Towing with the JTOD -- completed a 520-mile round trip towing a 16 ft Anvil dual axle v-nose cargo trailer

[Felinus Maximus]

Just completed a 520-mile round trip towing a 16 ft Anvil dual axle v-nose cargo trailer here in Florida from north of Tampa to Miami and back. Empty weight around 2500 lbs going south, and loaded between #5500 and #6k coming back north. Averaged 16.8 mpg empty into a strong steady headwind on the southbound run and 16.3 mpg loaded coming back north with much less wind. Kept an eye on trans, oil, and coolant temps along the way and all ran cool for a 90-degree day.

Route was US 50 east to US 27 going south and then US 27 north to US 50 west coming back running around 60 mph, with about 90% of the time in 8th gear. Very pleased with how the little JT pulled the trailer and the fuel economy. No real hills to deal with of course, but the powertrain performed very similar to the same setup I had in two Ram 1500 Ecodiesel trucks before the JT.

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[Labswine]

I have a gasser Overland (ordered 5/19, built 6/19, delivered 7/19) that I tow a travel trailer with...like you, mostly relatively flat east coast. My trailer is 27', ~5,100 lbs with all we want or need, and my Overland handles it very nicely. Good WDH set up and electronic braking system. Yeah, sometimes when there's a good head wind she reminds me she's only a V-6 and, I'm constantly going back and forth between 6th and 7th to maintain around 65 MPH.

I shift manually and almost never see 8th at 65 MPH (NO faster!!!) unless I'm going downhill. I find that 65 MPH in 7th, I'm running right around 2,100 RPMs. I get around 12.5-13 MPG towing. Temps are also well within safety ranges even when the outside temps were hovering around 100 degrees.

 

[916WI]

This is good to hear. I am going to start towing my travel trailer distance with the diesel I picked up late last year. It only weighs 3000 lbs, but I was concerned with the overheating talk. Posts like these help dissuade some of those fears.......

 

[JTGuy]

I am lifted 2 inches with 37s and 4.88 diff gears 3.6 gas. I wonder how well mine would tow any size of a trailer for camping. Wind would be a factor.

 

[Labswine]

I am lifted 2 inches with 37s and 4.88 diff gears 3.6 gas. I wonder how well mine would tow any size of a trailer for camping. Wind would be a factor.

Well, with the increased un-sprung weight of the bigger tires, you are already seriously dropping in SAFE towing capacity, as well as payload of your tow vehicle.

Yes, the change in gearing will more than likely help with your 'get up and go' but, you also have to think about stopping. Increased tire size and weight puts a damper on your braking ability (even with an appropriate electronic trailer brake).

Plus, with the increased height from the lift, that changes your center of gravity on your tow vehicle and, increases your 'frontal area' with respect to wind resistance hitting on the stated factory frontal area limits that apply to the thing you're towing as explained in your owners manual.

Just my $0.02 ($0.03 Canadian).

 

[bleda2002]

I am lifted 2 inches with 37s and 4.88 diff gears 3.6 gas. I wonder how well mine would tow any size of a trailer for camping. Wind would be a factor.

I tow a 4600lb nobody 19.8 with 38s and 5.13s and Clayton 2.5 (so 3 inch really) with no real issues. Definitely not an mpg or top speed champ, but no real issues getting going or stopping as the gears provide near diesel and 3.73 torque just at a much higher rpm

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