We're camping for the week outside of Buffalo, NY. First major trip towing the camper on the highway and I'm very pleased with the performance. Up through about 55-60 MPH 4th gear is where it's at. RPMs are right around 2400 - 2500 RPM and all the power and boost you need to pull and grade I've encountered is readily available. Between 60 and 70 is a little slow for overdrive, but it's usable and on moderate grades heat doesn't become an issue. 70 and on up and 5th gear is a dream, with 15psi or so boost on tap at the tap of a toe.

If I towed this box around all the time, I could see where different gearing would be helpful, but I have no issue whatsoever managing this trailer with the truck just as it sits. Fuel mileage is probably pretty poor (haven't filled it up yet so I don't know for sure) but it's a lot of fun to drive, that's for sure.

 

Its about time you and family got out and enjoyed your selves!

 

Great to hear Nate! Sounds like your hard work is really paying off. Keep us posted!

 

 

I was going to post and ask what gearing are you running, but I saw it in the signature...3.55's
I will ask what size tire are you running?

My cookie cutter 215's with the 4.10 rear runs 2400 to 2500 at 70...I have been thinking about going with a 3.73 axle especially with the ZF swap going on shortly...That should put me right in the sweet spot at 75mph I think....

 

Lee get some real tires someday when you go 4x4 . If you never to then do 3.55.

 

Very glad to hear at least one of us using a truck and it not braking down on us.

 

Well, I qualifiy for the 1st part of your reply Aaron

 

And I'm none too darn happy about your situation. I should just pull Clifford's engine out and head to you.
At least you would get some use out of my junk. I would like to see you tugging the house with my combo!

 

If you did that, he might catch flight lol

 

I know I lnow....I shouldn't have been so stupid when I bought this set...

Good news is I am wearing them out quick especially with that jack asses that pull out infront of a 7700 lb truck last minute and make you lock them up... I left a couple of nice black lines last night...

 

Truck is working like a champ. I got 10.8 mpg on the way to New York, 17.2 driving around up there (unit hitched and unloaded) and 11.2 mpg towing the box home.

Lee, I have 285/75/R17 tires that are about 32" tall. 2000 RPM in 5th gear is somewhere around 65MPH. It is a little taller gearing than I'd want if I were towing with it all the time, but it's great for highway driving. With the setup I have in it now, I had no trouble toting the 8k pound camper in traffic across any of the terrain we saw in PA or NY. I was able to stay in 5th gear most of the time (between 60 and 72 MPH) and while I was a little under the turbo, 12-15 psi boost was easy to come by and smoke and EGTs were manageable. All that was needed to lower them both was to roll out of the skinny pedal or drop a gear. The only time I saw over 1200* EGT I was on a WOT run from a dead stop on the side of the highway (stopped with a friend we were traveling with, who was having trouble). The truck will really motivate that trailer and is more than sufficient for whatever I need it to do.

Long term, I think more (and faster spooling) air is in order, but for now I'm a happy man.

I guess the issue of gearing could be summed up thus: if towing is what I was wanting to do with this truck all the time, I'd be looking to regear to 4.10s, but for mixed use and towing 8k or less, the 3.55s can most definitely be made to work. I don't see myself regearing the truck any time soon. If anything, I'd consider a spring swap to SD axles and 3.73s for this truck, but i don't think I'd go to the trouble and expense of gear swapping these axles.