2020 Ram 3500 tow

STARTING AND OPERATING267
Crossing Puddles, Pools, Flooded Areas Or
Other Standing Water – Puddles, pools,
flooded or other standing water areas
normally contain murky or muddy waters.
These water types normally contain hidden
obstacles and make it difficult to determine
an accurate water depth, approach angle,
and bottom condition. Murky or muddy water
holes are where you want to hook up tow
straps prior to entering. This makes for a
faster, cleaner and easier vehicle recovery. If
you are able to determine you can safely
cross, than proceed using the low and slow
method.
Crossing Ditches, Streams, Shallow Rivers Or
Other Flowing Water – Flowing water can be
extremely dangerous. Never attempt to cross
a fast running stream or river even in shallow
water. Fast moving water can easily push
your vehicle downstream sweeping it out of
control. Even in very shallow water, a high
current can still wash the dirt out from around your tires putting you and your vehicle
in jeopardy. There is still a high risk of
personal injury and vehicle damage with
slower water currents in depths greater than
the vehicle's running ground clearance. You
should never attempt to cross flowing water
which is deeper than the vehicle's running
ground clearance. Even the slowest current
can push the heaviest vehicle downstream
out of control if the water is deep enough to
push on the large surface area of the
vehicle's body. Before you proceed deter
-
mine the speed of the current, the water's
depth, approach angle, bottom condition and
if there are any obstacles, then cross at an
angle heading slightly upstream using the
low and slow technique.
AIRING DOWN FOR OFF-ROAD DRIVING

Running lower tire pressure off-road can improve
your ride comfort and vehicle traction. Reducing
the tire air pressure allows the tire to bulge
slightly, improving its surface area for better
flotation and ability to mold or form to the ground
contour. Different terrain, tires, and vehicles
require different tire pressure. Hard surfaces like
rock and heavier vehicles require higher
pressures than softer surfaces such as sand and
lighter vehicles. You will need to experiment to
determine what is right for your situation. It is
easier and faster to let air out than it is to replace
it. Start high and lower it as required. Remember
you must return the tires to normal air pressure
before driving on road or at highway conditions.
Be sure you have a way to return the tires to their
normal on road air pressure.

CAUTION!
Muddy waters can reduce the cooling system
effectiveness by depositing debris onto the
radiator.
WARNING!
Never drive through fast moving deep water. It
can push your vehicle downstream, sweeping
it out of control. This could put you and your
passengers at risk of injury or drowning.CAUTION!
Reduced tire pressure increases the risk of
tire damage and may cause tire unseating
with total loss of air pressure. To reduce the
risk of tire unseating, while at a reduced tire
pressure, drive at slower speeds and avoid
sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers.
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268STARTING AND OPERATING
VEHICLE RECOVERY
If you drive off-road, you may encounter a
situation where you will need to recover your
vehicle. Vehicle recovery should always be
given consideration before attempting a
questionable obstacle. You should never go
off-road driving without the ability to recover
your vehicle from a situation. Having another
vehicle with you usually works best for most
situations. The first thing to do is assess the
situation. Why are you stuck? Are you hung up
on something? Would it be easier to go forward
or to go backward? Can you still move the
vehicle? Is there an anchor point to winch to?
Are you alone or do you have another vehicle to
help? Is there high risk of vehicle damage
during the recovery process? Answering these
questions will help you determine the best
method of recovery. If you can still move the
vehicle slightly and the only issue is slick
ground, then rock cycling your vehicle would be
the first choice. If you have ample room, an
additional vehicle and there is low risk of
vehicle impact on the surroundings, then using
a tow strap to the vehicle tow hooks would be
fast and easy. If the vehicle is severely hung up or in a situation where great care needs to be
taken during the recovery, then nothing can do
the job better than a winch. If you are severely
hung up on something you should jack the
vehicle up and stack something under the
wheels to allow the vehicle to roll off the object
without causing further damage. This should be
tried before attempting any recovery method.
Rock Cycling Your Vehicle – Rock cycling your
vehicle is one of the easiest, fastest and
most commonly used methods. This simply
involves shifting your vehicle from DRIVE to
REVERSE, while applying throttle after each
shift. During this process, for additional trac
-
tion, try turning your steering wheel quickly
left and right no more than a quarter turn. If
you are stuck in mud, sand, or snow try spin -
ning your tires during this process to clean
the debris from the tread and improve the
traction. You want to create a rocking motion
with the vehicle. This helps build vehicle momentum, which hopefully gets you out.
Remember to ease off and on the accelerator
before and after the shift. If after a few rock
cycles your vehicle is not free, stop and try
another method of recovery. Continuous rock
cycling will only cause unnecessary damage
to your vehicle and the environment.Using The Tow Hooks With A Tow Strap
– Tow
straps are a quick and easy way to recover
your vehicle from minor situations if you have
a secondary vehicle which is not stuck. The
tow hooks on your vehicle are designed to
take the abusive force generated during
vehicle recovery. Do not use the bumper or
any other vehicle component as an attach -
ment point. Using tow straps requires coordi -
nation between the two drivers. Good
communication and line of sight are required
for a safe recovery. First connect the tow
strap to the correct attachment points on
both vehicles. There should be a least 20 to
CAUTION!
Pulling the vehicle off an obstacle, without
first clearing the object, may result in
additional underbody damage.
CAUTION!
Damage can occur when spinning your tires
at an excessive high speed. Do not spin your
tires faster than an indicated 30 mph
(48 km/h).

