Is anyone out there towing with one of these? If so what is you're fuel milage and do you use the exhaust brake all the time when towing? I bought one in June last year and have yet to tow my 26' travel trailer. We are planning a trip to Arkansas this comming April and am just curious as to how this rig will tow on that trip and what I will be looking at for fuel. Traveling from upstate Ny to Ark. What would be the best route to take? Interstate 81 down to I-40 or over to Ohio and then down to Ark?
Thanks Stan
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Thousands of us own Dodges.
Yes, use the tow/haul function when towing. Leave the exhaust brake on all the time except when driving in slick conditions. Better for the systems.
Donn,Lorri,Max (The Rescued Lab)
Resident Know It All
wildwood477 wrote: Is anyone out there towing with one of these? If so what is you're fuel milage and do you use the exhaust brake all the time when towing? I bought one in June last year and have yet to tow my 26' travel trailer. We are planning a trip to Arkansas this comming April and am just curious as to how this rig will tow on that trip and what I will be looking at for fuel. Traveling from upstate Ny to Ark. What would be the best route to take? Interstate 81 down to I-40 or over to Ohio and then down to Ark?
Thanks Stan
Stan, Not sure if you have the early '11 or the HO '11. Mine is a '10, so more or less identical to the early '11 models. I tow a 31' TT, approx 9500# loaded. No problems. Went into the Ozarks last summer. No problems. Fuel mileage towing has been 11-ish overall. Empty mileage is 14 city/18 hwy in mine, for comparison. The only time I do NOT use the exhaust brake is during empty highway trips. In town and especially while towing, I find it very helpful.
wildwood477 wrote: Traveling from upstate Ny to Ark. What would be the best route to take? Interstate 81 down to I-40 or over to Ohio and then down to Ark?
Thanks Stan
Be glad to assist you in planning your route. Where in upstate NY are you coming from? We also camp in Arkansas and can make suggestions on campgrounds with more information.
I have a 2010 Dodge Ram 2500 and tow a 10,000 toy hauler trailer with it. It is a great tow vehicle. I average about 12 mpg on my camping trips.
Jim & Nicky
2012 Forest River XLR MBV 29
2010 Dodge Ram 2500 Diesel
Motorcycles!
2010 with 37,000 trouble free miles. My exhaust brake is always on. The only time I shut it off is if the roads are wet or icey. It could cause a skid from the rear wheel braking effect. From what I've read it's best to always use it to help prevent a buildup of soot inside the turbo. I get 9-11 towing a full height 5th wheel. Got about the same pulling a small travel trailer. Weight of the trailer doesn't seem to make much difference on mileage. It's a great truck!
B.O.
2011 Big Country 3250TS...2010 Ram CC Laramie 4wd Cummins
15k Super Glide, Firestone Ride Rite, TrailAir Tri-Glide
Michelin XPS Ribs. Just say no to Chinese tires.
Twin Cities Mn.
wildwood477 wrote: Is anyone out there towing with one of these? If so what is you're fuel milage and do you use the exhaust brake all the time when towing? I bought one in June last year and have yet to tow my 26' travel trailer. We are planning a trip to Arkansas this comming April and am just curious as to how this rig will tow on that trip and what I will be looking at for fuel. Traveling from upstate Ny to Ark. What would be the best route to take? Interstate 81 down to I-40 or over to Ohio and then down to Ark?
Thanks Stan
Stan, Not sure if you have the early '11 or the HO '11. Mine is a '10, so more or less identical to the early '11 models. I tow a 31' TT, approx 9500# loaded. No problems. Went into the Ozarks last summer. No problems. Fuel mileage towing has been 11-ish overall. Empty mileage is 14 city/18 hwy in mine, for comparison. The only time I do NOT use the exhaust brake is during empty highway trips. In town and especially while towing, I find it very helpful.
Similar set up, mine is a 2010 3500. I tow the Fiver in my sig, fully loaded we're over 10,000 lbs. Mileage has been more dependent on wind than anything else. Where I live we get a lot of wind, when there isn't any I average about 11 mpg towing.
I use the EB pretty much all the time whether I am towing or not. Very useful.
2010 Dodge Ram 3500 4x4 Megacab Laramie, 6.7L CTD
Truck weight 8,448 lbs with hitch, wife, two kids, full load of diesel
2010 Keystone Cougar 293SAB
Pin Weight 1,800 lb, Trailer Weight 10,300 lb
(Loaded for camping w/ full water tank)
9 to 10.5 mpg with the signature rigs. Love mine. I don't use the exhaust brake unless I'm looking at a long downhill or mountainous two lane driving. In conjunction with the Tow/Haul, it forces downshifts when you are off the gas. If it is a "short hill", I'd just as soon keep the speed up by using some gravity boost and do some coasting up the next little rise without having to give it gas to do so. When I take my foot off the gas, EB on and Tow/Haul on, the unit will continue to force downshifts, gradually bringing the unit to a stop (virtually). Keeping my foot in the gas to go down a short hill or series of the same is counter productive to using some gravity to get a boost up the next rise and save fuel.
Now, long grades or around town, I'm all over the EB. Quick push of the button and I can virtually ignore my brakes and yes the EB has a very "cool" sound when enabled. Still an odd sensation to have to give it gas to make it go downhill...my Polaris has much the same thing, but, done with gearing and hydraulic pressure and it is very eerie for that one too, to have to give it gas to "make" it go downhill. Take your hand off the throttle and it will come to a complete stop without using the brakes going downhill.
Not even close to a Jake sound, but, definitely has its own unique sound. What a friend of ours calls "way cool"...I'm almost curious enough to put a CAT back system on it to see how that would sound...
My 2 cents, your mileage may vary...
Don
Bronwyn
3 Cats - Coco, J-Lo and Ragamuffin
2011 Keystone Cougar 318SAB
2011 Ram 2500 Longhorn CTD HO
Built in brake controller and exhaust brake
Tri Glide TrailAir Pinbox with a B&W Companion Hitch
Thanks to all who have replied, you have been a wealth of information. My dodge is the HO model, and I live about 5o miles north/east of Fort Drum and 30 miles from the Thousand Island Bridge to Canada. My mileage guess is just what some of you have stated, right now there is only 5200 miles on the truck. once again thank you all for the input I appreciate that.
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