A few questions after maiden voyage

[SoCalWJS]

I survived!

Ended up taking a fairly major maiden voyage from SoCal to north of Albuquerque last week (9 day voyage - one overnight stop each way) and enjoyed it for the most part. Had 1 major failure (landing gear transmission support/anchor failed). Came up with some questions. I'm using my old 1999 Dodge Ram 2500 V-10 to pull a 2010 Chaparral 5th wheel (allegedly 27 feet, but 30 feet tip to tail - somewhere around 7500 lbs empty).

The pull up I-17 from Phoenix to Flagstaff definitely let me know I had a bit of weight attached. It's variously listed as a 5-6% grade. Got down to a bit below 30 MPH at 3k RPM in a very low gear (1st?) with some different fan speed kicking in.

The trip back was into a 30+ MPH headwind that was frequently more from the side than straight on. Didn't feel comfortable above 50 MPH on a couple of occasions.

Questions:
1) Do I have enough truck? I was fine on the flats, but those long climbs.......
2) Is there anything I can do for more comfortable towing in crosswinds? I have a stock tailgate - are those ones that allow airflow through going to increase stability in winds? Is there anything else that can be done? I was wondering if I could get more weight on the hitch/bed it might help, but unsure how to do it.

Trailer is back at the dealer for repairs to the landing gear. Going to upgrade to a metal transmission supprt. It was an ugly experience and I barely got the trailer back on the hitch. It was a permanent attachment until we made it back to a forklift. I'll make sure I have jacks and stands next time - live and learn.

 

[dave61]

A 2500 truck should be more than enough for that unit. Since your truck is a 1999 is it possible you have some worn out suspension components? That may be contributing to the handling issues in windy travel, 5ers are usually good for that, or at least much better than bumper pulls.

 

[captsteve]

The best answer for a more comfortable drive in crosswinds is don't. If you are white knuckling it, it is time to stop and "wait on weather"

Watch the weather for a couple days prior to travel and plan accordingly. I know it does not always meet the plans, but you can't fight mother nature.

 

[donn]

I survived!

Ended up taking a fairly major maiden voyage from SoCal to north of Albuquerque last week (9 day voyage - one overnight stop each way) and enjoyed it for the most part. Had 1 major failure (landing gear transmission support/anchor failed). Came up with some questions. I'm using my old 1999 Dodge Ram 2500 V-10 to pull a 2010 Chaparral 5th wheel (allegedly 27 feet, but 30 feet tip to tail - somewhere around 7500 lbs empty).

as you will find out soon enough terms like "dry" and "shipping are meaningless.  You really need to get to the scales with your loaded truck and trailer to determine if you have enough truck.

The pull up I-17 from Phoenix to Flagstaff definitely let me know I had a bit of weight attached. It's variously listed as a 5-6% grade. Got down to a bit below 30 MPH at 3k RPM in a very low gear (1st?) with some different fan speed kicking in.

sounds over loaded to me if thats all you could muster.

The trip back was into a 30+ MPH headwind that was frequently more from the side than straight on. Didn't feel comfortable above 50 MPH on a couple of occasions.

if your truck and fifth wheel were properly setup and matched winds should not effect you one bit.  I suspect once you get some accurate weights you will have your answer.  Also are you towing with the trailer level?  Bet not!

Edit: Fixed quotes.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I would think a V10 would pull that trailer fairly well, but it depends a lot on the tranny and rear axle ratio. It's not all that surprising you got down to a low gear on a 6% grade, nor that the v10 revved up. It's a high revving engine that needs rpms to generate significant horsepower, and you needed all the hp you could get!

A 5W should handle decently, though cross winds are problematic for any trailer. If the winds were indeed 30 mph and crossing, I don't think anything is going to make that "comfortable". If you made 50 mph in those circumstances, you were probably doing well.

A flow-through tailgate won't make any difference - save your money. You may find the tailgate with a notch cut out for the kingpin more convenient, but holes in the tailgate have no positive effect. The wind still hits the trailer and also makes turbulence between back of truck and underside of 5W overhang.

 

[Mopar1973Man]

1) Do I have enough truck? I was fine on the flats, but those long climbs.......

Typically gasoline power engines need to just about at redline on the tach to create maximum torque for hauling over grades. Where a diesels starts creating huge amounts of torque down low at 1,500 to 1,800 RPM's. This one reason why you see diesel powered semi-truck hauling goods because gasoline power is not efficient for heavy hauling. I'm also a 2002 Dodge Ram but a Cummins diesel.

