Towing question.....obviously!

robby1824 · 11-12-2007, 09:10 AM

Just bought a new trailer Keystone outback 26RLS..well within limits etc....have an equalizer hitch installed, with all the bells too.....I have 05 4x4 king cab SE...did not get the factory tow, but I do have "tow mode"...is there anything I need to add?? Have the trailer brakes added, and had my Rotors upgraded right a away tot he bigger ones (old ones warped within 5k)....what should I look at doing?? I have heard new tires (no acronyms please)....do I have the tranny cooler already??...what are air bags??....are my shocks good enough??...just some advice to ease my mind....also should I be in "tow mode" the entire time I am towing??....Thanks!!

Yahooligan · 11-12-2007, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robby1824

Just bought a new trailer Keystone outback 26RLS..well within limits etc....have an equalizer hitch installed, with all the bells too.....I have 05 4x4 king cab SE...did not get the factory tow, but I do have "tow mode"...is there anything I need to add?? Have the trailer brakes added, and had my Rotors upgraded right a away tot he bigger ones (old ones warped within 5k)....what should I look at doing?? I have heard new tires (no acronyms please)....do I have the tranny cooler already??...what are air bags??....are my shocks good enough??...just some advice to ease my mind....also should I be in "tow mode" the entire time I am towing??....Thanks!!

So, that trailer falls within the tow limits of a Titan that doesn't have the tow package (7400lb)? Unless you have the tow package or Off-Road package you won't have the lower gearing in the axles and this is what increases the tow capacity. The big things missing without the tow package are:

Tow mirrors
Tow gears
Factory hitch and wiring
Trans temp gauge

As long as the trailer is under 7400lb fully loaded then you should be fine, but personally I'd feel a lot better having the trans temp gauge as well.

You already have the trans cooler, air bags increase payload capacity somewhat and make it easier to keep the truck level but these will not help you as your towing limit is hindered by the lack of 3.36:1 gears in the axles.

Since you have an SE, your tires are up to the task, your shocks are fine, and tow mode keeps the trans in the first 3 gears longer when accelerating to put less strain on the engine and trans under load.

**Carbeaux** · 11-12-2007, 09:28 AM

You've got the right stuff to pull what you've bought. Yeah, I'd stay in tow mode. It's just holds the first three gears a little longer. Stay in 4th to tow. You really don't want to be in 5th towing what you've got without the lower big tow gearing.

Yes, you have the tranny cooler, just not the gauge for it. Don't be afraid to let the motor rev when you're towing. It's quite happy doing that. Your tires are probably fine. When they wear, you might look at an LT tire, but you should be fine on stockies. Just air them up to around 42-44 psi while your hitched up.

Air bags are used by some to help keep the sag out of the rear when hitched. It can't legally increase your payload capacity, but it keeps the droop out. Firestone's seem to be the bag of choice around here.

Sounds like you've done/gotten what you can for now, so happy towing!

**Carbeaux** · 11-12-2007, 09:29 AM

And some of my post was a duplicate of Yahoo's post.

Sorry for the duplicity.

robby1824 · 11-12-2007, 10:12 AM

I have tow mirrors....the weight (dry) is 5400....isn't my truck rated for 9500??. I had the hitch intalled and it is an equalizer, so this does what the factroy set up would do, I would think....truck sits straight as an arrow when all cinched up. Is it worth getting the tranny temp gauge?? and can the dealer install that for me??.........My thinking all along is that the weight was 9500.....will be al ittle upset to find that is not, and that I have maxed out early....how serious is the issue the yahoo talks about with the gears??.....I understand about leaving it in lower gears longer...high RPM's are good.....any special maintenance to do now as well besides routine?..Thanks for all of the input.

Yahooligan · 11-12-2007, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robby1824

I have tow mirrors....the weight (dry) is 5400....isn't my truck rated for 9500??. I had the hitch intalled and it is an equalizer, so this does what the factroy set up would do, I would think....truck sits straight as an arrow when all cinched up. Is it worth getting the tranny temp gauge?? and can the dealer install that for me??.........My thinking all along is that the weight was 9500.....will be al ittle upset to find that is not, and that I have maxed out early....how serious is the issue the yahoo talks about with the gears??.....I understand about leaving it in lower gears longer...high RPM's are good.....any special maintenance to do now as well besides routine?..Thanks for all of the input.

Tow mirrors can be added to non-tow trucks. If you didn't have the factory hitch and don't have the trans temp gauge then you do not have the tow package so it is not rated to tow 9400lb, unless you have the Off-Road package. The Off-Road package also includes the same gears as the tow package, in which case you will have the 9400lb capacity.

No tow package and no Off-Road package means your tow capacity is 7400lb.

Steamguy · 11-12-2007, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robby1824

I have tow mirrors....the weight (dry) is 5400....isn't my truck rated for 9500??.

Personally, I've had a little trouble with the lower ratings since I bought my '04 new, back in January of that year. The only true visible change to mechanicals in '04 was the addition of a second auxiliary cooling fan.

A lot of tow rating differences in pickups is achieved through changes/upgrades to the frame, brakes, tires, and rear axle. So let's take a look at this:
Frame - same.
Brakes - same.
Tires - not the same. You can change that easily, though.
Axle - hmmm. When you look at the rear axle, it's exactly the same axle, only with different gearing. This means all the weight-handling components of the axle are exactly the same. So what then does the BT gearing buy you? A little less stress on trans, u-joints, maybe a bit better engine cooling because it's turing faster. Doesn't change anything about the weight-carrying ability of the axle, as noted before. I'm looking at this as an old Journeyman mechanic, I'm willing to be set straight by any Master who happens to read this thread and comment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by robby1824

I had the hitch intalled and it is an equalizer, so this does what the factroy set up would do, I would think....truck sits straight as an arrow when all cinched up.

