I pull a 28ft Dutchman 5th Wheel, no slides and low profile weight is 7,000lbs. My ? is, my truck wont pull that camper at 65mph in 5th unless with a tail wind, do I have some thing wrong with my truck. I live in Kansas so not very many hills. I get passed on the interstate by other dodges pulling heaver loads than me, how are they doing that? My truck is stock execept for a BHAF Filter. Maybe I'm expecting to much out of my ole dodge. I pull in 5th if its not lugging 2100rpm, head wind 4th gear 2600rpm. I'm going to Colorado in 3 weeks and is wondering if I'm going to have to run 2,600rpm all the way from Kansas. Is my engine getting weak at 105,000 miles, I hate that 5th is to high and 4th is to low.

2001 Dodge Ram 3500 Flat Bed, 4x4
5 speed, Cummins 105,000 trouble free miles

 

You should have no problum pulling that trailer the speed limit even if you have 3.54 gears and your truck is stock !!! I think you should get your truck checked out, could have low fuel pressure. I would guess your LP is getting weak.

 

I pull my 6500# travel trailer up over the Sierra's in
6th gear no problem , 65 mph most of the time. That puts
me at 1900 rpm , which seems to be my "sweet spot" as
far as towing power.

 

Your engine is more than likely not getting weak. I don't see that you have any gauges, so the best bet is to check your fuel pressure, as mentioned above. Have you tried pulling any codes? Check these things out and get back to us.

 

Get some fuel, you just got the engine broke in at 100K!

 

When was the last time you changed the fuel filter?

 

I've checked the codes by turning the key on and off 3 times, all is says is Pro-Done. Nothing flashes, I have no gauges, I just changed the fuel filter and always have every 3 months. I have 3.54 gears and change the oil about 5,000 miles or sooner. I drive the truck 40 miles on highway every day. Like I said its my first diesel, and kind of a one owner, my brother bought it new and the truck never pulled nothing its whole life, so maybe that hurt it in some way. It doesnt smoke when pulling my camper, I mean maybe a little puff for 3 seconds when shifting gears. I dont know, I mean its to the floor in 5th when pulling it into a 15mph head wind and wants to over heat unless I down shift only in head wind. I dont like to lug it so I down shift when it gets below 1800rpm in 5th. I will check the fuel pressure, can my dodge dealer do it?

 

If the truck starts to overheat do you hear the fan turn on?? They are loud!! Check to see how dirty your intercooler and radiater is you might need to blow them out. Your dealer can check your fuel pressure, probably takes 10 minutes. The LP pump is in my opinion the weakest link on your truck. And one of the cheaper things to fix!! Good luck

 

My truck was the same way,changed this that and everything....finally changed the VP-44 and like magic the power was there,I like the Edge with attitude monitor,but I advise against tapping the pump wire.
its only a 65 horse upgrade without the tapping,but full gauges,easy to install...all that.
I can pull what I want,just about as fast as I want (more power you get the more you want)

 

Check the bands on the intake hoes from the turbo to intercooler and out to the intake they will come lose and this will cause the lose of power.

 

I have you tried droping the gear to the next lower gear so you can keep your rpms up? its not whos the first to the top in my 6 speed with same rear end gears i drop to 5th pulling a load up the hills and run my rpms up to around 2100rpms and that puts me at about 60mph

 

my previous truck was a '01 2500 235/460 3.54 auto. The truck would pull my 9500 lb total/ 50 hp tractor with frt loader/box blade with trailer just fine in drive but drop'er in OD and the power was gone. There was a flash for auto tranny '01's to program some power back. That helped some but still had very little power at 1800-2000 rpm while pulling. My neighbor had a 2500 just like mine but he had the 4.10 gears and it pulled strong even in OD. A 3.54 gear don't get it for the stock 2nd gen engines and pullin' a heavy trailer with a tall profile.
JIM

 

actually it is who gets to teh top first... hahahah. i never towed with a stock dodge. mine pulls in 5th 70mph through the sierras/tahachapies.... ac on and level 3 towing about 6k..... stockers should hold speed no problem though since theres no temps or issues to worry about other than the above mentioned fuel psi.....

 

Remove the rad and clean it, it's very likely dirty from oil vapor from the puke bottle. To see the dirty part, look between the rad shroud and the side of the rad that faces the engine. Brown fuzz = dirty rad.

Get the fuel pressure checked, and get a FP gauge or low pressure light kit on that truck ASAP.

For extra power that you'll feel, and an Edge EZ. Great towing box.