Towing: I may have a problem...

[scjohnson243]

Good afternoon all - I first wanted to say I am very new to this entire thing (Camping, towing, etc). I just bought a 2018 Starcraft Autumn Ridge Outfitter 26BHS about 2 months ago, and have brought it to camp about 4-5x so far. We have been Loving it! Towing it around and backing it up have been a challenge, but its slowly getting better.

We have a 5.7l 2005 Dodge 1500 that we use to tow with, the dealer assured us that "All his trailers" were towable by our truck, so we went and bought the bigger one. Last time we took it out, on the way home I started getting a "Transmission hot" warning light - it only stayed on for a few seconds, then went off. A few days later my wife was driving the truck without pulling and the light came on again for a few seconds then went off.

I took the truck to the Mechanic this afternoon - the transmission fluid is full, there are no leaks, and it does not appear "dark" or smell burnt, so the next thing is the sensor itself could be going bad.

I would love to upgrade to a new Diesel truck, and that's the long-term plan before we plan any long trips, but I don't want to destroy my current truck! has anyone gone through this? I have another camping trip coming up this weekend we have all been looking forward to, and its only about 45minutes from my house so its another close trip.

Any advice/help/etc would be greatly appreciated.

[badsix]

you should have no problem with that truck. i'm wondering what rear end gears you have, should be around 340 or 373 the 373 is better.
Jay D.

[naturist]

Welcome to the forum.

And yes, salesmen lie. There’s a joke: how can you tell if a politician is lieing? His lips are moving. Guess what? Pols are slackers compared to salesmen.

[Lynnmor]

Is there a temperature gauge for the engine, if so is it in the normal range? Does the fan clutch work, can you hear it speed up when hot?

[theoldwizard1]

Install an auxiliary transmission cooler.

[scjohnson243]

dodge guy wrote:
IDE have to check, but I believe there is a TSB for that exact issue. I believe it’s a flash that changes the cooling and when the light comes on.

7000lbs behind a 1/2 ton HEMI isn’t an issue.

I'm looking but so far have not seen anything, if you could find something I would love to hear it!

[dodge_guy]

IDE have to check, but I believe there is a TSB for that exact issue. I believe it’s a flash that changes the cooling and when the light comes on.

7000lbs behind a 1/2 ton HEMI isn’t an issue.

[downtheroad]

Welcome to the Forum.
Excellent advice above already.

Here are the specs for your trailer:
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVWR) 7,500 lbs.
Unloaded Vehicle Weight (UVWR) 5,800 lbs.
Dry Hitch Weight 687 lbs.
Exterior Length 30' 7"

So, You are close to maxing out your truck also. Especially when you load up the family (bunk house) and all their gear and toys..try to travel with empty tanks and as light as possible. And, don't buy another trailer from this salesman.

Good luck and enjoy you new adventure..

[ScottG]

The sensors don't generally have issues and if it came on and went back out for the rest of the drive, it was probably too hot.
At a minimum you need to install the biggest trans cooler (probably the second one) you can find if it will fit and I would add a gauge to it as well.

Dont let the trans "hunt" or shift back and forth between gears. That causes excessive heat - it's also a sign you need more power. If it does hunt, shift to the next lower gear and leave it there.

[scjohnson243]

donn0128 wrote:
Your probably pushing your trucks limits for sure. Your first mistske was listening to the salesman. They will tell you anything to maximize their commissions.
Does your truck have an aux trans cooler? Are you locking the trans out of over drive?
Consider upgrading truck before spending too much money on a marginal vehicle.

I realize it was a mistake now, and a pretty dumb one. 🙂

I do believe it has a trans cooler on it, I'll check when I get home. When I pull anything I hit the "TOW" button, from what I understand that stops the overdrive, right?

Sorry guys for the random answers, like I said - I'm new to all this!

[scjohnson243]

N2ZPY wrote:
What does the truck have on it for a transmission cooler?

I'll have to look when I get to the house!

[donn0128]

Your probably pushing your trucks limits for sure. Your first mistske was listening to the salesman. They will tell you anything to maximize their commissions.
Does your truck have an aux trans cooler? Are you locking the trans out of over drive?
Consider upgrading truck before spending too much money on a marginal vehicle.

[N2ZPY]

What does the truck have on it for a transmission cooler?