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Anyone towing with their Diesel?

StuartR

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So I bought a boat a couple of weekends ago. Ran into an issue the last two times that I have taken it out that it is overheating going up steep grades.

The boat and trailer are under the #3500 towing capacity. Anyone else experience towing overheat issues?

Trying to figure out if I should keep my revs high or low? Keep speed up or let rev's dictate? Do I need to upgrade my cooling system? Is there an upgrade for Diesel cooling system?
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Compression-Ignition

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How hot did it get, and do you know for a fact that the temps you saw are a problem? Factory gauges? How steep was the grade?

From what I've seen keeping the rpm's up on grades usually brings temp's down. But I'm sure that isn't a hard and fast rule. I would not bump up my speed. If I was concerned and was unable to control temps using manual mode and higher rpm's, I would slow down, to lower the temps. JMO.
 

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Towed a utility trailer that only had thousand lbs in it this weekend 3 hrs drive with no heat issues at all. Towed so much better than my gas JL.
 
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StuartR

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How hot did it get, and do you know for a fact that the temps you saw are a problem? Factory gauges? How steep was the grade?

From what I've seen keeping the rpm's up on grades usually brings temp's down. But I'm sure that isn't a hard and fast rule. I would not bump up my speed. If I was concerned and was unable to control temps using manual mode and higher rpm's, I would slow down, to lower the temps. JMO.
248 on my Scanguage is where the computer flagged the dash saying Engine hot. Never wnt past 248.
 

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All I know is that this diesel rig runs hotter than any diesel that I have ever owned...I'm of the opinion that it's all EPA emission mandated. I never see less than 205°f on the off road gauges and has been as high as 220°f with the AC running and really not working very hard.

Personally, I understand why but when all my other diesel engines run around 190°f, I cringe at the thought of these higher temps.

With these units all controlled by an ECM and pre-programed...I'm thinking we're just stuck with it.
 

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This has me worried. I'm about to order a 2021 diesel and would like to be able to tow a small travel trailer. With a 3500 lb. boat being far more aerodynamic than a travel trailer, I imagine the engine will need to work even harder. Part of my reason for wanting the diesel is the belief it will be a better towing experience. Would really like to hear from others towing with the diesel and how it performs.
Just another reason for me to wait to see what the Bronco will have (higher hitch and tow rating maybe). My F150 with 3.5 ecoboost tows like a dream and eats up steep grades - very deisel like in performance and perhaps the Bronco will have an ecoboost engine. Don't get me wrong, I really want the JL and own several jeeps, but it's got to fit a very specific bill for me - ALL the boxes must be checked at that price point.
 

bryan8379

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I pulled a broke down truck(over 5000 lbs) with a tow strap attached to my receiver with the hitchlink 2.0 I could barely feel it other than a little jerky when pulling out the slack. Not sure how the suspension would feel with weight on it from a normal towing situation but the engine didn't care.
 

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As far as engine heat...it doesn't GET hot...it just RUNS hot, if that makes any sense.
 

Compression-Ignition

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I pulled a broke down truck(over 5000 lbs) with a tow strap attached to my receiver with the hitchlink 2.0 I could barely feel it other than a little jerky when pulling out the slack. Not sure how the suspension would feel with weight on it from a normal towing situation but the engine didn't care.
Did the same, except it was a 9000lb truck.
 

JLDIESEL

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My diesel is on 40s and not regeared yet. Saw high temps today, but it was 110 outside and going up a grade.
 

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StuartR

StuartR

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Oh it's hot as hell when we are doing this. I had temp rises yesterday and the temp outside was 113-117. I removed my grill insert to get better airflow and I am relocating the winch electronics to make my winch lower profile. Hopefully this will help. WIll have to cool down before I start taking the boat out again. Too hot here to be enjoyable even on the water in the Vegas area.
 

Dasher320

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I just started a long trip with my JLURD and a 2650 lb RPod travel trailer. Tonight I’m staying near Highlands, NC. To get to this campsite it’s a 6-7 mile drive up windy roads with grades up to 15%. I’m on 37’s with bead lock wheels, not re-geared so stock 3.73, and this thing climbed up here like it was nothing. Transmission temp never moved from it’s normal range 190-210. It was the first real test for my diesel and I couldn’t be happier.

Also spent the last couple of days over at Uwharrie and it handled the difficult trails easily.

Jeep Wrangler JL Anyone towing with their Diesel? 220DE846-AA93-4A20-BD48-7F43BD9D797B
 

Megatron JLU

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I drove from Houston to Oregon 2200 miles with a Uhaul trailer. Loaded up I was at about 2000-2500# I was overheating in New Mexico with steep grades and heat of 100°. I had to baby it and go really slow about 50-55 mph to keep the radiator temps before 230. If I would try and go 65 it would climb to 240°. Oil temps got to 250° at times. Couldn't use cruise control, because it would downshift and strain the engine too much. It was a pita! I'm on 40s and re geared.

I'm sure it was the extra weight of the 40s, but still it sucks. Wish someone had a tune for it already. If your running stock or maybe with light 37s it might not overheat.
 

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I think that's the difference between the Jeep and the Ram: engine bay space. It's harder to keep the Jeep engine bay cool because the diesel is shoe-horned in there. I've towed a lot of several-thousand-lb. loads with the same engine in the Ram this summer and I'm shocked at how well the cooling package works. Trans. never gets beyond 195 no matter how hard I work it. Engine stays <220 no matter how hard I work it. They did an excellent job with intercooler placement and the overall cooling package on this new Gen 3 engine. It tows heavy weight in gears 6-8 comfortably and temps. always stay in check.

With the Jeep, I guess they just couldn't keep it as cool because of a lack of space. That's likely why they also detuned the Jeep engine by nearly 40 lbs/ft of torque. It'll be really interesting to see if they do anything different on the Gladiator EcoDiesel because rumor has it they're giving those a 6,000 lb. towing rating which is nearly double the Wrangler.
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