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STARTING AND OPERATING269
30 feet (6 to 9 meters) between the vehicles
to allow for a safe recovery. If necessary join
two tow straps together using a 1.5 inch hard
wood dowel. This will keep the straps from
becoming knotted and is safer than using a
clevis pin if the strap breaks. Next have the
tow vehicle backup, leaving two to three feet
worth of slack in the strap. Then the tow
vehicle, using light throttle, should accelerate
tightening the strap providing the pulling
force needed to free the vehicle. The vehicle
being recovered should assist in the
recovery, at the time of the snap, by slowly
spinning the tires in the same direction as
the pulling vehicle. After the vehicle becomes
free, the driver of the previously stuck vehicle
should signal they are free and should hit
their brakes stopping both vehicles. The
driver of the pulling vehicle should let off the
throttle without using the brakes, once
signaled by the other driver. This sequence is
important to avoid having the recovered
vehicle hit the pulling vehicle.
Winching (Refer To “Winch Operation” For
Additional Information) – Winching is most
commonly used in the following situations:
there is no support vehicle available, a high
controlled force is required to recover the
vehicle, there is a high risk of environmental
or vehicle damage, or where nothing else
seems to work. A winch can deliver a high
pulling force with a great deal of control. It
allows you to walk the vehicle out of the situ -
ation in a slow controlled manner. This
control works well for avoiding further vehicle
damage. Once you decide it is time to use the
winch look for a good anchor point. It needs
to be strong enough to hold more than the vehicle's weight and provide a direction of
pull as straight as possible. Use block and
tackle if necessary to improve the angle of
pull or increase the winch's pulling force. If
the anchor point is a tree use a strap around
its base and hook the cable to the strap. If it
is another vehicle, then place that vehicle in
PARK and block the front tires. If you cannot
find an anchor point within reach try using
your spare tire by burying it. Once you have
determined an anchor point hook up the
cable, ensuring there are a least five wraps of
cable left on the drum, and place a floor mat
or something else over the strung out cable.
Placing something over the strung out cable
helps keep the cable on the ground if it
breaks. Next, place the vehicle in FIRST gear
and apply a very light throttle as you power
the winch in. Be careful not to allow slack in
the cable as you recover the vehicle. Do not
try to guide the cable into the drum. If it starts
to bunch up on one end, let it. You can
re-spool the cable afterwards. Never use a
winch cable as a tow strap and always stand
back while winching.
WARNING!
Never use tow straps with end hooks or link
two straps with a clevis pin. These heavy
metal objects could become projectiles if a
strap breaks, which could cause severe
injury. Never leave more than 2 to 3 feet
(0.60 to 1 meter) of slack in the strap. More
slack than this greatly increases the risk of
injury and vehicle damage. Always keep
everyone at least 30 feet (9 meters) away
from a strapping or winching situation.
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(Continued)
(Continued)
OPERATING YOUR WINCH General Information
Practice using your winch before you get stuck.
Some key points to remember when using your
winch are:
Always take your time to assess the situation
and plan your pull carefully.
Always take your time when using a winch.
Use the right equipment for the situation.
Always wear leather gloves and do not allow
the synthetic rope to slip through your hands
when handling the rope.
Only the operator should handle the synthetic
rope and remote control.
Think safety at all times.
Vehicle Recovery Using The Winch
WARNING!
Failure to observe any of these warnings
regarding proper winch usage may result in
severe injury.
Always use supplied hook strap to hold the
hook when spooling wire rope in or out.
Never use as a hoist.
Never use to move persons.
Never exceed winch or synthetic rope rated
capacity.
Always wear heavy leather gloves when
handling the synthetic rope.
Never touch synthetic rope or hook while in
tension or under load.
Never engage or disengage clutch if winch
is under load, synthetic rope is in tension,
or rope drum is moving.
Always stand clear of synthetic rope and
load and keep others away during winching.
Always keep hands and clothing clear of the
synthetic rope, hook and fairlead opening
during operation and when spooling.
Never wrap synthetic rope back onto itself.
Always use a choker chain, wire choker
rope or tree trunk protector on the anchor.
Never attach a recovery strap to the winch
hook to increase the length of a pull.
Never attempt to tow a vehicle with the
recovery strap attached directly to the
winch hook.
Never use bungee or kinetic straps that
develop tremendous and potentially
dangerous amounts of force when
stretched.
Always disconnect the remote control when
not in use.
Never winch when there are less than
10 wraps of synthetic rope around the
winch drum.
Always pass remote control through a
window to avoid pinching lead in door,
when using remote inside a vehicle.
Never leave the remote control plugged
into the winch while free spooling, rigging or
sitting idle.
WARNING! (Continued)
CAUTION!
Always know your winch: Take the time to
fully read and understand the included
Installation and Operations Guide, and
Basic Guide to Winching Techniques, in
order to understand your winch and the
winching operation.
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278STARTING AND OPERATING
synthetic rope tends to stack up at one end of
the drum. This stack can become large
enough to cause serious damage to the
winch. So, line up pulls as straight ahead as
possible and stop winching if the synthetic
rope comes close to the tie rods or mounting
plate. To fix an uneven stack, spool out that
section of the rope and reposition it to the
opposite end of the drum, which will free up
space for continued winching.
15. Secure vehicle. Once recovery of the vehicle is complete, be sure to secure the vehicle's
brakes and shift the transmission to PARK.
Release tension in the synthetic rope.
16. Disconnect the synthetic rope, and disconnect from the anchor.
17. Rewind the synthetic rope. The person handling the synthetic rope should walk the
rope in and not let it slide through the hand,
control the winch at all times.
Rewinding The Synthetic Rope

