2005 DODGE RAM 1500 GAS Owners Manual

Consider the following items when computing the
weight on the rear axle:
•the tongue weight of the trailer
•the weight of any other type of cargo or equipment put
in or on your vehicle
NOTE:Remember that everything put into or on the
trailer adds to the load on your vehicle. Also, additional
factory-installed options, or dealer-installed options,
must be considered as part of the total load on your
vehicle. Refer to the Certification label located at the
driver’s door for the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
WARNING!
Improper towing can lead to an injury accident.
Follow these guidelines to make your trailer towing
as safe as possible:
Perform the maintenance listed in the “Maintenance
Schedules” section of this manual (Section 8). When
towing a trailer, never exceed the Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR), or Gross Combined Vehicle Weight
(GCVW).
CAUTION!
When hauling cargo or towing a trailer, do not
overload your vehicle or trailer. Overloading can
cause a loss of control, poor performance or damage
to brakes, axle, engine, transmission, steering, sus-
pension, body structure or tires.
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Axle Lubricant and Trailer Towing
1500 Models
•
1500 Modelrear axles are trailer tow ready. Limited
slip rear axles on 1500 models require the use of a
limited slip additive (refer to the “Recommended
Fluids, Lubricants, and Genuine Parts” section.)
•The limited slip additive is included with the factory
fill.
•If the axle fluid is changed, 4 oz. (118 ml) of limited slip
additive must be added.
2500/3500 Models
•
The Axles on 2500/3500 Modelsare trailer tow ready
andDO NOT REQUIREany special axle lubes or
additives.
Trailer Towing Recommendations
•
All trailer hitches should be professionally installed on
your vehicle.
•Safety chains must always be used between your
vehicle and trailer.
•Donotinterconnect the hydraulic brake system or
vacuum system of your vehicle with that of the trailer.
This could cause inadequate braking and possible
personal injury. An electrically–actuated electric trailer
brake controller is recommended.
•Trailer brakes are recommended for trailers over 1000
lbs (454 kg) and are required for trailers in excess of
2,000 lbs (907 kg)
•Use an approved wiring harness connector on the
trailer. Standard equipment on all RAM pickup mod-
els provides a 4-way trailer tow connector located
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under the bumper. This connector contains the follow-
ing vehicle circuits: park/tail lamps, left stop/turn
lamp, right stop/turn lamp, and ground. With the
optional Trailer Tow Prep package a 7-way connector
is provided with the following additional circuits:
backup lamp, trailer battery and electric brake.
NOTE:Connect trailer lighting and brakes using factory
harnesses only. Do not cut or splice wiring to the brake
circuits.
•Be sure the trailer is loaded heavier in front, with 60%
to 65% of the weight in front of the axle(s). Loads
balanced over the wheels or heavier in the rear can
cause the trailer to sway severely side to side which
will cause loss of control of vehicle and trailer. Failure
to load trailers heavier in front is the cause of many
trailer accidents. (For a5th Wheelstyle trailer, this
range of loading on theKing Pinshould be between
15% and 25%.)
•Make certain that the load is secured in the trailer and
will not shift during travel. When towing cargo such
as livestock, dynamic load shifts can occur that require
the driver to maintain attention.
Trailer Towing — Hitches
With a Class I Hitch, your vehicle can be equipped to tow
trailers with a Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) of 2,000 lbs
(907 kg) maximum.
With a Class II Hitch, your vehicle can be equipped to
tow trailers with a Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) of 3,500
lbs (1 587 kg ) maximum. Tongue weight must be equal to
at least 10% of GTW, but no more than 15% of GTW.
With a Class III Hitch, your vehicle can be equipped to
tow trailers with a Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) of 5,000
lbs (2 268 kg) maximum. Factory-installed rear step
bumpers are rated a Class III hitch.
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A frame mounted hitch of up to Class IV rating, as rated
by the hitch manufacturer, may also be installed. With a
Class IV Hitch, you can tow a trailer with a Gross Trailer
Weight of up to 12,000 lbs (5 443 kg) maximum depend-
ing on your vehicle equipment.
Connecting Trailer Lighting And Electric Trailer
Brakes
NOTE:A 4-way trailer tow connector, located behind
the bumper, is standard equipment on all Ram pickup
models. This connector contains the following vehicle
circuits: park/tail lamps, left stop/turn lamp, right stop/
turn lamp, and ground. With the optional Trailer Tow
Prep package a 7-way connector is also provided with the
following additional circuits: backup lamp, trailer battery
and electric brake.
