When can I tow?

[danhercules]

I have a new truck on order. How long should I wait to tow. I have a 32' 5th wheel toy box. I will have anything inside. Empy. Its about 9k. I will be towing throught the so cal desert in temps over 100.

Thanks for the input.

[tanker]

I'm sure the owners manual will tell you something, like taking it easy for the first 500-1000 miles. As with breaking in any engine, short quick acceleration, up to highway speeds then back again. But then again when it was on the dyno in Ohio, it was run wide open for a while. I would take it easy towing and not push it till it screams for mercy ;) . All should be fine, and enjoy your new ride. smile.gif

[CleviteKid]

Tanker is correct about the engine.

What many overlook is the axle gears. They need at least 500 miles of relatively easy driving to burnish the wear pattern into the teeth before putting a really heavy load on them. 1000 miles would be even better, if you can wait that long :D .

Dr. Lee :cool:

[Tough Guy]

I think with the excitement of getting a new truck 1000 miles would be a piece of cake over a weekend! :D

Cheers

[WanaDmxsub]

Oil in rear should be changed after first 500 miles towing or 5000 not.
I ran mine easy for the first 500 not towing and have been dragging the TT to work every day that I can since then. It's a short trip but long enough that everything comes up to temp. I should hit 500 towing about the same time I hit 5000. At that point everything gets changed, filters, deep pans and fluids.

[Inspector]

When I broke in my new 03 I didn't tow for the first 1000 miles then only for short distances. When Tom and Howie came thru Utah on the way to Montana last year was the first long distance tow. I ran up and back on the grape juice and then dropped that out of the G80 for Amsoil
90-140. I tow heavy. As Tom and Howie will attest the G80 got a little warm going down the grade into the Bitterroot Valley but but after that it ran cool as cucumber. When I dropped the grape juice it was clean and showed no sign of being overheated. I think more than 500 miles is needed for a rearend break in.
Denny

[Stephen1]

I just picked up a new 04. The manual says this:

First 500 miles
Take it easy - nothing over 55 mph and NO towing

First 500 miles towing - nothing over 50 mph - no full throttle.

Just hit 1000 miles this weekend.

Steve

[James Hewett]

WanaDmxsub~~~ Where did you get this idea that the rearend oil has to be changed?
" Oil in rear should be changed after first 500 miles towing or 5000 not.
I ran mine easy for the first 500 not towing and have been dragging the TT to work every day that I can since then. It's a short trip but long enough that everything comes up to temp. I should hit 500 towing about the same time I hit 5000. At that point everything gets changed, filters, deep pans and fluids."
What do you mean by deep pans?
I did not see anywhere this had to be done! My trucks manual says when they think this all should be done, and it is all covered for 100,000 miles, I say let it break and let it get replaced, why spend the money on oil that doesn't need replaceing?
When I left the dealer no one told me& I had no time to read manual and drove the truck a little hard, even to 75mph and got home to say "whoops" I wasn't suppose to do that stabb'n and steering during break in. I had 2500 miles the first week!
I have bought many new trucks and driv'n all types brand new and no one told me to change gearlube after 500 miles. I had even pic up a Mack in Oakland Cal. in the 70's and drove it straight home to NY without oils changed.

[cowboywildbill]

"OUCH"! You Guy's are making me feel bad! When I bought our truck we were at the Quarter horse congress in Columbus OH. We had driven our Dodge cummins with the "disposable automatic" transmission out there while towing our 8K fifth wheel. Then we traded the Dodge in for a new 2002 DMax. The dealer put our hitch into the new GMC, and we towed the camper back home. There are a lot of good 6% grades on the hills 450 miles back to Maryland. The Dealer said just run it and don't worry about the engine. But he did say that I should change the fluid in the rear to a synthetic after we got home.
I would have broke it in if I could have, but I really didn't have the chance to. It had about 160 miles on it when we left before towing.
I don't think I hurt it, but I did have my foot in it real hard most of the way home.
When you buy an over the road Tractor (like a Peterbuilt) with a diesel, you just hook up to whatever your towing and go. No break in period. Sometimes I wonder if the motor's really need a break in run with the tolerences the way they are today. But I do think the real important thing for break in is doing frequent oil changes. I like to change the oil on a new engine at the first 500 miles and every 500 miles for the first 2,000 miles, and then at least every 5,000 but usually I do it every 3,000 miles after that. I think the most important thing is to get that assembly dirt and cast, grit, filings or whatever else is floating around from the factory and first run wear, out of the engine. The rear seemed to look fine when I changed it, I pulled the cover off for the first change at 500 miles. And then changed it again in about 5,000 miles because the cover was leaking around the new gasket. So far I haven't had a minutes trouble out of this truck. Just hours of joy! What great machine's these D/Maxs are. But to answer your question, I think it is wise to take it easy within reason for the first 500 or so miles. Vary the things you do while driving, like acelerating and cruising at different speeds. I wouldn't let it idle for any extended periods, this is really not a good idea at any time if it can be avoided. Enjoy your new toy. Drive safe!

[WanaDmxsub]

James Hewett,
OK, maybe I should have worded that differently and said "IMHO".
For me it is just cheap insurance.

[James Hewett]

Yes, I do beleive in changing oils often, but it's been so cold here that I can't get into doing it tell it warms up, maybe I will get a chance to change it before we head to Fla. again, it should have about 5000 miles by then. The cleaner I keep things the better they look, but with the use of Diesel fuel being more lubricant then gasoline in the cylinders the longer this engine stays clean inside.
It's funny how gasoline does a better job washing things down, like oil from rings etc.and it all goes down into the oilpan.
When I had my new set of gears put in my old car, the installer told me to take it reel e-z on them for a while let them burnish in.But did not tell me to change break in oil.
If the 2004 doesn't have synthetic oil in the Rear gears--it will soon.