NOTE:
How to spool under no load: Arrange the remote
control lead so it cannot be caught in the winch.
Arrange the synthetic rope so it will not kink or
tangle when spooled. Be sure any synthetic
rope already on the spooling drum is wound
tightly and evenly layered. Tighten and
straighten the layer if necessary. Keep the
synthetic rope under light tension and spool the
rope back and onto the winch drum in even
layers. Stop frequently to tighten and straighten
the layers as necessary. Repeat this process until the winch hook is the same distance as the
full length of the remote control from the winch.
Pinch the hook between your thumb and fore
-
finger and attach the hook strap. Hold the hook
strap between the thumb and forefinger to keep
tension on the synthetic rope. Walk the
synthetic rope towards the fairlead, carefully
spooling in the remaining rope by pulsing the
remote control switch.
18. Store the hook on the most outboard loop of
the hawse fairlead.

Hook In Stored Position

19. Disconnect the remote control. Disconnect the remote control cord from the control box
and store in a clean and dry place. Winching
operations are now complete. Put the cap
on the solenoid plug-in.
WARNING!
To prevent serious injury, NEVER put your
fingers inside the hook area as you are
powering-in.

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NOTE:
Always store the remote control in a protected,
clean, dry area.
RIGGING TECHNIQUES
Various winching situations will require
application of other winching techniques. These
could range from too little distance to achieve
maximum pull using straight line rigging, simply
increasing pulling power, or maintaining a
straight-line pulling situation. You will have to
assess what technique is correct for your
situation. Think "safety" at all times.
How To Change The Pulling Direction

Change Pulling Directions

All winching operations should have a straight
line from the winch to the object being pulled. This minimizes the synthetic rope collecting on
one side of the drum affecting pulling efficiency
and damaging synthetic rope. A snatch block,
secured to a point directly in front of the vehicle
will enable you to change your pulling direction
while still allowing the synthetic rope to be at
90° to wind properly onto the spooling drum.
Increasing Pulling Power
In some cases, you may find yourself needing
more pulling power. The use of snatch blocks
increases mechanical advantage and that
increases your pulling power.
Double Line

Wire Rope Routing

Because pulling power decreases with the
number of layers of synthetic rope on the winch drum, you can use a snatch block to double line
out more rope. This decreases the number of
layers of synthetic rope on the drum, and
increases pulling power. Start by feeding out
enough synthetic rope to free the winch hook.
Attach the hook to your vehicle's frame/tow
hook and run the rope through a snatch block.
Disengage the clutch and, using the snatch
block, pull out enough synthetic rope to reach
your anchor point. Do not attach the hook to the
mounting kit. Secure to the anchor point with a
tree trunk protector or choker chain. Attach the
clevis/shackle. Attach the shackle to the two
ends of the strap/chain, being careful not to
over tighten (tighten and back-off 1/2 turn).