NOTE:There is also a 4–way connector located under
the instrument panel, located to the left of the brake
pedal that is used for the electric brake. This connectorcontains the following vehicle circuits; power ground,
battery, stop lamp switch and electric brake feed. The
4–way is optional with the trailer tow prep package.
CAUTION!
Adding lights or electrical devices to the headlamp/
park lamp circuit can be accomplished by connecting
to the standard 4-way trailer tow connector located
behind the rear bumper. The maximum current ca-
pacity for the park lamp circuit should not exceed 15
amps total (a typical park lamp bulb can draw from
0.5 to 1.0 amperes of current).
No connections can be made to the headlamp switch
itself, because it is not designed for high current
applications. Connections to the headlamp switch
will cause the exterior lights to malfunction.
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CAUTION!
Connect trailer lighting and brakes using factory
harnesses only. Do not cut or splice wiring to the
brake circuits. Use an approved wiring harness con-
nector on the trailer.
Trailer Weight and Trailer Tongue Weight
Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) means the weight of the
trailer plus the weight of all cargo, consumables and
equipment loaded on the trailer when in actual under-
way towing condition. The recommended way to mea-
sure GTW is to put your fully loaded trailer on a vehicle
scale. The entire weight of the trailer must be supported
by the scale.
Tongue Weight is the weight placed on the vehicle’s
trailer hitch by the trailer. Always load a trailer with 60%to 65% of the weight in the front of the trailer. This places
10% to 15% of the GTW on the tow hitch of your vehicle.
Trailer sway control and equalizing hitch are required for
Class III or IV trailer hitches and tongue weights above
350 lbs (159 kg).
Tongue weight must be equal to at least 10% of GTW, but
no more than 15% of GTW.
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Also, there are maximum tongue weight ratings that are
not to be exceeded, as follows:
•Class III (the bumper ball type) 500 lbs (227 kg)
•Class IV (the receiver hitch type) 1200 lbs (544 kg)
NOTE: When towing a trailer, the following require-
ments must be adhered to:
•GCWR must not be exceeded
•Total weight must be distributed between the tow
vehicle and the trailer such that the following four
(4) ratings are not exceeded:
1.GVWR
2.GTW
3.Tongue weight rating for the trailer hitch utilized
(This requirement may limit the ability to always
achieve the 10% to 15% range of tongue weight [15%
to 25% for a5th Wheelstyle trailer] as a percentage
of total trailer weight.)4.GAWR ratings
Trailer Towing Information (Maximum Trailer
Weight Ratings)
Trailer Towing Guide
NOTE:For trailer towing information (maximum trailer
weight ratings) refer to the following website address:
http:// www.dodge.com/towing.
In Canada, refer to the following website address:http://
www.dodge.ca.
NOTE:For additional general trailer towing informa-
tion refer to the following National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) website address:http://
www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/Equipment/towing/
index.htm.
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Trailer Towing Mirrors — If Equipped
These mirrors are designed with an adjustable mirror
head to provide a greater vision range when towing
extra-wide loads. To change position inboard or out-
board, the mirror head should be rotated (flipped Out or
In). A small blindspot mirror is integrated onto the main
mirror surface.
Cooling System Tips — Trailer Towing
To reduce potential for engine and transmission over-
heating, take the following actions:
•City Driving—when stopped, put the transmission in
N (Neutral) and increase the engine idle speed.
•Highway Driving—reduce your speed.
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•Air Conditioning—turn it off temporarily.
•Hilly Terrain—Turn overdrive off.
See Cooling System Operating information in the Service
and Maintenance section of this manual for more infor-
mation.
Automatic Transmission Oil Temperature Warning
Light
All vehicles with automatic transmissions are equipped
with a transmission sump oil temperature sensor and
warning light. If elevated transmission temperatures are
encountered, the engine controller will select the most
desirable gear until the transmission temperatures are
reduced. If transmission oil temperatures continue to
rise, a warning light located in the instrument cluster will
illuminate. If this should occur, stop the vehicle, shift to
Neutral, and run the engine at idle or faster until the light
goes off.
Towing With An Automatic Transmission
Vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission may
shift into and out of Overdrive, or a lower gear, when
driving in hilly areas, when heavily loaded, or when
towing into heavy winds.
When this condition occurs, select TOW/HAUL mode or
shift into a lower gear to prevent excessive transmission
wear and/or overheating, and to provide better engine
braking.
NOTE:Do not exceed the following RPM while manu-
ally downshifting:
•5800 rpm with 3.7L engines.
•5800 rpm with 4.7L engines.
•5600 rpm with 5.7L engines.
If your vehicle has an automatic transmission and you
tow a trailer frequently, change transmission fluid and
filter(s) according to Maintenance Schedule “B.”
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