Ive tried multiple setups over the years including external oil coolers. For me the best setup so far is a free flowing grill with a lower temp thermostat and large aluminum radiator. The external oil coolers work well but add potenial leak points and can make it hard to warm up without added thermostat. They also make oil changes a pain if your like me and want all the oil out I can. Hopefully I well be pushing mine somewhat hard this weekend and see how it does with temps around 90 F.
Elevated Oil Temps when towing - potential solutions
Hey all:
I live in the middle of a mountainous terrain of Western Canada, so we pretty much always deal with climbing steep terrain and mountain passes when camping with our travel trailer. I’ve been searching through the forums and getting lots of great info to help manage elevated oil temps when towing.
My current set-up:
Truck:
2016 Ram 1500 Crew Cab SLT, GDE Engine & Transmission Tune, 3.55 gears, Timbergrove ASAM, upgraded 275/65/20 rims/tires (17” original factory stock – I know the larger rims/tires are detrimental for towing, but appearance matters too…)
Travel Trailer:
2020 Springdale 220BHWE; 4,900 lb dry, ~6,600 lb loaded
I have snipped the stats on one of the larger mountain passes we travel below—I will hit the derate message for oil temps (130 C) during the ascent, and I currently follow @VernDiesel advice of keeping <3,000 RPMs and the speed ends up in the 60-70 kmh range.
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Any additional thoughts, feedback, and suggestions would be appreciated.
I live in the middle of a mountainous terrain of Western Canada, so we pretty much always deal with climbing steep terrain and mountain passes when camping with our travel trailer. I’ve been searching through the forums and getting lots of great info to help manage elevated oil temps when towing.
My current set-up:
Truck:
2016 Ram 1500 Crew Cab SLT, GDE Engine & Transmission Tune, 3.55 gears, Timbergrove ASAM, upgraded 275/65/20 rims/tires (17” original factory stock – I know the larger rims/tires are detrimental for towing, but appearance matters too…)
Travel Trailer:
2020 Springdale 220BHWE; 4,900 lb dry, ~6,600 lb loaded
I have snipped the stats on one of the larger mountain passes we travel below—I will hit the derate message for oil temps (130 C) during the ascent, and I currently follow @VernDiesel advice of keeping <3,000 RPMs and the speed ends up in the 60-70 kmh range.
Looking for some additional input/feedback on potential improvements with helping keep the oil temperatures down. Here is what I am thinking and have gleaned from other forum members (@Bounty Hunter, @Brokedownbutgood - always appreciate your contributions to the forum)- Remove AGS
- Needed for additional external oil cooler install (see further note below); however, will this removal alone reap any benefits?
- If removed, will there be any adverse effects in the cooler winter months? I do use the winter cover once temps are below 0 C (32 F).
- Install aftermarket oil cooler
- 26 x 7 x 3.5” cooler: Air to Water Heat Exchanger
- Ecodiesel Oil Cooler Plate: Eco Diesel Info | D&J Diesel Performance and Repair (dandjdiesel.com)
- Derale 180 degree oil thermostat: Derale 25011 Fluid Control Thermostat Kit, Thermostats - Amazon Canada
Any additional thoughts, feedback, and suggestions would be appreciated.