FUEL SAVER TECHNOLOGY — GAS ENGINE
(IF EQUIPPED)
This feature offers improved fuel economy by
shutting off four of the engine's eight cylinders
during light load and cruise conditions. The
system is automatic with no driver inputs or
additional driving skills required.
NOTE:
This system may take some time to return to full
functionality after a battery disconnect.
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STARTING AND OPERATING283
(Continued)
ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL (ACC)
O
PERATION
The speed control buttons (located on the right
side of the steering wheel) operate the ACC
system.

Adaptive Cruise Control ButtonsCannot take street, traffic, and weather
conditions into account, and may be
limited upon adverse sight distance
conditions.
Does not always fully recognize complex
driving conditions, which can result in
wrong or missing distance warnings.
Will bring the vehicle to a complete stop
while following a target vehicle and hold
the vehicle for approximately two
seconds in the stop position. At this
point, there will be an “ACC may cancel
soon” chime and warning to the driver.
When ACC is cancelled, the system will
release the brakes and the driver must
take over braking. The system can be
resumed when the target vehicle drives
off by releasing the brake and pushing
the resume button on the steering
wheel.

WARNING! (Continued)
You should switch off the ACC system:
When driving in fog, heavy rain, heavy
snow, sleet, heavy traffic, and complex
driving situations (i.e., in highway construc -
tion zones).
When entering a turn lane or highway off
ramp; when driving on roads that are
winding, icy, snow-covered, slippery, or
have steep uphill or downhill slopes.
When towing a trailer up or down steep
slopes.
When circumstances do not allow safe
driving at a constant speed.
WARNING! (Continued)
1 — Adaptive Cruise Control On/Off Button
2 — Distance Button
3 — RES (+)
4 — SET (-)
5 — CANCEL
6 — Normal (Fixed Speed) Cruise Control On/Off
Button
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292STARTING AND OPERATING
Towing A Trailer
ACC while towing a trailer is recommended only
with an Integrated Trailer Brake Controller.
Aftermarket trailer brake controllers will not
activate the trailer brakes when ACC is braking.
Offset Driving
ACC may not detect a vehicle in the same lane
that is offset from your direct line of travel, or a
vehicle merging in from a side lane. There may
not be sufficient distance to the vehicle ahead.
The offset vehicle may move in and out of the
line of travel, which can cause your vehicle to
brake or accelerate unexpectedly.

Offset Driving Condition Example

Turns And Bends
When driving on a curve with ACC engaged, the
system may decrease the vehicle speed and
acceleration for stability reasons, with no target
vehicle detected. Once the vehicle is out of the
curve the system will resume your original set
speed. This is a part of normal ACC system
functionality.
NOTE:
On tight turns ACC performance may be limited.
Turn Or Bend Example

Using ACC On Hills
When driving on hills, ACC may not detect a
vehicle in your lane. Depending on the speed,
vehicle load, traffic conditions, and the
steepness of the hills, ACC performance may be
limited.
ACC Hill Example

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