View Single Post
Old 03-10-2012, 08:34 PM   #26 (permalink)
slowmover
Banned
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Posts: 2,442

2004 CTD - '04 DODGE RAM 2500 SLT
Team Cummins
90 day: 19.36 mpg (US)
Thanks: 1,422
Thanked 737 Times in 557 Posts
Smarty Jr. tuner has a strong consensus on some of the forums. But auto trans doesn't live long with one (any of them). Find out the near-stock spec settings for best mpg change. But it's still a $600 cost to re-coup, and maybe 1-2 mpg average mpg improvement (which is what counts). Cam changes, different injector nozzles, etc, all are expensive and with low average mpg changes. Added together one could see 3-4 mpg for several thousand in initial expense. But as there is no free lunch, other components may wear faster (killing the overall economy).

Be a good idea to weigh your tow rig. A boat trailer is set up with 5-9% tongue weight (unlike other trailers at 12-15%). If, indeed, your boat/trailer weigh 9k, then the TW would be on the order of 450 to 800-lbs. DODGE requires a weight distributing hitch with TW of 350-lbs on up. (Remember that this is a static measurement, a fraction, of dynamic forces acting againt the truck going down the road). Both Equalizer and Reese make surge brake compatible WDH's, and the restoration of solo braking & handling dynamics make them worthwhile. Same for mpg, tire wear and brake life. Payload capacity is not at all the same as tow capacity.

Weigh it and find out. Truck solo, and truck/trailer hooked; separate numbers for truck FA and RA, then for boat trailer axle set. (A separate TW would be good as well). Might be a way to an SRW truck if enough can be transferred back onto trailer axle set (a few hundred pounds of leverage can go a long way to not being hung).

The likely TW would mean about 150 to 300-lbs onto the boat trailer axle set with a WDH. This is covered on a couple of boat forums in their trailering sub-forums, meaning it would be good to ask. The weight of the boat/trailer is otherwise within the range capable of a 1/2T truck. So maybe someone has already done this work ahead of you.

Boat trailers are adjustable to some degree, so it may be that moving the bunks would also help.

IOW, go at the problem from all the other angles as well.
  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to slowmover For This Useful Post:
redpoint5 (03-10-2012)