First real tow with the manual.....not good

[Justins_JT]

I have towed my small teardrop camper to Colorado twice with my manual JTR. First time stock tires and averaged like 12mpg. Second time on 35’s averaged 10mpg. I have a throttle controller that I set to max when towing. Helps a bit. Biggest problem is the gearing jump from 2nd to 3rd. In the mountains I’d get started uphill, Revving to 4500 or more rpm. Same in second, then at like 30ish mph try and shift to 3rd and no power. Dropped way to many rpm. Doing cottonwood pass I had it in 2nd gear at like 4500 rpm doing like 25mph. I have a centerforce clutch on the way and There really isn’t anywhere flat across Kansas or Missouri but I got better mileage. Unless there was any headwind. Like I could maintain 70 but if there was a headwind mileage and speed both suffered. One of the problems with being shaped like a brick I guess.I’m looking to regear so hopefully that helps.

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[Zachattack50]

I'm pretty sure its just not going to do it. Not really a lugging thing. It is just unacceptable that mopar rated it at 4k lbs. Its not like I'm asking it to pull 8k lbs. 5k rpm in 3rd should be max output, and it doesnt cut the mustard. One odd thing I noticed is every vehicle I'v driven reacts when you go full send on the throttle. What I mean is, even under severe load, something changes, exhaust note, intake sound, something. The 3.6 make no different noise from half throttle to full buried foot, I'm almost wondering if I'm not even getting full pedal response. The drive by wire could very well be limiting its input and I would have no way to know. either way, the next rip to the UP will be with my 1985 k20. Ill get 2mpg better milage, and I wont have to slow down for hills We still love the JT, just not for pulling.

I think the take away here is, these modern v6 motors are a high rpm motor, you want power you need to make them sing in the upper range. they are not low reving lugger motors.

 

[Chestnut]

I feel like the weight is less of an issue than frontal area of the trailer though it doesn't help. I was able to tow this setup which i estimate was about 3,500 lbs (log and trailer) no issues. It clipped on the freeway at 70 just fine. Mostly flat land but i went over a few overpasses which are kinda like hills for MN at least. JT is almost completely stock, or completely stock depending on your stance about mud flaps being a mod

 

[Zachattack50]

We will see if its the weight or the air. I have a suspicion that the truck will still struggle with my flat car hauler and the sxs. I will report back.

 

[Pilsner]

I tow a SxS pretty often and have no issue. I tow a single axle open trailer and usually have a smaller 110 in the truck bed. I came from a Tacoma though, so the JT is miles better. I don't exceed 70 when towing as I have had a couple issues in the past. I had a set of bad tires and threw the tread on both on the highway once, and I had a wheel bearing seize another time.

 

[RegisteredUser]

The manual absolutely sucks for towing. Like the OPs said, its impossible to maintain highway speeds when loaded down and if there is a incline you're screwed.

 

[bd100]

For acceleration and climbing, weight matters. For highway speed, frontal area and drag matter.

While fully loaded with cargo and cap, and pulling a 2000lb fold-down camping trailer (half height during travel) it struggled in the steep Glenwood Canyon Colorado passes, but otherwise could do 70MPH at around 15MPG all day long.

Pulling the same trailer with a late 90s Ram 1500 318 5 speed stick, one day I noticed it was floored in 5th at highway speed. Then I realized there was around a 30MPH head wind, and I was doing 70MPH road speed, combining to around 100 MPH air speed. No wonder. I shifted to 4th to make it easier on the transmission, and watched the gas gauge slowly drop for the next hours.

 

[Chaos Theory]

You don't need to pull anything to understand how underpowered the 3.6 is, especially with bigger tires and the weight of other mods we add to these vehicles.

I had 2 passengers heading out of Grand Coulee a couple weeks ago with A/C running, maybe 2-3% uphill grade for a several mile stretch. Pedal to the floor in 4th gear just barely held 50mph.

I would easily swallow less power if it was an efficient engine. ...but it's not that either. Lol

 

[AustinL911]

You don't need to pull anything to understand how underpowered the 3.6 is, especially with bigger tires and the weight of other mods we add to these vehicles.

I had 2 passengers heading out of Grand Coulee a couple weeks ago with A/C running, maybe 2-3% uphill grade for a several mile stretch. Pedal to the floor in 4th gear just barely held 50mph.

I would easily swallow less power if it was an efficient engine. ...but it's not that either. Lol

You aren't kidding about the A/C. It's a serious drain on the power when that's on.