This is perfect, the way it should be. Hopefully you have sway-canceling gear, not the little brake thing. That is worth owning, if you can spring for the extra few bucks. Personally, I'm using a Reese dual-cam, but there are a number of others that are all good.

Quote:

Originally Posted by robby1824

Is it worth getting the tranny temp gauge?? and can the dealer install that for me??..........

I have been toying with the idea of getting the BT dash panel and then talking to the local tech at the dealer to see if he can enable the trans temp monitoring for me with his E-tool. That's the only way other than an aftermarket gauge that you'll have the BT gauge. Otherwise, you can take comfort in this: I am getting close to 70,000 on this truck and all I've done is keep it up. It tows my 7,000# Arctic Fox trailer just great, and about 20% of those miles are towing miles. I live in a rugged part of the state, so it's not flat anywhere I go.

Quote:

Originally Posted by robby1824

My thinking all along is that the weight was 9500.....will be al ittle upset to find that is not, and that I have maxed out early....how serious is the issue the yahoo talks about with the gears??.....I understand about leaving it in lower gears longer...high RPM's are good......

I honestly believe that if you at least upgrade the tires and rear shocks, you should have little trouble handling that kind of weight. Is it capable of 9500? Yes (see the above), but if I towed that kind of weight regularly with a half-ton, maybe I'd be thinking about a different truck for that kind of duty. Not that the truck can't do it, but 9500# is a lot of tail behind a lightweight truck that will try to 'wag the dog'. So I hope that's clear that I have uncertanties strictly from the "anchoring weight" standpont.

Quote:

Originally Posted by robby1824

any special maintenance to do now as well besides routine?..Thanks for all of the input.

If you have a new truck, you already have synthetic oils in the axles. If you tow as regularly as I do, I'd change rear axle at about 10,000, and again at about 30,000; change again at 50,000 and so on about every 20,000 miles. Change transmission oil about 35,000 and again at 70,000 and so on for every 30,000 to 35,000 miles. Change your oil over to a synthetic (your choice for what your wallet will stand) and then change oil whenever it drops a quarter to half quart. That may be as short as 3,500 or as long as 5,000 miles. This is the kind of service interval I give my truck. I tailor the service to the type of duty the vehicle gets; it seems to work since I can't get my wife to get rid of her '96 Pathfinder with 135,000 miles on it - she says, "Well, it's not using any oil, so it's still good, right?" And reluctantly, she is right. It's still giving good, reliable service. And I would never let my wife go out in anything that was going to fail on her.

This was pretty long, but I hope it helps you. Don't hesitate to ask questions here, there are a lot of knowledgeable people.

Titan4mde · 11-12-2007, 04:22 PM

I'm with SteamGuy on this. I have a NON Big tow. ALL Titans have the same engine, tranny and cooling packages, and axles. I pull a 2000 Fourwinds 31BH with a 14ft slide, a total weight of 8k(ready to camp). Dry weight was only 6534lbs. I upgraded whats in my signature and pull it as often as I can!

ONE THING I FEEL I NEED TO ADD: The tow mode button does more than change the first three gears!!!! If you are in "D", then just the first three gear changes are affected. But if you tow in tow mode and "4", the computer controls the torque converter final lockup at a preset speed/rpm. Mine is 64mph, and it locks in regardless of load or incline. The only overrides are WOT(matting the pedal) or down shifting to "3".

robby1824 · 11-12-2007, 04:56 PM

feeling better now..thanks all!!.......love my TITAN by the way..best truck I ever drove........does it all in style and comfort!!!!!!!!

Steamguy · 11-14-2007, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Titan4mde

The tow mode button does more than change the first three gears!!!! If you are in "D", then just the first three gear changes are affected. But if you tow in tow mode and "4", the computer controls the torque converter final lockup at a preset speed/rpm. Mine is 64mph, and it locks in regardless of load or incline. The only overrides are WOT(matting the pedal) or down shifting to "3".

Yes, you have an '08, so your Tow Mode works different - the shift logic is different and works like it should. (On my '04, the Tow Mode button should be left off, as it is totally useless and doesn't let the torque converter lock.)

Titan4mde · 11-14-2007, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steamguy

Yes, you have an '08, so your Tow Mode works different - the shift logic is different and works like it should. (On my '04, the Tow Mode button should be left off, as it is totally useless and doesn't let the torque converter lock.)

I have an 04 and mine(tow mode) works as should...as I posted above, lock up and all, only when tow mode is engaged. Did I just happen to get a good one or what? I love my truck, it has proven to be an absolute towing beast, even though I don't have the 3.36 gears.

Steamguy · 11-15-2007, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Titan4mde

I have an 04 and mine(tow mode) works as should...as I posted above, lock up and all, only when tow mode is engaged. Did I just happen to get a good one or what? I love my truck, it has proven to be an absolute towing beast, even though I don't have the 3.36 gears.

I think it has to do with the load on the truck. I tow an Arctic Fox 26J that scales at 7000# ready to go camping. I also tow in mountainous and hilly areas. I have tried the TM on and off a number of times, towing in D (wow was that a bad idea) and towing in 4, and it just doesn't let the torque converter lock on my truck. I don't typically go much faster than 60, both for safety reasons on winding roads and for the fuel consumption.

This might reveal something, here: If the shift points are elevated, then maybe the truck was still in 3... and when YOU, Titan4mde, hit 65... it shifts up. Hmmm... no, the rev counter on my truck would have been higher than 2700. Thought I had something there, sorry.