[Boj]

I have searched and searched, can't believe this question has not been asked before....


I have a 15,000 lb fifth wheel to haul around. Am I better off with the manual or the automatic transmission? I have always owned manual tranny trucks, clutch/shifting is not an issue, but I have never towed more than a 1500 lb snowmobile trailer with them.The $1500 extra is not much of an issue if the automatic is better.

This truck will mainly be used for towing the trailer, not a daily driver. I ecpect most of the towing to be on open roads, hope to avoid traffic as much as possible. Currently looking at a 08 3500 dually CTD with the manual 6 speed.

Thanks for any opinions.

 

[Z-ManTRX4]

I tow around 13-14k with my 06 2500 with a 6spd. I love it, I feel you are more in control and you gotta love these low gears when pulling. I always start in low when pulling large trailers and I have plenty of power to spare. These trucks have more than enough power to not slip the clutch like in an underpowered gasser. I say your're right on truck with the DRW 6spd!

 

[HemiMagnum]

The new 6 speed auto has a manual shift mode on it to help you feel in control.

Personally i would go with an auto.

 

[teamdakota06]

Semi trucks are manual tranny, and they haul more than any of us would with there trucks. My Good friend has a 02 Ram 3500 dually manual tranny and he hauls a 45' gooseneck trailer every Saturday to the race track and it does fine, we fly past all the other Powerjokes and Duracraps on the way there so lol I think its alrighty to say Manual is great :rck:

 

[byrdawg13]

its personal prefrance. an auto will do you fine too , unless you bomb it

 

[Ram3500Dually]

The 68RE is a fantastic transmission. I tow 18K and occasionally tow 22K and don't have a problem. Didn't have a problem with my 05 with the 48RE either. I drove truck 30 years shifting gears and I wouldn't own a stick in a pickup. Get the new 6 Speed Auto in that 08 and don't look back.

 

[bad munky]

Wow... you don't see that very often. Is that even legal? <--serious question

That's that real comfy set-up you take with you "camping" isn't it...lol j/k

 

[bad munky]

Still staring at the pictures..... how do you make right turns with that?

 

[Ram3500Dually]

It turns just fine. The rear trailer actually swings out further than the front trailer because of the overhang. Its legal in many states and provinces and illegal in some states and provinces. I have been pulling rigs like this since 1998. Here are a few of my other rigs

 

[Fiftygrit]

The new auto`s with the exhaust brake are great, I swore I would never drive an auto, but now that I have one I would never go back, pulling a trailer thru a city is so much easier.

 

[andy2]

i haul rv's for a living. i have a 1989 d-350 with 260,000 miles, 5 speed, cummins, 3.55 gears. i love my 5 speed. i wish it was a 6 speed. shifting doesen't bother me at all. i want to be in the gear i want to be in. not the gear the trans wants to be in.

 

[Ram3500Dually]

How do you have such low miles? I know guys that haul RV's and they put 100K a year doing it.
Also, the new 6 speed auto has manual select, you can put it in the gear you want it to be in

 

[me1magoo]

I have driven both - I have a six speed manual and I test drove an '08 with the 6 speed auto that was equipped with the manual shift buttons on the shifter and the exhaust brake. I will seriously consider the auto when I buy a new one and a buddy is buying one tomorrow. After driving both, the only concern with the auto and towing heavy is still going to be heat. You can select the lower gear and force it to hold there on downgrades or pulling and keep it from upshifting BUT, you still have the torque converter and clutches slipping and building heat. For that reason alone, I still have to say to consider the manual for heavy towing especially in hilly terrain. If there is a lot of city driving or ANY city towing, then the auto will be nicer for sure.

 

[mocho]

If it's mostly a tow rig on the highway, the manual is highly favoured. Once your cruising on the highway, it doesn't matter which you have. The 6 spd auto seems to be pretty good, but autos don't last forever, and replacing a auto is a lot more then a clutch. Towing heavy in mountains like said=heat and the 6 spd auto will only pull so much for so long before it falls on it's face. My dads 6 spd auto has 11,000 miles it is pretty nice towing, but it is "clunking" already and shifting rough ever since it pulled out a stump. If you don't mind shifting, a manual is a better choice for towing. I've driven both, a manual is annoying in city stop and go traffic but the fact that I don't need to worry about the tranny falling on it's face is well worth it.

I personally wouldn't even consider a new dodge after how my dads is falling apart after 5 months though, tranny making noises, horrid wind noise at 55mph+, 13 MPG going 65 MPH(800 mile road trip), and the massive maintaince costs, it's like $120 to change the fuel filter..... Ya ya it's not broken in but 450 miles to a 35 gallon tank? My 04 gets better MPG at 90 mph. Test drive it on the highway before you buy and make sure it doesn't have really bad wind noise, it will annoy you REAL bad if so.

 

[Ram3500Dually]

For every one bad one you will find ten good ones, just like every other year and every other make

 

[mocho]

For every one bad one you will find ten good ones, just like every other year and every other make

I agree some trucks have problems but I don't agree this is the case. The bad fuel mileage is the 6.7 in general i'm sure, not just this one truck. Sure the tranny might be a dud, but it was fine until it got worked which leaves me to believe it was fine and it just didn't stand up to doing some work. The wind noise, I don't know, but it's been there for a while and we had to put a strap to pull the door in tight so we didn't go crazy at the noise, nice that you have to put a strap to keep the door closed on a 5 month old truck? :WHT: A big reason why I said I wouldn't buy a new dodge right now is for these reasons and many more after being in one for the last 2 days for 800 miles and you can't help but think, what was dodge thinking when they changed a few things? Like the seats, cupholder/console arrangement is just a joke at best, it looks like it was half finished and just left. I'm trying to be positive but I don't see how I can be, I think the only good thing since 06 changes is the mega cab, that doesn't even come with a full size box :crazy:

 

[Ram3500Dually]

If you are putting a strap on the door to keep it closed tight why don't you just adjust the striker to keep the door closed tighter. Sounds like an adjustment problem. And pulling stumps isn't "workin" the truck. Pulling a trailer down the road would be working the truck. Pulling stumps would also break a 48RE. We broke a 48RE trying to pull a big Motorhome out of the mud.

 

[byrdawg13]

the mega cab does have afull size box on it.

 

[mocho]

the mega cab does have afull size box on it.

By full size I ment 8' not 6'4" that is a pain to haul anything in

 

[byrdawg13]

still a full size box. but id rather a long bed too