is rated to tow 15,900# with a max payload of 3157#.
Here's more specs: http://www.dodge.com/towing/D/vehicle_2_weight_results.jsp?franchise=D&year=7&familyMarket=U&familyD...
You might consider going to a nearby CAT scale and get the actual readings.

Kinda late now ... 😞

[kz3912]

crickeydog wrote:
Oh oh, here we go, rules. Well if I gotta explain it, I'm doubting yer gonna actually understand it there Marty. I just don't have the energy.

To the original poster Kz3912: Go tow that sucker with yer 3/4 ton truck till the wheels fall off it and enjoy yerself. Hey, you asked!!!


Happy camping!!! See y'all down the road!!!:)

Its a 1 ton not a 3/4 ton. Thanks for your input anyway.

[crickeydog]

Oh oh, here we go, rules. Well if I gotta explain it, I'm doubting yer gonna actually understand it there Marty. I just don't have the energy.

To the original poster Kz3912: Go tow that sucker with yer 3/4 ton truck till the wheels fall off it and enjoy yerself. Hey, you asked!!!


Happy camping!!! See y'all down the road!!!:)

[blt2ski]

SO WHAT rules is he overweight by? The local codes that the LEO enforce? or RV/nets weight police?!?! Reality is, both to a degree need to be looked at, but at the end of the day, the truck in question is out of warranty, so might as well build up the now found weakness, which would have failed even with a dually mind you, that MAY have a larger warranty/engineer blessing of what it can do.

Even if it WAS under the gcwr/gvwr ratings, the OP may very well have fried a trans due to the steepness of the grade, and not running the tranny in the correct gear etc. So one can fry parts even with in the manufactures specs, due to the fact you are soing something at the end of the day, beyond those specs. IE if on a grade steeper than 12%, you are BEYOND, out of spec of the new SAE tow rating specs, and would probably blow up your tranny!

So at the end of the day, which do you do? I'd rebuild it, better if you can, if you can go to some lower gears in 1-4, will assume 5 and 6 are direct and OD, that will help you get some more torque to the rear wheels, possibly keep the TC from spinning as much getting going etc, may make the rebuilt one last longer, along with the things perrybury mentioned too. I also fried a tranny when I was at 12K gcwr with a rig rated to 16K. BUT, the rig at 12K could not climb more than a 15% grade, I was needing to go up a 20+% grade.......never trusted that rig again! went thru TH400's like clockwork every 30-35K miles, even with 5K fluid, and 10K total flush's of the tranny! Geared too tall in the trans!

Marty

[kz3912]

crickeydog wrote:
Yer overweight, and for sure overweight on yer SRW truck's GVWR when hitched up. Yer truck just reminded you to alway's scale whatever it is you plan to tow (or at least check the campers GVWR) and compare that to your trucks tow rating before you buy it. You could buy a mac daddy new overbuilt tranny but you'll still end up with an overweight truck that'll give it's next owner a new overbuilt tranny. Look at it this way. Now you've got a good reason to buy a new DRW truck with the right amount of towing capacity to tow what yer towing!!! Good luck.

Happy camping!!! See y'all down the road!!!:)

So my pin weight on the trailer is 2790. My truck can do 3090 without passengers or cargo. I load in a rzr 900 4 seater behind the axels with the majority of the weight ( the engine ) right back at the lift gate. The machine weighs 1400 pounds. This I'm told reduces my pin weight as much as half of the weight of the machine, If I put on some beefy tires I think I will be in my load range as far as my trucks curb weight is concerned. My gross combination will be close. My towing limit will be over weight hopping good tranny fixes this. The trailer itself has drum brakes on all three axels and can stop my truck itself without trouble.

[JIMNLIN]

Your 3500 SRW has the same engine tranny as the DRW so a bigger truck or more GVWR won't help with the burned clutches.
The Cummins has plenty of go power its the auto tranny that needs assisting regardless which year model truck.
Looking at Dodge body builder guide for '07 show the SRW has a higher tow rating than the heavier DRW.

I would put some bucks in the 68RFE for a good "built" tranny like a Goerend or a Suncoast/etc or if you trust your tranny guy go with him. These trannies are about as bullet proof behind the Cummins as you can get.

[Perrysburg_Dodg]

Just picked mine up from the trans shop today, 48RE not the 68RE. Find a shop that will supply you with a low stall three disc converter and a good shift kit.

Make sure they flush the cooler and lines any good shop will but ask anyway! That's a lot of weight for a SRW truck.

Good luck Don