 

[IanNubbit]

Pulled the 7x14 enclosed this weekend for the first real trip, i.e. 450miles. What a let down. I will start by saying that we did not intend to use the JT as a tow rig, but we have recently bought a sxs and it made sense to use the Jt as it is setup for camping. For all the spec guys, the rack and tent weigh in at 215lbs, the trailer is 2100, and the sxs is 1900. I was also very picking about how much tougue weight I was running. Overall the chassis was very stable and I had no handling qualms, however, the lack of power is astounding. You can maintain 55mph, usually 60, as long as its flat, and I mean like dead flat, any grad and you have your foot buried in 4th, sometimes 3rd and loose speed while ascending. The power in this thing pretty much goes flat from 3100 to 5000 (I tried it everywhere) Before everyone jumps on the fact its lifted with 37's, it is running 5.13 gears, which puts it at an advantage over the factory with 3.73's and small tires. Also has a centerforce clutch now. Like I stated it has no issue getting things moving, or handling the trailer, but maintaining any kind of speed is not possible. Mileage was 8.5mpg. I am going to try my open car hauler to see if that affects anything, but so far for pulling right where the truck is rated for, its a joke. Not that I have plans on trading the manual in, but I may talk to my local dealer and see if I can test drive a auto to see if its capable of pulling the trailer. My guess is it will be like pulling with a eco boost. humming along at 4500rpm, but we will see! I really wish the 392 was an option for these!!!

right at max tow rating. Also the tune is really the issue here, unless you also haven't regeared. The 3.6 has significantly more one tap, but they pulled soooo much power on the Manual

 

[ShadowsPapa]

For you auto guys, What rpm do you notice when pulling a hill? I have had wind issues with other setups, it doesn't buck wind, or feel like wind resistance. Contemplating the sq footage of the front, I would submit that the frontage is actually reduced by the truck being lifted. I just have a hard time buying that the automatic is that much better, unless your running some ungodly rpms.

You have reduced your towing ability with lift and tire changes. it's really that simple.
Whatever your factory tow rating is, you have reduced it. You have greatly increased not only rolling resistance with your tires, you've increased drag by exposing the rough under-belly of the truck and much larger wheel openings with the lift.
Look at modern semi tractors - the wheel openings are close to the tire, things sit low and they try to prevent air from getting under the truck, and prevent air from getting between the front tires and the fenders. You've opened yours up wide.

I tow with an OVERLAND, and 3.73 gearing.
I tow 5,000 pounds, car on car hauler. I have no issues at all.
RPM is like any modern truck - expect it to wind up a bit. The hills on I80 in eastern Iowa can be made at 3300-4300 RPM at 65 mph. And that's not winding up high. Get used to modern engines needing RPM to pull - thinking that 4300 is ungodly is thinking 1960s engines.

That is hard to believe seeing as its the same 3.6!! The manual trans in theory should be better as the parasitic loss is less.

Nope - not today. An automatic actually does very well compared to a MT - in fact, mpg is comparable and an automatic has more choices for gear ratios. Those days of the MT being "better" at towing or MPG died with the last century.

Towing what you see below, I averaged 13.9 mpg between Des Moines and Cordova, IL and back.

 

[redriderjf87]

The 37s are hurting you some, even with the regear

 

[ShadowsPapa]

The 37s are hurting you some, even with the regear

Weight/mass, rolling resistance. I mean really one shouldn't even question that.
It takes HP to move weight, heavier tires take more HP just to move the truck.

 

[rharr]

You don't need to pull anything to understand how underpowered the 3.6 is, especially with bigger tires and the weight of other mods we add to these vehicles.

I had 2 passengers heading out of Grand Coulee a couple weeks ago with A/C running, maybe 2-3% uphill grade for a several mile stretch. Pedal to the floor in 4th gear just barely held 50mph.

I would easily swallow less power if it was an efficient engine. ...but it's not that either. Lol

Dumb question what would happen if you dropped to 3rd and let the RPMs climb to MPH you wanted?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

You don't need to pull anything to understand how underpowered the 3.6 is, especially with bigger tires and the weight of other mods we add to these vehicles.

I had 2 passengers heading out of Grand Coulee a couple weeks ago with A/C running, maybe 2-3% uphill grade for a several mile stretch. Pedal to the floor in 4th gear just barely held 50mph.

I would easily swallow less power if it was an efficient engine. ...but it's not that either. Lol

I live where many of our grades are 2 to 3% with some 4s thrown in in a couple of places.
No issues.
And I tow along this route when I haul my car to shows/events - here's the stats on I80 around me -
I-80 between Des Moines and Iowa City The steepest grade was located between Jasper County Road F-48 (Baxter exit) and Newton. There is 1800’ of tangent grade at 3.9946%(as built).
The next steepest grade is near the rest areas near Grinnell at 3.4%. There are several other widely scattered locations of 3% grade.
(much of Iowa is not flat and the 18wheelers have problems on those hills - ask people who try to get around them mile after mile)

I can hold 65 mph without trouble.

2 to 3% is routine for me and the AC does nothing to cause issues. In fact, AC off, windows down, is worse. But I can't say running AC is a power killer with a modern AC compressor. In fact when you need power, the AC compressor is disconnected via clutch by the PCM.

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