Towing with 3.73 on light tires

[nervouswater]

I’ve got a deposit down on a new Gladiator with the 3.73’s and I’m curious on perspectives with towing. I live in the mountains of Colorado and pull an approximately 4,000lb loaded (3,200lb dry) 21ft long travel trailer. My intent is to run with 265/70r17 tires or something similar so what are thoughts with towing with the smaller tires and the 3.73 gears versus larger and heavier tires with the 4.10’s? For reference I’ve pulled the same rig with a Tacoma w/tune, Ridgeline, and an F150 so I’ve got a pretty good frame of reference. Will I regret not going with the 4.10’s?? Thanks!

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[Mr._Bill]

Did you order it with the Tow Package and Automatic Transmission? Gas or Diesel engine?

The trailer fits within the tow rating of the Overland. It comes with 3.73 gears and street tires.

 

[nervouswater]

It has the tow package (not max tow) and auto transmission with the gas engine.

 

[Mr._Bill]

Since you don't plan on adding larger, heavy tires, you should be fine. You will probably get a lot of responses saying you should have ordered the Max Tow to get the 4.10 gears, wider axles, and maximum tow rating.

 

[Josh00333]

Man I would want the max tow package out west.

 

[A 2]

Man I would want the max tow package out west.

This…
I started with a Sport S 3.6l towing a similar size and weight trailer here in SoCal. I now own a diesel.

 

[dcmdon]

The 373s are absolutely irrelevant as long as you stay on road.

You just use the AT transmission manually when you want to keep the revs up.

Overall gearing is what the motor feels. That is a combination of the transmission gear ratio, transfer gear ratio, rear axle ratio, and tire circumference.

Other than getting rolling from a dead stop someone with 5.29s doesn't have any advantage because you will simply stay in a lower gear.

He may be in 7th gear on the highway and you may be in 5th. But if you are turning the same RPM, then your overall gearing is the same.

When I tow, the truck does around town fully automatic. When I get on the highway, I switch to manual and hold it in either 6th or 7th and it goes down the road just fine.

If you tow 5000 lbs daily, is rehearing for just this purpose worth it, maybe.

But if you tow a couple of times per month then it's really not worth it. It's really zero hassle to just stick it in 6th gear and let it run.

Tires, well that is up to you. Almost anything will work up to a point. Obviously larger tires will raise the gearing (numerically lower) but again, this is irrelevant once up to speed. Pick a gear that gives you an RPM that works.

Man I would want the max tow package out west.

It's worth it for the chassis changes. But the gearing doesn't really matter. Just hold it in a lower gear.

 

[Gvsukids]

Man I would want the max tow package out west.

Then swap out the front suspension with overland suspension and rear overland shocks.

 

[Mjolnir]

Then swap out the front suspension with overland suspension and rear overland shocks.

That...would not change how it tows...

 

[Labswine]

I have a stone stock Overland...gas, auto, with the tow package (6/19 build date). Still have the factory tires (Bridgestone Dueler H/L) as they still have good tread and only around 26,000 miles. When they need replacement, I'm thinking going 265s vs. factory 255s with the same aspect for a little better (wider) foot print on the road for even better stability and, a more aggressive tread pattern. What's there now is very stable but anything to enhance would be welcomed.

I tow a 27', 5,100 lb (with all we want or need) camper with no problems. As others have mentioned, shifting manually really helps with not only moving out but, maintaining speed in an acceptable RPM range at 62-65 MPH (i.e. not screaming along at 5K RPMs in 4th or 5th trying to maintain 70-75 MPH ).

I typically up shift around 2,500 RPMs when moving out in traffic and, keep up with everyone around me with no issues. On the highway, it's pretty much 7th for flats and 6th for slight upgrades when my speed drops below 58 MPH to get back to between 62 and 65 MPH. At that speed, in 7th, I'm usually around 2,100 RPMs on the flats. 6th trying to get back to, or maintain, speed on upgrades I'm usually around 2,500-2,700 RPMs. I don't tow over 65 MPH. That's MY comfort zone and I truly don't care what other drivers are thinking. I'm driving MY drive...not theirs.

I have (so far, and this is east coast towing) averaged around 13 MPGs (range is 12.5-13.5 MPG seen, calculated fill to fill).

 

[Gvsukids]

That...would not change how it tows...

Right, but then you'd have the softer suspension.

 

[redriderjf87]

I echo what was said earlier. With the auto and sticking with stock sized tires, I really think you'll be fine just leaving it a lower gear and giving it some more rpms.

 

[AstroZombie]

sounds like you are within the manufacture specs for towing.

 

[bd100]

With the 6-speed manual transmission, 3.73, 265/70/17 AT tires (same diameter as original highway tires), heavily loaded plus towing 2000lb, in the Glenwood Canyon there were times when I was stuck in 2nd gear near redline around 45 mph because 3rd would barely hold or would lose speed. With the jump 2nd to 3rd the loss in RPM and thus horsepower was too great.

If this truck had 4.10 with the same conditions, I could have been stuck at 10% lower speed before changing to 3rd gear. 40mph. But maybe still not enough more torque to hold speed. So in some conditions the longer diff gear with 2nd at 45 mph may be better than the 4.10s stuck at 40 mph! But maybe with 4.10s the truck could have accelerated out of the 40ish limit. Steeper diff gears means hitting the higher transmission gear sooner, but maybe makes up for it with more pull from that lower MPH.

My solution is to load the truck less.

In your case, with the automatic with two more gears, you may not have this problem. But you are also pulling 2000lb more.

And by the way, I think some of those side roads with heavy hills and sharp turns have pretty insane 55mph speed limits.

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