Towing with a Manual

[zombojoe]

Hey folks. I'm helping a buddy of mine move his trailer from Edmonton to Vancouver. It should be roughly a 12-14 hour drive depending on traffic and route taken. The trailer is approx 38 ft long and weights roughly 10,000 loaded just to give specifics. The thing I'm a little iffy on is his tow vehicle. It's a 2015 Ram 2500 Cummins 4x4 with a 6-speed manual transmission (my buddy injured his leg, hence me giving him a hand). Don't get me wrong, the trailer doesn't exceed any ratings, even with the two of us and our gear we should be fine. It's just that I've towed and I've driven manuals, but I've never towed with a manual. Are there any tips or tricks one has to know? Does anybody have any experience towing with a manual transmission? I'd just like to get an idea what I'm in for. All help is appreciated.

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

I really don't know what your concerns are?

I towed with my FIL's 02 Cummins 6 speed. 5er was about the same weight but shorter. Not my cup of tea. The thing was underpowered and it felt like I was rowing to the campground. I was always shifting.

Anyway, the new truck has a ton more power so you should be fine. Just drop gears on the upside and downside and keep the EB on.

It will tow just fine.

[carringb]

That's a pretty good truck to tow anything with. The only thing I don't like about that combo is towing through rush hour stop-and-go traffic! 1st gear is too low to keep up with creeping traffic, then cars take the gap as a cue to cut you off, and 2nd is too tall to stay off the clutch.

My only other tip is long downgrades.... Go down in the same gear you came up, and use the exhaust brake feature. You shouldn't even need your service brakes unless you come up slower traffic or approach sharp curves.