OK so heres what we are going to do ,wife said it would be OK to look for a 5th wheel so as to go camping , what I'm interested in learning is and I drive truck for a living but I am not a self appointed expert.

What I would like to learn is when Pulling a 5th wheel, I take it out of overdrive
when pulling a hill or small grade but can I put it back in overdrive while on the flats or ?? will this heat it up ?

I don't want to cause any damage to trans it's a 5 speed auto and I know you guys are going to be able to help with this as this is the place for info thanks again and have a great day.

 

32tudor:

I pull a Montana 2955RL which weighs in at 14K lbs. I pull in OD on the flats or anytime I am able travel over 50 MPH and keep exhaust temps under 8. I do turn off OD when climbing or through traffic. Basically I use my exhaust temp as my guide to turnoff OD or turn it on. My trans is no longer stock but I used this same method before making the changes to the transmission.

 

Your auto should be a 4 speed, fyi. They haven't put any 5 speed auto behind any cummins powered trucks.

Yes you should use the tow haul/lock out when driving around town or say under 60 mph or so.....but on the flats, go ahead and use 4th. It will be fine.

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Your auto should be a 4 speed, fyi. They haven't put any 5 speed auto behind any cummins powered trucks.

Yes you should use the tow haul/lock out when driving around town or say under 60 mph or so.....but on the flats, go ahead and use 4th. It will be fine.

well when I drive it you can feel it shift 5 times od drives comes in above 45mph so whats up with that ?

so I guess I need to get some gauges to keep and eye on temps and such when pulling ?

 

I think you might be feeling it lock up in 3rd, then unlock, shift up to overdrive, and locking up again.

Gauges are certainly a great idea! EGT, Boost, Fuel Pressure and Trans temp would all be nice to monitor what's going on. But your truck should be fine if it's still stock. Once you add power adders, then it could be a problem.

Just let your turbo cool off after a hard tow.

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sounds like you know what your talking about yes truck is stock except for 4inch exhaust, so one more Question I have a line on a Reese 15k 5th hitch with rails and all for 200.00 sound like a good deal and what should I look out for can it be damaged ?

 

$200 sounds decent. Check Ebay for a new one if that deals falls through. Also, I ususally tow about 65 mph. When I'm approaching a hill, I pick up speed (maybe about 75 or so) so I don't have to work the truck too hard going uphill. I may reach the top of hill at 50 mph, but EGT's stay low. My 5th wheel weighs over 10k empty (according to registration) and it feels every bit of 10k when towing.

 

Make sure you buy a 5th hitch that pivots both ways. They all pivot front to back but you will really appreciate the side to side for hook-ups on uneven ground.

 

I assume your truck is a short bed if so you need to consider a slider hitch. Manual sliders are not as expensive but the peace of mind that an automatic slider provides is well worth the expence IMO. I have the Pullright Superglide and love it. It moves to the rear 14 inches at full deflection saving the back of your cab from damage. It only takes one time to damage the cab and back glass to pay for the difference in initial price. There are others on here that can vouch for that.

 

I have heard of those what can a guy expect to pay for one

 

Depends on the brand. I paid right at $1100 installed for a Husky 16k slider. That was the no drill mount. I'll sell it to you, I put a 24k in. $500 plus shipping. Heck I'll sell the 24k too, I'm going to a 32k.

 

if you don't, make sure you have a good hydraulic jack and some blocking to unhook, it happened to me ONCE!

 

I paid $972 for my 16k Valley Industries slider.. installed... no drill...

 

Super duty trans cooler is very important. My old 93 still has the original trans in it and it has pulled some heavy loads. Keep the trans cool......