Towing Long Distances with Older Tow Rig

[ls1mike]

Send it man. You will be fine. I tow my 32 foot travel trailer all over with my 02 3/4 ton Chevy. I do only have 52,000 miles.

Guy I camp with has the same truck and tows his 30 foot travel trailer same places I do. Last trip he rolled 180,000 original drivetrain. Has done normal maintenance.

Don't ask about the black rims, It is a long story. I dislike them but I am back on stock size tires which makes a HUGE difference for holding overdrive.

 

[oilpsi2high]

I love seeing all of these photos of older tow rigs!

I went camping near Saranac Lake at a state campground a few months ago, and let me tell you, EVERY TRUCK was new! I honestly saw one Silverado from the early 90's that was absolutely mint and I was drooling over it the entire time. I'm not even kidding, every site had a newer late-model truck parked on it.

Keep them coming.

 

[A_Harman]

I tow travel trailers commercially with my 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 diesel, now with about 458k miles. It was doing OK in the first year of towing, but after I hit 420k, it's been requiring major maintenance every month. Now it's in the shop for a rear axle rebuild, to include a ring and pinion change. My average trailer size and weight is 27 feet and 7000 pounds. I tow about 1200 miles a week, including long runs out west, but for the last few weeks I've been running through upstate NY and New England.

You are loading up pretty close to the Dakota's rated towing capacity, so treat the load with respect. I assume the 5-speed is a manual, so you should read the terrain and anticipate hills by downshifting to 4th for climbs and descents. You should be able to tow on the flat in 5th gear, but read your manual. If you are going to be using your brakes for hill descents, it would be a good idea to bleed them to get fresh fluid in the calipers. Since your truck only has 61k miles, nothing should be seriously worn out to pose a safety hazard in a 220 mile round-trip tow.

 

[oilpsi2high]

Originally Posted By: A_Harman
I tow travel trailers commercially with my 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 diesel, now with about 458k miles. It was doing OK in the first year of towing, but after I hit 420k, it's been requiring major maintenance every month. Now it's in the shop for a rear axle rebuild, to include a ring and pinion change. My average trailer size and weight is 27 feet and 7000 pounds. I tow about 1200 miles a week, including long runs out west, but for the last few weeks I've been running through upstate NY and New England.

You are loading up pretty close to the Dakota's rated towing capacity, so treat the load with respect. I assume the 5-speed is a manual, so you should read the terrain and anticipate hills by downshifting to 4th for climbs and descents. You should be able to tow on the flat in 5th gear, but read your manual. If you are going to be using your brakes for hill descents, it would be a good idea to bleed them to get fresh fluid in the calipers. Since your truck only has 61k miles, nothing should be seriously worn out to pose a safety hazard in a 220 mile round-trip tow.


Never used 5th, not even on flat ground. Heard too many horror stories about shattering the overdrive gear to bother with it.

What do you do commercially, deliver travel trailers between dealerships? Even with repairs that kind of mileage is incredible.

Also, brake fluid is fresh as of 100 miles ago.

 

[A_Harman]

Originally Posted By: oilpsi2high
Originally Posted By: A_Harman
I tow travel trailers commercially with my 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 diesel, now with about 458k miles. It was doing OK in the first year of towing, but after I hit 420k, it's been requiring major maintenance every month. Now it's in the shop for a rear axle rebuild, to include a ring and pinion change. My average trailer size and weight is 27 feet and 7000 pounds. I tow about 1200 miles a week, including long runs out west, but for the last few weeks I've been running through upstate NY and New England.

You are loading up pretty close to the Dakota's rated towing capacity, so treat the load with respect. I assume the 5-speed is a manual, so you should read the terrain and anticipate hills by downshifting to 4th for climbs and descents. You should be able to tow on the flat in 5th gear, but read your manual. If you are going to be using your brakes for hill descents, it would be a good idea to bleed them to get fresh fluid in the calipers. Since your truck only has 61k miles, nothing should be seriously worn out to pose a safety hazard in a 220 mile round-trip tow.


Never used 5th, not even on flat ground. Heard too many horror stories about shattering the overdrive gear to bother with it.

What do you do commercially, deliver travel trailers between dealerships? Even with repairs that kind of mileage is incredible.

Also, brake fluid is fresh as of 100 miles ago.


I deliver trailers from manufacturers in Elkhart, Indiana to dealers in the US and Canada. There are a lot of RV transport drivers around Elkhart that have 800k+ miles on their trucks, and they don't look excessively used. The miles pile up quickly in this line of work, and they are mostly highway cruising at 65 mph while towing, then cruising back to Elkhart unloaded at 75 mph. Suspensions take a beating on our Interstates that are in desperate need of rebuilding, mostly east of the Mississippi. Out west the roads are better, but there are always hazards that can pop up at random times.

