Towing with Pentastar V6 pickup truck

[mr61impala]

Hello, I would like to hear from anyone towing a travel trailer with a Ram 1/2 ton equipped with 305 hp 3.6L Pentastar V6, 8 speed ZF automatic, & 3.21 axle ratio. It appears that the truck is rated to tow approximately #4500 and Jayco says trailer in question weighs #4260 empty, hitch weight of #460. The tow rating of this truck jumps to #7000 if the gear ratios were 3.55.

[VernDiesel]

Use Tow Haul. In state couple times a year you will be fine. But a cross country tour would be asking for trouble.

[ib516]

Two 2013 Ram 1500 V6s Towing trailers. One 3.21 one has 3.55.
VIDEO 5500# trailer, Davis Dam grade.

Another video here, Ram 1500 with the V6 towing an airstream vs a Ford F150 V6 (non-EcoBoost). VIDEO #2

[mr61impala]

jerem0621 wrote:
It will tow until a time that it no longer does

The Pentastar V6 is an exceptional motor. One which I have towed with extensively with our 2014 Chrysler Town & Country. I would recommend the Pentastar for weights up to about 4,000 lbs...after that it’s just not worth tracking a Pentastar Ram down.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

Thanks for your input. We have 2 Pentastars, one in her Grand Caravan and the other in her Ram 1500. My truck is a 2010 Ram with the 4.7L which is rated to tow #6000. I guess we will tow with it, but hers sure cleans up better.

PS, I too have become a big fan of the quick Pentastar as the miles and MPG numbers accumulate.

[jerem0621]

It will tow until a time that it no longer does

The Pentastar V6 is an exceptional motor. One which I have towed with extensively with our 2014 Chrysler Town & Country. I would recommend the Pentastar for weights up to about 4,000 lbs...after that it’s just not worth tracking a Pentastar Ram down.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[Lwiddis]

Won’t be pleasurable towing that weight with that truck.

[Samsonsworld]

Grand Cherokee. Like I said, you'd be turning a lot of rpms. Only 268lbs tq.

[Lessmore]

Samsonsworld wrote:
No way I'd try it with a pentastar. Mine is only 290hp but it's pretty weak. Heck, the 8-speed drops gears with a strong head wind. You'll be going down the road at 4k rpms....and probably at 50mph.

290 hp ? Sounds like you have one in a sedan. Believe all the 3.6 liter V6 installed in newer Dodge pickups are the 305 hp version. Gearing in each individual gear could be different from a truck to a car.

[Samsonsworld]

No way I'd try it with a pentastar. Mine is only 290hp but it's pretty weak. Heck, the 8-speed drops gears with a strong head wind. You'll be going down the road at 4k rpms....and probably at 50mph.

[Lessmore]

The Dodge 3.6 liter V6 has 305 hp, an 8 speed transmission. Yup the hp comes at high rpm, but then the Mopar V6 does have dual overhead cams, 4 valves per cylinder. A few decades ago an engine with features like DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder and 305 hp out of 3.6 liters...would be a very expensive European sports engine.

Back a couple of decades ago...the big OHV...2 valves per cylinder V8 in a Dodge truck was the 360 (5.9 liter) engine...it pumped out 245 hp, 330 ft.,lbs of torque, the Dodge 4.7 liter truck engine was good for 250 hp, but less torque at it's best rating. And they only had 4 speed transmissions!

So you got twice as many gears...over 50 more hp, less torque...probably about 50-60 ft. lbs in the 3.6 liter Dodge truck engine.

I dunno what Mopar rates the Dodge V6 truck engine's tow rating at...but I would assume the 3.6 can handle the rating.

Technology has made a difference.

[j-d]

I question the 4500 rating. Might be "up to" and what that means is this:

Manufacturer builds to a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating or GVWR and a Gross COMBINED Vehicle Weight Rating or GCWR.

Let's say empty truck and empty trailer weigh 5000 each and GCWR is 10000. By specs you're good to go. My experience with rigs that are right at GCWR, is they're pretty doggy, get poor mileage and don't handle well. Now put 500 in the truck. Trailer can only be 4500. Put 500 in trailer and you're 1000 overloaded to the ratings.

Your geographic location reinforces my NO! You won't be happy with it. Flatlands, maybe. Tow it to the Lake and leave it set up for summer then tow it back home, OK. Actually Travel and Camp? Out there with two adults for two weeks and maybe more people or longer trip? Nope.

[TurnThePage]

Obviously the towing platform is very up to the task. The drive train is where it gets a little hairy. I believe you will be perfectly safe if you've taken the standard precautions with maintenance, hitch setup, tire inflation, etc. But you really will be under powered, which will be most noticeable on hills. I bet it could be done just fine, but I wouldn't want to be the one doing it.

[noteven]

For long distance towing 50% of advertised tow capacity works nice with pickup trucks, especially gasohol engines.

[handye9]

When loaded for camping, that trailer will be closer to (if not over) 5000 lbs, with tongue weight in the area of 600 lbs.

Look at the tire / loading sticker (on drivers door post) for the truck, as it was leaving the factory. You'll find a number for "max occupant / cargo weight" (AKA payload). That is the truck's capacity to carry the combined weight of everybody and everything that gets added to the truck. That includes aftermarket accessories (undercoating, bed liners, bed caps or covers, etc) that you or the dealer have added.

Check your hitch receiver. It has it's own ratings for dead weight being carried and one for weight with a weight distributing hitch.

The weight of your hitch equipment and trailer tongue weight are counted as cargo weight in the truck. If you're using a weight distributing hitch, that weighs 80 - 100 lbs.

Your payload number should be high enough to support the weight of your family, pets, any cargo in truck bed, and up to 750 lb from hitch and trailer.

[Grit_dog]

Youre not going to hurt the truck or be unsafe to tow at or above the 4500lb tow rating.
May need to take it slow up hill and you'll be towing in lower gears. The 8 speed ZF is a great trans. Even still, these newer V6s have similar or better power than many of the older small blocks still on the road.
Remwmber, same basic truck that is configured to tow over twice as much with minimal differences than more power, deeper gears and possibly larger trans cooler package. I'd look into that but that's an easy addition.
As long as you're good with giving the engine a workout.