Standard tow rig far a m101a2

[hwcurtice]

Rebuild done on 7/1 Included the following:

Auxiliary Transmission cooler.

TransGo Shift Kit

AmsOil fluid

Drove it all day Sunday, 7/3, following. No issues. parked it for about 30 minutes drove off, 10 minutes out, the transmission temp light comes back on. It's done this to me twice since then, without the A/C on. Sunday, 7/3, it was with the A/C on.

BTW, my truck it rated to tow a max of 7,000 lbs.

I'm not frustrated by this... not much... not much at all....

 

[Bob H]

I regularly tow my M101A2 with my 2001 Cherokee XJ 6cyl/auto 165k+ on it with a 3500lb hitch

 

[3dAngus]

I wouldn't think a 3500lb tow should be a problem with most any vehicle provided it is kept leveled and brakes are adjusted correctly. I pull mine with a Chevy 6 cylinder. Knock on wood, no problems yet, and I have towed much more than that for long distances with my 16 foot flat bed.

I think the biggest thing of all in towing is to make sure it is level. It prevents a great deal of surging which is hard on the engine and transmission, minimizes the rock and roll going down the road, and is safer for braking where it doesn't push down on the rear end, lifting the front end.

 

[hwcurtice]

Level is one reason I got a different hitch plate. It was a little butt high before. I haven't had to tow it with a load and because I have to back it up so much, I haven't had the surge brake working, I 'pinned' it, since I bought it.

Heck, I just got the lights working right a couple weeks ago, and then the transmission decided it wanted a vacation...

So now, because of the sloppy HF pintle hitch, I've got a standard pintle on the way, which should handle the sloppiness.

I had it fully loaded for a dump run, and had to have my nephew run it. So the only thing I've hauled with it so far, is air.....

 

[Katahdin]

Harold, does your Dakota have the 42RLE Transmission? Were you towing with overdrive on or off?

One thing I always do after plowing snow is to let the truck idle for 10-15 minutes to circulate the tranny fluid through the coolers to cool it down. I imagine the same would help with heavy towing. Supposedly its best to put the tranny in neutral and engage the parking brake while the tranny fluid circulates, but that may be an old wives tale.

 

[hwcurtice]

I have the 545RFE, with the 3.92 rear, which gives me the 7,000 rating.

On the highway, I drive with the OD on. Hills I turn it off. That may be one of the issues I have.

When towing this trailer, I'm beginning to think I should have the Tow/Haul working all the time.

 

[Katahdin]

I just have experience pulling the 101A2 with the 42RLE in my Jeep TJ. The recovery return trip was 450 miles one day (empty) with the OD switch in the off position, no ill effects. Jeeps with the 42RLE have 3.73 gearing.

You may want to verify with your transmission shop that they put the correct fluid in your transmission. I've been driving on Dodge 42x transmissions now for 14 years and I know they can be picky about their fluids. Not saying the tranny shop is incompetent, but humans make mistakes.

 

[hwcurtice]

Back on the note of m1008/m1028 from GL without mentioning any particular one, of course, Opinions of the ones that come through? Which location would you go through?

Or wait and buy from a private party?

 

[goldwing2000]

Did I miss your valuable contribution ? Seems as if your response is doing the exact thing, only directed at responders instead of the original poster !

Maybe if folks would not so blatantly acknowledge in advance that they are just too "special" or "spontaneous" to take the time to try and get along, post and search in all the advised ways, and so on, they would not get the responses to thier need for instant gratification your so sad about.

Great idea though, lets just ignore an issue and it will get fixxed on its own ! That head in the sand approach would lead to hundreds of short numbered threads and keep the moderators and administrators buried in bull**** !

Participation and member contributions are read by all, so you would think that after reading a bunch of these, some folks would catch on.

Typing on my laptop in thr front room drinking coffee !

Yep, you win. +1 internets for you.

 

[heavymetal]

M101

These trailers were designed to be pulled behind the "pick-up truck style" vehicles, such as the M37. It has later been towed behind many of the 3/4 ton vehicles (m880, m1008, m1028, and yes, even the hummwv). Use with the hummer was problematic as the hummer is so much wider than the M101 trailer. The driver has a difficult time seeing the vehicle. Along with the greater weight, this led to the development of the aluminum bodied trailer made especially for the hummer. Hope this aleviates some of your curiosity. Cheers!

 

[hwcurtice]

I would think the aluminum body wouldn't hold up as much as the steel one would.

Might be a little lighter, that's all.

I bought the trailer because I plan on beating it up some, without destroying it. Steel would hold up better than other materials.

I know someone will correct me, if I am wrong here...

 

[harleyhouse]

I tow mine with a 2002 GMC sierra 2500HD My family ride.
I picked up the trailer in Ohio and she towed back fine.
The surge brakes were non working so I removed them.
Took off all the extras that added weight. Drums, backing plates, lunette,
Racks, lines, and extra bolts and brackets. Took off nearly 300 lbs.
The 8 bolt hubs worked perfect with my 2500HD.