 

[oilpsi2high]

Originally Posted By: A_Harman
Originally Posted By: oilpsi2high
Originally Posted By: A_Harman
I tow travel trailers commercially with my 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 diesel, now with about 458k miles. It was doing OK in the first year of towing, but after I hit 420k, it's been requiring major maintenance every month. Now it's in the shop for a rear axle rebuild, to include a ring and pinion change. My average trailer size and weight is 27 feet and 7000 pounds. I tow about 1200 miles a week, including long runs out west, but for the last few weeks I've been running through upstate NY and New England.

You are loading up pretty close to the Dakota's rated towing capacity, so treat the load with respect. I assume the 5-speed is a manual, so you should read the terrain and anticipate hills by downshifting to 4th for climbs and descents. You should be able to tow on the flat in 5th gear, but read your manual. If you are going to be using your brakes for hill descents, it would be a good idea to bleed them to get fresh fluid in the calipers. Since your truck only has 61k miles, nothing should be seriously worn out to pose a safety hazard in a 220 mile round-trip tow.


Never used 5th, not even on flat ground. Heard too many horror stories about shattering the overdrive gear to bother with it.

What do you do commercially, deliver travel trailers between dealerships? Even with repairs that kind of mileage is incredible.

Also, brake fluid is fresh as of 100 miles ago.


I deliver trailers from manufacturers in Elkhart, Indiana to dealers in the US and Canada. There are a lot of RV transport drivers around Elkhart that have 800k+ miles on their trucks, and they don't look excessively used. The miles pile up quickly in this line of work, and they are mostly highway cruising at 65 mph while towing, then cruising back to Elkhart unloaded at 75 mph. Suspensions take a beating on our Interstates that are in desperate need of rebuilding, mostly east of the Mississippi. Out west the roads are better, but there are always hazards that can pop up at random times.


Very interesting.

Have you ever had a breakdown where you were left stranded and had to call a tow truck?

 

[CrAlt]

My old 91 ram tows my 18" open car trailer fine. IIRC the trailer is 1800 and what ever the typical car is I have on it. Normally around 7K total.

I keep it in good working order and have a good brake controller (Prodigy P2) and also have the firestone airbag system to keep the truck level. 30Gal fuel tank. Can't kill a 318/727.
Truck has been as far west as New Mexico. I used to trade project cars back and forth with a friend that lived in western PA. The ONLY limit on how far I can go is me and my wallet. No AC and no OD.

 

[oilpsi2high]

Originally Posted By: CrAlt
My old 91 ram tows my 18" open car trailer fine. IIRC the trailer is 1800 and what ever the typical car is I have on it. Normally around 7K total.

I keep it in good working order and have a good brake controller (Prodigy P2) and also have the firestone airbag system to keep the truck level. 30Gal fuel tank. Can't kill a 318/727.
Truck has been as far west as New Mexico. I used to trade project cars back and forth with a friend that lived in western PA. The ONLY limit on how far I can go is me and my wallet. No AC and no OD.

Nice! I think I am going to add bags to the Dakota since it squats a little with the boat hooked up.

No AC though?! Is CT getting hit with the same heat as NY right now? 100 ambient here in Albany right now.

 

[A_Harman]

Originally Posted By: oilpsi2high
Originally Posted By: A_Harman
Originally Posted By: oilpsi2high
Originally Posted By: A_Harman
I tow travel trailers commercially with my 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 diesel, now with about 458k miles. It was doing OK in the first year of towing, but after I hit 420k, it's been requiring major maintenance every month. Now it's in the shop for a rear axle rebuild, to include a ring and pinion change. My average trailer size and weight is 27 feet and 7000 pounds. I tow about 1200 miles a week, including long runs out west, but for the last few weeks I've been running through upstate NY and New England.

You are loading up pretty close to the Dakota's rated towing capacity, so treat the load with respect. I assume the 5-speed is a manual, so you should read the terrain and anticipate hills by downshifting to 4th for climbs and descents. You should be able to tow on the flat in 5th gear, but read your manual. If you are going to be using your brakes for hill descents, it would be a good idea to bleed them to get fresh fluid in the calipers. Since your truck only has 61k miles, nothing should be seriously worn out to pose a safety hazard in a 220 mile round-trip tow.


Never used 5th, not even on flat ground. Heard too many horror stories about shattering the overdrive gear to bother with it.

What do you do commercially, deliver travel trailers between dealerships? Even with repairs that kind of mileage is incredible.

Also, brake fluid is fresh as of 100 miles ago.


I deliver trailers from manufacturers in Elkhart, Indiana to dealers in the US and Canada. There are a lot of RV transport drivers around Elkhart that have 800k+ miles on their trucks, and they don't look excessively used. The miles pile up quickly in this line of work, and they are mostly highway cruising at 65 mph while towing, then cruising back to Elkhart unloaded at 75 mph. Suspensions take a beating on our Interstates that are in desperate need of rebuilding, mostly east of the Mississippi. Out west the roads are better, but there are always hazards that can pop up at random times.


Very interesting.

Have you ever had a breakdown where you were left stranded and had to call a tow truck?


Yep. I've been stranded 3 times. That's part of the reason I have named my truck Adventure Dodge.