Hi guys, i just got back from owatonna Mn picking up my newer 2003 32.5 nuwa hitchhiker II.i knew the trailer was heavy at 11,000 lbs dry and a 2000 lb pin weight.My 2004.5 ram QC cummins 325/600 48 re with smarty jr. on tow setting and a afe air box, cat delete i also have the tow pkge. with 4:10 gears.i added nitto terra grappler 285/75/17 tires which probably dropped my gearing.my concern is my truck was struggling to get up to highway speeds,mind you i wasn't leaning on it as we were driving into a quartering 30 mph wind and i don't YET have guages,but i was discouraged with the trucks performance my trip meter was also only reading about 11.5 MPG!!! i thought i bought a TOWING MONSTER.it felt like my old gasser gmc 5.7 what if any opinions do you have

 

11.5 is not that bad a mileage figure considering what your pulling and conditions......... i get around 9 or 10 pulling my 28 foot western RV ........ BUT i have no trouble maintaining 70 on I-80 in nevada

 

things to look at dirty fuel filter bad lift pump etc. fill out your signature and we'll see what truck you have.

 

Umm pull that same trailer with a gas truck and then pull it with your current rig and then make a comparison. When I first started towing campers I had a lite 24 foot TT and it worked the crap out of my '86 F250 gas powered truck. Then I went to a '99 Powerstroke and it pulled it pretty well. Then I upgraded to a 28 foot 9000lb TT and the powerstroke was less capable, some hills had my down to 45 mph. Then I upgraded to an '04 Powerstroke which still was working and only held 55 on the same hill. My current truck stock pulled the same camper up the same hill at 70 and never missed a beat. Now will it beat a corvette trying to build speed? Nope, but it will get to speed in a reasonable time considering the load.

 

I would like to update my signature but don't know how.i have replaced the stock fuel pump with an airdog 100.i had no problems at highway speeds it was getting up to highway speed,mind you i wasn't using the tow/haul mode as i didn't think it would help in this case.the tranny wasn't down shifting it was just struggling to get up to speed.i do know that i am at or beyond my CGVW so please don't flame me.

 

Something is wrong, probably why the last guy sold the truck.
I know my truck will pull your trailer and keep up with cars getting to speed.....

 

Towing vs. empty does significantly increase the amount of throttle needed. That being said a 11k trailer and 30 mph wind will make you feel like you are driving a kcar.

 

i doubt that something is wrong with the truck,i think it just the larger tires and lack of a good torque converter/valve body.i know when i install my winter tires which are stock size,the truck takes off much quicker.i didn't think this would be such an issue as i have 4:10 gears and with the 285's probably down to 3:90 using my math.

 

Had an 04.5 and now have an 07 (5.9). Both got/get anywhere from 9 to 12 towing a 11K Cedar Creek 5th wheel. Hard towing closed to 8/9 easy towing 11-12. Empty the 04.5 only got 17 or so highway and the 07 gets 22+ or more. Always have had more than enough power. The 04.5's did have problems with on fuel filter fuel pump failures and mine many injector problems which was why I traded it off for a loss. If you can get pump checked and possible have the injectors tested, that would be a place to start. with the weight you are pulling should accelerate and pull like not much behind you after it gets going. Starting out is noticeable but after that you shouldn't even notice it until you go to stop. And your fuel mileage sounds like it is in the middle of the averages you will see. PS don't believe the overhead mileage lie-o-meter as it usually is substantially off. My numbers above are true pencil & paper numbers.

 

Use the tow/haul mode. It keeps the torque converter locked up in O/D. Otherwise your just slipping the torque converter and creating a lot of extra heat in the tranny you don't need. If the wind was on the front of the truck or just off to the right or left, it had a significate effect on what you felt while you were driving.

Once when headed to Duluth MN up 35. I had a head wind. I thought I lost fuel pressure or something. I ended up backing down into 5th gear and running 60 mph. Thats all I could do. That was with my last truck that had a six speed.

Signature; Look for user CP after you sign in. At the top left. Click on edit signature. Type in your stuff.

 

I tow a 4 car race car hauler that loaded weighs just over 18k lbs. Once the converter locks in 4th at about 45 I can yank it up to 75 within a mile with my 3.73 gears.

I would check the fuel filter, I change them every 10K oil change.

 

I tow a 12K+ (probably closer to 14K) 32' bumper pull TT with a 2500lb tongue weight, I get 16-17mpg's in high altitude driving. My old Ford 460 gasser got 7-8mpg's pulling the same trailer, and the Ford moaned and groaned doing it at a MUCH reduced speed as compared to the Cummins that now pulls that trailer in 5th gear all the time on steep grades and big-time headwinds.

CD

 

I hit a real good headwind from Henderson NV heading to Laughlin pulling a 14600 lb fiver, 60 mph was all she wanted to do without heating.Some winds will really make you pull hard,depending how they hit you.The other thing you may want too check is if your brakes are dragging,hot hubs will generally tell the tale.

 

Thanks guys: I will try leaving it in the tow/haul mode this weekend.to all,when the truck was up to speed i had no problems accelerating it just lagged a bit climbing a hill but with the cruise on during a few small rises[not hills] it didn't have to down shift.i have to read more about the tow/haul function on the 04.5 i thought it just locked out the o/d making higher revs and drinking more fuel.can some one enlighten me.
Regarding the fuel filters,i just installed the airdog in late november so i don't think it is a dirty filter yet.

 

I've got 34" tires with a 3.73 rear end and I have no problem pulling 12,000 - 16,000 pounds. Maybe you have an intake leak. My dad just had that on his '01 and it lost a lot of power. Felt fine until you try to pull or accelerate, then it was just pretty much like a Ford. Leaking intake will steal your boost power.

If your TC is slipping you'll see your tranny temps climb really quickly. Your boost gauge will show you if your intake is getting full boost, and your fuel pressure will tell you if your fuel pumps are working (lift and injector). If you don't have those gauges, you should get them.