Hey guys I got a bone stock 02 dmax swb cc with nothing added but a hypertech tuner currently set at 3. Next week i'm going to pick a new 29ft. outback 5er with a dry weight of 8000lbs + Question... will my EGTs get too high pullin this rig with the Htech set at 3 or should i go down to 2 or even 1??? thanks

Though I have gauges but no tuner or chip, I don't have anything to compare as far as EGT's go. However, based on what others are seeing with the Hypertech or other tuners, EGT's will be higher.

This is just a guess but I don't think I would tow in Level 3 unless I had a boost and EGT gauge to know when to back out of the throttle.

I know Hypertech is known to be careful about not running high EGT's but you also have to follow their directions to do it. I think they recommend no higher than level 1 for the weight you're pulliing.

i have hypertech on level two when im going up hills with my trailor loaded or unloaded its easy to bury the et gauge .its easy to get above 1200 pulling up hill in level 2, up a hill with noload in my trailor 55 to 60 will take me to 1200 easy, my total weight combined is 15000 ,thats with nothing in the dump trailor . when i have a load im usually around 26000 going up a hill when im around 40 mph its at 1200 easy, i live in western pa its hilly . i also upgraded my exhaust went to 4 in stanless magna flow exhaust from the cat back when i got my hypertech and i also went to a high flow air intake when i did the upgrades .

Well i just got back from houston with my new outback 29ft 5er. I towed with my hypertech set at level 1 Plenty of power!....Take into consideration that the dry weight of the 5er is somewhat over 8000 & the nose is really rounded...I found myself having to back off the throttle, for at one time i was going 80! Kept it at around 70 most of the time. I really didn't even need the tow haul. Actual overall length of the 5er is 31ft. Only thing is that i had it converted to a gooseneck & since i have a shortbed CC...i Really have to watch it turning sharp...unless i want to be replacing my rear glass & haveing body work done on the cab. Fuel mileage looks to be 12-13 pulling the trailer. So far i'm very satisfied with the power of my Dmax/alley combo. Except of the weight of the trailer on the bed, i hardly noticed the 5er on my back.

I have a Hypertech and towed my Hornet Sport Fifth wheel (similiar in weight and size to the Outback) last week to Utah from Colorado. In stage 2 it doesnt take much to heat it up. If you don't have a pyrometer i would set it at stage 1 until you get a gauge, better safe than sorry.

When i researched the programmers, hypertech's website says that they have no restrictions on towing. However, I have my truck set on stage 2 all the time just because i know it is my truck that i will have to pay for if something were to get too hot. Anyway, i don't have any gauges, but i also don't pull very much total weight since i found out it is cheaper to have someone take cattle to the market for me if i have more than one trailer full (when i figure the time i am off of work anyway) So i usually only pull in the 7000# range with little to no real grades. The only real way to know what is going on is to have gauges. I just wish i could find the extra time to get a set put in.

Well i just got back from houston with my new outback 29ft 5er. I towed with my hypertech set at level 1 Plenty of power!....Take into consideration that the dry weight of the 5er is somewhat over 8000 & the nose is really rounded...I found myself having to back off the throttle, for at one time i was going 80! Kept it at around 70 most of the time. I really didn't even need the tow haul. Actual overall length of the 5er is 31ft. Only thing is that i had it converted to a gooseneck & since i have a shortbed CC...i Really have to watch it turning sharp...unless i want to be replacing my rear glass & haveing body work done on the cab. Fuel mileage looks to be 12-13 pulling the trailer. So far i'm very satisfied with the power of my Dmax/alley combo. Except of the weight of the trailer on the bed, i hardly noticed the 5er on my back.
You might want to check with your insurance co about the gooseneck conversion. Here in Ca they wont cover you with the conversion from what I am told. I put a roller 5er in my swb cc.

I had the same problem with the weight of 5th wheel on my short bed. Try a set of air springs. Takes the sag rite out of those leaf springs.Much less body roll too.

I tow in level 3 all the time. I have a TT that is 8000 loaded and I have only hit 1300 one time floored in t/h in a 50 mile an hour head wind. I also have a lift and 35" tires with stock gears.