2) Is there anything I can do for more comfortable towing in crosswinds?

Profile is one part of it typically since the 5th wheel has a taller profile it naturally tend to push/pull more in crosswinds. I'm also a 31 foot RV but a bumper pull still had quite a bit of profile to be shoved on as well. The only thing I found that help with that is just slow down. Not a whole lot you can do with Mother Nature blowing cross wise on the trailer.

 

[Lou Schneider]

Like Gary and Michael said, gas engines need to rev to make power.  A V-10 REALLY needs to rev to make power and 3000 RPM is too slow if you're climbing a grade with your foot on the floor - the engine should be running much faster than that.

Don't wait for the automatic transmission to downshift by itself - it's programmed for normal driving and by the time it decides to shift to a lower gear it's too late and the engine is turning too slowly to make enough power in the new gear.

Manually select a lower gear when you start to slow down at the beginning of the grade and keep those RPMs up.  You won't hurt the engine - in fact, running it faster under a heavy load is better than lugging it at lower RPMs.  The engine computer won't let it run faster than it's safe speed.

On the sway question, make sure your truck's rear tires have the proper inflation pressure to carry the load of the 5th wheel's tongue weight.  You should have a load vs. inflation chart in the owner's manual.  If not, try inflating the rear tires to the maximum pressure indicated on their sidewalls, since with the trailer attached they're likely carrying close to their maximum rated weight.

 

[SoCalWJS]

Thanks for the responses.

Sounds like the tailgate swap wouldn't help with the Aero much - might even hurt.

I'll check the setup between truck and trailer when I get it back - tire pressure, level, weight, etc.

I guess I'll have to see about swapping trucks in the future - this one's paid for  ;D. I'm hoping for a couple of trips on the NorCal and Oregon coastline. Not super long or high climbs, but some good short ones. I'll see how that goes, then re-evaluate.

 

[Carl L]

.....
The pull up I-17 from Phoenix to Flagstaff definitely let me know I had a bit of weight attached. It's variously listed as a 5-6% grade. Got down to a bit below 30 MPH at 3k RPM in a very low gear (1st?) with some different fan speed kicking in.

The trip back was into a 30+ MPH headwind that was frequently more from the side than straight on. Didn't feel comfortable above 50 MPH on a couple of occasions.

Questions:
1) Do I have enough truck? I was fine on the flats, but those long climbs.......
.....

What we have here is the effect of altitude on an un-turboed engine.  By the time you got to Flagstaff you were at 7000 feet above sea level.    That big old V-10 was wheezing by the time it got there:  it had lost 3% of its rated HP per 1000 feet above sea level.  At Flagstaff, it was losing 21% of its rated HP.  Couple that loss with a long,  long 5-6% grade and you get a lot of running in granny (1st) gear.

Alternative Solutions:

1.  New diesel truck of the appropriate tow rating for your trailer .  Diesels are turbo-charged and lose only about 1% of HP per 1000 feet -- a trivial penalty.    That new truck's tow rating should exceed the fully loaded weight of the trailer -- which trailer you should get weighed immediately.  (Dry weight is a useless number, after all you don't tow it empty.)   

2.  Cultivate a meditative frame of mind and learn to like running in 1st gear with an eye on your tachometer -- seemingly for hours.

3.  Confine your towing to the low deserts and coast.

I live in SoCal too.  I did a lot of #2.  I recommend #1.  #3 will work only if you are a true blue desert rat or beach bum.




5

 

[Mopar1973Man]

Like myself right now I'm not exactly towing my RV but towing my utility trailer and hauling firewood from 6,000 to 7,000 elevation feet back home. The diesel does excellent job of towing trailers up and down steep grades without even thinking about it. I've got a favorite picture I keep posting of the local 16% grade sign and most people get a jaw drop reaction.

As for the tires here is a formula I typically use for setting pressures properly. This formula is based on expected carrying weights.

(Axle Weight / 2) / Tire Capacity (pounds) x Tire Max Inflation (PSI) = Inflation pressure (PSI)

Example. My front axle of the truck scales at 4,440 pounds with Load Range E's 3,042# at 80 PSI.

(4,440  / 2) = 2,220 / 3,042 = 0.72 x 80 = 58.3 PSI is what the truck front axle should be inflated to.

 

[hoddinron]

I would investigate Air Bags for the rear suspension to beef it up and to prevent side sway (rocking) in cross winds.  Don't know if you should invest much in a '99er though.  But if you're going to keep her, they may help stabilize the ride.