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I'm used to a towing with a 5 speed NV5400 with manual exhaust brake...simple
Getting ready to tow with the new Aisin truck and I feel like a fish out of water!
I'm sure it will be fine, but I'd like to be prepared for how to navigate the hills efficiently.
Instead of being "easy" it seems complicated!
Locking the torque converter to keep it from hunting for gears (where the heck is that torque converter??? . Is that like Locking it out of overdrive?
Yes I looked at the manual : how about the tow/haul mode; two modes of exhaust brakes, ..I'll have to read it again, but first time through it just seemed confusing.
Where do I start? Can somebody give me a hint? Will it be intuitive?
I don't have time to hook up the trailer and test it right now but hoping I can get some things clear in my head before I start with it...
Seems they have made these almose idiot proof these days, lol. Back when I had my 05 with the 48re, I put it in tow/haul any time I hooked to a trailer that was over 1000lbs and it ran over 300,000 miles without problems and most of the time the trailers were well over 10,000lbs. Biggest thing is remember its not a racecar. Tow like you did with your 5-speed with the benefit of not having to shift manualy. Other than that, take your time and get to know your rig.
I run on full exhaust brake and Tow/Haul Mode. Exhaust Brake will brake the speed down to the point its really a light touch to stop the rig at almost 30,000 lbs combined.
First time out with my rig, I noticed that mileage as you drive was running between 6-9 mpg. Knowing that that meant, not enough rear with a 4:10 back there. Dropped to 5th, indicated MPG as you drive up to 9-12 mpg.
Truck average 10.5 mpg.
Towing at 63 mph, 2150 rpm. in fifth. No downshifts, goes up the hills in 5th
up to 6% grades without a downshift. Have not been greater than 6% far. Forth gear is always there. The Cummins Gearing site indicates for best fuel mileage and power avoid rpms less than 2150 rpms. That's been like that for years. Fifth gear would be like a 4.30 gear in 6th so to speak.
The truck does not know its back there. I'm happy. 4th Cummins powered truck since 1996. The truck uses more DEF when towing.
Thanks, great info. Just haven't had a chance to tow with it yet, hopefully will do so soon.
My setup is like yours Dave, so it sounds like the truck knows how to tow without a lot of gear hunting. Thats different than what I thought I had read; I thought I'd read that unless you do something (which I did not understand what it is you would do on an auto) the truck hunts the gears on the hills.
Jenni
My son dragged this back hoe around for awhile, the scale ticket was 44,000lbs combined, the only transmission problem he had with the 2013 Aisin was a wiring issue. When towing select Tow/haul and use the manual gear changer to hold down the gear on a hill, this stops the transmission from hunting. You can also use the manual button to change down a gear at the bottom of the hill to avoid lugging the engine.
My son dragged this back hoe around for awhile, the scale ticket was 44,000lbs combined, the only transmission problem he had with the 2013 Aisin was a wiring issue. When towing select Tow/haul and use the manual gear changer to hold down the gear on a hill, this stops the transmission from hunting. You can also use the manual button to change down a gear at the bottom of the hill to avoid lugging the engine.
Wow. There's a contractor around here with a manslaughter conviction, jail time, and a lifetime of regrets after losing a setup like that into oncoming traffic and killing someone. He lost it in a downhill curve.
My son actually has his class 1 DL and the first time he loaded this setup he went to a scale and talked to the DOT, he adjusted the load until it met the required axle weights and he was perfectly legal "in this province". Laws are different everywhere but here he was within the law. You can "lose" a utility trailer into oncoming traffic if you drive like a cowboy. Just saying.
One thing I have found that is not idiot proof is going down a big hill. You either need to keep the rpm's up a little, which doesn't feel natural or turn tow haul off because it will red line the engine trying to hold the load back. The tow haul off and EB has been fine for the one big hill I have had to use with my 10K camper. You will know it when it does it and you need to hit that button.
I always use tow haul and full on exhaust brake. As a general rule you can leave it in drive, when it downshifts each gear use you button on the gear shift lever to hold that gear until you top out the hill and decide what is need to maintain downhill speed. I find that it like to pull about 1900 rpm and above.
OK, I have towed and I"m very happy with the setup on the 17Ram w/Aisin.
Tow haul mode with the exhaust brake in automatic and so far it runs great. No problems towing with my heavy camper and my measly 9K trailer with horses. I haven't needed the button on the gear shift yet, but now I know about it. Thanks to all for the advice.
12-06-2016, 10:32 PM
. Is that like Locking it out of overdrive?