You shouldn't have any problems in level 3 but get a gauge just in case. You can always back out of the gas if you have to or put it in t/h, that normally lowers it about 100-200 degrees within 5-10 seconds.

I will be purchasing a 5er in a couple months with a dry weight of 10,000 and loaded around 12,000. I am not concerned and will run it in level 3.

Good discussion! When towing with these trucks it is a good idea to have gauges. It's what you don't know that will kill your engines longevity! :o:

radvans, what kind of hp/tq does level 3 on the Hypertech put to the Allison? Remember she can only handle about 100hp more for daily driving, towing puts a considerable amount of additional stress on the tranny. Would hate to see you having to rebuild it. ;) Better safe than sorry. :exactly: JJ :)

With my current trailer weight, the only time I see any issues or even begin to think of trans issues is in overdrive going up hills. You can feel when the truck is struggling and should kick down a gear but won't. I normally prepare for these types of inclines and but it in t/h. At that point you can again feel the truck is back in its correct range. The hypertech only adds about 75-80hp and around 160-175tq. I think that is well within the range of what most unabused allisons can handle in our trucks, even with a load behind it.

I have been running this way for about 9 months and have yet to have any issues. Now, my driving habits probably help also. When towing I go no faster then 60mph and when unloaded I only go about 65. I'm in no hurry. Also when towing I reduce speed on inclines to help guard against any issues.

Once the larger 5er comes, I will upgrade the trans, just for my piece of mind, but still I would keep going the same as now, just maybe a little slower on inclines.

I pulled about 6500lbs for about 150 miles the other day, mostly interstate and city driving while I was on level 3. It was a flatbed trailer with some equipment on it (no real wind resistance).

There were no real grades (flat west tennessee) during my trip. For those that have gauges on an LLY, what kind of temps did I see?

I played around a little bit as far as gassing on it, but didn't stay into the throttle for too long. Should I be worried that I did any damage?

Duckhunter, we'd just be guessing at your EGT's! :o: Dude, you've put a lot of money into a fine piece of machinery. Please don't let a couple hundred dollars invested in a EGT gauge keep you from protecting your investment. An EGT gauge doesn't void your warranty, and totally takes the guesswork out of how hard you can work your truck. :grd: JJ :)

Yeah, Yeah, I know, but someone can still give me a guesstimate based upon their experience as to what kind of temps they saw in similar situations. I would not have towed with the programmer at all but it was an unusual situation.

Don't worry, I plan on getting gauges and all of that, but I plan on getting the Juice and want to use the EGT gauge that comes with it. (Just bought the Hypertech for tire size calibration and something to use in the meantime).:D


And besides, me adding a gauge won't help with my question of whether I did any harm to my truck....:confused: :(

DH, given that you didn't tell us how fast you were driving pulling a EGT estimate out of the ol' caboose is kinda hard. How about 800*):h

On my E/J I'm normally around 700* at 60-65mph, 70-75 it bumps to around 800*. On a hard acceleration I can see 1200*. Like I said it is the sustained high engine temps that hurt the engine.

radvans, sounds like you aren't towing in T/H all the time? :confused: The Ally is one smart tranny and does a wonderful job managing shift points, torque converter lockup, etc. Plenty of good intel on the DP about the benefits of T/H. :)

IIRC the extra power is more of a concern on acceleration/shifting moreso than while staying in OD. I'm not much of a techie type, you might do a search to gather more intel. JJ :)

JJ, are your temps empty or with a trailer? What power setting?

Well, it was city driving mainly, stop and go traffic with some decent acceleration and then running 70-80 mph on the highway (slowing on hills to approximately 65-75 mph).

Interestingly my EGT's seem to stay pretty consistent while towing and not towing while on flat surfaces. :confused: I was expecting to run much higher EGT's when towing under all conditions. Go figure? :( Now the slightest incline and the EGT's really start to climb while towing.

My E/J was on level 1 since I didn't have my new exhaust at the time. I may try level 2 on my next run and advise. :cool:

Hope this helps. JJ :)