Not sure you are right or wrong on the RE. I was told by a trusted source that there would be a lot more maint on the 1 ton rear end than the 3/4 ton witht he open axle et al. I'll have to kick my source then. He talked me into the 3/4 ton for that very reason. I had new plates going on a really nice Red 1 ton dually before I took the time to call him and discuss the purchase and get talked down. He is the source on the stability stuff in wet conditions with a dually too. Dog gone it, I really wanted that dual wheeled monster... Oh well, maybe next time. Heck, at 36K for this one, and 40+ for a dually, that should be a long time down the road. And I'll NEED one to pull that monster toy hauler around.

Just curious though, is there a way to get the sticker updated to reflect the increased load hauling capacity when you DO install heavier spings or air bags etc?

 

flyinscrammy

Actually, I am a cop. You can exceed your Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (and as I understand it, you could get dinged for it in some jurisdictions), even though you may be under your Gross Combined Weight Rating, and yes, I know the difference.

Just as an example, my 5th wheel, loaded, puts about 2000 pounds of weight on the pin. Add about 175 for the hitch, 600 pounds of people and some camping gear, and it could easily exceed the max payload of my 3500 SRW pickup (2,680 pounds), above which I would be over my 9900 GVWR.

Again, I'm not saying the truck won't handle it, or that it's likely to get enforced, but I think that if most folks towing a 35' or longer 5th wheel with a 2500 or SRW 3500 went over a scale with all their camping gear and people in the truck, they would discover they are over rear axle weight rating, and gross vehicle weight rating, even though they may be under gross combined weight.

I'm not trying to argue, but next time you and your buddies, gear and stuff is all loaded up, run it over a certified scale (one with no cops around) and see what it says. That's the only way to know for sure.

Dragginbutt

RE: rear dif, in 2003 Dodge switched from Dana to AAM rear axles in 2500/3500 trucks, and thereafter specified oil changes every 15K with full synthetic 75W-90 rated GL-5. Perhaps your buddy was comparing service schedule on an older 2500 to a newer 3500?

 

Sorry, apparently you do know your stuff. Most people don't bother to research stuff like that. I did. It's not that easy to find though, beyond looking on your door for your GVWR, then understand GCVWR and determine what it is for your state. Had to do quite a bit of searches just to make sure. My worry wasn't about a ticket, but insurance liability. You know they will find every way in the world not to pay out if I get into a wreck. 15k on the rear end huh??? I better dig out my service manual, god knows what else I've missed! I was working on the 30k schedule (I only have 28k on the '04). Thanks

 

Actually he has been a truck driver for almost 30 years, and before that a certified Mechanic working on heavy trucks in the USAF. He is my brother in law, so I have to trust him. I found one interesting tidbit on the service schedules for Dodge trucks. The dealers will always tell you to follow Schedule B, which mandates changing gear oil every 15000 miles. However if you are like most people, only occasionally tow or haul weight, don't drive in stop and go traffic, or don't drive on highways for hours on end, then the Factory service people say that Schedule A is good to go. At least that was the word on my old 1500.. and I have not had to call the regional service manager for a while now, so I don't know what the rule is on the 2500 and 3500's. 15000 between changes I'll buy if it was working hard, but that seems a bit much if you are not abusing it. Otherwise some of us would be changing the gear oil twice or three times a year.. That seems a lot in my book. I agree it is cheap insurance over replacing a Differential or a transfer case. I change mine every 30,000 just to keep things reasonably affordable. I still can't seem to get out of the dealer's garage for under 200 bucks. I understand the 3 gallons of oil is expensive, and the cost of filters etc... but man that is steep. There is always something they say needs to be serviced over an above what I had planned every time we change the oil.

 

flyinscrammy,

Yeah, you and I think alike, in that it isn't the slim chance of a ticket that scares me, it's what might happen if ever I was in a serious accident.... The problem for me is the one really huge 5th wheel I kind of like would exceed the combined rating of a dually. I'm going to go look at the 5500 series when they come out, but like most people if I go buy a high $$$ new truck, a fancy 5th wheel wouldn't fit in the budget (or at least I think it would be wiser to buy a house as a rental instead, if I were going to drop that kind of cash).

Dragginbutt,

I also thought the 15k change thing is a bit steep, but my truck is either sitting unused, doing short stop and go trips, or towing, so unfortunately I meet the requirement for frequent service. If I own the thing after the 7/70 expires, I'll do it less often. At least they come with a reuseable gasket, and Redline is cheaper than the factory stuff and meets their specification (They now say 75w-140 for heavy towing).

Filters and that kind of stuff are cheaper at the Cummins parts house, and cheaper yet at Gino's.

 

So you recommend Redline then? Almost to a man, I have heard everyone go aftermarket when choosing oils etc. Redline is on my list. Because I have a new truck, and this is my first oil change coming up in it, I want to get it on a program that I will keep for a long time.

 

I just bought Redline because the parts guy at the Dodge dealer pointed out that it's cheaper than DC's oil, it is as good or better quality, and it meets their warranty requirements. Also, they had 75W-140 GL-5 in stock, and the powers that be had just sent something out about it being approved and a good idea to run the heavier weight oil for those who tow heavy, particularly in warmer climates. There are plenty of good gear oils out there, and any full synthetic that meets GL-5 would probably be fine.

I also switched the NV5600 out to Redline MTL, with good results. Rumor has it that the DC stuff is just Pensoil Syncromesh, and I thought it might be worthwhile to have synthetic in there also.

 

Believe it or not, just putting redline in my manual transmission fixed the tight shifting problem that I was having in my 1500. 5500?? Wow! I'd love to have one of those or a freightliner to tow my 5th wheel, but like you, I still have to feed and cloth the family.